Youth Civic Engagement and Dialogue in Romania and Moldova (YCED)

Civil Society Strengthening, Education, Youth, Eurasia, Europe

The Youth Civic Engagement and Dialogue (YCED) Program brings together Roma and majority students in Romania and Moldova to lead local development projects through a community schools model. The program supports youth in becoming active citizens who mobilize their peers to build tolerance across ethnic divisions.

By training teachers and NGO leaders to support youth and manage ethnic tensions effectively, generations of students will benefit from the training and interventions that foster an engaged citizenry. Beyond that, the skills for and attitudes toward civic engagement and cultural understanding that students develop through participation will make them ambassadors among their peers for the remainder of their productive lives.

YCED is a program of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the U.S. Department of State. YCED is implemented by IREX in partnership with Romani CRISS, an NGO that works to defend and promote the rights of Roma throughout Romania.

Goals

• Youth participants aged 14-18 gain the skills to be active, engaged citizens who mobilize peers to improve their lives, schools, and communities;

• Youth reduce ethnic tensions and promote intercultural tolerance through community service initiatives; and

• Teachers and local institutions effectively promote civic engagement and tolerance among Roma and majority youth.

Background

While Romania and Moldova have made impressive strides towards promoting intercultural education and increasing school attendance among Roma children at the primary level, limited support exists for rural and marginalized youth beyond Grade 8. Rural and marginalized youth experience high rates of drop-out at the high school level, lack employment opportunities, and become disengaged, passive, and disenfranchised.

Project Activities

Community Schools Academy for Roma and Majority Youth – Both Roma and majority youth come together in a supportive, neutral environment to learn skills in conflict resolution, community needs assessments, and project management.

Youth-led Community Improvement Projects – After working with trained adults to identify a problem to address, Roma and majority youth form action teams to implement local projects that unite their peers and improve their communities. Youth develop a cross-cultural network and learn how to engage the broader community in promoting tolerance.

Community Schools Academy for Teachers and Local NGO Leaders – To foster institutional change for better youth programming, youth-serving adults will gain the competencies necessary to support youth civic engagement efforts. Teachers and local NGO leaders will learn Positive Youth Development theory and how to apply it to their work, along with skills in project management. With assistance from IREX, trained adults will become mentors for their colleagues.