Projects

In 2019 VCS was involved in over 40 projects all across Europe. We have sent participants to training courses, youth exchanges and other seminars, and in all these projects we work with great partner organisations to empower young people from Macedonia and across Europe.

2019 PROJECT COUNTRIES:

Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Denmark, Macedonia, Serbia, Sardinia, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, Portugal, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania

This project “No Hate Speech: Methods and Techniques Combating Hate Speech” won the “Inspiring Project of The Year” - award from the Portuguese National Agency. This project had two parts. The first part, the training course served as a more practical start of the project, where participants learned more about different sorts of discrimination, stereotypes; shared countries realities and good practices about offline and online hate speech; learned more tools and methods that help fighting hate speech. The second part was carried out in Braga, Portugal later on the same year.

Participants came to this training course from 13 different countries: Portugal, Macedonia, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Poland, Latvia, Romania. Together they were discussing about the roots of prejudices, stereotypes, discrimination, social exclusion and the role of media in creating people’s opinion. Aiming to come to the solution, how in today’s world we can fight with hate speech and its consequences.

Participants learned the definitions and different kinds of discrimination, destroyed some stereotypes, shared about situations about hate speech in different countries, improved empathy and learned tools that they can use to help people in need, disadvantaged people, take action and speak up.

We had good reviews and feedback from the participants about the training course, the project was disseminated and reached a lot of people online and in local communities because we had open sessions, publications about the project in local magazines. As part of the project there were few videos produced and a gallery of photos that will help to spread the word. More information about the project can be found on Volunteers Centre Skopje’s web page, Facebook and Instagram. #speechnoh8

“CUTE” as in cooperative, understanding, tolerant and empowered was a youth exchange hosted by Volunteers Centre Skopje at Struga, Macedonia. This youth exchange was arranged for younger audience, age between 14 and 18 (leaders 18+) and it gathered together 32 young people from Macedonia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria and gave them opportunity to learn by workshops, games and intercultural encounters that broadened participants horizons and brought them a lot of fun.

This exchange aimed to improve young peoples’ personal and professional skills regarding intercultural cooperation and self-awareness. During this time the participants learned how to cooperate with each other, how to strengthen their leadership capabilities and their organizational specifics through various workshops and activities. There were also mini projects for the environment and for the youth which empowered participants to realize needs, plan and take actions and make a change in their smaller or larger communities. Through teamwork, they learned to understand each other and to accept differences. They gained skills how to tolerate and understand other people’s differences and imperfections.

The exchange had a strong focus on intercultural learning and each group had one evening to present their country, culture and cuisine. The youth exchange was successful with overall good work by the participants and many new friendships flourishing between them. Participants really felt that this youth exchange helped them to grow as persons, empowered them and gave them understanding, toleration, confidence and cooperation skills to use on further life.

The Training course “Get Updated: Project for professional development of youth workers” was implemented 1-10 September 2019 in Struga, Macedonia as a second stage of the project organized by Volunteers Centre Skopje and Fayo Foundation from UK. It was meant to provide the youth workers opportunities for professional development through ensuring high quality of youth activities involvement. The aim was to improve and enhance participants` capacities in emotional intelligence, conflict management and communication skills. Besides Macedonia, on this TC participated youth workers from our partner organizations from Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Romania and Hungary. Funded by EC in the frame of Erasmus+ this successfully implemented TC offered the participants possibility to exchange best practices, explore new methods and techniques as well as empowered the youth work capacities of all the partners involved.

27 enthusiasts for creative writing from 9 different countries (Macedonia, Romania, Italy, Spain, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the UK) took part in this training course. We got acquainted with the basics of creative writing and its numerous usages. The process and usage of creative writing, which we also applied practically.

Each day was divided into energizer, thematic workshops tackling different aspects of creative writing, more widely group work, besides individual activities which we shared afterward. At the end of the day we had group reflection and evaluation. We shared our opinions about the program and the day. Then, our feedbacks were forwarded to the organizers of the project by a member of the group, for improvement purposes and reinforcement of the things we appreciated. One day was devoted to field workshops, with the goal of getting a very useful and valuable firsthand experience about the functioning of different NGOs. Through various workshops, we learned more about stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination and how to fight them through our creative writing. Each evening, there were intercultural nights where we got acquainted with one another cultures. Every participant had prepared something in order to represent their culture in the best light possible and to bring us closer to it.

At the end of this project we got introduced in depth to the Erasmus+ program, the volunteering activities and opportunities it offers. The conclusion of our training course was officialized with a semi-formal party with the awarding of our attendance certificates in this project, i.e. our Youthpasses. This project enabled us to gain considerable experience and remarkable practical knowledge about the usage of creative writing as a tool for community change, overthrowing stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. As individuals and participants, we are exceptionally satisfied and proud to have been part of this initiative and to have contributed with our effort, time, will and energy into its success.

The project “Balkan Convergence” was a project organized together with Volunteers Centre Skopje, Macedonia, Magna Vox, France and No Reception, Greece.

The project had three actions: on 7 – 14 of May in Skopje, Macedonia, on 14 – 19 of May in Dijon, France and on 25 of August – 2 of September in Patras, Greece. The Youth Exchange that took part in Skopje, with participants from all these three countries, was an energetic project with cooking, singing and interviewing people around Skopje.

The project was focusing on music, journalism and catering, and it courage young people to participate and share their cultures. The Youth Exchange in Skopje included also an evening party with musicians in a restaurant in the old town of Skopje, inviting all the young people to join and experience cultures.

In the period from March 20 to December 31, 2019, the Volunteer Center Skopje in cooperation with the Association for Better Health, Education and Social Care SANOS Skopje realized the project “Together to a carefree smile“.

The aim of the project, implemented under financial support of the City of Skopje, was to meet the needs of patients who are seriously ill and who face insurmountable tragedy every day and cannot cope with the labyrinths of the health system.

They were provided with psychosocial assistance and support with the engagement of a psychologist.

During the project period, seven days of training were organized for psychosocial support of parents / caregivers of children with marginal diseases in the premises of SANO as well as preparation of a volunteer program, while the trained volunteers volunteered at the Oncology Clinic in Skopje and “Parents house” for a period of three months.