I spend vast amounts of my time, investigating ways, means and avenues available to obtain funding for youth centered projects. By far the greatest challenge is competing with the many other noble causes that are out there. No one organization has the ability to prioritize what they are doing, above that of another organization. And, it would seem that on the international stage, there is no one organization with the mandate to set priorities for the world to follow. Don’t get me wrong, there are of course hot spots, development goals, studies and opinions.
Individuals are seeing record numbers of calls for their funding and support. And, most people will naturally lean towards an issue which has affected them personally, or touched a family member or close friend. There have been some calls for sources of funding that are cause neutral. This is to allow for obscure yet important social matters to obtain support, despite the initial appearance of the cause, which may not seem at all popular.
For those of us working with both disadvantaged and exceptional youth, our challenges are many. Every corner of most communities will have a project for disadvantaged young people. And, very few people see the benefits of helping exceptional youth to develop further. Unfortunately, both groups suffer from the same core issue. A shortage in support networks of passionate, dedicated and experienced adults able to guide them through the many tunnels and diversions that life throws at them.
The case for supporting a cause that is popular, will far out way the instinct to give to a cause neutral fund, at least today. So, people like me must be more direct in asking for financial support. The issues of youth are far and wide. We at People to People International Europe, focus our energies on giving youth a diverse set of experiences, supporting their personal and emotional development and orchestrating numerus possibilities to bring youth together for peer support.
We have been established in Belgium since 1970. And, operating as the European HQ for our Region since 2015. The PTPI European 2016 annual report can be found at this link.
Your contributions to People to People International-Europe, help make a lasting impact and empower our network, to be an active force in creating and sustaining a more peaceful world. Your donations go a long way to supporting the development of our young people.
Thank you
Chalks Corriette
President – European Executive Committee
Regional Chair, Europe
