1) Voluntarism: encourage active participation of young people with fewer opportunities in their local communities;
2) Multiculturalism: foster mutual understanding among young people from diverse cultural backgrounds through common work and shared daily experience;
3) Social inclusion: develop young people’s awareness and commitment to tackling issues of poverty and marginalization for a more inclusive society through direct work with young people with fewer opportunities.
The project will be realized between 1 of February until 1 of December next year.
Thirteen years after the end of the Kosovo conflict, there are many changes and much has improved. At the same time, inter-ethnic tensions persist; some minority communities suffer from restricted freedom of movement, limited employment opportunities, lack of adequate housing, and social marginalization. Civil participation in the political structures and processes remains low, as does social capital in the form of voluntarism. The future for Kosovo’s young people is uncertain. Tens of thousands of young people (over 50% of the population are under age 25) are unemployed and have little prospect of finding work. There is little contact between young people of different ethnicities. Since its foundation BSF worked for social reconstruction through voluntarism believing that voluntary efforts can extend opportunity to disenfranchised communities, can forge links between different ethnic communities, promote self-help initiatives and self-reliance, and encourage people to become more active in their communities.
We invite you to take part in this project – the selection time is very close.
1- Project description
European Voluntary Service
Enriching the Learning Center Experience- Kosovo
Background and objective of the action
Thirteen years after the end of the Kosovo conflict, there are many changes and much has improved. At the same time, inter-ethnic tensions persist; some minority communities suffer from restricted freedom of movement, limited employment opportunities, lack of adequate housing, and social marginalization. Civil participation in the political structures and processes remains low, as does social capital in the form of voluntarism. The future for Kosovo’s young people is uncertain. Tens of thousands of young people (over 50% of the population are under age 25) are unemployed and have little prospect of finding work. There is little contact between young people of different ethnicities. Since its foundation BSF worked for social reconstruction through voluntarism believing that voluntary efforts can extend opportunity to disenfranchised communities, can forge links between different ethnic communities, promote self-help initiatives and self-reliance, and encourage people to become more active in their communities.
In this context this project aims at involving young Europeans in BSF’s activities to allow them to exchange experience in Kosovo while learning about education in an international and disadvantaged environment. This seeks to achieve the following objectives:
1) Voluntarism: encourage active participation of young people with fewer opportunities in their local communities;
2) Multiculturalism: foster mutual understanding among young people from diverse cultural backgrounds through common work and shared daily experience;
3) Social inclusion: develop young people’s awareness and commitment to tackling issues of poverty and marginalization for a more inclusive society through direct work with young people with fewer opportunities.
These objectives directly address Youth in Action objectives and priorities, in particular to promote young people’s active citizenship, to develop solidarity and promote tolerance in order to foster social inclusion in the EU enlargement process.
Role of the volunteers
The volunteers will be involved in daily activities run by the four BSF Learning Centers in Gracanica, Fushe Kosova, Plemetina and Shtime. These Learning Centers serve the underprivileged minority children of these communities by providing pre-school, after-school homework help, an educational summer program and majority language lessons. The children come from ethnic groups that are in one way or another marginalized, mainly from the Ashkali, Roma, and Egyptian communities.
Volunteers will typically live with host families. In this way, they will be integrated into the community and will experience firsthand the life of these communities. Thus, the project directly tackles the issues concerning discrimination and minorities. Volunteers will develop their educational skills working closely with youth and children, while local children will be stimulated by the contact with young people coming from abroad. Previous volunteers have been involved in campaigns working to end discrimination against these minority communities and this will also be possible for new volunteers.
In cooperation with local staff, volunteers will develop curricula and create fun activities in science and environment, art, and music in order to supplement the formal education of the children. They will be encouraged to use interactive and participatory methods to catch children’s attention, and stimulate creativity and critical thinking.
EVS volunteers support Kosovo’s path to European values by bringing volunteers and local people together, modeling voluntarism, confronting discrimination and marginalization issues, doing presentations on their home countries, and forging links and ties across borders.
Requirements
– Ability to work independently and as part of a team
– In good physical and mental health
– Able and willing to live and work in an environment with restricted power and water supplies, and increased environmental challenges
– A demonstrated interest in and/or aptitude for youth-centered and youth-led voluntary community development work
– General interest in working with children
– Interest in one of the themes: science and environment, art, music
– Willing to adapt to a culture very different to their own; this means eating different food, participating in cultural events, being sensitive to religious customs and traditions
– Positive attitudes toward working in multi-cultural environments
– Enthusiastic willingness to work with underprivileged youth
Some volunteers will live in isolated communities undertaking challenging work in a politically sensitive environment therefore it is important that they arrive with an open mind.
Balkan Sunflowers welcomes applications from volunteers regardless of their cultural, geographical or socio-economic background. As volunteers may live in host families in sometimes basic conditions, those with more than basic health care needs, very specific dietary requirements, mobility problems and other significant special needs may find working on this project difficult.
Conditions
Under EVS contract, volunteers will receive the reimbursement of 90% of travel cost to/from the duty station, full coverage of accommodation costs (accommodation and meals), health insurance, and a monthly allowance.
To apply
To apply please send updated curriculum vitae and motivation letterto imborgia@gmail.com by 15/11/2012. For inquire about this position contact Alessandro Imborgia.
Further Information:
Additional information EVS recruitment, and service conditions
Recruitment
Volunteer candidates will be asked to send a CV and motivation letter. Based on these documents, all of them will be interviewed and preselected by each Sending Organisation; the main criteria of the pre-selection process will be the general interest and high motivation to join the project; selected applications will be forwarded to Balkan Sunflowers, the Coordination Organisation, which will be responsible for composing the short list of candidates; there will be no preference according to cultural, geographical or socio-economic background; the decision about the selection will be announced to all promoters via e-mail, including the short list of candidates and the selection criteria; the promoters will have the possibility of forwarding it to all candidates; the Coordinating Organisation will compose a short report, summarising the process of final selection of candidates. The report will be available for consultation upon request by the Sending Organisation representative.
Service condition
The Service complies with the qualitative criteria on the EVS charter:
Before, during and after the EVS service, volunteers will receive support from their Sending Organisation as well as the Hosting Organisation (through the institution of mentor, support of experienced youth workers from the BSFK office and the Learning Centers, project coordinator, regular meetings with other EVS volunteers):
• Volunteers will receive all necessary support in registering for insurance, acquiring residence permits, making travel arrangements and all the EVS administrative procedures;
• Volunteers will participate in the EVS training cycle (pre-departure training, on-arrival training, mid-term evaluation and annual EVS event);
• The Coordinating Organisation, in cooperation with Sending Organisations will ensure proper evaluation measures to be implemented and adjusted to volunteers’ needs and development of their projects.
Information:
• All EVS partners will receive complete information on the project and agree on all aspects;
• Volunteers will be directly contacted by phone/skype for open discussion;
• Volunteers will be directed to BSFK websites for more information;
• Volunteers will receive a BSFK volunteer manual.
Visibility, dissemination and publicity measures:
• Will be ensured and implemented according to the description given below section.
Recognition:
• Volunteers will be encouraged to write for the BSFK newsletter;
• Each EVS volunteer will be entitled to receive a Youthpass upon completing his/her project.
The role and tasks of the volunteers
• Each volunteer will receive a specific work description from his/her BSFK Learning Center;
• Two volunteers will be placed at the Fushe Kosova Learning Center, one volunteer at the Gracanica Learning Center, one volunteer at the Plemetina Learning Center and one volunteer at the Shtime Learning Center;
• Assist the staff of the Learning Center in day-to-day activities;
• Develop activities each week in the areas of science and environment, art,and music, as per the specific volunteer role description prepared in discussion with BSFK and the international volunteer;
• Conduct activities to promote voluntarism and to encourage the involvement of Kosovar youth;
• Report regularly to their mentors and project coordinator;
• Encourage contact between young people of different ethnicities and different communities.
The practical arrangements
• Working hours: Working day is 6 hours and volunteer will work 5 days per week. This working time can be flexible, which depends on scope of work;
• Days off: The volunteer can take two weeks off during the project, in agreement with the Hosting Organisation;
• Holidays: National holidays are days off. With respect to religious beliefs of the volunteer, other holidays will be permitted;
• Accommodation: Volunteers typically live with host families who provide them a family experience within the host community, support, and meals. Volunteers may also choose independent accommodation, according to their preference.
• Food: Volunteers living with a host family will be provided breakfast and dinner at home and lunch will be available at the Learning Center. All weekend meals will also be provided by the host family. Volunteers in independent accommodations will be responsible for their own meals;
- A living allowance is normally apportioned to cover: home stay (or independent accommodation and food), local travel, communication, mentor, language instruction, and BSF house use;
Contribution of the service to the learning process of the volunteers and how Youthpass will be dealt with:
• Volunteers will encounter many learning opportunities. Some of them they will be directly provided with trainings, orientation meetings, workshops; and some they will have to define themselves (intercultural learning in direct contact with the local community). The hosting Organisation will facilitate this learning process as much as possible, but will also leave space for the volunteers to discover on their own the richness of their learning environment. Volunteers will have the opportunity to acquire skills in each of Youthpass competencies and will be encouraged to keep a learning log in order to organize their learning process. Participants will be provided with a place for reflection on learning experiences and outcomes in the contact with their mentors, in the regular meetings with other EVS volunteers, as well as during the Mid-term Evaluation.
• Each volunteer will receive support in the process of creating their Youthpass. The quality of this process will be assured by the Coordinating Organisation. The document will be created by the volunteer, with the support of the mentor, the project coordinator (on behalf of the Hosting Organisation) and the representative of the Sending Organisation. Together they will discuss the learning achievements with the volunteer at the end of the Service in view of the Youthpass certificate.
Training
On-arrival training
On-arrival will take place upon arrival of volunteers in the host country. It will introduce volunteers to their host region and their host environment, will help them to get to know each other and supports them to create an environment that support learning and realising own project ideas. It will be organized by SALTO SEE.
Intensive on-arrival training with BSF
In addition to SALTO SEE training, volunteers with take part in intensive on-arrival training with BSF which will introduce volunteers to different cultures, ethnicities and traditions in the region, information about Kosovo and the region, discuss safety, concerns, volunteers theme work, working with children, etc. Volunteers will also be introduced to non-violent communication and awareness of colonialist attitudes.
Mid-term evaluation
Mid-term evaluation will provide volunteers with an opportunity to evaluate and reflect on their experience so far, as well as to meet other volunteers from different projects throughout the region.
Upon their return home
Generally, Sending Organizations will provide support to volunteer to help reintegrate them into their home community, give volunteers the opportunity to exchange and share experiences and learning outcomes, encourage their involvement in dissemination and exploitation of results and learning outcomes, provide guidance regarding further education, training or employment opportunities as well as ensure the participation of the volunteers in the annual EVS event organised by the National Agency in their country.
