Call for Participants: International Advocacy Training on Climate Justice

📅 Date: 31 March – 4 April 2022 (arrival on 30 March and departure on 5 April)

🏡 Place: Peja, Kosovo; hosted by Gaia Kosovo

🗺️ Participants: 20 from Europe, 1 from Asia, 1 from Africa, 1 from America

✅ apply via this online form no later than 26 February

BACKGROUND

About CCIVS and the Living Earth Campaign

The Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) is a non-governmental, non-profit making international organization (INGO) working for the development and coordination of voluntary service worldwide.

The Living Earth campaign (LIVE), is the culmination of CCIVS work on Peace and the Environment, replacing the campaigns IVS for Climate Justice and Raising Peace, it seeks to focus on what it means to live a peaceful and harmonious existence on Earth and respect towards the Earth as a living being. The Living Earth campaign focuses on three main areas of action; ‘Hand on Actions’, ‘Awareness Raising’ and ‘Advocacy and Visibility’.

About CCIVS Work Plan 2022

Under the banner “Regenerate Reconcile – Youth Advocacy for Climate Justice”, the CCIVS work plan for 2022 aims to increase the advocacy competence and political participation of young activists from the voluntary service movement in the field of climate justice.

Concretely, the work plan will work towards the following objectives:

to provide training and tools to strengthen the capacity and resources of the voluntary service movement in climate justice advocacy;
to consolidate the previous IVS for Climate Justice Campaign outcomes and conduct concrete advocacy actions for climate justice based on the outcomes;
to support and engage young people in advocacy work for climate justice on a local and international level;
to advocate for the recognition of international voluntary service as an effective tool to support young people to contribute to and promote a just and sustainable world.

In order to achieve the objectives mentioned above, the work plan proposal includes the following phases:

Skills & Knowledge: International Advocacy Training on Climate Justice (31 March – 4 April 2022, Peja, Kosovo);
Act & Multiply: Local Actions and Advocacy for Climate Justice (May – November 2022)
Communicate & Consolidate: Online Advocacy on Climate Justice (February – December 2022)

About the international training on advocacy and climate justice

This will be an empowerment process that strengthens the capacity and resources of the voluntary service movement in climate justice advocacy. The activity will provide important experiences and advocacy practices for the young participants and participating IVS organisations to develop and adjust their advocacy strategies and plans at the local and national levels. Its outcomes will be used and/or disseminated during the Local Actions and Online Advocacy, which consolidates its sustainability and impact.

Objectives

to provide a context of climate crisis and offer tools on advocacy and political engagement;
to guide young participants to address the climate issues they are concerned and develop advocacy contents and actions based on the needs assessment approach;
to support youth people to exercise their democratic citizenship and to address the climate justice issue to their local communities and authorities.

By the end of the activity, the participants shall:

have a deeper understanding of the climate issues;
have an increased knowledge about the international legal standards developed by the CoE, eg. the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter and the Bern Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats, which help make progress on environmental issues;
have a clearer idea what are the roles and rights of young people in the advocacy work and political processes and how to motivate and support their participation;
be able to define the advocacy target, message and approach;
have an enhanced experience and practice in networking and public advocacy.

Participants’ Profile

We greatly encourage young people between 18 – 35 to participate in this event;
Interest in the topics of the event: volunteering, non-formal education, human rights, climate issues, advocacy, the CoE co-management system, the Advisory Council on Youth of the CoE;
Motivated to develop skills on advocacy for climate justice, to initiate participation process, to exercise advocacy skills and address the impact of emerging trends;
Availability to use the skills and knowledge gained in the event to support the activities of the sending organisations;
Availability to join the full duration of the Training;
Able to follow the Training in English and active participation with an open minded (particularly no Hate Speech).

Financial Conditions

Participant Contribution

20 EUR / participant for CCIVS full members; 50 EUR / participant for non CCIVS members.

(Since CCIVS cannot cover 100% of participants’ travel costs in this event, the contribution requested is exceptional set lower than the CCIVS standard. More info on CCIVS contribution system HERE)

Accommodation and Food

It will be covered by the project during the full duration of the event. The participants will receive a detailed Infopack regarding the accommodation and logistics arrangement.

In GAIA’s programs and activities, sustainable living practices are implemented as much as possible. This, of course, includes food and travel choices. They provide vegan food with vegetarian options, while most groceries, especially fresh ones, are local, seasonal and from small producers. They are especially careful with dairy products, as their industry contributes a lot to climate change. In all their programs they compost organic waste and reuse items that can be given a second chance.

Travel Costs Support

Organisations are expected to cover the travel costs of their representatives. Travel costs will be reimbursed within 3 months after the end of the actions on receipt of all boarding passes, train/bus tickets, visa receipts, etc. Participants must abide by the official activity dates – The funders only allow 2 days extra on either side of the official project dates in the travel booking.

Please note that the process of reimbursement will be carried out directly with the applicant organisations and not with the individual participants.

Travel costs will be reimbursed at 65% up to the platform:

Europe up to 300 EUR / person
Asia up to 800 EUR / person
America up to 1200 EUR / person
Africa up to 800 EUR / person

Travel should be the most economic and ecological option, please read the CCIVS sustainability policy.

Visa and Insurance

Visa costs will be reimbursed up to 60 Euros.

Travel insurance can be provided by CCIVS through SCI upon request. Please send us an email.

PLEASE SHARE THE COSTS OF VISAS WITH THE SECRETARIAT ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE MORE THAN THE BUDGET ALLOWS FOR APPROVAL.

About the Hosting Organisation

GAIA (https://gaiakosovo.org/) was founded in 2010 in Plemetina and registered as a non-governmental organisation in June 2010 in Prishtina, Kosovo. GAIA is an organisation dedicated to the culture of peace, social and environmental justice and sustainable living. GAIA also promotes cultural diversity and works on education and integration of marginalised and minority groups in society.

In 2014 GAIA became the official branch of Service Civil International in Kosovo, one of the oldest peace organisations which organises diverse volunteer programs all around the world. Since then, together with different local partners, more than 30 international volunteering workcamps were organised in which more than 300 international and local volunteers participated. In addition to workcamps, through the Erasmus+ program, GAIA has been organising different educational events (trainings, workshops, seminars) and youth exchanges on the topic of nature conservation, climate change, reconciliation, rights of minorities, natural building and permaculture.

In all programs, we host long-term volunteers either through European Solidarity Corps or other national programs such as French Civil Service and German Weltwarts. GAIA also supports young people from Kosovo to take part in long- and short-term volunteering programs abroad.

The main activities of GAIA are international volunteer programs, non-formal education and permanent community-building programs, in places that are facing different social or environmental challenges.

PCR test: if you are required to have the PCR test for the travel or border check reason, the test costs will be eligible for reimbursement upon providing the relevant documentation (eg. the government policy, the invoices of the test, the test result etc.).
Travel Cancellation Fee: in case the event is postponed / cancelled due to the COVID situation and you have to cancel your travel tickets, the cancellation fee can be reimbursed upon request and after we examine its eligibility. We strongly advise you to book a refundable travel ticket if it’s within your event budget.

We will constantly monitor the pandemic situation and update you with the related arrangement of the event. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Application Procedure

Please express your interest by sending your application via this online form no later than 28 February.

The selected participants will receive the confirmation letter and preparation instructions.

We are looking forward to hearing from you and receiving your application.

If you have any questions, please contact Ling (secretariat@ccivs.org).