GO EAST! - Contact Making Seminar for organisations interested in development of co-operation with Eastern Europe & Caucasus

Date and Venue

• The GO EAST! Contact Making Seminar took place from 2-6 April 2004 in Warsaw, Poland.

Aims

GO EAST! was a Contact Making Seminar for potential partners from YOUTH programme countries and Eastern Europe and Caucasus Countries.
The Contact Making Seminar aimed to enhance the cooperation between organisations from these regions and wanted to stimulate the creation of project ideas within Action 1, Action 2 and Action 5.

Additional aim of the GO EAST! was to find potential YOUTH Programme multipliers, who are ready to promote and to inform about the YOUTH Programme in Eastern Europe and Caucasus as well as to co-operate on this issue with EECA Resource Centre. Last part of CMS, having training elements was addressed especially to future multipliers from Eastern Europe.

We encouraged all actively acting on the filed of non-formal education from Eastern European and Caucasian Countries to make first step to become multiplier of the YOUTH Programme in the region! 

Objectives

• To bring together people working with young people in order to create new project ideas within the YOUTH Programme
• To get to know organisations from different part of Europe
• To build new partnerships between Programme Countries and partners from Eastern Europe and Caucasus
• To create atmosphere of common understanding between people representing different cultures, working styles, etc.
• To provide knowledge about possibilities of co-operation with Eastern Europe within the YOUTH Programme
• To present examples of efficient and successful co-operation with Eastern Europe and Caucasus
• To promote Eastern Europe and Caucasus region among partners from Programme Countries

 

Participants

Contact Making Seminar brought together 40 youth leaders, youth workers, project coordinators. We have decided to select:

• 20 participants from Programme Countries and
• 20 participants from Eastern Europe and Caucasus.

Only participants from these above mentioned countries were allowed to participate in CMS.

 

Applicants from Programme Countries fulfilled following criteria:

• Were representative of the youth organisation or organisation working with young people, who were able and authorized on behalf of its organisation to create future projects ideas
• Had basic knowledge about YOUTH Programme on decentralised level (experience in projects with Third countries was very welcome)
• Had experience from minimum 1 multilateral YOUTH project (other non-formal education experience was additional advantage)
• Were prepared to participate in follow-up or evaluation activities organised by the National Agency or SALTO-YOUTH network
• Were prepared to actively attend and contribute during the full duration of the CMS

Applicants from Eastern Europe and Caucasus countries fulfilled following criteria:

• Had knowledge about YOUTH Programme on semi-decentralised or centralised level, (so experience in projects with Third countries is necessary)
• Had non-formal education background (participants representing companies were not allowed to participate)
• Priority was youth NGOs.
• They wanted to play the role of multiplier of the YOUTH Programme and were prepared to pass on the information, skills and contacts stemming from the event through their future activities
• Were prepared to participate in follow-up or evaluation activities organised by SALTO-YOUTH network
• Were prepared to actively attend and contribute during the full duration of the CMS

Working language of the GO EAST! was English!

 

Trainers

The team of trainers was selected on the basis of their experience in the field of working with projects involving partners from Eastern Europe and Caucasus, cultural diversity, training and youth work and will itself reflect the multi-cultural nature of Europe. We selected 2 trainers, who was responsible for detail preparation together with EECA RC and direct implementation of the CMS programme. Trainers were also responsible for documentation activities. We wanted especially invite trainers having besides English also Russian language abilities Trainers were selected through the TOY database.

 

Programme elements

• Presentation of participants and organisations - Organisations Fair
• Presentation of the YOUTH Programme with special focus on "Third countries co-operation"
• Workshop on Project management and risk prevention
• Good practice presentation
• Presentation of the youth work reality in the Eastern countries
• Action Market

 

Financial conditions of attendance in the CMS GO EAST!

• SALTO-YOUTH EECA RC provided board and lodging for all participants.
• Participants from Programme countries received reimbursement of travel costs from their National Agency
• Travel costs of participants from Eastern Europe and Caucasus as well as visa costs were reimbursed directly by the SALTO-PL.