From the 11th of June until the 14th of June, BRAVO hosted a new set of participants for a Training Course initiated by the project Visual Thinking 4 Youth. This project is a unique initiative designed to empower young people through creative and visual thinking techniques. Participants had the opportunity to delve into the world of dyslexia, exploring and learning about the challenges faced by people with this condition.

“Participating in the MEDIAcitve Youth training was a great experience, particularly due to the opportunity to collaborate with participants from the rest of the Western Balkan countries. The workshops were excellent, perfectly tailored to teach us new tactics and methods of information control and writing, with organizers who were always supportive and accessible, especially when we needed assistance in writing our own articles.”

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.

“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.”

“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.

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.

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.

The experience of traveling, meeting new people, and exchanging opinions have opened new perspectives for me in the future. The self-advocate of Sumer, Amar Pašić, had the opportunity to attend the seven-day training of the Erasmus+ program “Development of Cooperation in Youth Projects” for young activists and youth mobility held in Gaziantep, Turkey, organized by BRAVO.

The Youth Exchange “Focus on Sport for Environmental Sustainability” was held from the 1st to the 8th of May and it gathered 36 young participants from BiH, Lithuania, Romania, Ukraine, and Türkiye. The project was designed to educate and empower young people by highlighting the crucial role sports can play in promoting environmental sustainability.

A dart was thrown at the BRAVO map, and it landed on Armenia! Our participants made their way straight to Abovyan, an ancient gem that hides in plain sight. They are currently working their way through the entire experience that we are about to share with you.

With each new journey and passport stamp, our participants come back with fresh memories and friendships. This time, we’ve received a postcard from Podgorica, from the project ‘Visual Thinking 4 Youth’, filled with laughter and positive energy.

The training for trainers fulfilled most of the expectations I had before the beginning of this part of the project. I would single out the presentation of Prof. Romana Romanov, who touched on topics that are essentially related to inclusion itself. The suggestion for the next trainings would refer to more practical examples from the field.

As I wandered through Tirana’s vibrant streets alongside artists from across the Balkans, we embarked on a collective mission to create short movies that would spotlight both the social challenges and cultural affinities shared among our nations. From the iconic modern pyramid to the historic landmarks scattered throughout the city, each frame captured through our lenses served as a testament to the rich tapestry of Balkan identity.

Being able to share my work and ideas in a big European country was amazing. The seminar in Ommen, the Netherlands, after the training in Armenia, was fantastic. I got to catch up with old friends and make new ones, all while enjoying the beauty of the country and the lovely city of Ommen.

From February 24th until March 3rd, a Youth Forum was organized for youth workers and high schools from all across Europe. Children’s Village Pestalozzi in Trogen, Switzerland hosted a project with interactive workshops, designed to cover topics such as youth involvement in peacebuilding, fighting prejudices, and self-expression.

International Day of Happiness, celebrated on March 20th each year, serves as a global reminder of the importance of happiness and well-being in the lives of individuals worldwide. Even while pursuing pleasure is sometimes viewed as a personal objective, its importance goes well beyond the level of the individual. Growing awareness of the connection between happiness and social well-being in recent years has led to the integration of activism and happiness promotion on this important day by a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).