From September 28 until October 2nd, 2020, a regional partners meeting within the Young Men Initiative (YMI) project – ” Men and Boys as Partners in Promoting Gender Equality and the Prevention of Youth Extremism and Violence in the Balkans”, was organized in Belgrade.
Representatives of CARE International Balkans and partner organizations discussed the overall accomplishments in the previous three years on the further enhancements and development of Program Y for primary and elementary schools, successes and challenges of piloting of a Y+ model for youth at risk and merging of the local movements in 4 countries into regional – Future4Youth YMI movement in November 2020.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the strategic re-thinking, re-inventing and assessing the roles of Be a Man Clubs across the Balkans which are the main pillar of YMI.
On the first day, participants discussed accomplishments, developments of new tools in gender transformative programming and planned together the final steps until the end of the year. Next day, they had the opportunity to work together to reflect on Be a Man Clubs thought the time and Be a Man Clubs of the future as a safe space for young people in schools and communities.
CAREs Safeguarding policy has been official introduced among partners to protect anyone, from sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and child abuse and the day was finalized with YMI strategic overview workshop with all partners.
Third day of the meeting was dedicated to reflections and initial steps in evaluation of the project which will be conducted during October 2020. Partners discussed endline evaluation results in all countries and all components and finalized the meeting with new ideas to enable positive and peaceful societies for young people in Serbia, Kosovo*, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia that support gender equality and decrease interpersonal violence and its extremism.
The meeting was held within the framework of the Young Men Initiative (YMI) project – ” Men and Boys as Partners in Promoting Gender Equality and the Prevention of Youth Extremism and Violence in the Balkans” that is supported by the Austrian Development Cooperation, Oak Foundation, and implemented by CARE International Balkans in cooperation with partner organizations: Status M – Zagreb; Perpetuum Mobile – Banja Luka; XY Association – Sarajevo; Youth Power – Mostar, Center E8 and SMart Kolektiv – Belgrade; OEC Synergy – K. Mitrovica; SIT and YMCA – Pristina; Act for Society Center – Tirana.
#YMI #CareInternational #CARE #ProgramY #ProgramE #SvicarskauBiH #AustrianDevelopmentAgency #OakFoundation
Supported by
