Programs and Projects

Balkan heART

February 2010 - May 2010

"Balkan heART" is a youth exchange, which aims at creating a common vision of the Balkans, based on cultural diversity and lead by United Societies of Balkans - Greece. The project will bring about 35 young people from 8 Balkan countries where PEN is country partner. "Balkan heART" offers to young people the chance and the space to explore cultural similarities and differences between the Balkan countries and to understand the importance of respecting cultural diversity in the Balkans. Mutual understanding, tolerance, cooperation and solidarity are the necessary skills that youth has to be provided with, in order to strengthen social cohesion within Europe and the European Union. The participants will have the opportunity to present their cultures, exchange information on different aspects of their lives and express themselves through various methods of non-formal education as well as through artistic activities, like wax, photo and graphic arts, radio, making jewelries and creative writing workshops! Basic knowledge around these arts will be provided to the participants during the programme and art will be used a tool for social integration.

A European Theatre Adventure

February 2010 - July 2010

This international artistic youth exchange lead by Amaro Drom-Berlin, creates an unlimited space of creativity for 42 young Roma and non-Roma from 6 European countries (Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Germany). PEN is one of the country partners and during the 7 days the young people will create their own story and vision based on a wide range of artistic methods, including impro theatre, mask theatre, stick fighting/theatre dance, and theatre of rhythm/music. This European Theatre Adventure ambitiously approaches with new methods the artistic and intercultural dialogue between European countries, between Roma and non-Roma. Comparable to the European motto "United in diversity" we create a group dynamic, which perceives the diversity of languages, cultures, identities and forms of artistic expressions as strength. Using art action as a tool, we promote our philosophy of intercultural dialogue, antiracism and the inclusion of minorities to a broad public.

Be the change

April 2010 - June 2010

This project Be the change is financed by the Youth in Action program and lead by Club for Youth Empowerment - Nis, Serbia. The exchange will gather together 20 young people from Bulgaria and Serbia. The main aim of the project is to build capacity of Roma and non-Roma youth in Serbia and Bulgaria, promote culture of human rights, focusing on women's rights, and improve activism of young people on local level. The 7-days long exchange will provide the youth with the opportunity to discuss gender equality in Serbia and Bulgaria, with the special focus on Roma girls and women. It will empower the youth from both countries to become more active in their communities in this area. It will also allow them to learn about each other's cultures and countries. It will provide intercultural learing too, because the group will be mixed consisting of Bulgarians, Serbs and Roma from both countries. Finally, at structual level, it will build capacity of the organizations partnering in the exchange and will give a chanel to exchange good practices and further networking.

Peace Action, Peace Satisfaction

December 2009

The youth project Peace Action, Peace Satisfaction is led by Angelus Silesius House, non governmental organization and educational centre from Wroclaw, Poland. Going through the different perception of peace - from the individual inner peace to the global peace, the project tries to build common understanding, while at the same time encourages, provokes and empowers for an action. The project involves over 35 young people from Poland, Bulgaria, Latvia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Jordan. The project received funding from the Youth in Action Programme of the European Commission. ( more)

ONE EUROPE! Transnational network of citizen actions promoting intercultural understanding and mutual respect

January 2009 - July 2010

The overall aim of this project is to promote intercultural understanding and dialogue as well as respect for diversity. The idea of this proposal is motivated by our desire to enable local networks from Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark and Hungary to take actions to combat harmful stereotypes and negative perceptions. It will provide a dynamic framework for local grass-roots and community based organisations and networks in the participating countries to take actions to combat harmful stereotypes and negative images of the Roma community and vice versa.

In the first part of the project, activities focus on gaining broad support for the initiative in each participating country, identifying strategies to take action against racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism, and building capacities of local organizations and networks to take action. The local actions are envisaged to be in the form of campaigns, sports tournaments, development and dissemination of information/educational materials for schools, dialogue workshops at schools, universities, and short documentary films and photo exhibitions by Roma and non-Roma youth to document the state of the environment in their localities, concerts and public events.
The project proposal is designed as follow up on the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008, paying special attention to activities on the local level. At the same time the project activities, taking place in 2009 and 2010, will promote awareness of the European Year themes for those years.

Collorful Action Against Prejudice

01 November 2008- 30 June 2009

The project main aim is to stimulate intercultural dialogue on different cultures and mutual understanding among the young people from four countries and both ethnic backgrounds and create a peasfull environment through common actions.This project is implemented with the financial support of the Youth in Action Programme of the European Commission, administrated in Bulgaria by National Center "European Youth Programs and Initiatives".

The project seeks to break down the stereotypes, to broaden our horizon and see the diversity as enrichment for our life and society. The ten days exchange will take place in Sevliewo town, Bulgaria with 24 youths from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The exchange will provide space for exchanging knowledge on diversity management and intercultural cohesion, mutual understanding, human rights, active citizenship involving young people in its management.

The project invests in changing mentalities and building skills for communication in multiethnic environment. The expected impact on the young people participating in the project is:

Positive change in attitudes, behaiviour and perceptions on issues, connected with interculturalism;
Avoiding stereopying and predjudung before getting to know somebody;
Developing sense of tolerance and understanding towards diversity;
Becoming (or remaining) active in the sphere of youth projects for intercultural dialogue and against racism.

European Citizenship - Equal Opportunities - Intercultural Understanding: civic tools and models for active participation of Roma in the construction of European values

August 2007 - June 2008

The project is funded under " Europe for Citizens' Program" of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. The project engages civic actors and other stakeholders from three European countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany) who will articulate, share experiences and reflections on the tools, methods and factors for encouraging active European citizenship, equal opportunities and intercultural understanding amongst Roma and in relation to other ethnic groups. Special attention will be made toward disadvantaged youth, women's NGOs and Roma women activists who face several barriers to participation. Other special attention will be made toward NGOs in Germany dealing with issues of Roma origin refugees.

In-country and transnational workshops, publications and websites will serve as a democratic space for expression, learning and transformation where Roma and non-Roma actors can construct European identities, build and promote self-esteem, participate in citizen actions, learn about their rights, identify areas for transnational activism, and make decisions regarding the future of their societies.

Transnational Learning on Local Partnerships and Action Plans to Combat Poverty and Roma Exclusion

January 2006 - March 2007

The program has been funded under the Second Transnational Exchange Program to Combat Social Exclusion, of the European Commission DG Employment, Social Affiars and Equal Opportunities. In considering the issue of social exclusion of Roma (Gypsies), the program takes into consideration a number of different factors and causalities. These included segregated education and low educational attainment levels, low level skills and introduction of competitive labor markets, settlement in poverty pockets in disadvantaged regions, substandard housing and infrastructure, poor health, unequal access to information, and widespread prejudice and discrimination.

The program employs a bottom-up approach to facilitate and identify local participatory mechanisms for combating exclusion amongst Roma. A series of transnational exchanges among local partners from different member and candidate countries was used to promote learning on the practical implementation of policies and practices. These included a study trip to the UK to learn about different public and private experiences combating social exclusion, two cross-country exchanges amongst local authorities and Roma representatives from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, and an international seminar in Germany.

European Citizenship and Diversity: Roma's contribution past and present

March 2006 - March 2007

This is a transnational project to promote active citizenship and European values of tolerance, non-discrimination and diversity in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The project is co-funded by the European Commission, and represents an ongoing partnership among persons and organizations engaged in the Pakiv program.

The main activities of the project include:

1) Carrying out interviews with active Roma citizens and publishing a report on Roma's contribution to the development European values and principles in their societies

2) International conference "European Citizenship and Diversity: Roma's contribution-past and present"

3) Producing and disseminating Citizen Reference Packs (cd-rom and text) to serve as a resource for promoting common European identity and greater understanding of the concept of active citizenship using Roma, as positive examples.

In carrying out the above activities, the project will contribute to generating a new discourse and new knowledge on Roma, which places greater stress on Roma's contribution to the development of European values and societies, including examples of active citizenship and their existing internal resources, rather than a needs and deficiency discourse which indirectly supports a negative image of the Roma.

The project also expects to increase pro-activeness to European policies, values and actions among Romani NGOs and local governments in participating countries while increasing awareness of shared European values and identity across borders.

The youth project Peace Action, Peace Satisfaction is led by Angelus Silesius House, non governmental organization and educational centre from Wroclaw , Poland . Going through the different perception of peace ????? from the individual inner peace to the global peace, the project tries to build common understanding, while at the same time encourages, provokes and empowers for an action. The project involves over 35 young people from Poland , Bulgaria , Latvia , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Egypt and Jordan . The project received funding from the Youth in Action Programme of the European Commission. ( more)