Group of young leaders from FYROM and Greece, with cooperation based on previous mutual personal contacts,
initiated the project activities Contacts for the Common Future. Keeping track on the situation and
preliminary interest for cooperation between the progressive youth from the both sides of the border we,
Youth Alliance of Krusevo and UNESCO youth club Thessaloniki, with financial support of Balkan Trust for
Democracy, a project of the German Marshall Fund of the Unites States and in partnership with FES office
Skopje, organized two mutual gathering seminars (one in FYR Macedonia and one in Greece) on which we
examined closely all possibilities for cooperation among the young people.
The first seminar took place in Krusevo - FYR Macedonia from 23 to 27 February, 2011 involving
more youth NGO's from FYROM and Greece, with a total of 40 participants (20 participants from host
country, representatives of minimum 5 different organizations and 20 participants from Greece,
representatives of minimum 5 different organizations).
The second seminar took place in Thessaloniki – Greece from 25 to 29 May, 2011 where the same participating
groups continued with Contacts for the Common Future.
Project objectives:
- To establish cooperation between youth NGOs from FYR Macedonia and Greece;
- To inspire working with young people in order to create new projects;
- Starting new initiatives for working on IPA applications (CBC programe, Youth in action programe etc.);
- To build new partnerships;
- To create atmosphere of common understanding and start the breakage of stereotypes between people representing each country, different cultures, working styles, etc.
The high level of participation and dynamics between the participants as we had during the main events and highly positive results received
from the project evaluation is a big motivation for us to continue with the challenge "Contacts for the Common Future". The participants
became acquainted with other youth workers and organizations from the neighboring country working in the youth field, which will facilitate
future cross-border and regional cooperation. Furthermore, the participants gained a wider perspective on possibilities for youth cross – border
cooperation and youth active participation in decision making process as well as they learned more about the possible modes of cooperation in the framework
of regional initiatives, EU programmes and initiatives in which civil society is actively involved in the region's integration into Euroatlantic structures.
Our project evaluation showed that through the project focus on developing cooperation between NGOs from the neighboring countries FYROM and Greece, simultaneously is
creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect between young people from these two countries was proved extremely relevant for building "cooperative
behavior" and providing conditions where young people will have the opportunity to demonstrate their willingness for cooperation and positive energy. The most important,
Contacts for the Common Future demonstrated that the raising level of cross-border cooperation between active young people is really necessary and that the two countries’ civil societies
play significant role in both the shaping of relations between Greece and FYR Macedonia, as well as between the peoples of the two countries.
Official site of Contacts for the Common Future