From the 20th to 24th of May, NGO workers from three different Western Balkans countries –Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, and Albania – had the opportunity to meet in Podgorica and successfully participate in an international training for the Erasmus+ project “NURTURE”.

In the month of May, we witnessed numerous events and achievements! Read on to learn about the busy month we had!

“I’m delighted to say that this was my first Youth Exchange. I had the nicest time ever on this youth exchange, meeting people from other cultures and learning about their cuisine. In addition, I met a diverse spectrum of people with whom I will always have memorable memories.”

We are thrilled to announce that the training for trainers “MEDIActive Youth” is currently being implemented in Belgrade, Serbia! Hosted by CDER, this 10-day Training Course brought together 24 dedicated youth workers/trainers from 6 partner NGOs across the Balkans.

This ESC opportunity will consist of 12 volunteers from different European countries and 12 volunteers from France, forming an intercultural team. There will be activities about ecology to discover food issues and sustainable food (prepare and animate workshops about these topics to
raise awareness about it; act with local ecological organisations).

Emotional intelligence (EI) is at the heart of many competencies that shape our personal and social interactions. It’s not just about understanding emotions; it’s about managing them in ways that foster stronger relationships, better communication, and overall well-being. In today’s world, developing EI is crucial for both personal growth and professional success.

Even though fin swimming still hasn’t become a widely recognized sport in BiH, it is surely growing its impact and popularity by stealing hearts of many. It is slowly finding its place, attracting people with its mix of fitness and underwater exploration. The Erasmus+ project “Mermaids for Inclusion” plays an important role in promoting the sport of fin swimming.

Most martial arts trace their origins to ancient times, developed as methods of combat and self-defense. For example, Kung Fu can be traced back to the Shaolin Temple in China, where monks practiced it as a means of physical and spiritual training. Similarly, Japanese martial arts like Karate and Judo evolved from the samurai’s need for battlefield skills and discipline.

“Second chance is the first youth exchange I have participated in and it was definitely one to remember. We spent 7 days learning about materials, where they come from and how to reuse and up-cycle them. I appreciated that we had many practical workshops through which I definitely learned some new and interesting skills.”

This month our H.A.N.D. project volunteers traveled to Tuzla, meeting Marko, a Bravo project coordinator. He arranged meetings with local organizations, where they learned about volunteer actions, target groups, and local aims.

“Taking part in the Youth Peace Forum was quite refreshing as I met young changemakers from all parts of the world. Even though we all come from different backgrounds we were united with one main idea: to promote peace and harmony.”

Training Course “Colors of Europe” Successfully Combats Hate Speech and Promotes Inclusion. The “Colors of Europe” training course, held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from February 28 to March 7, has successfully concluded, empowering 40 youth workers from 13 European countries to combat hate speech, prejudices, and racism.

Folklore meets multiculturality in the fourth edition of the very successful project “Folklore For the Future”. Now with the name “Dancing our Roots”. Youngsters from different countries and cultures of Europe will meet once again this summer in Cortes de la Frontera to exchange cultural, dance and folklore lessons, learn from each other, express themselves and show us the richness of their countries’ traditions.

Having the opportunity to work with amazing volunteers and coordinators of the “Empower HER” project has shown me numerous acts of creativity and completely fulfilled my expectations leaving men with knowledge for my personal and professional development. I would like to highlight creative workshops that further gave us many improvements in our skill set when it comes to communications and entrepreneurship.

Social responsibility is more than just a buzzword—it’s an essential part of personal and social competencies that shapes how we interact with the world around us. It’s about understanding that our actions have a ripple effect, and taking steps, no matter how small, to contribute to the well-being of others and the environment. Whether through volunteering, advocating for causes, or making eco-friendly choices, social responsibility empowers us to be agents of change.

This Erasmus+ Youth Exchange is currently being implemented and let us tell you something – it is truly a MasterChef TV show. Young participants are working in intercultural environment while learning about traditional recipes, other cultures, being connected by one out of many things – food!

We have officially closed the final chapter of the project “Becoming Digitally Conscious“. Yes, you read that right! After two active years of numerous activities, the project was brought to an end with the final conference which was held in Sarajevo, B&H, on the 11th of May.

Changing our attitude towards the environment and the way we live, becomes a must not a choice! One of the keys to the solution to this problem is special dedication in the field of environmental education and protection.

“Anyone Hears My Voice?” aims at bringing together 35 participants aged 16-29 between 01-10 July from Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Slovakia and Italy. The participants (6+ one leader) in total 7, will stay together for 10 days.

Read on to learn about the 5 ESC Individual Volunteering projects taking place in Apulia, Italy! If you’re interested in volunteering in schools or on farms, then this is the right opportunity for you!

The general objective of the project is to increase the employability of women between 18 and 30 years old from rural backgrounds, through the acquisition of digital communication skills, to be employed in the field of non-profit organizations. The consortium, after a careful analysis of needs carried out with the participation of stakeholders, has identified specific objectives functional to the achievement of the general purpose.