FERYP
& USB
ROMA YOUTH
BUILDING BRIDGES!
A Study Session on Roma youth and Mobility Projects organized by the Forum of European Roma Young People (FERYP) and United Societies of Balkans (USB) in collaboration with the Youth Department of the Council of Europe.
ABOUT US
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Who we are?
Ok, let's start!
FERYP & USB are two youth organizations working on promoting youth participation, specially with young people with fewer opportunities such as Roma, LGBT, inmigrants, etc, through local and international activities, EVS, seminars and study sessions in Europe.
In this regard, FERYP (Forum of European Roma Young People) and USB (United Societies of Balkans) have decided to merge efforts. After some collaborations between the two organizations, came as a need to strengthening cooperation between Roma/non-Roma youth organizations and came up an action plan with several activities. One of them is this Study Session.
FERYP is very well known international Roma youth network with great experience and quality outcomes. FERYP is also present in the Advisory Council on Youth and one of the main stakeholders of the Roma Youth Action Plan.
From the other part, United Societies of Balkans is an organization which deals with youth programmes since 2008 and until now has implemented many national and international activities on youth mobility programmes and it has large partners among Europe.
In this regard, since we aim to break the walls among mainstream society and vulnerable groups, we consider that this is the best way to start mainstreaming Roma issues in Youth work and to open the space for non-Roma to contact Roma groups and to start collaborating together.
MORE ABOUT FERYP
In May 1995, the Youth Directorate of the Council of Europe organized the first European Training course for young Roma leaders named “Situation and perspectives for the young Roma and Travelers in Europe” – held under the European Youth campaign against Racism, Anti-Semitism, Xenophobia and intolerance, “All Different, All Equal”.
The follow-up of this course was a seminar about networking between young Roma, held in September 1996 in Budapest.
The Forum of European Roma Young People was established as an initiative of those activities and was functioning as informal network by 2002.The statute of FERYP was adopted on 24 June 2002.
The organization was registered in Strasbourg, France as an European Association on 26 February 2003.
Currently, FERYP is the largest Roma youth organization in Europe, with members in 15 countries.
At the same time, FERYP is represented in the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe.
Our work supports, encourages and enhaces active Roma youth participation in decision-making processes with the aim to mainstream Roma issues in youth policies and youth issues in Roma policies and programmes.
Overall these years, FERYP have a number of activities successfully implemented independently as well as in co-operation with other NGOs, and mainly Council of Europe campaigns (All different all equal, Dosta campaign etc.). A lot of trainings and seminars were implemented by our team of trainers. FERYP has implemented many events aiming on building the capacity of young Roma individuals and organizations
FERYP has significantly contributed to increase the capacities of Roma Youngsters from all over Europe to be able to advocate for their own and the rights of their community. More than 300 Roma youth went through the trainings, seminars and conferences organized by FERYP in the last 10 years. About 10% of them are holding vital leadership positions in different Roma and non-Roma formal entities in Europe.
More about FERYP?
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More about USB
"United Societies of Balkans" is a Non Governmental Organization, founded in Thessaloniki in 2008 by a team of active young people, socially sensitized, and with rich experience around voluntary programs.
The vision is to promote youth mobility, youth involvement in volunteering and their further sensitizing around social issues.
Balkans and Eastern Europe are geographical regions with many cultural features which offer a broad spectrum of actions and youth involvement initiatives.
The organization was created as a respond to the pressure of constant changes in the Balkan and Eastern European region and under the need for the creation of a better social environment.
Key areas of the organization's activities concern the defense of human rights, the organization of youth exchanges and training courses, which will bring young people from Balkans and Europe together, the organization of local educational seminars and multimedia production.
Until now USB has implemented many national and international activities. Most recently, U.S.B. is part of the first EVS national Greek network of 12 youth organisations, with different target groups (lgbt, people with disabilities, etc.), and is also the Head of Anna Lindh Foundation and the coordinator of the Thessaloniki’s network of ngos.
More about USB?
Visit our webiste
Like us on Facebook
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Our Staff
J. RAMON FLORES
Course Director
ARIS PARASCHOU
Trainer
OLYMPIA DATSI
Trainer
FILARETOS VURKOS
Trainer
YOUTH DEPARTMENT OF CoE
During this Study Session, FERYP and USB will work closely together with the educational advisers of the Youth Department in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the educative approach in the whole process of this activity.
RAMIZA SAKIP
Trainer
