PROJECT NAME:

KYP - Kosovo Youth Participation Project

SECTOR:

Civil Society

PROJECT VALUE:

Total cost of the project 421,795.64 Euros (EU contribution 366,498.23 Euros)

DURATION:

Start Date: January 15, 2022 End Date: July 14, 2024

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER:

Care Deutschland e.V.

DIRECT BENEFICIARY:

Care Deutschland e.V.

PARTNERS:

SHL Kosovo

COVERAGE/IMPACT:

• Youth activation/mobilisation and facilitation of processes leading to increased participation of disadvantaged youth in decision making, in rural areas and small towns, and on the central level. • Provision of aimed financial, technical and educational support for enhanced engagement and employability of marginalised youth, in particular young women. o skills development o involvement in volunteering initiatives • Awareness raising/capacity building/mentoring for disadvantaged youth to take part in ongoing democratic dialogue across Kosovo, aiming for peer-to-peer promotion of gender equality, solidarity, inter-cultural relations and counter stereotypes and dis-information

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:

Overall objective: To contribute to the active inclusion of civil society in Kosovo in promoting democratic values, inclusive governance and achievement of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Specific objective: To foster democratic participation, civic engagement and social inclusion of different groups of marginalised youth in Kosovo.

PROJECT PURPOSES:

Increased capacities and opportunities for the democratic participation, civic engagement and social inclusion of different groups of marginalised youth in Kosovo - youth from rural areas and small towns (especially young women), youth with different possibilities, who are, as a rule, omitted from the opportunities for larger youth involvement and inclusion. Through working on increasing the capacity of youth for different types of engagement, both peer-to-peer and in decision-making processes on all levels, for their overall better inclusion in the society, the action will contribute to promoting active citizenship, democratic values, inclusive governance and achievement of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

PROJECT STRATEGY:

The project will enter the selected local communities – rural areas and small towns in Kosovo through cooperation with various stakeholders such as Youth Clubs and other youth organisations, high schools etc., look to engage youth into informal groups and raise their capacity for involvement in local decision-making processes vs. local authorities, institutions and other stakeholders and raise the awareness of all parties on the necessity for and benefits from active inclusion of young people in decision-making and other social processes in their communities. Small local actions which will be undertaken by local youth groups in this respect will only add to general acknowledgement of the role of young members of the communities and increase local ownership over these activities. Once capacitated and with experience from the local level, the included youth will then be encouraged for further activism on the central level, mainly through participation in ongoing decision-making processes concerning Kosovo youth policies (including the processes led by the Ministry of Youth and by civic initiatives (youth CSOs). Concrete measures will be undertaken to raise capacities of disadvantaged youth from rural areas and/or small towns for employment and general activation, particularly paying attention to activation and capacities of young women and youth with different abilities. The project will thus take measures such as: aimed trainings of disadvantaged youth to raise their soft skills for job search, digital literacy and other skills in demand; internship in locally operating companies; financial support to creative youth led start-ups. To further encourage youth activation, the project will cherish the spirit of volunteerism and facilitate concrete volunteering engagement among the included young people, in country and abroad. The project will raise awareness of the engaged youth for the general democratic issues of importance for the development of Kosovo society, such as inter-cultural dialogue, combat dis-information, gender and/or ethnic based stereotype. It will then create concrete opportunities for peer dialogue on these topics, or foster youth participation in any ongoing peer-to-peer discussions, thus encouraging the creation of linkages among youth and raising their resilience and capacity to build and function in a multi-ethnic, tolerant society. The included activists will also be encouraged to exchange experiences and views with European youth advocacy stakeholders or groups.

ACTIVITIES:

Result 1: • Foster formation of informal local youth advocacy groups, raising their capacity on human rights, representation, advocacy and activism and facilitating their engagement in advocacy for youth inclusion in decision-making towards the local authorities/institutions. • Local actions for improving the position of youth, raising general awareness on the necessity of youth participation. • Active involvement in the current policy-making processes at the central level vs. the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Result 2: • Fostering development of employment skills and opportunities, through usage of the Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP):  Trainings in soft skills for job search, digital literacy and other working skills in demand;  Internship for at least 50 finished students in locally operating firms;  Support to youth entrepreneurial activities (creative start-ups and similar business ideas). • Support to volunteering among the disadvantaged youth from rural areas and smaller towns, planning and implementation of volunteering initiatives, which will include seeking partnership with European youth volunteering agencies. Result 3: • Support creation of youth “debate clubs” in selected rural and small town areas, with awareness raising and facilitation of debates on the topics of inter-cultural dialogue, combat dis-information, gender and/or ethnic based stereotype. • Peer exchange among debate clubs from different areas, including gatherings among debate clubs, study visits etc. • Capitalising on the recommendations of the debate clubs, participation in ongoing youth-led discussions in Kosovo and in the Yearly National Congress of youth in Kosovo. • Networking with the European Youth Forum and other European youth advocacy stakeholders or groups.

RESULTS:

• Increased participation of disadvantaged youth in decision making, in local communities and on the central level. • Enhanced engagement and employability of marginalised youth, in particular young women, through skills development and involvement in volunteering initiatives • Democratic dialogue across Kosovo youth fostered through raised awareness on and promotion of gender equality, solidarity, inter-cultural relations and counter stereotypes and dis-information.