Presentation of Activity of Association "Youth Intellectuals, Hope" (IRSH) On Initiatives for Youth Employment

Dear colleagues,

First of all, I would like to thank the organisers of this conference, which gave us the possibility to present the work done until now, of the organisation, which I represent “Intelektualet e rinj, Shprese” (IRSH). Second, I hope that this conference will have a positive impact on the incitement of initiatives regarding youth employment, having in mind that unemployment is going to be a resource for many negative factors as: criminality, illegal trafficking, drug abuse etc.

Introduction

Association “Intelektualet e rinj, Shprese” (IRSH) with its centre in Shkoder is working since 1994 in the development of civil society and Promotion of Peace and Stability in the Balkans. IRSH is an active NGO dealing with young people, giving concrete examples in the youth integration process.

As far as IRSH is working mainly in North Albania where the unemployment rate is very high, our organisation is trying to be active on contributing for the diminishing of this phenomenon, which is a big barrier for development of a healthy civil society

So, in order to be more concrete by a summary I will mention some of the initiatives and services that IRSH is offering:

1. Information exchange

2. Professional courses

3. Trainings

4. Promotion of voluntary service

5. Project´s and other initiatives

Information exchange

Information exchange is going to be realized through direct contacts with young peoples in IRSH centre.

This information is about:

1. Labour market and job opportunities

2. Seminars, conference, training courses and different activities.

3. Different exchange possibilities.

4. Getting information through Internet and e-mail exchange etc.

Also we have tried to promote the communication technology through Internet, which is, I am sorry to say, of limited access to the youth in North Albania. Anyway, we are one of the first organisations which has established an e-group where the members of this group (around 50) have the possibility to receive different information through e-mail communication.

Also as far as I am personally working as editor of Albanian edition for OneWorld for South East Europe, I am really happy to inform that in this edition bring information about Albanian civil society. There is a particular section about job-opportunities and also about possibilities for voluntary-exchange.

Regarding this edition I would like to thank the cooperation with different Albanian partners. The information’s they send to me were my priority for publication. I can mention here the publications of articles I did about initiatives of Children Rights Centre, Albania (CRCA) regarding youth employment.

Through this conference I would like to use this opportunity to invite all Albanian NGOs and other institutions to apply for partnership with OneWorld as well as to send information about their activities in order that their initiatives to be promoted and published on OneWorld Albanian web site.

Professional courses

IRSH association organised several professional courses for young people, the most important of which are organised at the IRSH centre like:

1. Computer courses

2. Language courses (English and Italian)

3. Also case-by-case we assist young people, which need to present their request for employment. For example: how to write a CV, how to contact an employee etc. We are now trying to open courses for secretary service.

During year 2002 IRSH in cooperation with association “Gruaja Intelektuale Shkodrane” and also by the support of DFID program in British Embassy established a centre for professional formation in help of Roma community. This centre offered:

1. Courses against Illiteracy

2. Sewing courses

3. Make up courses etc

Trainings

Another important tool of our services are trainings. These trainings are organised inside and outside Albania through a successful cooperation that IRSH had with local and International partners.

Trainings on capacity building are offered, together with training for youth leaders, training for trainers, trainings about the new Albanian legislation for establishment of NGOs as well as trainings for raising the awareness of young people’s about their active participation. We encourage them to undertake different initiatives and to participate actively in associations and forums of discussion of civil society, to build cooperation and a democratic communication with local government, private sector, active participation in political forums etc. Also we organised trainings about conflict management etc

One of the most successful trainings that IRSH has developed in an International level in cooperation with partner organisations from Italy, Spain, Romania, Bosnia and Montenegro, have been the one organised in March 2003 hold in Forli, Italy by the participation of 50 young people from all over Europe entitled "Youth Mobility Development Seminar". This seminar was supported from Youth program of European Commission. During this seminar we aimed to support and promote initiatives and cooperation through young people from SEE Europe and the rest.

I am going to mention also the initiative undertaken from IRSH in 1999 for the incitement of women undertaker. The course was organised for about six months in cooperation with professors from "Luigj Gurakuqi", University and by participation of around 40 women’s. Also it should be mention that is now a tradition that since 2001 each year IRSH in cooperation with association “Gruaja Intelektuale Shkodrane” is organising the fair of handcrafts women production. Different donors supported these fairs as: US Embassy, Canadian Embassy and Shkodra municipality.

Promotion of voluntary service

I think that this aspect can be object of further discussion as far as from our experience in cooperation with our International partners we think that the voluntary service would be a very good tool for further integration and to facilitate the employment of young people. Even that our mentality does not help our work in this direction anyway we have achieved some really good results. Concretely since 2001 in our centre we have hosted some volunteers, mainly students from Colgate University in USA which assisted IRSH in its daily work with young people by meeting their needs and problems. Also for the first time by the support of Youth Program of European Commission in cooperation with Vicenza Commune in Italy we have done first voluntary exchange where IRSH was sending organisation by sending one of our members to volunteer at Vicenza Commune.

Last, by the cooperation of UNV office in Albania, Albanian Youth Council, we have undertaken a sensibilisation campaign for the promotion of voluntary service in Albania.

We are right now preparing an International workcamp by participation of young people from all Europe

Projects and other initiatives

In the focus of IRSH is going to be the work with young people from rural areas. We have prepared a project for establishing a professional centre in the Barbullushi commune and we hope soon this project will start.

Also in the frame of Balkan Peace Park project where IRSH is partner organisation for Albania we are preparing different initiatives as: promotion of eco-tourism in the area of Albanian Alps, a trek through Albanian Alps etc. During last summer a group of around 30 Internationals from USA, UK, Italy, France, Germany etc in a two-week journey walked through Alps in a territory between Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. This trek ended by a conference in Shkodra where all participants expressed their impressions. During this trip in these areas were spending around 15.000 USD. The participants in this conference gave the idea that such initiatives should be organised for a bigger number of participants which are looking to see this wonderful nature. Such activities also will bring more incomes for the habitants of these areas. So we are working that even this year such activity to take place.

In the end I would like to mention that IRSH in cooperation with other partners from SEE realised a research in Albania under the frame of a regional project entitled "Status of young people in SEE and their attitude toward European integration processes". Actually IRSH is waiting to start e project in cooperation with IOM Tirana about the re-integration of Albanian emigrants, which are returned back home from Schengen areas.

Blendi Dibra

Tirane 1 May 2004