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Traineeship in France awarded to IRIS Network candidate Megi Kushi

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Professional Staff Traineeship Programme in organization of IRIS Network and SOLIDAR has officially started few weeks ago in the premises of Ligue de l’enseignement des Pyrénées atlantiques at the mountain center ‘Le Cardet à Gourette’ in France. Traineeship is involving participant in the organization and development of different activities, non-formal learning and animation with children and teenagers, among whom persons with intellectual disabilities.

After they carefully reviewed numerous applications received, the IRIS Network in cooperation with SOLIDAR confirmed participation of Megi Kushi. Let us meet her and hear the impressions of the Training.

Megi Kushi, coming from Albania, is young intern at the National Association Education for Life-SHKEJ, one of the IRIS Network member organizations. She has Master Degree in Organizational Psychology and, even though she is just 23 years old, has quite an experience in the field of social service provision and working with vulnerable groups gained through formal and non-formal education and trainings. Over the last few years she had been working with children in need – groups of Roma and Egyptian children in Albania, as well as with children with autism. Beside Albanian, she fluently speaks English and French.

Within Professional Staff Training Programme, Kushi got the opportunity to improve skills related to her psychological work-profile: She has useful conversations with the children, helps them to feel comfortable and develop their interests in social interaction, based on healthy roots of self-esteem.

“I learnt how efforts of the team are the key in organizing multidisciplinary areas that are focused on the well-being of children. I also noticed the importance of motivation as the staff priority. Cardet centre represents this perfectly”, said Kushi.

Mountain Cardet centre, which is hosting ongoing Professional Training, hosts open school – discovery classes for children during holidays. The school is providing different activities whose topics range from discovering the environment to sport and human activities, all connected to the mountain. “Children can enjoy the company of each other, explore themselves and the nature surrounding them and become engaged with life rules”, explained Kushi.

In addition, Kushi mentioned that she learns a lot spontaneously, through the work routine, the discipline and the responsibility that the mission of Cardet is accomplishing with the children. She hopes of using most of skills and knowledge gained through this Training in her future work, after she gets back to Albania.

IRIS Network members attended SOLIDAR Training Academy

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SOLIDAR Training Academy “INTEGRATION, INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE AND PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE – Addressing challenges and opportunities in the social services, education and training sector”, which took a place in International Training Center ILO in Turin, has been officially closed last Friday. The training brought together representatives of 13 Civil Society Organizations from different European countries.

During three days of training, participants were discussing on the current challenges their NGOs are facing to, improved their skills in intercultural dialogue and laid the groundwork for future cooperation. Main topics covered migrant issue and cultural diversities by defining strengths and weaknesses of different social environments, as well as external opportunities and threats which are recognizable through activism of represented organizations. Participant also had the opportunity to share good practices with colleagues from other organizations and to improve skills in the field of promotion of their work through using modern social media approach.

Among the participants, the training was attended by representatives of IRIS Network from Serbia and Albania.

IRIS NETWORK FOR BEGINNERS

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Who are we?

What IRIS network accomplished?

Who are our members?

What is our aim?

If you have trouble in answering any of these question, click on this PRESENTATION to find out.

Personal assistance service for students with disabilities in Montenegro

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The long-standing use of the medical model in the approach towards persons with disabilities (PWDs) in which they are passive observers of their lives, people in need of protection, care and concern has led to a large number of problems that these people encounter, as well as with high level of discrimination toward them. This kind of comprehensive protection usually means that these persons are constantly in isolation depending on others, or in some special institutions.

IRIS network member Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro is dedicated to providing support, opportunities and programs to strengthen the personal, educational and professional development of young people with disabilities. Their mission is to provide these young people a chance to become independent members of the society. Throughout the received grant form IRIS and in cooperation with Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. they developed practical policy for implementation, financing and improvement of personal assistance service. This will be used in future as a tool for addressing the needs of students and persons with disability and their quality support through the PA service in Montenegro.

First National helpline for victims of domestic violence in Montenegro

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Statistic information on domestic violence in Montenegro remains inaccurate. There is still no national strategy or data, and each of the responsible institutions addresses this problem differently. Woman and children, vicims of violence, are forced to seek help from different, mainly non-governmental organization and services. Female service assistance and support in Montenegro have a key role in empowering victims and providing intensive care and support. SOS hotlines proved to be the ost effective initial support to these victims, having over 30 000 phone calls annually. There is still no national SOS hotline, even though this is envisaged in all relevant UN and EU documents.

SOS telephone Niksic, member of the IRIS network, received funds to advocate for a free National helpline for domestic violence and violence against women in order to influence much needed reforms in this field. SOS telephone Niksic, with three more partners from towns of Ulcinj, Bjelo Polje and Berane and in close collaboration with all relevant ministries in Montenegro, developed and adopted a Rule book on operation of the first national helpline in Montenegro. Additionally, the, work group of these organizations became partner of the Government in all future decision-making processes considering reforms in this field.

Supporting Social Investment – the Enlargement Perspective

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Supporting Social Investment – the Enlargement Perspective

ROUND TABLE Organised by IRIS Network and SOLIDAR

At the beginning of the new parliamentary term when enlargement process is still ongoing, it is undoubtedly relevant to emphasize the importance of the socio-economic development of the Western Balkan region. Cutting the unemployment rate, social services enhancement, empowering the social investments and job creation in this sector are the priorities in the forthcoming times. In order to achieve aforementioned goals and to give a new impulse to the integration process, it is essential to include and to highlight social dimension of the enlargement in the policies shaped by the EU decision makers.

This round table will offer the possibility to discuss services of general interests, active inclusion and the role of social service providers in the Western Balkans in promoting quality jobs, economic growth and social investments. Members of the “IRIS Network – Improving social services in SEE” will present their daily work in the context of the EU Enlargement policies and will give good practices examples on combating poverty and promoting social cohesion. In addition, SOLIDAR’s Annual Monitoring report on the EU enlargement will be launched.

Agenda

Training programme “Efficient management – better services” for members of Albania and FYROM national networks

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Training programme Efficient management – better services for members of Albania and FYROM national networks

Training programme  “Efficient management – better services”  for members of Albania and FYROM national networks starts today and it will last until Friday, 31 October. New members of IRIS gathered in hotel “Metropol”, Lake Ohrid in Macedonia to improve their knowledge in areas of organizational management, planning, financing and development of new services.

Around 40 representatives of CSOs working in these two countries will learn how to manage their organization, how to position it in the market, how to develop good strategies, how to find sources for financing of their CSO etc.This is the fourth time we organize the training programme  “Efficient management – better services”, but now for our new partners. Members of Bosnian,Croatian, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbian networks have already participated in this seminar.

Social service providers in BIH: How far did we come in the first two project years

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National conference of CSOs, members of IRIS network and national network of social service providers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was successfully finished today in Banja Vrucica, Teslic. Around 50 representatives of these organization and national and local government officials gathered to discuss results of the first two years of existence of the only regional network of social service providers – IRIS.

Participant of the one-day conference „ Positioning the National network in the field of social services“ concluded that civil sector and CSOs became inevitable government partner in the field of social care. Further more, one of the main focuses, in this area, will be connecting the public and civil sector with the aim to improve provision of social services in BiH. Representatives of IRIS network members got a chance to learn more about standardization and licensing of social services, accreditation of their progremmes and experiences of the similar types of organizations from the region.

„ In the first two project years we succeeded to connect over 30 organizations who provide various types of social services to vulnerable groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Throughout our conferences and training programmes 100 professionals improved their knowledge in the areas of social management, development of new services, advocacy campaigns, financial and organizational management, and also exchanged experiences and good practices. Iris network became great support system for these grass root organization which enabled them to develop new and improve existing services in their local communities“ said Mrs Biljana Zgonjanin, president of LIR civil society and coordinator of national network of BiH.

Members of BiH national network signed the Declaration of joint values which will also be a guide for future members of this network. One of the main objectives of the project „Improving the provision of Social Service Delivery in South Eastern Europe through the empowerment of national and regional Civil Society networks“ in the next two years is broadening regional network IRIS and national networks in the Balkan region.

Regional training program „Efficient management – better services“, Lake Palic

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Regional training program Efficient management – better services, Lake Palic

Regional training program „Efficient management – better services“ has started today in Lake Palic, Hotel Park. Around 55 representatives of CSOs, members of Croatian and Serbian national networks gathered for five-day seminar to discuss and improve their knowledge of management of civil society organizations,  positioning to the target group and market, financial management, strategic planning, methods of financing,advocacy for the improvement of social services, projects writing and implementation.

The main objective of the training seminar is to improve the quality of social services through the empowerment of the local, grass-root organizations. Most of these organizations are constantly facing great financial problems with the lack of good organizational management. Exchanging good practices and with good theoretical support, these organizations will be able to increase the range and quality of their services . Increasing the capacity of CSOs will enable the voices of people who want to influence the reform of the public sector through analysis, monitoring and advocacy to be heard. This will ensure a high level of quality in the provision of social services for vulnerable groups (people with disability, children and youth at risk, victims of gender-based violence, domestic violence, refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups).

This training seminar is also a seminar preparation for members of the IRIS network on how to develop good project proposals for our applications for grants under the “Improving the provision of Social Service Delivery in South Eastern Europe through the empowerment of national and regional Civil Society networks” implemented by Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund SEE and funded by the European Union. Call for proposals is opened until 5th of August , and the best twenty project proposals will receive a grant in of 3000 euros for project implementation.

SOLIDAR roundtable “Ensuring social…

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SOLIDAR

European round table starts today at 09:30 am in European Parliament.

This round table will offer the possibility to discuss about social cohesion, active inclusion as well as the role of social service providers in the Western Balkans in promoting social progress. Members of the “IRIS Network – Improving social services in SEE” will present their daily work in the context of EU Enlargement policies. In addition, the results of the FEPS-SOLIDAR research program on the Social Dimension of EU Enlargement will be launched.

Europe has been faced with one of the worst economic, financial and social crises. The one-sided focus on fiscal and financial consolidation through austerity measures has led to increasing disparities within our society, hitting the most vulnerable groups the hardest. NOW it is time for social consolidation to increase social cohesion between and within Member States.

This roundtable will give the floor to a discussion between experts from several Member States and decision makers at EU level on the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy and to present national recommendations to promote active inclusion, cohesion and social progress. These recommendations will be based on the results of the Social Progress Watch Initiative that SOLIDAR launched in December 2013 and the baseline-study Ensure Social Progress: Recommendations to strengthen the social dimension of the European Union.