ESC: Youth in the city

SFERA INTERNATIONAL – Bitola is an NGO from Bitola, North Macedonia which was first formed in 2007 as an informal group and in July 2009 it was registered as an NGO. The general goal of SFERA INTERNATIONAL – Bitola is to educate the population in North Macedonia, using different non-formal methods, about the protection of the environment, cultural and natural heritage, with the purpose to raise the awareness of all age groups about the importance of healthy lifestyle and the benefits that come with it. The main goals and objectives of the association are: - Protection of the environment, cultural and natural heritage; - Promoting sustainable development and the usage of alternative sources of energy; - Promoting healthy lifestyle – sport, healthy diet; - Development of professional and leadership skills among young people; - Education of youngsters in the field of crisis management (floods, earthquakes, fires, erosion, and other natural disasters); - Promoting non-formal education and encouraging the creation of systems to support young local, national and international level; - Promoting youth activism and active citizenship among young people and informing youth about all the opportunities they have; - Raising the awareness of equality, tolerance, democracy, and the introduction of human rights to the youngsters; - Support and facilitate the process of Europeanization of the country. - Providing primary free legal aid to citizens from vulnerable categories We are focusing our work to contribute towards achieving all of these goals on a national, but also on an international level. On a national level, we are members of the National Youth Council of Macedonia, Union of Youth Workers, Platform ZEMI ZDIV and Centre for Environmental Democracy FLOROZON. While in international we are part of European NGO World at our home Latvia, EPA Network Germany, INTERALIA Youth Network Greece and Informal network of Associazione JOINT Italy.