Not Neat to be NEET

Not Neat to be NEET – building capacities of the Western Balkan’s youth organisations for more inclusive projects and full participation of youth with fewer opportunities

Timespan: 01/11/2024-30/06/2026

Donor: European Union

ERASMUS+ Lump Sum Grants

Call: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2024-CB

Budget: 365.833,00 EUR

Applicant: Association People’s Parliament (Leskovac/Serbia)

Partners: Local Democracy Agency Mostar (Mostar / Bosnia and Herzegovina); NGO ”Glas” (Podgorica / Montenegro); Center For Bridging Communities (Tirana – Albania); Youth Center Drenas (Glogovac / Kosovo*) 

DESCRIPTION: 

Inclusion and diversity is a priority area of ​​the Erasmus+ program 2021-2027. However, experienced youth organizations know that the inclusion of young people with reduced opportunities, including people with disabilities, people with serious health problems, people living in rural and remote areas, people who facing socio-economic difficulties among young people, etc., in youth projects is a challenge. This also applies to youth organizations that are strong and have different resources at their disposal. The fact is that the inclusion of young people with reduced opportunities often requires much more effort and work, as well as resources that are not always available in sufficient number and quality. What about organizations from smaller communities in the Western Balkan region? How does it deal with the challenge of including young people with reduced opportunities in its youth projects and activities?

However, regardless of the size and strength of the youth organization, it is very important for all youth organizations which methodology is used in the development and implementation of (Erasmus+) projects that want to include young people with reduced opportunities. It is illogical to plan the inclusion of young people with developmental disabilities through a youth project, and then to organize informal education in a facility inaccessible to such persons. Or plan to include young people who face economic barriers caused by, for example, low living standards and low family income, and then ask them to self-finance their international travel to and from the non-formal education location. And if they somehow manage to do it in advance, forcing them to wait for their travel expenses to be reimbursed weeks after they get home and pay for the international money transfer themselves.

AIM OF THE PROJECT:

Project is aiming to directly build capacities of youth organisations for more effective participation of youth with fewer opportunities in youth projects. Thus, project also stipulates greater participation of youth with fewer opportunities in a society but also active participation in youth and other civil society organisations – a prospective way for a person to for instance, come out of poverty by increasing one’s employability profile via volunteering in a youth organisation. 

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

Target groups

1.Youth Workers and Prospective Youth Workers:

• Around 100 youth workers and potential youth workers from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo (50-70% young people, with at least 25% being youth with fewer opportunities, such as those facing geographical, physical, or health challenges). Includes 20 direct participants in job shadowing.

2.Young People with Fewer Opportunities:

• Up to 50 participants in focus groups, including those who face social, economic, cultural, or health-related barriers, or have migrant backgrounds, disabilities, or educational difficulties. Many will have no prior non-formal education experience.

3.Grass-Root Youth Organizations:

• Up to 100 organizations based in smaller, rural, and remote communities. These organizations often lack cross-border collaboration experience and face challenges similar to marginalized groups.

4.Other Stakeholders:

• Thousands of local, regional, and international stakeholders benefiting from project outcomes and dissemination.

 5.Communities:

• Focused on smaller Western Balkan towns with populations under 50,000 and geographically remote areas outside main economic hubs.

RESULTS:

• Reduced inequalities among youth by decreasing the proportion of young people with fewer opportunities in the overall youth population.
• Improved quality of life for young people with fewer opportunities as well as the general youth population.
• More positive public perception of NGOs, thanks to more visible and effective work on inclusion.
• Increased public awareness of the challenges faced by young people with fewer opportunities, leading to better policies, more accessible projects, and a stronger societal focus on their needs.
• Systemic changes facilitating grassroots initiatives and youth organizing, enabling access to new funding sources and other forms of support for inclusive projects.
• Enhanced tolerance and peace among people in Serbia and Kosovo.