Youth for Exchange and Understanding

Youth for Exchange and Understanding (YEU) is an International Non-Governmental Non-profit Youth Organization established in 1986 and member of the European Youth Forum in Brussels . YEU is recognized by the Council of Europe and the Directorate of Youth and Sports of the European Commission . YEU has its head office in Brussels, Belgium and has a second office in Faro, Portugal from where it has a member organization from Europe and North Africa . YEU is a non-profit International Youth Non Governmental Organization (IYNGO) independent of all political affiliation.

The Organization

History

Youth for Exchange and Understanding was founded on 28 August 1986 in Strasbourg by a group of 120 young people from 11 different countries, a result of 4-year cooperation which started in Germany in 1981 with the first international meeting – Convention 1983) with participants from eight nations. Since 1989 it has been a member of the European Coordination Bureau . Today YEU is a member of the European Youth Forum and the Lifelong Learning Platform and is considered by the Council of Europe and the European Union as an international non-governmental non-profit youth organization.

Vision

Youth for Exchange and Understanding works to promote peace, understanding and co-operation between the young people of the world, in a spirit of respect for human rights. ^[1]

Mission

YEU is an inclusive network of youth organizations, promoting the importance of active citizenship through the use of non-formal education as a tool for providing knowledge, skills and intercultural experience for personal and social development.

Structure

YEU is running for youth with a democratic structure headed by a board of directors. It has two offices, the headquarter and administrative office in Brussels and a second office in Faro, Portugal . There are three main bodies within YEU, the administrative office (AO), the governing board (GB) and the assembly of member organizations (GA).

• The Administrative Office takes care of logistics , project management and coordination and network strategic planning;
• The Governing Board is composed of seven people and is responsible for the general and planning and strategy of YEU;
• The General Assembly is a member of the United States and is in the process of being elected.

Member organizations are youth-led NGOs registered in their own countries.

Activities

YEU is actively involved in the Erasmus + framework and works closely with the European Youth Foundation to design and develop projects and events targeted at youth.

• International projects : activities related to the work of YEU held in cooperation with other NGOs and / or partners, ranging from small events to extended co-operation in Horizon 2020 projects;
• International Youth Convention : a two-to-three-week convention held annually when people live with their families, enjoy communal life in a campsite, and spend one week in a city and meet their peers, usually newcomers in the youth work field;
• Youth Exchanges : a meeting of young people involving a maximum of 40 participants and lasting for one-week to share ideas and discussion on a specific theme such as environmental protection , equality and democracy , active citizenship , social inclusion , youth entrepreneurship , human rights education , etc .;
• Trainings : the long one-week full immersion training activities at avocation Improving Competencies of youth workers in member organizations;
• Work camps : field work organized by a member organization to perform a specific activity on a very local level to foster volunteering and youth work ;
• Internships : periods of apprenticeship at one of the two offices open for people willing to explore the inner workings of INGYO .

Members

Organization	Country	Status
Act4Change	belgium	Full Member
ATOM	italy	Full Member
Agency for Development and Cooperation Cerebra	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Full Member
Armenia Progressive Youth	armenia	Full Member
ArtWake Moldova	moldova	Full Member
Associação Movimento Juvenil em Olhão	Portugal	Full Member
„Bridge to the Future“ Youth Public Union	azerbaijan	Full Member
Center for Intercultural Dialogue	Macedonia	Full Member
Center for Social Innovations „Centrifuge“	serbia	Full Member
CIM Horyzonty	poland	Full Member
Community Volunteers Foundation	turkey	Full Member
Development NO Borders	egypt	Full Member
Connecting Cultures Morocco Forum	Morocco	Full Member
Foundation of Regional Initiatives	Ukraine	Full Member
Impronta Giovani	italy	Full Member
Institute for Ukrainian studies	Ukraine	Full Member
Ireli	azerbaijan	Full Member
Jaunimo mainai ir bendradarbiavimas	lithuania	Full Member
Jongeren voor Uitwisseling en Begrip	Netherlands	Full Member
No excuse	slovenia	Full Member
Resource Centee Leskovac	serbia	Full Member
YEU Estonia	estonia	Full Member
Youth Exchange and Understanding Malta	malta	Full Member
Youth Exchange and Understanding Tunisia	tunisia	Full Member
Youth Exchange and Understanding Cyprus	cyprus	Full Member
ZID Montenegro	Montenegro	Full Member
Project2020	UK	Full Member
United Societies of Balkans – USB	greece	Full Member
La Fenice APS	italy	Full Member

References