Project environment

The Youth Association creACTive is seated in the municipality of Gjorce Petrov, which is part of Skopje – the capital city of Macedonia. Gjorce Petrov has a total population of 40.000 people, out of which about 10.000 live in the urban part of the municipality, and the rest are situated in the villages around the capital. There is insignificant number of youth organizations and activities for young people in this part of Skopje; and in the moment creACTive is working hard on involving youth from Gjorce Petrov in a process of non-formal education.

The organization rents offices in an area where the communities of Vlae and Gjorce Petrov border. Our offices are fully equiped with all technical equipment needed for office work, such as computers, printers, LCD projector, copier, scanner, fax, TV, DVD, digital and video camera. There is an ADSL connection available 24 hours a day, which is also transmitted through wireless router, meaning that the volunteer would also have internet connecton if he/she owns a lap-top.

In addition, creACTive also rents a youth club, based on 10 minutes walking distance from the office. The club is provided with computers, printer, TV, internet connection and other office equipment; and it provides non-formal education activities for young people from Gjorce Petrov.

Though the organization’s offices are based in Gjorce Petrov, creACTive is implementing projects and activities on the whole territory of Skopje, and on a national level as well. Organization’s membership is consisted of young people from a number of different cities in Macedonia; as there are local clubs in Prilep, Kavadarci, Gevgelija, Sveti Nikole, Probistip and a couple of others are currently in a process of establishment. This means that the volunteer will have the opportunity to develope activities in different places and environments, with various groups of young people.

Nevertheless, volunteer’s EVS placement will be based in Gjorce Petrov. The volunteer will be living and spending most of one’s time in this part of Skopje, and will be coordinating the project from the organization’s offices in Gjorce Petrov. Gjorce Petrov is located at the western end of the city, on the way to Tetovo and Ohrid. However, it is not divided from the city and represents one common urban environment with the other municipalities. The place where the volunteer will live and work is on a distance of approximately 7 kilometers from the center of Skopje.

Gjorce Petrov is a community for itself and it has many companies, shops, sport facilities, bars, an open market and other places where the volunteer can spend one’s time. Still, the city center is just 20 minutes by bus and is easily accessible through city’s public transportation. The volunteer will be provided with bus tickets for all bus lines of the public transport in Skopje. Thus, the volunteer will not be forced to spend the time only in Gjorce Petrov, but will also be able to travel around and to use all the opportunities offered by the city of Skopje.

Skopje has a population of about 800.000 citizens and is the country’s most populated and developed city. Two tirds of the population belongs to Macedonian nationality, while about a quarter are Albanians. Macedonian language is spoken by everyone, while Albanian language is the second offical language. Macedonian language belongs to the group of Slavic languages and is similar to Serbian and Bulgarian. Cyrilic alphabet is used. Many people, especially youth, speak good English.

It is quite modern city that provides services similar to many other European capitals. There are few centers in the city that sell books in English and in other foreign languages; many foreign magazins are also available here. Skopje has a number of cinemas, theatres and rich cultural program – particularly during Skopje Summer Festival, which is being held during July and August. There are three swimming pools and halls and playcourts for many different sports, including tennis, bowling, horse-back riding and others. Skopje also has many shopping centres, pubs and disco bars where young people usually spend their free time. The city is fully covered with wireless internet (inlcuding wireless ADSL), which is also true for most of the country. In general, Skopje is exciting city that offers a variety of opportunities to the people living in it.

Activities of the volunteer

This project offers different types of activities in the field of arts, culture and media. The volunteer will be able to choose a specific area of work according to one’s own preferences; combining different activities in one project is also possible. As a hosting organization, creACTive will show a considerable amount of flexiblity and together with every separate volunteer will define volunteer’s exact tasks and daily/weekly working timetable. The organization is also open for volunteer’s own ideas and initiatives.

The project currently offers the following activities:

1. Online creACTive radio

Youth Association creACTive is broadcasting live radio through its web pages www.cre-act-ive.org and www.kreaktiv.mk. Target group of the radio are young people in general, with a special focus on Macedonia.

The online radio is envisioned as a medium that would provide young people with fun through popular music as well as with other programs that they find useful and interesting. The project also aims at establishing cooperation with radio stations from Macedonia, through broadcasting part of its program on their frequencies.

The volunteer’s tasks in relation to this activity will consist of:

- Creating radio programs such as interviews, coverage of various events, radio shows and others;

- Creating playlists of music, announcements and advertisements;

- Initiating activities for promotion and popularization of the radio;

- Preparing radio program in cooperation with Macedonian radio stations;

- Fund-raising and establishing cooperation with the business sector.

During the project implementation the volunteer will work together with other Macedonian volunteers. All tasks will be divided among the team members who should work together on this project. Young people aged 15 to 25 are expected to be involved in the work of the radio.

2. Online youth magazine

This activity is related to publishing an online magazine for young people. This magazine will be prepared in English language by a team of young journalists from Macedonia and abroad, and will be spread among young people around the world. The magazine will be published once a month and will cover topics and events which are of interest for youth. It will be published on creACTive’s webpage, will be sent with newsletters and will be delivered by e-mail to everyone who assigned for it. As part of this project, the volunteer would have the following tasks:

Preparing texts, interviews and other contents for the magazine;

Supporting the graphical preparation of magazine’s design;

Initiating activities for promotion and popularization of the magazine;

Identifying, contacting and cooperating with young journalists from Macedonia and other countries.

The volunteer would complete most of the tasks in creACTive’s office and youth club, though the work will also involve following and covering various events around Macedonia.

3. Activities in Primary Schools and Youth Club

Activities that are placed in the Primary Schools are focused on diffeent topics. Currently creACTive is developing workshops with primary schools students with age range from 10 to 14 years. Main topics of the workshops are: sport activities, art club, music club, juggling, french language, conlict resolution, self-development and self-esteem. There are posibilities for the volunteer to make his/her own topic for the workshops. Normally workshops are held once a week, this means, each topic has workshop once a week. Duration of one workshop is from 45min. to 90 min. depending from the students’ free time. Workshops are held within the schools.

Main tasks of the volunteer in relation to this activity are:

Preparing the topic for the workshop;

Preparing the games, activities for the workshop;

Conducting the workshop together with a volunteer from the organization;

Making evaluation of the workshop and developing new techniques for working;

Activities in the Youth Club are connected with the local youth (high school students).Workshops are organized on different topics, such as art workshops, language courses, karaoke nights, music club, international evenings, movie nights, intercultural events (presenting cuisine and tradition of different countries)

Main tasks of the volunteer in relation to this activity are:

Preparing the topic for the workshop;

Preparing the games, activities for the workshop;

Conducting the workshop together with a volunteer from the organization;

Making evaluation of the workshop and developing new techniques for working;

4. CMUN

creACTive's Model of United Nations (CMUN) is a project aimed at involving young people in a simulation of the work of the real United Nations. In this way, the project is promoting youth participation and active citizenship; it is involving the young people into process of non-formal learning on many current world issues; and is promoting tolerance, team work and interethnic cooperation among the Macedonian young people. The young participants in the project are organized on basis of local clubs within their local communities and are taking part in activities on local and national level. Each of the local clubs is lead by at least one Instructor, who is planning and facilitating the local activities. The activities on a local level include: regular meetings and workshops, researches, practice debates, UN simulations, excursions, parties and leisure time activities; while youth conferences, seminars and field trips are taking place on a national level, involving young people from all local clubs. Working language of the project is English.

The work of the EVS volunteer will be to assist the development of this project as a whole. CMUN has a project coordinator who is fully responsible for this project. Nevertheless, the volunteer will not be project assistant. His/her job will be rather dynamic and creative and will offer the possibility to the volunteer to include new elements in the project and to initiate different activities, particularly in international context. The volunteer will have freedom to decide about one's involvement in the project and will have the chance to leave specific marks on already existing national project.

 Concretely, the volunteer's responsibilities will be to:

- Support and observe the work of the local clubs;

- Lead the work of one local club in Skopje;

- Assist the establishment of new local clubs around the country;

- Assist the organization of all activities implemented on a national level;

- Support the project implementation in general.

During the working week the volunteer will be involved in these concrete activities:

- Organizing and facilitating activities for the local club lead by the volunteer: 3-4 hours once a week;

- Visiting other local clubs in Skopje: 2-3 hours twice a week;

- Visiting other local clubs around the country: 6-12 hours once a week (including travelling);

- Meetings, promotional events, PR: once to few times a week;

- Activities related to organization of events on a national level: approximately once in two months, full

engagement in the organizational process, at least few hours a day.

- Working on the project development in general - researching, establishing contacts, offering support to the local instructors and project participants, planning of activities and other activities: the rest of the working time.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=66000083868