Donetsk, Ukraine

Donetsk is the largest city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbass) region.

Donetsk is the fifth-largest city in Ukraine.

Donetsk lies in the steppe landscape of Ukraine, surrounded by scattered woodland, hills (spoil tips), rivers, and lakes. The northern outskirts of the city are mainly used for agriculture. The Azov Sea, 95 km south of Donetsk, is a popular recreational area for those living in Donetsk. A wide belt of farmlands surrounds the city.

The city is currently home to two major professional football teams in Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalurh Donetsk. Donets will host football championship “EURO2012”.

Center of European Cooperation is a non-profit organisation run by a group of professionals in the field of education, law and international development from Donetsk, Ukraine.

Mission of the Center: Contribute to the civil society development by means of upbringing of a new generation of socially active young people and creation of the conditions for their self-actualization.

Aims of the Center:

- Develop international cooperation with EU and non-EU countries.

- Contribute to the legal education of youth and assist in the advocacy of their rights.

- Provide resources for the non-formal education: trainings, workshops, competitions, educational projects.

- Ensure conditions for learning foreign languages and cultures of other countries: cultural youth exchanges, volunteer projects.

- Participation in practical realization of international, national and regional programs aimed at strengthening of public organizations in Ukraine.

Tasks for volunteers:

In the frames of Volunteer Club they will conduct small trainings for volunteers concerning leadership skills, youth participation, and conduct language courses to prepare them for the European Football Championship 2012. Together with the team they will work out a strategy how to involve more people into socially oriented activities organized by local authorities and public organizations. Other tasks of will be to help organize different intercultural activities, events, workshops ( Movie evening, Forum-Theatre, Discussion Club, Literature Club etc).

Also they will collect information, photos about the organization’s activities, write small articles and place information on its web-sites www.center-ukraine@org.ua; www.tvoiprava.dn.ua . They will also Take part in activities for young people in frames of the projects of the CEC , write a blog or support a group in a social networks. It is possible to make short animator movies during the project, take pictures (the training will be provided by the experts) about life of volunteers and distribute them among young people, on TV, on web-site. They also will be able to design small projects on a local level and implement them with support of the community.

The volunteers will work 5 days a week, 5-6 hours a day. Their working place will be in the office of Hosting organization but also they will regularly meet and do workshops with young people, the disabled and children in premises of one of the partner organizations. During a week they will spend some time at learning Russian/Ukrainian and studying materials necessary for their work with youth.

Criteria

The volunteers candidates are communicative, willing to help other people, able to work in a team. Interested in Slavic culture and willing to learn Russian or Ukrainian language. It will be a “big plus” if the candidates will have good computer skills and ability to use the Internet and web-groups, presentation skills, good command of English ,working experience in a team and good communication skills, responsibility.