YIA Study Visit to Belgium (14th – 18th March, 2007)

The study visit to Belgium happened in the period 14th – 18th March 2007. The study visit was organised within the project "Let's do it together", supported by Youth Programme. The participants of this study visit were representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations dealing with informing of the young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Croatia. The study visit was aimed to familiarise the representatives with the official youth informing policies, work of youth NGOs, youth information networks in Flanders and Wallonia, and the tools used by youth information organisations. Youth Information Agency, as the only organisation in BiH dealing with informing of the youth, was represented by Sanja Kavaz, Info-service Coordinator, Amila Jerković, Info desk Zenica, Dragan Lazić, Info desk Zvornik and Mladen Mitrić, info worker in AYT Banja Luka.

NGO "In Petto” was the carrier of the project, organiser, and the study visit host. This organisation is engaged in youth information activities and prevention programmes for the youth and is a part of exceptionally well-developed youth information network in Flanders. The study visit programme was very dynamic and rich, and provided the participants with detailed insight into the activities, projects, and programmes of youth information activities in Flanders and Wallonia. 

As it usually happens during the study visits, in a short time, the participants identified the similarities and mutual features in NGO sector activities in all participant countries. Above all these are the devotedness, commitment to work, perseverance, but also the financing problems, and, not rarely, the lack of understanding and sensitivity of the authorities, concerning the youth priorities. The territorial division, many administrations and complicated government machinery and bureaucracy are the common features identified in both, BiH and the host-country.

On the other hand, there are many differences. The young people in Flanders have access to many networks of youth information centres, than the networks of youth counselling centres, web portals and publications dealing with particular topics and current events selected by the young people, interactive web portal for youth workers and activists who seek information, help etc. What is particularly important is that the activities of this sector are considerably well coordinated and there is no overlapping of the activities of particular organisations or networks. Instead, these activities mutually supplement and cover different fields, media, and youth information activities, in order to make youth information sector more efficient, and to provide good-quality service to the satisfaction of the beneficiaries, meaning the youth. 

Which is highly commendable is that BiH, as the participant in this project, did not go unnoticed. The work methods, approach towards the youth, the tools and media employed by YIA drawn attention of other participant countries in the programme, which assessed the recent YIA projects as very successful. Owing to YIA activities, youth information and youth policies are discussed more and more on in our society, thus providing more space to the youth for the lobbying, projects, and activities that may enable the better level of information amongst youth in our country. 

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