Annual PETRI - Sofia Training School on Project Development and Management, Training of Trainers and Theatre-Based Techniques in Peer Education for Roma Communities 2015

Annual PETRI - Sofia Training School on Project Development and Management, Training of Trainers and Theatre-Based Techniques in Peer Education for Roma Communities 2015

57 young people between 16 and 30 years old from 18 countries from the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia took part in the Annual School, organized by PETRI – Sofia between the 16th and the 22d of November 2015 in Borovets, Bulgaria. The Annual School had three modules: “Project Development and Management”, “Training of Trainers” and “Theatre-Based Techniques in Peer Education for Roma Communities”. The participants in each one of them were young people from the Y-PEER network and from other organizations, active in the area of SRHR, volunteering and youth participation. The trainers in the different modules were professionals with rich experience in the topics from Bulgaria, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Macedonia and the US.

The main aims of the Annual School were to:

 1) Increase the number of highly skilled and trained young people as well as Peer Education Trainers of Trainers in the EECA Region to plan and to implement wide spectrum of youth SRH and HIV prevention related activities; 

2) Support capacity development of young people in the Region in three particular areas: 

 project development and management; 

 delivering high quality peer-based adolescent sexual reproductive health education training programs in the region; 

 improving the SRHR of Roma adolescents and youth and raise awareness about the root causes of Roma poor education and health outcomes, by using the theatre based peer education approach at the community level. 

The Annual School was a great opportunity for the young people from the region to develop their skills and knowledge, to meet their peers from different countries, exchange and share ideas and experiences, network, plan future activities, work in a multicultural environment.

Y-PEER Defying Boundaries News Bulletin Aug-Dec2015

Y-PEER Defying Boundaries News Bulletin Aug-Dec2015

Y-PEER News Bulletin is a visual content-based document, which will report and illustrate activities administered by Y-PEER network on an international level, as well as the national one. Aim of the Bulletin is to enable network members and active Y-PEERers get acquainted and informed about various seminars, workshops, events and activisms taking place within their own communities, along with those occurring within their geographical region and beyond. 

To see the final version follow the links bellow, please:

http://issuu.com/peereducationtrainingandresearchins/docs/y-peer_news_bulletin_aug-dec_2015_i

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0Szm1ltwPtCS3I2VnNiNUhfSGs

Call for PETRI - Sofia Fellowship

Call for Applications for the Position of Fellows at PETRI (Peer Education Training and Research Institute)-Sofia

It is our great pleasure to announce the new round of Call for Applications for the Position of Fellows at PETRI (Peer Education Training and Research Institute)-Sofia, established in the framework of the National Center for Public Health and Analyses in Sofia, Bulgaria. Y-PEER PETRI – Sofia Center is established in October 2007 as a joint project of:

·      The National Center for Public Health and Analyses (NCPHA), Bulgaria

·      Ministry of Health, Bulgaria

·      UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund

·      Youth Peer Education Network (Y-PEER)

PETRI – Sofia is a regional and resource coordination center, which organizes the activities of the International Y-PEER network. The Y-PEER youth peer education network was established in 2001 by UNFPA as a network of organizations and institutions, working in the field of sexual and reproductive health in 42 countries throughout the world.

Note that this Call for Application is for the selection of the next PETRI Fellows for the period 4-6 months between March - August 2016. Please indicate all convenient periods in your application form.

Key responsibilities:

Provide support in the following areas:

·         Assist in the coordination, planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of PETRI and Y-PEER activities (trainings, meetings, development of PETRI and Y-PEER publications, web site update, resource mobilization, advocacy and promotion etc.) in collaboration with the Y-PEER International Coordinators and UNFPA

· Collaborate with the National Center for Public Health and Analyses NCPHA (which is in charge of PETRI Sofia) and Y-PEER Bulgaria in implementation of peer education activities; research and other related activities etc., on national level.

· Maintain contact with own national Y-PEER Network and participate in national network’s planning activities as well as update and support own national Y-PEER team in terms of involving them in internationally related activities.

Specific Tasks:

Coordinate and support all PETRI and Y-PEER related activities in collaboration with UNFPA and Y-PEER International Coordinators and Focal Points in Charge:

·Trainings and meetings (administrative support, communication with trainers and participants, logistic support, facilitate collection of information and data on training follow-up etc.)

·Development, distribution, and review (field-testing) of PETRI and Y-PEER publications (Y-PEER Newsletter, manuals, toolkits and guidelines)

·Regular web-site update, which includes but is not limited to Peer of the Month selection, News and Events, Blogs, coordinate incoming queries and route them thorough appropriate people to ensure quality and timely response, maintain Focal Points database, etc.);

· Facilitate representation of PETRI and Y-PEER at advocacy events/activities related to youth issues and SRH incl. HIV and AIDS, conducted at national, regional or international level;

· Implementation of the Annual Work Plan of PETRI

Maintain constant communication within Y-PEER:

·Reply to emails and provide constant feedback;

·Distribute and process information and news and ensure distribution of relevant information to all network members;

·Manage Y-PEER list-serves and update it with new members;

·Generate forum discussions;

·Write monthly e-reports of the activities and accomplishments of the Y-PEER Network and share them with the network;

Promote and advocate for PETRI and Y-PEER on a regional and international level

Ensure equal opportunity for participation of all organizations/institutions and individuals that are part of the Y-PEER National Networks in all Y-PEER related activities on national, regional and international levels;

Analyze collected data for monitoring and evaluation purposes (Analyzing Activity Logs as part of the evaluation of Y-PEER member activities) on a monthly base and generates midterm and annual reports;

Support the maintenance of Y-PEER Training/Focal Points mailing list and PETRI databases.

Requirements:

·Sound knowledge of a national or/and international youth network and experience in working within it (on national or international level);

·         Relevant experience in health promotion, training and education among young people;

·         Relevant experience in conducting and organizing peer education trainings and workshops;

·         Experience in working with youth-led organizations/institutions working on youth issues;

·         Supported by the Y-PEER network or the organization/network represented on national level;

·         Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, Power Point, Internet are a must);

·         Good writing and reporting skills.

Languages:

Fluency in spoken and written English is essential. Sound knowledge of Russian will be an asset.

Attitude and skills:

Proactive

Showing initiative

Team player

Creative

Enthusiastic

Confident

Ability to learn and transfer knowledge and experience in a friendly and helpful way

      Ability to work in harmony with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds

Ability to prioritize while taking on multiple projects simultaneously

Strong interpersonal skills

Excellent organizational skills

Professional andpunctual

Presentation skills

All applications, including following documents should be submitted to petri.bulgaria@gmail.com no later than 29^th January, 2016: 

Application form (available for download here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0Szm1ltwPtCVVh0ZWk4NU5EeXc)

·CV (Curriculum Vitae);

·Recommendation letter from the Head of the relevant UNFPA CO /youth specialist/liaison officer or other relevant representative is a must;

·Recommendation letter/s prepared by a National Network Focal Point of Y-PEER/ Leader / Coordinator, Head of candidate’s NGO, or other partner or network, closely related to the work of the candidate would be asset/s;

ONLY fully completed applications sent before the deadline will be accepted and reviewed.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us

Meet and Greet our Y-PEERers

An interview with Nirmala Prajapati, an active Focal Point in Charge and trainer in Y-PEER Nepal.

"I am so much moved by the enthusiasm of all young people. And, as a Focal Point in Charge, I have learned to work hard which has in all ways brought the best out of me." 

Can you describe your experience in Y-PEER, what challenges, barriers and successes have you faced during the period of being a Y-PEERer? How has Y-PEER influenced your life/career? 

With Y-PEER as a certified trainer, I formally started my professional career, apart having several engagements in various organizations before. My role to coordinate with different stakeholders, agencies and allies, definitely had boost up my confidence and helped me to move my career forward. Sexual reproductive health and rights have always been a stigma in the community I live, though it was what Y-PEER worked on. 

The major challenges I faced working with Y-PEER was "youth participation" in general as there has always been cultural, financial, behavioural barriers which makes difficult to mobilize them being based on the issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Also, lack of sustainable projects and limited resources have always been barriers to reach out young minds that still lack general information about their sexuality, sexual health and rights.

At a distance from challenges and barriers, I along with Y-PEER have consistently worked hard organizing various events and programs, including youth from different regions of the country with limited resources. Given the fact, I am so much moved by the enthusiasm of all young people. And, as a Focal Point in Charge, I have learned to work hard which has in all ways brought the best out of me.

What benefits does Y-PEER offer to young people?

Y-PEER has always been a renowned network, which focus on the issues related to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people. Y-PEER in my country works in the communities where there are religious and cultural barriers and people hardly talk about their sexuality and sexual related issues. Y-PEER has been successfully able to implement programs and events which specifically and directly involve young people. The implemented programs provide information about sexual and reproductive health and rights to engage, empower and mobilize young people to talk about the issues openly.

Moreover, Y-PEER is certainly a platform where you can develop yourself. The network does not confine you to the traditional methods of working; it has innovative ways of having people involved. Of course, with Y-PEER one can meet young people from around the globe, and thus linking to numerous opportunities of enhancing the potentialities within one.

What can young people do better to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Young people are capable to do everything for achievement of SDGs. Their engagement is major to contribute to the achievement and implementation of the sustainable development goals. Sustainable development goals can only be achieved if young people seriously start the initiation to orient about the importance of sustainable development goals for their upcoming future generation showing enormous concern to it and acknowledging provision of sexual reproductive health and rights which definitely means having a better quality of life. So, the meaningful involvement of young people is crucial to the achievement of SDGs.  

What is one thing you would have done differently being a Y-PEER member?

One thing I would have done differently was to talk about the issues of young people on sexual and reproductive health and rights not only on the national level but on international level as well. So that, people from other communities will know, how to face barriers in their communities and to engage more young people. Those young people should be well aware about the present scenario on grass root level.

What would you suggest that young people should do to become successful?

Being a youth, I would definitely suggest young people to come out and voice out for the emerging issues they are facing in the community. It is true that young people often are inclined towards fun and entertainment, but at the same time, it is crucial to understand that it is our responsibilities to be well aware about what is going around and acquire skills.

We are the emerging faces in the future where we will have our own community where we would not have religious and cultural barriers if we act and come out and raise the voice of the voiceless. Otherwise we will still have the same communities with same perceptions and trends which will always restrict us to move forward with positive attitude.

So, in this backdrop I would like to suggest young people should work hard expecting nothing but the enormous amount of experience. This experience would definitely help them to be practical and think broadly about the next steps.

Meet and Greet our Y-PEERers

An interview with Anmar Khalid, a youth activist from Iraq, who has been involved in Y-PEER since 2009, and together with other young leaders initiated the process of establishing the Y-PEER network in his country 

“Y-PEER inspires you to inspire others.”

Can you describe your experience in Y-PEER, what challenges, barriers and successes have you faced during the period of being a Y-PEERer? How has Y-PEER influenced your life/career?

My first experience with Y-PEER was a peer education training workshop in 2009. Afterwards, my life took a different turn and this unique experience had a huge impact on my behavior, my personality and every aspect of my life. I was changing and evolving every day, and was always in the process of developing myself. I was one of the very first people in Iraq to receive a regional training and following that, together with my team, we initiated the process of founding the network in Iraq. This continued up until 2012 when we worked with experts from the American University in Beirut on a chain of workshops with the support from the UNFPA CO to create a training guide for the network in Iraq. We were successful and I took part in crafting the guide which tackled various issues that were especially important for the youth in Iraq. That same year, the Y-PEER international network and the UNFPA decided to start working on a structure for the national network in Iraq and I was appointed the focal point in charge and so attended the Y-PEER Global Advisory Board Meetings for the members of the network in different parts of the world.

I have been a part of leading initiatives for the youth in Iraq and organizing training workshops for the diverse youth in Iraq on peer education, in addition to training of trainers in peer education. Recently, a big part of the training activities was dedicated for the minorities and marginalized communities in Iraq including internally displaced people, refugees, and inhabitants of slum areas. As of now, I have been able to reach out and train more than 1500 young people from different parts of Iraq, in addition to refugees from Syria.

The biggest challenge we faced was founding the network in Iraq. Because of the dominance of youth and voluntary contribution in the network, young activists participating in its activities and running the network for the betterment of the youth, we were always in need of a more established and capable entity to embrace us and provide continuous support for the network. This was needed to preserve the sustainability of the activities and to create the network in the best possible form.

However, we were becoming more capable of combating and alleviating this challenge day by day because of the increased popularity and understanding of the concept and culture of volunteerism within the youth of the network, in addition to us gaining more experience with great support from the UNFPA . Moreover, our partners greatly increased in number and we became capable of expanding to everywhere in Iraq, and reach out to a notably bigger proportion of youth in the country. Currently, Y-PEER Iraq has become a part of who we are and, to me, it’s not a project, it’s a lifestyle. A positive and prosperous lifestyle!

What benefits does Y-PEER offer to young people?

Y-PEER with its variety of activities and trainings offers young individuals unique skills packed with a modification of behaviour for the better, in addition to enforcing their knowledge regarding relevant topics. Moreover, the Y-PEER agenda strives to render its beneficiaries different, effective and positive role models among their peers. The truth is Y-PEER is a new and exciting lifestyle that endorses all of the positive values that the network commits to from activism to positivity and others, and that gifts the youth it reaches out to with an adventurous method of loving and receiving love from others. At the end, Y-PEER is a celebration of youth's invaluable contribution to the growth and development of the community being a remarkable tool in team building and a influential factor in preparing a coherent, skilled and conscious generation of youth that is confident of its solidity and aware of its essence.

What can young people do better to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals?

Today, the youth are privileged with great opportunities that should be taken advantage of, in order to rise up with the community and work for its welfare and realize the Sustainable Development Goals. There is nothing in this world that is not relevant to the youth in one way or another, and from that context we have to embark on a new journey of taking part in the process of decision making within the large organizations of today to achieve the correct execution of these goals. We're here to think, to know ourselves better, and to become acquainted with the fact that we exist and that we have a message in this life; a message and a mission to create a healthy and a positive life that the future generations can prosper from. The opportunity lies in front of us, and there's no other way but to seize it and enroll in today's battle and contribute to the design of the policies adopted for the establishment of peace and equality.

What is one thing you would have done differently being a Y-PEER member?

A man is successful when he allows his idea to be shared with others, endorsed by them, and incorporated in their behaviour.  Y-PEER pushes you to become the kind of person who contemplates the needs of others more often than his own, always wanting to give something back, something real and tangible that can leave a trace that the community can benefit from. These are the secrets of Y-PEER, they cannot simply reveal themselves upon request; you have to live them in order to actually know them. Y-PEER inspires you to inspire others.

What would you suggest that young people should do to become successful?

I don't want to suggest something they already know. I just want to ask them to be themselves, to know themselves, to appreciate it, and to believe in their abilities. Inside each and everyone of us, there lies a pioneer, we just have to discover that essence. All of this comes granted with faith, determination, patience, willingness, and planning. In the end, we should all know and admit that none of us knows everything and nobody knows nothing. We all have something to give, and we all have something to take. People learn from people; people learn when they're together. And the secret lies in learning and exploring life. Live it and love it.

Meet and Greet our Y-PEERers

An interview with Ahmed Kashkoush, a youth activist from Egypt, who has been working in Y-PEER for almost 10 years

“I can even say I was against some issues, but after I joined the network through a pure coincidence, I changed a lot of my convictions. Now I am a consultant trainer who has been persuading many young people with these issues. We made Y-PEER a life style, not just some volunteer activities.”

Can you describe your experience in Y-PEER, what challenges, barriers and successes have you faced during the period of being a Y-PEERer? How has Y-PEER influenced your life/career? 

I have been with Y-PEER network since 2006, started as a peer educator, national trainer, Local Focal point, Focal Point, advanced trainer, Focal Point in Charge (FPC) and finally Alumni board. I have been there while Y-PEER Egypt was growing widely to involve many activities and to include many organizations.

I participated in a lot of activities with the network, gave the most of the national Trainings of Trainers (TOTs) and some regional trainings and prepared some peer education manuals. Also I represent the national network in various events on national and international level.

Yes, the main challenge for us when we started the network in Egypt was about how we could convince youth organizations or working with youth with our new idea. The problem was how we can convince them that those games were not just for fun. We did a lot effort over the first 5 years in order to prove we can contribute to the youth development by our provided techniques. At first we got a lot of mockery when wanted to change something, but now we are a huge network in Egypt. Y-PEER Egypt is the most trusted reference in peer education techniques and an important partner when some organizations want to prepare youth manuals or activities.

On the personal level, I did not expect to join this field and you may be surprised to know that I was not convinced with many of the issues addressed by the network. I can even say I was against some issues, but after I joined the network through a pure coincidence, I changed a lot of my convictions. Now I am a consultant trainer who has been persuading many young people with these issues. We made Y-PEER a life style, not just some volunteer activities. I can say Y-PEER helped me build my character and sculpture a sense of responsibility towards the development in my country and my community life.

What benefits does Y-PEER offer to young people?

The most intriguing characteristic of the network is the idea of “Peer Infection” which means that when anyone sees Y-PEER members, the appreciation and admiration they acquire from such meeting would drive them to join our network to help others. Or the very least influence them in a way that would instigate them to develop themselves and their surroundings, especially with the encouragement and support of a strong influential network such as Y-PEER. 

Secondly, the network gives the youth a big space to join volunteer work and connects youth with the organizations which are looking for them. This idea contributes to the development and capacity building of youth. Anyone who takes a look at the network will see it as an academy which works on the preparation of new generations excited about joining the development field, starting from us who joined the work field in NGOs to others working in the several UN agencies and the other international organizations and the rest that has gained the skills to be qualified in every different area in the society. Moreover, the structure and the work mechanism of the network give us a real environment to apply the concept of good leadership.  

What can young people do better to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Young people are the biggest power that can achieve sustainable development goals and they are the first beneficiaries of this achievement. 

On the decision making level, I believe that young people can do better whenever they are empowered by placing them in positions of responsibility and whenever new appropriate mechanisms emerge. Also on the implementation level, young people have common dialogue and understanding with a wide range of communities they live in. Plus, they have good intuition regarding approaching their societies in a suited form. And because they benefit the most from SDGs, they are able to evaluate and monitor the achievement of these goals. Young people just need leaders who can understand them and their needs and put them on the right track. By doing so, they will be motivated to achieve those goals with an unstoppable power.

What is one thing you would have done differently being a Y-PEER member?

I think the one thing I would have done differently is to prepare a strategy of sustainability. This is my only concern regarding the affairs of the network. Our network has been standing for more than ten years since it was established in 2004 and up till now we still depend on fundraising to support our partners. 

I think we could achieve sustainable partnership through deciding on the level of contribution each group of organizations. The contribution should depend on their capabilities, level and size. If I can turn back the time, I would definitely have a plan for that from the very beginning when I joined the core team.

What would you suggest that young people should do to become successful?

Do not live without goals and do not blame others for your faults, you should know that failure in something can be a step towards success in another thing. If you just realise this very well and come up with learned lessons, you will achieve your goals. I also see the key for success is the positive energy;  try to get it all the time and kick the negative one. If you do this you will get the power and patience to do some change, and don’t rush results, start with simple goals and try to achieve it step by step.