EUROPEAN CENTRE OF YOUTH CO-OPERATION

The European Centre of Youth Co-operation supports the coactions and international contacts of youth, especially in Europe. One of the main forms of activity are the international meetings of youth. They are always a chance to widen one's horizons, exchange experience and find inspiration for new undertakings. Youth meetings are also an opportunity to overcome one's one barriers and deeply-rooted prejudices and stereotypes. The most important part, however, is the human dimension - international youth meetings, independent on whether they are joyful or reflective, allow people to get to know each other better and they leave unforgettable memories, or sometimes even life-long friendships.

Most of the programs that have been completed thus far were Polish-German youth meetings. The trilateral gatherings, which include young people from Poland, Germany and Belarus, Ukraine or some other country, are a different form of activity pursued within the Polish-German Youth Co-operation www.pnwm.org. Apart from the Polish-German Youth Co-operation, many projects are organized within the European Communities Programme-"Youth" www.mlodziez.org.pl. The programme gives us a chance to get in touch with young people from the EU, EFTA, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Caucasus, North Africa, or even South America. The main thematic areas in which we co-operate include journalism, ecology, ecumenism, culture, tradition, youth policy, social issues and themes connected with the EU.

Participants of our meetings include mainly junior high, college and university students, unemployed and working youth. We are particularly keen on activate young people from small towns, villages and small municipalities of the Lublin Voivodeship. Apart from organizing youth meetings, we are involved in hosting and sending volunteers of the European Voluntary Service, as well as other internship and international volunteering programmes. So far we have hosted a volunteer from France, two from Italy and a couple of people from Germany. We have sent our own volunteers to Spain, Germany, Portugal, Russia and Italy.

The Foundation is a member of the board of the international youth co-operation organization named Mosaic www.europeanmosaic.com, the European network for the co-operation of regions (Platform) www.platformnet.net and the network of a non-governmental organization for the excluded youth JAMO www.ec-network.net/jamo/en/presentation/htm.

We invite you to visit our gallery illustrating our activity within the ECYC.

MULTIMEDIAL GALLERY EUROPEAN CENTRE OF YOUTH CO-OPERATION