YTNF :: SVITUkraine

Ukraine, November 25-30, 2008
Call for participants

Dear SCI world!
Drop your classes, leave your jobs, families and friends - it's time for the most wanted FINAL YTNF CONFERENCE!!!

Why? Because we all want to evaluate 3 years of challenges and successes, share our achievements and disappointments, all the joy and anger… and to draft possible next steps of our cooperation. YTNF is an exciting large-scale project aimed to promote innovative activities of young volunteers at grass-root level in three main fields:
• human rights education
• the struggle against racism and xenophobia
• social inclusion of minorities and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds
It is over – it is going on!

YTNF Final Conference is linked to another exciting event – P.E.A.C.E. seminar.

The idea of the project has its roots in the recent military conflict and events in Georgia. Ukraine, being often allied to Georgia due to similar political challenges, found itself in difficult situation due to Russian fleet being based in Crimea and taking part to military actions (thus making us being indirectly involved in war); on the other hand Ukrainian authorities officially support Georgia, and majority of population in the East and South of the country is more inclined to support Russia due to Russian TV and media. It also has caused a very vivid discussion in Ukraine on current geographical-political situation in former USSR region, ethnic conflicts in the past and nowadays, national identity, cultural influence of neighbors, possibility of similar military conflict around Crimea and role of international community and actors in military conflicts. The war and discussion around it on the one hand, and experiences from international projects on the other – where Georgians, Russians, Ukrainians, Polish and other nations were peacefully integrating with each other, inspired activists of SVIT to develop this idea. The seminar is taking place in the framework of Youth Transcending New Frontiers (www.ytnf.org) large-scale international project, with financial support of Council of Europe, European Youth Foundation.

The project aims to develop intercultural competencies of participants, combat stereotypes and prejudices towards neighboring countries, reflect on our common European values in big Europe, think about national and ethnic identity, current geographical and political situation. And of course create new contacts, exchange experiences and information and think together about cooperation and common actions.

The seminar and YTNF final conference will take place in Ukraine, town of Svyatogorsk, Donetsk region, from November 25th to November 30th, 2008. Working languages will be English and Russian.

We are looking for 30 participants from EU and CIS countries, interested in the seminar and ready to spend 5 days working and reflecting on:
- National, ethnic and cultural identity (in the context when most participants are born in post-Soviet era and do not remember USSR as ‘big common motherland for 15 republics’), cultural influence of neighbors (language, pop-music, theater, literature, cuisine etc.), economic and political influence on each other
- Neighbors in Europe, what is common and what is different between us, which borders are there in Europe (geographical, legal, mentality etc.)
- Reasons and roots of ethnic conflicts and racism
- Peace messenger
- Non-violent conflict solving and pacifist education, what can youth NGOs do

As well as to learn about different activities and projects organized in the framework of YTNF during the last 3 years, and storm your brain for continuation - YTNF+.

Financial conditions:
All costs concerning meals and accommodation as well as the program and materials will be fully covered for the whole duration of the. The participation fee for CIS participants is 25 Euros, for EU participants 80 Euros. Participation fee for YTNF volunteers and staff is 20 Euro. Travel costs will be reimbursed 100% for YTNF volunteers and staff, 70% for representatives of CIS organizations and 50% for representatives of SCI branches up to a maximum of: 75 Euro for CIS and 200 Euro for EU.

Participants are expected to actively contribute to the seminar program and be committed to participate to the whole program of the event.

If you have any other suggestions for the program of the event, you are invited to contribute to enriching the agenda!

Interested? Than go ahead and fill in the application form, which should be sent to SVIT-Ukraine at info@svit-ukraine.org before October 20th, 2008. You will be informed about the definite acceptance (or refusal) of the applications as soon as possible after this deadline. For more information and with possible questions please contact SVIT-Ukraine at info@svit-ukraine.org

Looking forward to welcome you in Ukraine!