4th RYCO Open Call Archives - Drug Policy Network SEE

Closing project event in Montenegro

Posted on 09/02/202216/02/2022 by Milutin

The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) organized a final event within its EU-supported project “Enhancing Youth Cooperation and Youth Exchange in the WB6” in Podgorica on 8 February 2022. The event presented the results of four projects supported within the 4th RYCO Open Call for Project Proposals. It was attended by representatives of RYCO, the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Ministry for Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Directorate for Sports and Youth, Representatives of RYCO Governing and Advisory Boards, RYCO beneficiaries, Young European Ambassadors, young people who took part in the RYCO supported activities.

The supported projects successfully addressed the gaps of youth active engagement in regional reconciliation processes by focusing on aspects of democracy and identity, enhanced youth cooperation in the fields of dealing with the past, youth empowerment and development, social inclusion of youth at risk, intercultural dialogue, etc. They were implemented by Montenegrin Pan-European Union, Grammar school “Slobodan Škerović”, NGO Juventas, Foundation Biznis Start-up Centar Bar.

“Through a series of activities implemented within the project in which my organization took part, young people managed to overcome numerous prejudices, share experiences and learn about the ways in which their peers and organizations from the region approach problem-solving matters,” Ms Ivana Kulašević, representative of NGO Juventas, concluded.

The projects supported by RYCO and the EU within the 4th RYCO Open Call across the Western Balkans fostered reconciliation and regional youth cooperation, as well as strengthened the capacities of the civil society to adapt to the COVID-19 environment. They were implemented from February to October 2021.

During the application phase, 129 applications were received which brought about 400 partnerships from the region. The overall financial envelope for the Call was 333,000 Euro.

Youth from Bosnia and Herzegovina Celebrate Successes of Their Projects Supported by RYCO and EU

Posted on 08/02/202209/02/2022 by Milutin

From the RYCO news

The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) organized a final event within its EU-supported project “Enhancing Youth Cooperation and Youth Exchange in the WB6” in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 7 February 2022. The event presented the results of projects supported within the 4th RYCO Open Call for Project Proposals. These projects provided young people in the region with networking opportunities in the field of regional youth dialogue, peacebuilding and reconciliation, and were implemented by CSOs from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

RYCO Director of Programs Mr Jan Zlatan Kulenovć addressed the participants and said that the fact that we are taking responsibility for regional cooperation and dealing with the past shows that these are important topics, worthy of investment.

Youth exchanges participant Mr Alem Bajramović emphasized that networking is the most important aspect of youth exchanges. “The youth from the region share numerous interests, and they overcome prejudices by meeting peers from other countries. This fosters special emotions and helps forming long term friendships,” he said.

During the application phase, 129 applications were received which brought about 400 partnerships from the region. The overall financial envelope for the Call was 333,000 Euro.

Final event of the RYCO Call for project in Serbia

Posted on 07/02/202207/02/2022 by Milutin

The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) the Closing event of the Call for Project Proposals 2020 “A Better Region Starts with Youth” in Serbia was held on 7 February 2022.

Four organisations from Serbia were supported by the Call. One of them was DPNSEE with the project “No risk, no borders for young people“. From Serbia, our member organisations Prevent and Re Generacija were partners in the project.

Stefan Pejić from Re Generacija participated in the panel presenting his experience from the project and how it influenced work of his organisation.

Fourth program check in meeting

Posted on 14/09/202115/09/2021 by Milutin

The DPNSEE Staff and RYCO Local Branch Offices Belgrade and Tirana had a regular update on the implementation of the “No risk, no borders for young people” on 14 September 2021.

We informed our RYCO colleagues on the implementation of the Workshop 2 held 26 – 29 August in Velipojë, Albania.

We also informed them that the Open call for experts to develop the Curriculum focused on work with the youth at risk that will be the outcome of the No Risk, No Borders project and potential future projects and programs in the area of youth risky behaviour.

Our RYCO colleagues reminded us on the need to engage an external company to perform audit of the project.

Open call for project participants

Posted on 08/04/202107/06/2021 by Milutin

Partners of the project “No Risk, no borders for young people” invite young people aged 18 – 28 from the Western Balkans to send their application for participate in the project.

The project is coordinated by the Drug Policy Network South East Europe (DPNSEE) together with the project partners Aksion Plus (Albania), Margina (Bosnia Herzegovina), Juventas (Montenegro), Prevent and Re Generation (Serbia) and supported by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) within its 4th Open Call co-financed by the European Union.

More about the project is available following this link>>>.

Participants profile:

25 activists, youth leader and youth workers, preferably members of civil society organisations
Aged 18 to 28
Young people from or those working with the youth from groups at increased risk
Interested in learning how to cooperate in multicultural settings
Able to communicate and write in English
Willing to work as multipliers of experience and results through visibility and dissemination activities, before, during the project actitivies, including the reporting phase, and after the project
A participants group with an appropriate geographic, gender, national and balance of members from or working with various groups of youth at risk

What we expect from the participants:

Complete pre-tasks and participate in the follow-up activities of the project
Attend all sessions and activities during the both Workshops
Agree and understand that the project partners are responsible and coordinators for this project and will not challenge or create any issues that will influence its flow
Bring along personal items as requested by the organisers of the activities (i.e. clothes, shoes, medicins in case of health issues, etc.)
Participate in promoting visibility of the project
Participate in the production of the deliverables of the project
Be active on dissemination of the results as a multiplier of new experiences, info and knowledge
Provide all necessary documents (invoices, visa expenses, travel reservations, ID copies, boarding passes, etc)

The structure of the project workshops is highly intensive and demanding, plus requires full attendance and participation. The workshops starts at 9:30 am and will end around 8:00 pm with regular breaks for refreshments, meals and personal needs. Therefore, youths who will attend as participants need to show responsibility commitment during their participation. The topic of the project is related to many indoor activities and less outdoor. Any extra hours for touring around besides the free time as they are mentioned in the timetable are not eligible.

If the protection measures in the countries where the activities are held prohibit gatherings of large groups, the Workshops 1 and 2 will be provided online.

Also, work with youth from groups at increased risk during the project may be challenging, but the project partners will provide support from experienced staff.

If interested, the Open Call is available following this link>>>. Please, share this information as wide as possible around the region.

The application forms is available at the web pages and social media of the project partners. Each project partner is eligible to select up to 5 participants in the project.

We have the project logo!

Posted on 27/03/202107/04/2021 by Milutin

Following the Open call for project logo and visual identity of the project “No risk, no borders for young people“, the Project team decided that the winning proposal is the one created by Aleksa Antić from Kruševac, Serbia.

Aleksa’s idea is that:

The umbrella represents the “Drug Policy Network for Southeast Europe”. It symbolizes a shield and support for all young people in Southeast Europe. It empowers them and gives them a strong boost to stay on the right track. The umbrella pulls them forward like a sail and does not allow them to fall.

The character, symbolizes a young person and all youth. It holds an umbrella in one hand while in the other maintains balance and shows the power of the youth by lifting the clenched fist high above.

A unicycle or the wheel represents all the obstacles that young people face nowadays, it shows the speed and that all barriers can be crossed quicker by choosing the right path. In a modern world, we have to move rapidly and things in life can be unstable sometimes, so that is why it is important to keep the balance, keep the speed, and not to fall down.

The map of West Balkan is shown like a shadow in the background, a shadow from the past, without the borders that separates, divides, and stops. However, at the same time it’s been framed with cracked and broken lines, lines that slowly disappear, and melts down behind the bridge.

А thin thread connects the words NO and RISK it brings them into direct connection, in the same time it erases the boundaries that separate them, and makes the bridge, the bridge that connects divided. The words are written in such a way, in an unformed style, hand-drawn, with a touch of optimism and youth, to put NO RISK in the forefront, as a call to the right path, a path without risk, a path of youth, understanding, peace and tolerance, a path without borders.

“No Borders For Young People” is a tagline. It follows the project, and speaks more about the goal of it. That’s why it is clearly written at the bottom, as a main slogan for the end.

Aleksa is 20 years old, living in Kruševac (Serbia). He finished local Medical high school. Due to the pandemic, for the last 6 months he volunteered as a nurse in a local hospital. Graphic design became his hobby for the past few years, thanks to his brother who has more experience. However, it’s slowly becoming his passion and he is loving it.

RYCO Training for 4th Open Call Grantees

Posted on 13/03/202107/06/2021 by Milutin

The Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) organised the Training for 4th Open Call Grantees on Administrative and financial procedures on 11 March 2021.

The first training aimed to provide an in-depth understanding of rules, procedures and requirements relating to administrative and financial obligations within the projects. The training had also a dedicated session on communication and visibility rules.

Call for the logo and visual identity of the “No risk, no borders for young people project”

Posted on 11/03/202107/06/2021 by Milutin

Partners of the project “No Risk, no borders for young people” invite young people aged 15 – 30 from the Western Balkans to send their proposals for the visual identity of the project.

The project is coordinated by the Drug Policy Network South East Europe with the project partners Aksion Plus (Albania), Margina (Bosnia Herzegovina), Juventas (Montenegro), Prevent and Re Generation (Serbia), and it is supported by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) within its 4th Open Call and co-financed by the European Union.

Proposal for the project visual identity should include:

Logo and colour scheme
Cover and profile photo for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (2 proposals for each social network)

Incomplete proposals and those which arrive after the deadline will be rejected.

The deadline for sending proposals is Wednesday 24 March at 17:00 CET.

You can find more about the Call following this link>>>.

No risk, no borders for young people

Posted on 23/02/202107/06/2021 by Milutin

Photos: Project EUINFONET

DPNSEE was one of 4 organisations from Serbia which signed the contract with the (RYCO) for implementation of projects in scope of the 4th Open Call “A Better Region Starts with Youth”. The Call is financially supported by the European Union. The Contracting Meeting was held on 23 February 2021 in the Human Rights House (Kuća ljudskih prava), in Belgrade.

During the signing ceremony, the welcoming remarks were delivered by the Head of Information, Communication and Press at the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia Mr Paul-Henri Presset, the Head of the RYCO Local Branch Office in Serbia Ms Marija Bulat, Youth Representative in the RYCO Governing Board Mr Marko Kostić and the Assistant Minister for International Cooperation in the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Serbia Mr Uroš Pribićević.

Other three projects supported will be implemented by Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina, Red Cross of Vojvodina and Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia.

The selected projects will enable development of youth-led processes of intercultural dialogue and reconciliation in the Western Balkans, and the development of social capital among young people by strengthening the competences of young people and those who work with them.

Moreover, the projects are important for furthering implementation capacities of CSOs using a learning-by-doing approach, with special focus on increasing capacities to adapt and remain operational during COVID-19 pandemic situations and imposed safety measures. The supported projects standout as creative and innovative proposals, including online components or online focus.

The DPNSEE project “No Risk, no borders for young people” will strive to contribute to the efforts of the reconciliation processes in the WB countries and stronger youth participation in CSOs by developing and supporting regional youth cooperation focused on youth at risk, as its desirable overall impact/change.

It will be implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia in partnership with our member organisations Aksion Plus, Margina, Juventas, Prevent and Re Generation.

The video from the signing ceremony is available at the Youtube channel of the EU delegation in Serbia