18 – 26 April, 2017
Novi Sad, Srbia

The Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent., is a partner in the project “Social entrepreneurship as one of the solutions to the European refugee crises” coordinated by Centar za savremene životne kompetencije from Belgrade.

The project is developed for youth workers willing to act as multipliers and further develop (social) entrepreneurship skills of youngsters in communities and support establishment of different social enterprises by, with and for immigrants, refugees and other youth with fewer opportunities.Even though all our countries have quite a few asylum seekers, immigrants, refugees – it is very few examples of immigrants involved in social enterprises. Thus, the whole concept of the project is rather innovative.

Specific objectives:

  • Share realities and experiences with discrimination, exclusion and marginalization of different groups (including migrants and refugees) in different European countries

  • Promote acceptance of diversity and respect of Human Rights in Europe

  • Share and inspire ideas for new creative/innovative social enterprises with/for immigrants, refugees and other marginalised groups

  • Explore social entrepreneurship concepts, stakeholders and supporters and links between social entrepreneurship and inclusion

  • Inspire and encourage youth workers to act as social change agents in their local community

  • Introduce appreciative inquiry as a way to approach the local reality and initiate new ideas

  • Further developing participants’ competences for and developing new projects and future European level cooperation among partners with the topic of social entrepreneurship with/for immigrants, refugees and other marginalised groups./p>

The core of the project is a 8 day long training course. It will be organised in the youth hostel in Novi Sad, from 21st till 29th March 2017. The project will gather 32 participants, trainers and staff from 12 organisations and countries (RS, AL, BA, CY, GR, HR, IT, ME, MK, RO, SI, XK). The project will reach marginalised/excluded and non-organized youth and increase the participation and active European citizenship of youth mainstream and with fewer opportunities. We expect increase in number of youngsters that will get involved in the organisations’ activities, through increased quality of inclusive social entrepreneurship projects in communities. On the European level, our project will have as impact several (at least 4) newly initiated European level projects of youth work for inclusion and social entrepreneurship in whose there will be chance to include additional partners and participants from other countries of Europe, as well.

Coordinator of the: Centar za savremene životne kompetencije Beograd

Partnerji projekta: CSZK (Srbia), BBA (Albania), NGO YP (Bosnia and Hercegovina), YEU (Cyprus), ELIX (Greece), Realization (Croatia), Ferfilo (Italy), SOS Youth (Montenegro), CID (Macedonia), SOLOMON (Romania), the Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent. (Slovenia), GAIA (Kosovo)

For more information and if you wish to join the project please send an e-mail with a motivation letter and your CV to epeka@epeka.si.

The coordinator of the partner organisation: Štefan Simončič, president of the Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent., stefan@epeka.si.

This project is financed by the European Commission. The content of this announcement only expresses the opinions of the author. The National agency and the European Commission are in no way responsible for any use of the information the announcement includes.

The youth program of the Association EPEKA, Soc. Ent., is supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport — Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth.

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