ESC: Volunteers in Action: Inclusion and Youth Participation in Democratic life

Youth Council Prilep, founded in 1999, is a sustainable leading organization on the local and regional level, a reliable partner in the creation and the implementation of youth policy along with all key stakeholders. YCP is unique in the area because no other nongovernmental organization can mobilize as many young people. YCP not only provides services and opportunities for young people and volunteers, but actively seeks to involve them in the decision-making processes of the organization. YCP fosters positively impact to young people. The organization creates youth leaders by giving youngsters opportunities to build their capacities and make youth more competitive in society. Our work as a visible and recognized organization is based on democratic values enabling youth to be creative and active citizens. Youth Council Prilep supports young people to participate in democratic processes, empowering them to grow into active citizens. YCP, together with Youth Council Ohrid and HOPS, founded the Coalition of Youth organizations SEGA, the leading national umbrella group of youth organizations in Macedonia. YCP in partnership with Association for Education Mladiinfo International, CEFE Bitola, Youth Alliance Krusevo and Poraka Nova, founded Youth Banks Network Macedonia (YBNM) which is an open network supporting youth employment using the youth banks model. Youth Council Prilep is managed by experienced also young people who have run YIA and Erasmus + Projects in the past and youngsters that have been mentors. President of YCP additionally is executive director of Coalition of youth Organization SEGA, which Is main leader of national level, with experience longer than 20 years in the sector. Current program manager of YCP is a former EVS volunteer and also previous and current coordinator of YIA and Erasmus + projects. The Program Manager can provide expertise and with his experience as a team leader on several YIA exchanges with experience of 10 years in the past in the NGO Sector. In addition, The Program Assistants have solid international experience and excellent expertise on youth development by participating and taking part in implementing on the Projects with 7 years’ experience in the NGO sector. To summarize, Youth Council's staff are more than capable in providing support expertise on wide range of subjects like coordination, promotion and dissemination. Youth Council Prilep during its 20 years of experience have implemented a lot projects supported by Erasmus+ and ESC program, which allowed mobility on the participants, to develop competences, become aware of socially relevant topics, discover new cultures and strength values like solidarity, democracy, tolerance etc. Youth Council Prilep was reliable partner in a lot of projects with other organizations on different topics and countries which allows mobility of young people from our region, to build their capacities and make youth more competitive on the labour market and society. The groups of young people from YCP jointly design, prepare and carry out a work programme usually during a mix of workshops, debates, role-plays, simulations, outdoor activities. Youth Council Prilep was EVS accredited organization for sending and hosting EVS volunteers which provides mobility in and out from Macedonia. In Youth Council Prilep it’s working Volunteering Sector where 50 high-schoolers are working on planning and implementing activities “from youth for youth” to build more capacities of youngsters and to promote benefits of youth participation. Besides Volunteering Sector, YCP have membership program with 50 active members who are using the benefits from our organizations, and taking active participation on different trainings, events, activities etc. In 2016, Youth Council Prilep was awarded with the City of Prilep award "3th of November" for contribution and achievements in the field of Youth. Furthermore, Youth Council Prilep has succeeded to establish the most sustainable project in the region, Pulse Radio, that runs more than 8 years within the organization, as a youth internet radio first of its kind in the region of Prilep. Until now, Pulse Radio have provided technical and human capacities as support to youngsters who directly played broadcast their own radio shows and favorite music. Through Pulse Radio, Youth Council Prilep have send a lot of massages that had big influence towards local youth in particular.