Contact 2 Participation

Background of the project

The White Paper of International Voluntary Service 2011-2021 (WP), created as a result of a long-term participatory process, contains the vision and global strategies of the international voluntary service movement. Every CCIVS biannual Plan of Action (PoA) is based on this document.

During the General Assembly in 2012, the analysis of the results achieved in regards with the WP highlighted the fact that actions were done on Peace and Human Rights by CCIVS members in the past years but lacked the network umbrella and visibility; also underlined the need to compile the many educational materials existing on the thematic.

At the same time, the analysis of WP and of the PoA 2013-14 showed that Capacity building, international representation and networking were among the highest priorities for member orgs.

The project:

CCIVS members during the GA 2014 voted for the continuation of projects focusing on improving cooperation and exchanges in the Mediterranean region. A first step towards this cooperation took place in 2014-2015, the results of this 8 month long project, which included a contact making seminar, staff exchanges and evaluation meeting, led to the construction of this project which is aimed at taking place under the umbrella of the Raising Peace Campaign and to include the Freedom of Movement Campaign validated by CCIVS members in the 2014 GA.

The Objectives:

1. understand the phenomena of rejection of migrants, of rise of violence (extreme-right or terrorist), especially among young people
2. provide the space to share best practices and local realities related to the understanding of causes of involvement of youth in violent extremism
3. analyse our position as IVS organisations in this context and understand what are the tools and means that can be used
4. outline a strategy and to raise awareness on the role that IVS organisations can play in face of violent extremism
5. promote the work and the tools of IVS organisations in the field of peace and human rights education, active participation and social inclusion
6. improve the professional capacity of youth leaders and workers in using NFE techniques in contexts and communities where violence is present while acting as multipliers and touching the young population
7. empower youth workers to promote non-violent communication and intercultural dialogue and re-connect youth organisations and young people
8. improve cooperation and exchange between the EU and the Southern Mediterranean region.

To respond to the above objectives CCIVS proposes a 14 month project to take place in 2016-2017. The different steps include:

1. ‘Peace Builders Training Course’ ( June 2016 to take place in France) targeting at 30 youth workers and trainers from partner organisations, working on the local level with and who have direct contact with young people in their local communities, and who are able to commit and take part in actions starting after the training and continuing until the Final Conference;
2. Grassroot level work – youth workers using their competences in local project, workcamps, exchanges, etc. to implement activities from the training;
3. Youth Exchange organised by Solidarités Jeunesses and JAVVA in France (SJ) and Palestine (IPYL);
4. Final Conference in Morocco (November 2016) on xenophobia and extremism and the role of IVS (hosted by UMAC, Morocco) Attended by 25 youth workers and trainers. They will come together driven by the need to network, share and evaluate the results of the different actions which would have taken place during the year, as well as the desire to continue the work started during the project with follow-up initiatives.

This project is a concrete step towards understanding the current migrant crisis and the rise of violent extremism and will provide a platform for the discussion and exchange and the development of a strategy for the IVS network.

Learn more about the project here.