European Conference on Youth Inclusion and Youth Participation

On Saturday, 8 November 2008 youth from Cyprus will meet with other youth from 11 European Union countries at the “European Conference on Youth Inclusion and Youth Participation”. They will hear from distinguished leaders across Europe, present results of an International Youth Survey, discuss outputs of regional youth Structured Dialogues held in Cyprus, Italy and Romania and present a joint declaration on citizenship and youth participation across Europe. This conference is part of the European Union Youth in Action Programme project called “UCYVROK” which is short for Uniting for Citizenship and participation: Youth promoting Vulnerable groups' Rights, Opportunities and Knowledge. The event will be held from 10.00 until 16.00 at the Golden Bay Beach Hotel in Larnaca, Cyprus.

The UCYVROK project is coordinated by Cypriot non-governmental organisation, Future Worlds Center and is implemented in partnership with eleven youth non-governmental organisations from across Europe. The project receives funding from the European Commission’s Youth in Action Programme and is a direct response to the European Parliament’s inquiry about the lack of youth participation in European activities.
Project activities have included structured dialogue workshops in Cyprus, Italy and Romania, the creation of an online platform (http://ucyvrok.wetpaint.com) linking youth across Europe, a comprehensive survey examining the current youth environment in eleven EU countries, and exploring ways to promote youth participation in European activities and intercultural events, with a particular focus on less privileged youth.
Confirmed speakers at the “European Conference on Youth Inclusion and Youth Participation” include the Honourable Panayiotis Demetriou, Member of the European Parliament from Cyprus, and Jaco Cilliers, Programme Manager from the United Nations Development Programme - Action for Cooperation and Trust (UNDP-ACT). Other special guest speakers will be presenting as well.

UCYVROK European Union partners:
1. ANTIGONE - Information Centre on Racism, Ecology, Peace and Non Violence (Greece)
2. CVC - Centrum Voľného Času (Slovakia)
3. ANEEI - Agency for Non-formal Education and European Information (Bulgaria)
4. ADICE - Association pour le Développement des Initiatives Citoyennes et Européennes (France)
5. Università del Terzo Settore (Italy)
6. Intercultural Institute of Timisoara (Romania)
7. Salesian Missionary Voluntary Service – Youth for the World (Poland)
8. Association Youth for Society (Latvia)
9. Multikultúra Egyesület (Hungary)
10. Jugend bewegt Europa (Germany)
11. Human Rights Education Youth Network (European Network/ Spain)

For more information please contact Project Coordinator Larry Fergeson at Future Worlds Center.
Tel: +357 22873820 or email: larry.fergeson.cyprus@gmail.com


European Union funded Youth in Action Programme Project No.: 2007-3756/010-001

New MDG Training Dates

The Dates of the Training Sessions on International Development and the Millennium Development Goals have changed. The new dates for the upcoming trainings are:

11 NOV - MDG Radio - Radio Structures and Techniques
13 NOV - Introduction to Fair Trade
25 NOV - Immigration Flows: Causes and Consequences
02 DEC - Global Citizenship - A Basic Concept for Civic Education
16 DEC - Basic Health Education and International Campaigns

For more information on the trainings or the project, please contact Yves.

Global Education Week - Cyprus NGO Platform 'The Development' at the Ministry of Education

Kerstin Wittig, Cyprus representative to the European Development Education Forum participated in a presentation at the Ministry of Education directed to Civil Society Organisations in Cyprus and government Ministries. The event was organised by Ministry of Education, CYPRUSAID and the Cyprus NGO Platform 'The Development'. Participants learned about Development Education and Global Education, European strategies and actions, Global Education Week, and the contribution of CYPRUSAID towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

New Island-wide Cyprus Development Platform

FWC as a founding member of Cyprus NGO Platform "The Development" has agreed to join the newly established Island-wide Cyprus Development Platform. This meta-platform brings together development NGOs from all over Cyprus to promote development issues in a broader EU context. For more information contact Kerstin Wittig, head of the Development Education Unit at FWC.

Everybody’s Song

Everybody’s Song was an international youth project in Bulgaria, Cyprus, FYR Macedonia, Greece and Serbia which lasted from December 2006 until August 2008. It was conceived and coordinated by the Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute alias Future Worlds Center. The project’s general aim was to reflect on the role of music in intercultural understanding and to identify ways to utilise it in youth work.


The new version of our website (http://www.everybodys-song.net) including picture galleries, videos, audio material and a download section is finally online! It is available in seven languages (English, Albanian, Bulgarian, Greek, (Slavic) Macedonian, Serbian and Turkish). A few minor corrections still need to be done and the Greek section will be added during the following days. Four of our videos are on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/EverybodysSongprojec).

"Strengthening Asylum in Cyprus” UNHCR funded project

Target Population:
Asylum Seekers and Refugees residing in Cyprus

Main Goal:
To offer free of charge legal aid and social support to the target population.

Our Duties include:

• Monitoring/Evaluation of the Refugee Status Determination procedures (e.g. Application for Asylum, Interviews, Appeals, police related issues)
• Monitoring/Evaluation of the present financial, vocational, educational and health needs of the clients
• Sharing of information with clients on their lawful rights,/provision of advocacy services.

In order to address and resolve problems on the above mentioned sectors:

Individual approach, not campaign-orientated work.

Liaison with competent governmental authorities.

Collaboration with UNHCR, other NGO’s, educational/training bodies etc. for the benefit of clients.

Monitoring of asylum procedures and law implementation and provision of recommendations on policy issues

For more information contact Manos Mathioudakis here