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Hungarian Inventors Day
Hungarian Inventors Day 1280 720 our civic space

Hungarian Inventors Day

Dynamo, ball-point pen, matches, telephone switchboard, Rubik’s cube, vitamin C. These are just some of the most famous inventions invented by Hungarians.

The holiday was first celebrated on June the 13th, 2009 on the initiative of the jubilee organization on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Association of Hungarian Inventors (MAFE), founded in 1989.

Why June 13th? The date got accepted because the first Hungarian Nobel laureate, Albert Szent-Györgyi, a biochemist, announced his invention on this very day in 1941, a process for the production of long-lasting products with high vitamin C content.

Interestingly, it is not only the field of science, where Albert Szent-Györgyi made his mark. It is worth translating what the inventor thought about sport and its social effects:

“Sport is primarily an intellectual concept. A sports team is a scaled-down image of society, a match a symbol of the noble struggle for life. Here, during the game, sport teaches a person in a short time the most important civic virtues: cohesion, self-sacrifice, complete subordination of individual interest, perseverance, willingness to act, quick determination, self-judgment, absolute fairness, and above all “fair play,” the rules of the noble struggle.” – Albert Szent-Györgyi

 

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International Day Against Child Labour
International Day Against Child Labour 2560 1440 our civic space

International Day Against Child Labour

International Day Against Child Labour aims to raise awareness on the global extent of child labour and on the actions and efforts needed to eliminate it. According to the experts, the root causes of child labour are poverty, lack of quality education, limited access to decent work opportunities for those of legal working age, social marginalisation, discrimination, the prevalence of the informal economy, weak social dialogue, among others.

Children around the world are routinely engaged in paid and unpaid forms of work that are not harmful to them. However, child labour is described as such when children are either too young to work, or are involved in hazardous activities that may compromise their physical, mental, social or educational development.

The latest Global Estimates state that 152 million children – 64 million girls and 88 million boys – are involved in child labour globally [1]. In all regions, boys and girls are equally likely to be involved in child labour, however, gender inequalities are noticed in the types of activities carried out, with girls far more likely to be involved in unpaid household services.

COVID-19 impact on child labour
According to UNICEF [2], for the first time in two decades the number of children victims of child labour has risen and the current COVID-19 pandemic can potentially intensify the problem. The global interruption of education caused by confinement measures and the lack of distance-learning solutions/alternatives in many countries could drive the child labour numbers up.

What is ICDI doing about this?
Since mid-2019, ICDI has been managing Kinderpostzegels’ projects against child labour in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Together with our partner organisations, we are working to eradicate child labour by promoting education and strengthening local capacities to ensure the sustainability of so called Child Labour Free Zones (CLFZ).  These projects include recreational activities and events that aim to decrease school dropout and promote school enrollment, such as: football championships, children’s day festivals and art workshops. Besides promoting child and youth participation, these activities help raise awareness about the harmful consequences of child labour. You can read more about these projects here

[1] Global Estimates of Child Labour: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575541.pdf

[2] Unicef:
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/child-labour-rises-160-million-first-increase-two-decades

Written by ICDI

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A nationwide proposal for “Spaces and Participation for all” in Romania
A nationwide proposal for “Spaces and Participation for all” in Romania 2560 1707 our civic space

A nationwide proposal for “Spaces and Participation for all” in Romania

“Making use of civic space also entails a youth NGO’s duty of collecting young people’s messages and delivering them to politicians and public authorities.” – Yolanda Florescu (FITT)

Back in November 2016, just before the Parliamentary elections, the Romanian youth NGOs assembled in Timisoara for the first edition of the Romanian Youth Capital. The whole programme of Romanian Youth Capital has been about youth participation and, nowadays, is at its 5th edition (the current National Youth Capital is the city of Constanta). In line with its essential purpose of youth participation, the youth NGOs signed the Romanian Youth Resolution 2016-2020. That document emphasised key expectations of young people and young NGOs from the new politicians. Even though almost all the political parties signed an agreement to fulfil the objectives set by the NGOs, not many significant changes were made. 

Therefore, the youth NGOs, even more this time, decided in November 2020 (before the Parliamentary elections once again), to come together again and develop an even more specific and accurate resolution – The Romanian Youth Resolution 2020-2027. This document was divided into 11 chapters, tailored on the EU Youth Goals and each chapter was coordinated by NGOs with great expertise in that specific field. The almost 200 pages long document indicated the general and specific objectives, directions and measures desired to be implemented at the national level in order to further develop the entire youth sector in Romania in the next 7 years. 

As an evolution compared to the previous Romanian Youth Resolution, the political parties listened to the voices of the NGOs and almost 30% of the National Government Programme on Youth for 2020-2024 has been made according to the objectives of the Youth Resolution 2020-2027.

The main objectives proposed in the Youth Resolution 2020-2027 referred to creating and developing youth spaces accessible to all young people in Romania and increasing the degree of participation of young people in society. These are the the main target objectives of the resolution:

  • Establishment of youth centres (physical spaces specially for young people) at community level, sized according to the community they serve, as well as existing youth spaces development support;
  • Establishment of mobile youth centres for rural areas difficult to access and or rural areas with a small young population;
  • Development and strengthening of the National Network of Youth Centres
  • Reorganisation of youth tourism infrastructure and the Youth Tourism Office, to offer opportunities for recreation and spending leisure time as well;
  • Revitalisation of student cultural infrastructure administrated by the central youth public authority (the Ministry of Youth);
  • Spaces for young people to be served by professionals (youth workers);
  • Establishment, in each community, of a local advisory council on youth affairs formed of representatives youth NGOs and of youth informal groups, active in that community; Support of  youth participation in the already established local and national advisory councils on youth affairs;
  • Increasing the quality of local youth activities;
  • Definition and support of informal youth groups;
  • Encouraging young people to participate in electoral processes and to get involved in political life;
  • Supporting and encouraging volunteering;
  • Permanent and consistent support for youth NGOs by local and national public authorities.

Even though the national authorities recognised the challenges indicated by the youth NGOs and accepted, partially, the solutions, still the NGOs are monitoring the process, due to the fact that in Romania, with regard to the youth sector, many plans have been put on paper, but too few have been also implemented. Let’s see what the future brings…

Written by FITT

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NL Doet: a day to do good
NL Doet: a day to do good 1920 1324 our civic space

NL Doet: a day to do good

On 28th and 29th of  May 2021, the biggest Dutch yearly volunteering event will take place throughout the whole country. The event is called NL Doet and it is organised by Oranje Fonds, an organisation that serves as a platform to bring volunteers and people in need together. Oranje Fonds believes that everyone in society can make a difference for someone else. And by organising NL Doet every year, they show it too!

The importance of volunteering
But why volunteer? What are the benefits of doing something for someone else? Well first of all, volunteering allows you to connect with other people, whom you might have not known, had you not decided to go out and volunteer. It really brings a community together when different people help each other and work on shared causes and towards common goals. Secondly, it is proven that volunteering has a profound positive effect on your health, both mentally and physically. It can bring joy into your life in ways you would never have expected. Finally, volunteering can also be a way to explore new things in your life and to develop new skills and competencies. This can be very valuable for other parts of your professional and personal life. 

Interested in more information about volunteering? Click here to read more about the benefits of volunteering. 

The power of NL Doet
As Oranje Fonds states, “NL Doet is an invitation to do something good for someone else. It doesn’t matter how big or small the initiative is. What matters is the connection it establishes.” NL Doet’s power is in the fact that it unites the many forms of volunteering and converts it into something national. It provides a platform for the many big and small initiatives that exist and provides the opportunity for new initiatives to arise. Moreover, it can serve as a gateway for people to become more active in volunteering. It is an easy way to start with volunteering, however small, and to experience what it is like. The hope of Oranje Fonds is that this ignites a spark in people to do more, without the obligation to do so.

An example of an initiative that was organised in The Hague under the banner of NL Doet is volunteers organising a lunch together with people with a disability. From baking cookies, making wraps and preparing soup, to setting the table. Everything was done together by volunteers and the residents of a healthcare facility. This shows that volunteering can be rather low-key and easy, but it can really have a great impact. And you can do it too!

So are you Dutch and want to experience volunteering? Find out the opportunities here!

Written by ISA

 

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Youth Component of the Romanian National Recovery and Resilience Plan
Youth Component of the Romanian National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2560 1707 our civic space

Romanian National Recovery and Resilience Plan: FITT is one of the 3 coordinators of the youth component of the national proposal

“In a healthy and strong civic space, the public authorities have a constant and real dialogue and cooperation with the youth sector, in order to build the medium-term objectives; the youth NGO’s voice is heard, listened and its contribution is translated into concrete measures.” – Yolanda Florescu (FITT)

In Romania, the national plan for YOUTH was co-created by the Ministry of Youth (MTS) together with the National Youth Foundation (FNT) and Timis County Youth Foundation (FITT) ) – owner of the only youth centre in Romania (and one of the only 14 centres in Europe) awarded with the Quality Label for Youth Centres of the Council of Europe. The support and feedback group was formed of the National Alliance of Students Organisations in Romania (ANOSR), the Romanian Youth Council (CTR) and Cluj Youth Federation (FTCluj)

The main objective of the national plan is creating the framework in which young people in Romania, starting from the challenges caused by the pandemic, going through the green and digital transition and equipped with the right skills for the jobs of the future, to become agents of transformation and co-creators of local and youth ecosystems sustainable and inclusive, characterised by: open and real information, friendly public authorities, active NGOs, green and digitised physical, virtual, fixed and mobile services and spaces.

The reforms and investments proposed are the following:
Reform 1: Development of skills for green jobs, in particular to prevent the growth of the NEET phenomenon and combat it by creating a national methodology for working with young people.

  • Investment 1.1.: Combating the NEET phenomenon by investing in developing young people’s skills for green jobs
  • Investment 1.2.: Preventing the growth of the NEET phenomenon by investing in developing young people’s skills for green jobs

Reform 2: Elaboration of quality standards regarding the green and digital transition in the field of youth, with focus on infrastructure, activities and professionals by creating the National Quality Label and drawing up the methodology for granting it.

  • Investment 2.1.: Invest in the development of young people’s digital skills, as well as skills and knowledge of the circular economy, through green and digitalised spaces for youth and students
  • Investment 2.2.: Invest in the development of young people’s digital skills, as well as circular economy skills and knowledge, through green and digitalised mobile youth centers
  • Investment 2.3.: Investments in the digitisation of the public youth system

Reform 3: Decentralisation of youth responsibilities and competencies to local communities and development of the Charter of Local Sustainable and Inclusive Youth Ecosystems

  • Investment 3.1.: Invest in the development of public authorities’ skills to create local ecosystems with and for young people
  • Investment 3.2.: Invest in the development of skills and structures for youth participation in the creation and sustainable development of local ecosystems

In order to prepare the final version to be inserted in the big National Recovery and Resilience Plan, currently, FITT is waiting to receive the European Commission’s feedback.

You can find out more about the proposed Romanian youth plan here.

Written by FITT

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The ART-RAVALÓ project: a programme of the Subjective Value Foundation and Faktor Terminál Egyesület
The ART-RAVALÓ project: a programme of the Subjective Value Foundation and Faktor Terminál Egyesület 1024 768 our civic space

The ART-RAVALÓ project: a programme of the Subjective Value Foundation and Faktor Terminál Egyesület

We believe that first-hand experience-based creative artistic activities, such as literature, poetry, music, acting, and belonging to a community help us understand ourselves and the world around us. It develops the ability to express ourselves, is sensitizing, and last but not least has sustaining power.

This is why ART-RAVALÓ, the joint social-art project of Szubjektív Értékek Alapítvány and the Factor Terminál Egyesület was created for disadvantaged young adults, raised in child protection. The young people participating in the project will take part in a 9-month-long art and career orientation training registered in adult education.

The goal is to provide young clients with personality-developing artistic activities, whilst in the long run, the aim is to promote a positive future and self-image, as well as enhancing social inclusion and successful employment. Some components of the training programme are: theater art training, life-skills counseling, development of basic economic knowledge, individual occupational counseling program, experiential pedagogical workshops, personalized coaching, regular meetings with a peer group and broadening the cultural horizon (theater and museum visits and common interpretation of what is seen)

The primary short and long-term goal of the Art-Ravaló project is to develop clients’ personalities through pedagogical and psychological methods. It is necessary, as the members of the target group of the programme are characterised by a lack of suitable family background, a personality injured due to difficult circumstances, and antisocial behaviour is also common. Using the professional approach of foster homes and institutes, the programme seeks to continue the pedagogical and development work of educators working in homes with the power of art therapy and first-hand experience. Due to their circumstances, young people raised in public care do not have such an experience at all or only to a small extent. This is also a mistake as these tools could provide an effective complement to the day-to-day educational work carried out under strict rules. In this age group, banning and silencing do not prove to be effective. At the same time, living our own experiences on an emotional level develops the personality, from which we can rightly expect positive changes in the long run. Unfortunately, there are large numbers of young people living in foster homes who are involved in child prostitution, either as victims or as pimps, which is almost inevitably linked to drug use and, as a consequence, sometimes crime. Due to the personality status and antisocial behaviour of these severely injured young adults, the primary goal of the project is to improve their personalities through pedagogical and psychological methods. This serves crime prevention purposes so that young people do not become perpetrators or victims of crime.

One of the main symptoms of personality disorders in young people growing up in foster homes and other disadvantaged conditions is the undeveloped or negative system of values ​​and norms, from which their various acts of violence can also result. Thus, the primary task of re-socialisation is to create a new, socially accepted value orientation, to dismantle their old system of dissociative-antisocial norms, and to help the emergence of a stronger self-image and a positive vision. The application of art therapy, literature, poetry, and acting is one of the most obvious tools to achieve this goal. Creative artistic activity based on personal experience, development from external control to self-regulatory functions are also excellent tools, which are suitable for supplementing and further developing the consistent educational processes established in the institutes. These processes of self-healing have a personality development force that can later help participants integrate into society. By participating in the project, young people can build new relationships with a group – artists – whose attitudes are completely different from their previous experiences. These new impressions can open up new opportunities for them in the development of a positive vision, which can also help to stop the process of criminalisation that may have already begun.

Several of our participants in the Art-Ravaló project came from Juvenile Correctional Institution or Special Children’s Home and the programme brought them many positive changes. In relation to one of our young participants who was involved in a criminal procedure, the acting judge, by changing his previous decision, thought that he would have a better place in our programme and be able to achieve greater change than in the correctional institution. He was imprisoned when he started the programme, but eventually received a suspended penalty instead. A young person from another correctional institution also completed a part of his final year of serving his sentence in the project. Another participant came from extreme poverty. Today she is the one to support her family members at home from her salary. Participants in the programme include former drug users or victims of abuse, who were all able to report progress to us by analyzing their participation in the project. Their example also shows how gap-filling this project is, offering participants an alternative to restructuring their previous lifestyle, and enter their adult lives with a renewed approach, daily routine, and motivation.

On the one hand, this programme provides all the security and framework that a Correctional Institution program can provide. On the other hand, the programme offers even more, as art-based training, alternative education, and the transfer of practical competencies can provide holistic, whole-personality training for those most in need.

One of the important goals of the programme is to support participating young adults in both their successful integration into society and their effectiveness in finding employment, as the two are inseparable.

Want to learn more about the programme and the organisations involved? Visit the following websites:

https://szubjektiv.org/en/

http://faktorterminal.hu/index.php 

Written by OSA

 

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The Hungarian Sports Day!
The Hungarian Sports Day! 500 331 our civic space

The Hungarian Sports Day!

On the 6th of May, 1875, Magyar Atlétikai Club (MAC) organized the first outdoor sports competition of the continent in Margaret Island, in Budapest. The athletes were competing in athletics and boxing at that event. In memory of this, Hungarian Sports Day is still celebrated on this day every year.

One of the oldest pictures ever taken from the Magyar Atlétikai Club.

In the 1870s, doing sport on a regular basis was common only among aristocrats, so initially, MAC also catered primarily to their needs. Over time, this situation has changed a lot. Today, the players of Oltalom Sport Association (OSE) also train and compete regularly in the stadium, as it is still in use!

A more recent picture of the Magyar Atlétikai Club shows there have been some major alterations over time.

Written by OSA

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Survey on sport and social cohesion
Survey on sport and social cohesion 1437 427 our civic space

Survey on sport and social cohesion

One of our partners, ISA, is taking part in a promising project which focuses on improving social cohesion through sports. For that project, they are requesting organisations using sport for social cohesion to complete a short survey, in order to inform future programming and best practice.

The use of sport to promote social cohesion has grown rapidly in recent years. This includes the use of sport for social inclusion and the integration of refugees and migrants. Public, private and civil society  organisations are using sport as a vehicle to advance social cohesion in various contexts.

However, there are various challenges which continue to limit our understanding as to how sport and social cohesion programmes can be most effectively designed, delivered, and measured.

As such, ISA, Sportanddev, the German Sport University and other project partners, are conducting a survey to identify common features, challenges, and best practices in the use of sport for social cohesion.

  • Please complete the survey here (available in English and French)
  • Deadline: May 7, 2021
  • Target audience: organisations that use sport to advance social cohesion.

The survey is part of a broader mapping exercise which seeks to contribute to better understanding of social cohesion at the practitioner level, and the programmatic factors that may influence success.

Why is this important?
There is great diversity of programmes and approaches to sport and social cohesion, including measurement tools. While this is to be celebrated, it poses challenges in identifying standards, common features, and best practices. Further, evangelical notions of sport and top-down approaches remain common, resulting in a gap between theory, policy, and local practices.

Grassroots practitioners voices are often marginalized and crucial factors such as the type of sport, duration of participation, frequency of participation and non-sporting activities are under-reported and analysed. This makes it difficult to identify factors which enable interventions to be effective.

This survey and mapping exercise is part of the Sport and Social Cohesion Lab, an Erasmus+ funded project. The project adopts a highly participatory Living Lab approach to tackle the gaps in knowledge and implementation.

This approach will directly engage programme participants, generate understanding of the elements that advance sport for social cohesion and develop relevant tools for the exploration, measurement and improvement of programmes and outcomes in highly diverse urban neighbourhoods.

How will the findings be used?
This survey will help us identify the assets, needs and challenges experienced by organisations in the use of sport for social cohesion. This will include shaping activities in the above-mentioned project. Findings will be shared publicly and used to inform policy and practice.

  • Please complete the survey here (available in English and French)

Story by Sportanddev

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Stopping Bullying: ICDI gives children a voice
Stopping Bullying: ICDI gives children a voice 1024 576 our civic space

Stopping Bullying: ICDI gives children a voice

On the National Day against Bullying (on 19 April) attention is paid in the Netherlands to bullying in schools, sports clubs and other places where children come together.

In the Netherlands, approximately one out of ten children in primary school is bullied. Bullying is a painful experience and inevitably affects the complete development of children. From stress, anxiety, sleep problems to suicide attempts: the consequences can be very serious. Bullying in schools happens everywhere. Although children are always affected, their perspective is rarely present in anti-bullying programmes.

Therefore, in 2016, ICDI participated in a project that aimed to involve children in preventing bullying and in creating a safe environment at school in a participatory and empowering way. The project addressed bullying at many levels: individual, school and local community. Children, together with their teachers, as well as child-care workers and policy maker were targeted.

In a booklet the child perspective on bullying was presented. Children were asked to share their views, what they feel and think and what their fears and expectations are about safety at school. Together with the help of their teachers, a sustainable approach was created, applicable in the everyday work against school violence or, as children themselves said, “to have tools that we can fix with”.

Read the booklet here:  LISTEN! What children have to tell us about bullying and safety at school

Written by ICDI