Interview
Project “YOUth Ambassadors of Non-Formal Learning”
Country: Albania
Interviewer: Vilma Dervishi
Interviewee: Silvia Dervishi, Project Coordinator at Beyond Barriers
Date and location: 02.06.2020 , Tirana
List of questions for the interview
- Is the law defining NFE in your country? If yes, please describe what the law says.
In Albania there is no specific law on non-formal education but as a topic it is affected in various national strategies for education for civil society like The Action Plan 2015-2020 but there is no specific law.
- Please describe the existing strategies, action plans that define nonformal learning in your country?
Youth Action Plan 2015- 2020.
- Have you been involved in the development of a strategy / action plan / law in excess of the NFE issues?
Beyond Barriers has participated in the making of National action plans and we have been part of the working group and the whole process giving our inputs. Whenever the Council of Europe requests annual reports on youth work and non-formal education from our ministry Beyond Barriers it is the main actor that consults ministry staff to provide input in this area.
- Do you work on promoting NFE and how?
Of course, mainly with activities that take place with young people on topics related to human rights, equality, gender equality etc.
- For your institution/CSO how young people recognize NFE?
Young people have known non- formal education from participating in activities that Beyond Barriers has organized also through the ERASMUS + program which focuses on non-formal education. The methods used during non-formal education are of interest to young people and there is a very high involvement and commitment of all groups.
- What are you doing about NFE in term to make closeness with youth?
Young people are the target group of the work Beyond Barriers and also the non-formal education.
- Have you involved young people in the process of bringing about things that are relevant to non-formal education?
Of course, in every initiative we make, young people are always consulted and get their recommendations before we draft the project ideas. Ideas come from young people during their implementation are again the main actors in implementation in this way we ensure that young people are not only the beneficiaries direct but also those who bring the need to us and we address it through various projects or initiatives that we implement.
- Should the Government get involved and make an even bigger contribution when it we are speaking about youth and policies about youth?
Yes, I think the Albanian government has currently made some steps in development policies for young people, we currently have the law on volunteering in which Beyond Barriers is working to regulate it and in the legal acts to make it applicable because it is not applicable at the moment. We have the law on Youth which has been approved and currently beyond the barriers is dealing with the part of giving recommendations for making article in law until August 20, 2020 the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth has opened the consultation on the youth law for a year and a half already Beyond Barriers has been part of the campaign to improve this legal initiative which was launched by the ministry but was done with public consultation we had a static stance through the national youth congress where we were in favour of some very good aspects of the law but even against some other aspects that affect this part of the proper development of youth policies on the other hand I would say that the Albanian government should take a little more in the good implementation of youth policies so youth policies we also have strategies but must assures the government but also civil society actors of course to have good implementation and to have monitoring after them.
