Το έργο “Empower YOUth” υλοποιείται στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος Active citizens fund Greece με φορέα υλοποίησης το SolidarityNow και εταίρο τη νορβηγική οργάνωση Norsensus Mediaforum.
Το πρόγραμμα Active citizens fund, ύψους € 13,5 εκ., χρηματοδοτείται από την Ισλανδία, το Λιχτενστάιν και τη Νορβηγία και είναι μέρος του χρηματοδοτικού μηχανισμού του Ευρωπαϊκού Οικονομικού Χώρου (ΕΟΧ) περιόδου 2014 – 2021, γνωστού ως EEA Grants. Το πρόγραμμα στοχεύει στην ενδυνάμωση και την ενίσχυση της βιωσιμότητας της κοινωνίας των πολιτών και στην ανάδειξη του ρόλου της στην προαγωγή των δημοκρατικών διαδικασιών, στην ενίσχυση της συμμετοχής των πολιτών στα κοινά και στην προάσπιση των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων. Τη διαχείριση της επιχορήγησης του προγράμματος Active citizens fund Greece έχουν αναλάβει από κοινού το Ίδρυμα Μποδοσάκη και το SolidarityNow.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us why you participated in the Empower YOUth project?
I study Political Science & Sociology in France. I got my Erasmus in Greece two years ago and wanted to return, so now I’m doing my master’s degree at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens on migration. When I heard about this project of SolidarityNow, I wanted to participate because I thought it was a very good opportunity for me to find some answers. It is very difficult to see the problems in your community and feel powerless to do something due to lack of the appropriate tools on how to run a project and do something that will have a positive impact on other people’s daily life. So that’s why I took part!
What will you keep with you from the Empower YOUth experience?
At the end of the day when you have the right tools, and you learn how to build your project it can be very easy to turn your ideas into concrete actions.
Furthermore, when I meet other young people from completely different backgrounds who might live in very difficult conditions, they may live in camps for example, but still have the courage to give something back to the society, then I keep the hope; we are not alone in this world.
What was the highlight for you during the project?
I’m impressed by the story of my classmate, Marinos, who is deaf and wants to create an organization to support other deaf people. His motivation to communicate was amazing! Even if we were struggling to understand each other we all tried very patiently to share our thoughts and fully communicate our ideas.
Would you like to share anything else with us?
Yes, I think it is very important if young people could participate in more programs like this where they could meet others with the same needs and ask for support and encouragement. Sometimes, it can be very depressing to realize the inequalities and injustice in the world, but there’s always the opposite side of people who want to offer for the common good. And if we are all united, we can do good and take courage from one another.
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The project “Empower YOUth” is implemented within the framework of the Active citizens fund by SolidarityNow in partnership with Norwegian NGO NorSensus Mediaforum.
The Active citizens fund in Greece is supported through a € 13.5 m grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants 2014 – 2021. The programme aims to develop the sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector in Greece, and to strengthen its role in promoting and safeguarding democratic procedures, active citizenship and human rights. The Fund Operator for the Active citizens fund in Greece is Bodossaki Foundation in consortium with SolidarityNow.