YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAME
May 2006
1. Background/Needs Assessment
The region of South-Eastern Europe is a ground where a lot of different cultures meet. This multiculturalism makes the relations between people of different cultures a mater of daily practice. The problems that have been prevailing in our society have forced people to good deeds and to blame others for the turmoil. This has been a major problem in the Balkan which has led people to completely separated entities, necessary and important contacts. As a result of leaving the problem behind, we have witnessed all these wars which in turn have worsened situation. For that reason this region is rated as the lowest in Balkan economy, respectively in the cultural and educational fields. In lack of other options, people easily resorted to armed conflicts as an option for solving the problems. As a part of Balkan and not being able to learn from the neighbouring experiences, Macedonia faced an open-armed conflict. Culture of violence became way of living that people started to accept as an everyday appearance. Addressing the issue of Peace in our society, this particular program is also trying to eliminate the existing culture of violence, especially in the schooling surroundings.
Centre for Management of Conflicts, having a specific status in society and being specialised in providing its expertise on Peacebuilding, through all its program gives its effort to contribute for better living conditions in Macedonia - free of violence! Bearing all this in mind, CMC through its work has realized that students in high schools are manipulative target group, often misused by politicians and extreme groups operating in Macedonia. The existing physical and mental infrastructure is providing perfect ground for cultivating seeds of heitrage and intolerance among young population. In lot of schools that are ethnically mixed, the fights between students are regular problem that the state institutions are facing every year. The expertise among the school institutions, to face these kinds of challenges unfortunately is lacking.
Centre for Management of Conflicts � four years in role is leading and implementing Youth Leadership Conferences (YLC). The established training program has proven to be more than effective due to fact that the project is based on model of �best practice�. Under all this circumstances Center for Management of Conflicts introduces additional series of Youth Leadership Conferences (YLC). We strongly believe the YLC, as previously were successful, they will be successful again. This fact was also elaborated good by the external evaluation of the project this project, done by the research institute �DETRA� (Please see attachment nr. 4 for more details)
Target groups, such students are in this program should not be serving as objects for achieving hidden political agendas but rather be seen as a future of one society. The prepared program will directly target the students and through them, their teachers, parents, friends and their micro-surroundings. As such the program will also aim to immediate reactions to the existing conflicts in the schools and prepare the ground to manage possible future violent conflicts.
2. Project Description
Based on best practice principle, the new series of Youth Leadership Conferences (YLC) are going to continue to spread the spirit of tolerance and understanding among the new and future leaders of our society. Bearing in mind the previous existing experience, Centre for Management of Conflicts (CMC) in close cooperation with OSCE/Mission in Skopje will implement 4 leadership conferences (Skopje, Kumanovo, Gostivar, Struga and Skopje). Specific attention will be paid to rural areas that have not been covered previously.
The strategic approach of CMC strives to take students out of their micro surrounding and their daily challenges; where then a neutral space gives its own power of sincerity. The four conferences will be organised in the periphery of the city of Struga, as the outreach effect could be achieved and participants could devote some time focused only for to the teaching process. This neutral country setting will directly benefit from the values that this project is going to spread. The project will use interactive games, role playing and debate, to develop students� skills in leadership, conflict resolution and team building in a supportive atmosphere that encourages establishment of long-term relationships and friendship between the youth leaders. The students will be challenged to identify ways they can work together to make positive changes in their schools and communities.
The experiences and realities of participants, as youth workers, youth leaders or educators, will be the starting point of the programme and of the learning process. The course is designed to give participants the opportunity to experience and reflect upon the issues of intercultural dialogue and solidarity using the group of participants, their experiences and perceptions as the basis for learning together and developing common projects. The course will thus be a mutual learning situation, where participants can compare their approaches and concerns in a dialogical intercultural approach and environment.
3. Project Goal and Objectives
Project Goal:
? Reducing inter - ethnic tensions and elimination of culture of violence among young people in Macedonia by providing them new practical life skills on peace and non-violence.
Project Objectives:
? To emerge leaders of various ethnicities to be able in future to help the society to manage daily school conflicts;
? to provide young leaders with: leadership, communication and conflict resolution tools they need to work together to address the problems they face in their schools and communities;
? To change the existing violent attitudes and behaviours in to positive and practical learning abilities;
? To identify, support and provide a positive influence to youth leaders of various ethnicities, providing them with the necessary skills, such as conflict resolution and negotiation, to better address the inter-ethnic challenges they face;
? To establish and strengthen the relationship between youth leaders from different ethnic backgrounds, enabling them to work well together both now and in the future;
? To develop a pool of skilled and recognized youth leaders beyond the narrowly-defined categories, such as student union leader and class president, to include influential students from other areas, such as the arts, the community, sports, NGOs;
? To motivate youth leaders to use their talents to instigate and implement confidence building initiatives in their local communities;
4. Project Activities
? Selection of Participants
CMC will use a combination of grassroot contacts in the schools and its own relationships with student leaders to develop lists of potential candidates. From a great help in this regards will be the previously established contacts with teachers, parents and students during the previous conferences. Candidates will be selected through a competitive interview process and chosen based on their leadership activities, views on subjects such as leadership, community and ethnicity, communication skills and integrity. Added value in the process of identification and selection of the students will be the fact that for this project it is already given oral and written support from the ministry of education.
? Activities at the Conferences
The conference as such is going to be focused on transferring and sharing positive attitudes, values, knowledge and practical life skills that ease the process of management of conflicts. Students will be laded through a curriculum designed by the CMC in coordination with Confidence building Unit of OSCE (CBU), specifically designed to achieve the stated objectives. Activities will include a myriad of games, debates, lessons and role-plays, used and proven by the CMC in numerous similar environments. The young leaders will be challenged to come up with projects they can bring back together to their schools and communities for implementation. Students will also be given ample opportunity to socialize at dinners and parties and each participant will be paired with a roommate of same gender of a different ethnicity.
? Post Conference Activities
Students will be invited to communicate with each other and the CBU and the CMC organizers about cultural events and projects after the event. They will receive support from the organizers on finding guidance and funding for projects when appropriate.
? Follow up
The 5th set conference is going to be implemented in the second phase of implementation of this project (March 2007). This conference will select the best-proven participants and will provide them with additional (advanced) educational program on Peacebuilding and Reconciliation. The CBU will provide follow-up support for YLC participants by informing them of community and cultural activities, providing advice, support and contacts in setting up their own projects and organizations and organizing a Leadership Speaker Series that will bring recognized adult leaders in to speak to the students about the responsibilities, rewards and challenges they face.
5. Expected Results
? Educated students on the topics of Peacebuilding and conflict management;
? Formation of pool of young educators that will transfer the gained knowledge among their friends/students;
? Reduce of violence's among youth in high schools;
? New and improved relationships between youth leaders across ethnic lines and motivated young leaders for taking proactive and positive steps in their communities;
? A high-profile, non-controversial example of the international community working to achieve sustainable peace among young people of different ethnic backgrounds
6. Project Requirements
Involvement of the actors that are directly or indirectly influencing this educational program is necessary. The project will require high effort and dedication on peace and non-violence from the organisers (CMC), trainers, students, Teachers, parents, partners etc.
The reputation of OSCE in Macedonia and its help on implementation of this project, as serious actor of international community, is not just necessary but also highly valuable due to the fact that their existing links and trust in the community can open new perspectives for the project.
7. Implementation Plan/Project Schedule
October November December January February March
Letter of support from the ministry of education x
Visit of the schools x x x x x x x
Identification of participants, x x x X
Final selection and invitation of the participants x X
Selection and reservation of the hotel for the seminars x X
Purchasing working materials x x
Contacting trainers x x
Preparation of contracts for trainers and staff members x x
Preparation of evaluation questionnaires x x x x
Preparing brochure and leaflet x x x x
T-shirt printing x
Notify Media x x x x X
Transport
THE WEEKENDS
YLC 1,2,3 and 4 x x x x
Preparing periodical rapports x
Project Evaluation x x
Final rapport x x
The project schedule is divided in two phases. The first phase is planed to start in October 2006 and to last until the last week of December and the second phase is planed to start in January 2007 and to finish by the end of March.
8. Risk Assessment
? This project builds upon the existing successful pilot project that was done by OSCE during 2003.
? The new fragile political developments determine the security in the state. They could affect on the implementation phase of the project and this could rather influence in terms of time of implementation. No serious threat of political situation is predicted for now by the political analysts in Macedonia and abroad.
? The month of Ramazan could affect on the quality of receiving information by the trainers from the side of participants. Regarding this the current strategy of CMC is to use this month for additional preparations of other two conferences.
9. Added Value/s
The project considers not just gender but also national, ethnic and religious equality. The whole training approach treats of high value the participants' equality in backgrounds;
Local authorities are going to be invited to take part in to the activities. So through its activities the project will produce outreach effects in the society that the main project event will take place.
10. Localism/Partnership
In the implementation phase as well as in the other phases, the project will be supported institutionally by the schools from where we are going to draft out the participants as well as by the NGO that are operating in the respective areas.
11. Project Sustainability
Because this is a best practice project based on previous pilot project, CMC will pay more attention on keeping alive the positive benefits and eliminating the negative ones from the previous project. By giving further opportunities to the new "leaders" to transfer the gained knowledge to their friends, the project is going to multiply effects on the society. Thus, the continuation with peer education is of the highest importance. CMC will be also focused on getting added value from the place venue. In this regards, Struga as a city will directly benefit from seeing and hearing what is happening inside the seminar especially because there are going to be a lot of outdoor activities for participants in the conferences.
12. Donor Visibility
� Electronic and written media arse going to be informed on the activities according to the respective rules and procedures of OSCE;
� Web site of CMC and the official web site of OSCE will be updated with the events related In the conference;
� CMC in correlation with OSCE are going to produce a brochure that will present the whole training program, its approach and its practical benefits;
� T-shirt and other promotional materials (note books, pencils) will also be purchased for the purposes of the youth conferences;
13. Project Evaluation
Youth Leadership Conferences are going to be constantly monitored by the staff of CMC. Compiled Monitoring Reports will serve as basis for further action and improvements.
Evaluation of each main event/seminar (4) will be done after respective implementation. Evaluation Questionnaire will be prepared and final rapport as well short brochure with selected statements will be made at the end of the seminar.
Two narrative and financial rapports will be made for the donor. The first one will be made by the end of December and the second immediately after the forth conference.
In the conferences external Peacebuilding expert from Council of Europe is planed to be invited to attend, train and evaluate the existing program. By whom a trainers report with specific evaluation report and chapter will be composed.
14. Budget Narrative
The budget in general, will remain the same as it was before in previous two projects. This time the only change is going to be in getting support for the Peacebuilding Expert from Israel who will do the evaluation of the training program.