RIVER SEE - PROGRAMME OF UNV AND UNDP

The Council for Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency - SPPMD is an Implementing Partner Organization (IPO) of the project named “Regional Integration through Volunteers Exchanges for Reconciliation of South-East Europe” (RIVER SEE). The project is mainly financed by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a support by European Union/European Voluntary Service (EU/EVS), Voluntary Service Overseas UK (VSO), OneWorld SEE (OW SEE) and the South East European Youth Network (SEEYN). CPJD is among the fourteen partner organizations that implement this programme and it is responsible for its realization in Macedonia . The project involves Albania , Bosnia and Hercegovina , Croatia , Serbia and Montenegro , Kosovo and Macedonia , with a future extension to Bulgaria and Romania . This programme lasts from January 2005 to January 2007. In the text bellow there is a short description of the project and the planned activities, as well as the main aims and the expected outcomes from its implementation.

The RIVER SEE programme aims at setting up a Volunteer Exchange scheme for the Balkan Region that develops the capacity of the Civil Society/Voluntary Involving Organizations (CSO/VIOs), community groups and individuals to be proactively involved in civil initiatives that reinforce development efforts and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) while contributing to a process of regional confidence-building and reconciliation. More specifically, the volunteer exchanges will contribute to develop the organizational and coordination capacity of Civil Society/Volunteer-Involving Organisations to network cross-culturally and across borders with other grass-root organisations, communities and individuals. The volunteer exchanges will contribute to building substantial volunteer capacity, partnerships and skills through outreach and training while improving their capacity to target specific issues related to local development and governance processes.

Coalition-building and networking within the civil society sector can lead to effective advocacy, partnerships and exchange of best practices and information. Volunteer's participation will generate social capital, support community development, will be instrumental to regional reconciliation efforts, civil society building, economic development and environmental protection efforts. In the long run, the regional exchange experience will serve as a meaningful investment in the mindset of future citizens of a United European community of nations

The Volunteer Exchange scheme will be set up by UNV/UNDP, operating in close partnership with EU/EVS, VSO, OneWorld and SEEYN. It will build the capacity of Implementing Partner Organizations (IPOs) to identify, mobilize, manage and retain a large volunteer workforce and resources. Management training, tools and skills will be developed in areas ranging from selection, to pre- and post- departure orientation of volunteers, program monitoring, evaluation and analysis. The programme will also raise the profile and visibility of the IPOs. It is envisaged that at the end of the programme cycle, the IPO's will be fully recognized for their efficiency and contributions to civil society development through mobilization and skilful management of volunteers. The programme's best practices will be collected in a publication aiming at informing interested parties locally and internationally, further promoting volunteerism, and for imitation/replication processes.

In conclusion, regional co-operation, enhanced by the RIVER SEE Programme, when developed in a participatory manner with all involved parties, can contribute to accelerating democratic and economic development and to facilitating reconciliation efforts and a willingness to put past wrongs behind developing “habits of co-operation in the Balkans”. It is a major step toward the global partnership for development.

To apply as RIVER SEE Volunteer or get more details, direct yourself at www.riversee.org