Deadline: 15 April 2018
Applications are now open for the Balkan Youth Forum which is a non-formal learning program for youth from diverse types of Balkan states, designed by a very young team of alumni of the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship program and is funded by the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund.
The purpose of these activities is helping participants form a more profound understanding of the past and present of the Balkans, to shape a personal opinion on the importance of cooperation and to inspire them to take action. BYF combines peer-to-peer learning, edutainment and volunteering.
It brings together 2 participants from each Balkan country for an intensive week of lectures, debates, workshops, simulations and meetings with representatives of the European Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant institutions and organizations.
At the end of the program, the participants will present their own projects for sustainable cooperation between their communities, which they will later implement in their own countries with the help of their BYF mentors.
Activities
- Lectures and Discussion Classes: With a main focus on the history and current relations between the Balkan states, participants will learn more about their neighboring countries and gain a more in-depth understanding of the current geopolitical situation in the region.
- Debate and Simulation: Participants will take part in carefully designed simulations that teach them about the governments and political leadership in the Balkan countries.
- Workshops: At the end of the program, students will be asked to present their own project proposals for strengthening cooperation between their countries. For the duration of the program, the participants will get a chance to participate in selected workshops that would give them the necessary skills to help them develop and implement their project proposals
- Local Engagement: Participants will get the chance to engage and interact with the country they are staying in, as well as meet professionals working on governmental international relations and in international organizations and commissions, learn about different positions, perspectives, opportunities and challenges that the Balkan region is facing today.
Eligibility Criteria
Participants must be:
- Between 16 and 18 years old at the start of the program,
- Permanent residents of a Balkan country,
- Available to travel on the indicated dates
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
Eligible Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo,[a] the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro,Serbia, Slovenia, European part of Turkey.
For further information, please visit BalkanYouthForum.