THE
PROJECT...
2004-05 is the fourth year of BYCo. The network had a kick-off
start in 2000, with an international sailing-trip all around the
Baltic Sea. Member organizations from Estonia, Lithuania, Poland,
Germany and Sweden participated. In September, 2001 the BYCo project
started and established an effective network of environmental
organisations from eight countries in the Baltic region which
exchanged volunteers between themselves. The project is based
on the positive outcomes of having the opportunity to look for
partners with whom to cooperate and using this as a tool for learning
and development. The exchange of the volunteers is based on the
need to support and the desire to help with mutual projects and
activities. Because of this, most of the organizations are both
sending and hosting volunteers, though there are some that choose
to do one over the other.
The main activities are organising common seminars and trainings
in the process of establishing a network for efficient work. Joint
projects and campaigns, exchange of knowledge and experience,
and intercultural learning are some of the expected results.
THE CONCEPT...
From
the experience that the people in BYCo have had so far it has
been concluded that environmental problems are practically never
limited to regions, which is why environmental education needs
European-wide cooperation. The groups that make up BYCo are youth
organisations without a straight hierarchical structure, which
are run or at least codetermined by young people and follow the
principles of self-organised work. They are mainly from countries
of the Baltic Sea region, but the project is also open for participants
from other parts of Europe. At the moment, BYCo has members from
Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark
and Bulgaria.
Ultimately, we hope that these countries will cooperate on a more
regular basis, leading towards solutions for some of the global
environmental problems and more distinctly, the Baltic region
and Europe. Here the exchange of volunteers comes as a logical
and necessary step. With this, the organizations are not only
connected by ideas, but also physically with young people representing
them. This enables the free flow of ideas, people and activities,
which doesn’t influence just the local area; but also more
all-encompassing goals and ideals. We try to keep the cooperation
between the organizations as our main goal. In previous years
we have done several joint projects and activities. One of them
was an Anti Bio-piracy campaign organized as a sailing trip with
actions in bigger harbours of the Baltic Sea. Other activities
included organizing youth exchanges between the groups in Germany
and Bulgaria with various focuses. Also, a movie about BYCo was
produced as a result of the volunteers working together with the
organizations. Among the rest of the joint activities were several
summer camps and seminars.
This project is meant to support environmental education and its
development in all aspects; to keep the educating methods updated
- efficiently responding to the problems and the needs of our
society and environment. Environmental education has a global
importance and that's why the cooperating groups working together
on these topics are both very necessary and useful. Through BYCo,
local groups can find support in their work on environmental education.
The contacts and the links, which are and will be created, are
intended to be used towards the process of extending the importance
of environmental education all over Europe.
THE VULUNTEERS...
In
the 2004-2005 year, twenty volunteers from eight countries can
take part in the volunteers exchange. The age limit is fixed between
18 and 25 years. It is important that people who want to be volunteers
have certain experience in working on environmental, political
or other social topics. We prefer participants who have a good
relationship with their sending organisation. The BYCo groups
choose the volunteers following the criteria that they set up
together before. Basically, the young people should be interested
in environmental education and nature protection. They should
also be motivated for international project work and open for
intercultural exchange. When the volunteer has a basic knowledge
of English communication, it is easier in the beginning, but this
is not a required condition. Former activity in the sending organisation
and experience with self-organised project work or environmental
work is not obligatory, but certainly helpful.
THE VOLUNTEER PLACES...
BYCo’s aim is to offer a great variety of volunteer places
in organisations, initiatives and projects, which are exclusively
organised by young people themselves.
According to the current plan this would include places which
run effective projects at the moment. A few examples are:
Visiting
schools with a mobile environmental station or library
Organising voluntary work camps
Organising educational seminars or workshops
Writing and layouting books, magazines and other informational
materials
Running programs for lake and river- water watch
Creating and running an independent youth centre... etc.
The volunteer places will be chosen by a team of young people
from the participating countries according to different practical
criteria.
Working
conditions
It is important that the surrounding of the volunteer encourage
him or her to take own initiative and to act independently.
The volunteer cannot be used to replace an employee or for profit
work. His/her tasks, which he/she is free to choose, shall exclusively
be an addition to the organisation’s activities. The volunteer
will not only have project work, but also an insured-working place.
Office work is only included as far as it is necessary for the
volunteer’s project. The organisation cannot demand a certain
amount of time that the volunteer should spend in office work.
He/she can set up the individual working time referring to his/her
current project and in agreement with the colleagues of his/her
team. This is also valid for holidays and breaks from the work,
except in cases of emergency - the work doesn’t matter then.
Twenty-six working days of holiday per voluntary year are an untouchable
right of each volunteer, as it is specified in the general EVS
project description. The host organisation is obligated to provide
a mentor for the volunteer and to insure his/her introduction
in the new way of working.
In the working place, ecological principals should be implemented,
for example ecological products in the office, second use of office
materials, organic (environmental friendly produced) food during
events etc..
SEMINARS AND PREPARATION OF THE VOLUNTEERS...
Preliminary preparation of the volunteers
is a responsibility of the sending organisation. Normally it might
include short courses - language or special training. It depends
on the personal needs of the volunteer and also on the specific
work, in which he/she is supposed to be involved.
The Pre-departure training is dedicated
to the final preparation of the future volunteers, host and sending
organisations. It should help the future volunteers to develop
their motivation and become familiarized with their future host
country. Meetings with ex-volunteers and mentors from the local
partner organisations are invited.
During the voluntary service, there are five seminars, which the
B.Y.Co. volunteers are supposed to visit. One of them, called
on-arrivel training, is organised by
the European Union. This seminar is organised by the National
agency in the host country. The host organisation is responsible
to send the volunteers to this seminar.
During
the mid-term meeting volunteers, mentors
and co-ordination organisation should meet and evaluate the hosting
experience to that point. There should be time for updating and
future plans for projects or other activities. Lecturers from
the National Agencies are invited to bring information for the
Future Capital opportunity.
The evaluation meeting is one of the
internal BYCo meetings, which is meant to evaluate the past voluntary
year. Ex-volunteers, mentors and other members of partner organisations
meet to discuss and talk about work, past time, solution of problems,
etc.The experience and opinion of the people that already took
a part in BYCo, is very important for the future development of
the project. Basically, on this meetings appear many constructive
ideas for future activities and changes in BYCo.
The annual BYCo meeting is the so called
"Big BYCo seminar" and should happen in the first half
of the voluntary year. It is a meeting planned by all groups.
During the meeting, young volunteers can meet, partner organisations
can discuss current activities and future plans. It is also an
opportunity for contactmaking during which potential partner organizations
are invited to take a closer look at the network and to talk about
eventual partnership. Young people who want to become volunteers
are welcome guests to this event, as it is a good opportunity
for them to meet future host organisations and to get direct impressions.
