Over the past five years, the European members have captured projects, actions and support systems they would like to see implemented to help this region grow faster.
The most recent workshops this past September in Romania, once again highlighted the same themes that are crucial to us. By far the biggest opportunity ahead, is not in understanding what needs to be done, but in securing the manpower to make delivery possible.
Link for Romania
The EEC are a small team and Andrei and his wife are soon to be busy when the baby arrives! We need to reach out to you, our community, to seek out volunteers able to provide some much needed effort. Without this effort, very few of our dreams will come to life – this is important.
There are some elements of the chapter feedback that will need some very creative thinking to find solutions. Such as: youth development, inclusion and lower participation costs, are complex to actually make happen. PTPI is not a foundation with a pot of money to support all manner of activities. The usual suspects that have provided funding in the past, such as the Council of Europe, have cut back on budgets and made selection criteria more complex. Business partners are also managing shrinking budgets and being more selective in the type of social engagement they support.
All of this points to PTPI having to be more clear about funding opportunities, and the reasons why people would be motivated to support us and not another charity or NGO. What is true, is that we have a mission that matters. Peace through Understanding, given the current state of the world, is very relevant. We must however, demonstrate how we make this mission relevant globally, regionally and locally. It is not what we say that makes a difference, but what we actually do.
Going forward in Q1, 2017:
• Much of the feedback is about improving channels of communication. People of course generally feel that communication must improve, without actually being specific about what is a problem, and what is a lack of looking at our web portal. Every effort will be made to close as many of your communication gaps as possible. Yet, please do make a personal effort to use the communications tools already available to you.
• Funding for youth will not get any easier in the coming 12 to 18 months. It would be appreciated if the chapters could fund develop locally, and make donations to the EEC central account. When there is funding, we do of course support activities, such as the Youth Leadership Academy.
• Youth should take advantage of other channels open to them as individuals. The Erasmus+ has opportunities for people of all ages, helping them develop and share knowledge and experience at institutions and organisations in different countries. European volunteering overseas portal also provides funding for youth to get engaged in community projects.
• It is clear that we need to make more visible our chapter network, with links to their active online pages, our trustees and your stories.
• We are excited to be moving forward with a tool to better manage the whole HomeStay process. This item has been on our members list of important advances for some time. The tool will look similar to those being used for booking.com and Air BnB. Thus, the whole process from seeing availability, making a reservation and paying the required fee, shall be automated.
• It has been noted in the past, that our members would like to volunteer their skills or periods of time.
In order for us to move any projects forward and stand a chance of making things happen, we do need your support. If you can volunteer to manage a work package, please do contact the EEC. Are you good at: collating data, designing flyers, PowerPoint, writing stories, editing content, researching key subjects, cultural analysis, fund development, event management, travel and hospitality management, data capture and analysis?
There is so much to be done in the months and years ahead, to prove that we belong to something good.
There are few words that can express the appreciation we have for your continued support.
Let us start with Thank you!
Yours in peace
The EEC
