The Project

 

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, ECMA stays for European ChangeMakers Academy and is a project  that aims to empower young people to become changemakers in their own community, fostering active participation on the local level as well as belonging to the European community. 

Specifically the ECMA pProject is focused on: 

  • Building stronger youth organising on the local community level, while at the same time reinforcing its connection transnationally and to Europe.
  • Mentoring the access to political life of young people as an underrepresented group through change ambassadors as role models.
  • Experimenting new forms of capacity building to influence policy making from the grassroots to the European level.
  • Creating a cross-sectoral and cross-target group cooperation, both in the consortium and on the different levels from local to European

ECMA is envisioning to contribute to this aims by introducing an Academy adopting a comprehensive mentoring programme where 20 activists in 6 countries (120 in total) of local communities (aka Multipliers) are supported by a transnational team of 6 Change Ambassadors and 30 ChangeMakers, who are well-experienced and through the project, trained in local community organising, political participation with a European perspective and mentoring.

The project foresees a MOOC, national training courses, study visits and several international events, including a policy seminar, a European Youth Goals Ideathon and a final conference… 

The project is run by OBESSU in cooperation with the following partners AEGEE Europe, YEU International, CONFIA, ARCI Liguria, Impossible Foundation, ISSU, AEGEE Budapest, AEGEE Zagreb, AEGEE Tartu, AEGEE Bamberg.

The Academy

 

An Academy for young activists which foresee both a grassroots impact and a European perspective. An Academy mentoring young Europeans in local community organising, policy-making, mentoring. An Academy to make a change.

With classes in six pilot countries (Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Italy) led by 5 Change Ambassadors, 30 ChangeMakers and 120 Multipliers the ECMa Academy aims to create a transnational team fostering both active participation on the local level as well as a deeper belonging to the European community. 

Partners

Obessu

OBESSU is the platform for cooperation between the national school student unions active in general secondary and secondary vocational education in Europe. It brings together 30 Member, Candidate and Affiliate Organisations from 24 countries all over Europe. OBESSU’s mission is to contribute to the development of democratic participation at all levels and promoting and fostering solidarity among young people. OBESSU will be the main coordinator of ECMA, and as such will be involved in all project activities.

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AEGEE Europe

AEGEE (Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l’Europe) is one of Europe’s biggest interdisciplinary student organisations. As a non-governmental, politically independent and non-profit organisation AEGEE is open to students and young people from all faculties and disciplines. Since its foundation in 1985 in Paris, AEGEE puts the idea of a unified Europe into practice by bringing together a network of 13000 friends from 200 cities of 40 countries through cultural exchange and non-formal educational opportunities. 

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YEU International

Youth for Exchange and Understanding (YEU) is an international network of youth organizations led by young people working to promote peace, understanding, and co-operation between the same young people of the world, in a spirit of respect for human rights using a non-formal education methodology as their main tool. YEU is the representative body of their members in contact with the institutions and partners in the youth field. For ECMA, YEU coordinates the development of a methodology specific for community leadership programs.

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Confia International

Confia International is a  European not-for-profit organisation that gathers individuals who have years of experience in Erasmus+ projects, internationalisation, social inclusion and training through previous work experiences in other organisations operating in the Youth field and Higher Education field at European level. In ECMA, Confia International will be responsible for leading the activities related to Quality Assurance and Impact Evaluation. 

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ARCI Liguria

ARCI Liguria A.P.S. is the regional committee of ARCI in Liguria, North-West Italy. It is the biggest independent association for promoting culture, social values and civil rights in the country and, with its over 300 clubs and more than 50.000 card holders it represents a network whose well-grounded structure enhances democratic participation and social integration locally. Since 1977 ARCI’s mutualistic associations, non-profit organizations, art galleries, volunteering groups and clubs promote culture and sociability in the region.

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Impossible Foundation

Impossible Foundation is a social innovation incubator established in Wroclaw, Poland, with projects held all over the world. Its founders’ vision was to create a supportive space for everyone willing to make a change in their local and global surroundings. Impossible, then, strives to build a place in society and mindsets where you can achieve what was thought to be impossible. 

With efficiency among its main values,  Impossible supports the first steps of ECMA activists  by creating an efficient and engaging MOOC course.

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Contact Us

 

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