European Educational Exchanges – Youth for Understanding

Mission and history

The mission of EEE-YFU is to advance intercultural understanding, mutual respect, and social responsibility through educational exchanges for youth, families, and communities.

YFU Was founded Shortly partner after the end of World War II , in 1951. ^{[ citation needed ]} It is one of the world’s oldest and education exchange organizations Currently ^[ when? ] has programs in about 60 countries around the world. ^{[ Citation needed ]} Founded to allow young Germans the opportunity to experience cultural Reviews another outside of Their Own, YFU Organized for Them to go on exchange to the United States in order to see what life there and Was Like to Develop an understanding of democracy. Since then YFU has grown to be a young person between 15 and 18 years old on international high school exchanges to other countries, where the students will live with a family. National YFU organizations from around the world are all independent from one another. However, there is an international secretariat in order to facilitate co-operation and communication between them.

Aims

EEE-YFU is a member organization, and its members are national YFU organizations in Europe. Unlike the national YFU organizations, it is not involved with the actual logistics and organization of the exchanges. Instead, it is a member organization which focuses on representing the interests of its members in several different ways. In support of its members, EEE-YFU has the following aims: to promote intercultural understanding through youth exchange programs in Europe; to enhance the public visibility for Youth for Understanding in Europe and with European institutionsand organizations; to enrich the experience of European exchange; to facilitate co-operation and networking between member organizations and to provide membership services; to facilitate intra-European activities such as seminars, meetings and conferences on various topics; and to assist in planning and conducting international training for staff and volunteers.

Composition

The organization has its offices in Brussels , Belgium, where it works towards representing its members‘ interests at European level and to facilitate co-ordination between its national members.

EEE-YFU consists of a Board , which has the ultimate responsibility for the overall strategic direction of the organization, as well as the European Secretariat based in its office in Brussels. The Secretariat regularly has interns and volunteers (often from the European Voluntary Service program) working in the office.

EEE-YFU is an international non-profit organization under Belgian law (AISBL) .

Partners and funding

EEE-YFU works alongside a number of external organizations, and is regularly granted funding for projects and initiatives by European institutions and other bodies. Its partners include the Council of Europe’s Directorate for Youth and Sports, the European Commission , the European Youth Forum and the Platform for Intercultural Europe, as well as many others. It receives funding from the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the Belgian State, and other bodies. EEE-YFU also works with other NGOs involved in the youth field, particularly in relation to organizing activities.

Activities

EEE-YFU works in three main areas: Capacity building; advocacy and representation; and knowledge building and networking.

The organization fulfills its objectives by organizing and facilitating educational activities to provide its students with continuing education, returnees and volunteers. These help to promote intercultural dialogue and youth participation in Europe. EEE-YFU organizes activities such as study sessions, trainings and seminars on various cultural and youth-related issues both nationally and on a European level. In doing so it works often with its member organizations. An important feature of EEE-YFU’s activities is to encourage those students who have participated in YFU by volunteeringounce they return home. This will help to continue the cycle of learning YFU to reach out to more young people.

EEE-YFU has its own „European Trainer Network“, composed of 13 young trainers from different countries, ^[3] which provides its member organizations with a pool of young people range of events. YFU network, YFU, YFU, YFU, YFU, YFU, YFU, YFU. EEE-YFU also has a „Pool of Representatives“, composed of 33 young people from various member organizations. The members are an important tool for EEE-YFU’s advocacy work, EEE-YFU on various seminars, working groups, meetings,^[4]

Members

The following YFU national organizations are members of EEE-YFU: Austria, Belarus , Belgium ( Flanders & Wallonia ), Bulgaria , Czech Republic , Denmark, Estonia , Finland , France, Georgia , Germany, Greece , Hungary, Kazakhstan , Latvia , Lithuania , Moldova , Netherlands , Norway, Poland , Romania , Russia, Slovakia , Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey , Ukraine .

References