Erasmus+ Capacity Building Youth – Western Balkans

“Social entrepreneurship as one of the solutions to the European refugee crises” (sENTref)

01/01/2017 – 01/10/2017

Summary of the project:

Project is developed for youth workers willing to act as multipliers and further develop (social) entrepreneurship skills of youngsters in communities and support establishment of different social enterprises by, with and for immigrants, refugees and other youth with fewer opportunities.

Even though all our countries have quite a few asylum seekers, immigrants, refugees – it is very few examples of immigrants involved in social enterprises. Thus, the whole concept of the project is rather innovative.

Specific objectives:

• Share realities and experiences with discrimination, exclusion and marginalization of different groups (including migrants and refugees) in different European countries
• Promote acceptance of diversity and respect of Human Rights in Europe
• Share and inspire ideas for new creative/innovative social enterprises with/for immigrants, refugees and other marginalised groups
• Explore social entrepreneurship concepts, stakeholders and supporters and links between social entrepreneurship and inclusion
• Inspire and encourage youth workers to act as social change agents in their local community
• Introduce appreciative inquiry as a way to approach the local reality and initiate new ideas
• Further developing participants’ competences for and developing new projects and future European level cooperation among partners with the topic of social entrepreneurship with/for immigrants, refugees and other marginalised groups

Project activities:

• Preparation meeting in Zagreb, Croatia;
• Preparation activities of organisers and partners;
• 8 days long training course. It will be organised in the youth hostel in Novi Sad, from 21st till 29th March 2017. Project will gather 32 participants, trainers and staff from 12 organisations and countries (RS, AL, BA, CY, GR, HR, IT, ME, MK, RO, SI, XK).
• Follow-up activities; Activities of and for dissemination results;
• Final evaluation meeting of partners and organisers.

Project will reach marginalised/excluded and non-organized youth and increase the participation and active European citizenship of youth mainstream and with fewer opportunities.

We expect increase in number of youngsters that will get involved in the organisations’ activities, through increased quality of inclusive social entrepreneurship projects in communities.

On European level, our project will have as impact several (at least 4) newly initiated European level projects of youth work for inclusion and social entrepreneurship in whose there will be chance to include additional partners and participants from other countries of Europe, as well.