Involved Organizations

ARCI VALDARNO is a territorial committee of national ARCI association (Associazione Ricreativa e Culturale Italiana).

Established in 1981 is identified like a No Profit Association,(according by Decreto legislativo, 03/07/2017 n° 117, G.U. 02/08/2017). The area of competence is situated in the Middle of Tuscany, area named Valdarno Superiore, Our sectors of competence are culture, sociality, solidarity, participation, democracy, peace and human rights. An important resource of the association is its capillary presence on the territory guaranteed by the numerous membership bases, where people meet every day, share ideas and passions: our clubs represent centers of encounter, socialization, aggregation, recreation as well as development of solidarity, culture and integration projects. There are currently 68 member clubs on this territory for a total of almost 10,500 members. ARCI Valdarno promotes and supports national campaigns for a democratic, just and united Europe, in particular for the promotion of the principle of active citizenship. We are also committed to keeping alive the Memory of Anti-Fascism and Resistance because these are the seeds from which we are proud to have been born. Arci Valdarno manages a SIPROIMI reception project for asylum seekers, dealing with reception, empowerment, defense and protection of human rights and autonomy.

The Associação Recreativa Cultural e Social de Silveirinhos, ARCSS, founded in April 29th, 1995, is headquartered in São Pedro da Cova, Gondomar, near Porto City. ARCSS implemented valid structured projects in favor of children, young people and adults, from areas with large gaps, whether economic or social. At the moment, ARCSS has about 200 young and adult people participating in their weekly activities (sports, study, social work, leisure and entertainment) and a total of 250 associated members.

Our main target groups are: children and young people, highlighting those who are in a situation of social vulnerability or at risk; socially disadvantaged adults (without education or schooling, in poverty, victims of violence, victims of gender inequality, informal caregivers, among others); and people with disabilities and / or mental illness. We also work with families at risk and support other organizations in implementing of cultural, sports, environmental, artistic, training and education projects and activities, especially, in social intervention. Our network of partners is very extensive, with civil society institutions and companies, as well as national and local state entities. We have as main financiers the following entities: Portuguese Institute of sport and Youth; National Rehabilitation Institute, the Municipality of Gondomar, the local municipality of Fânzeres and são Pedro da Cova, European programs of Portugal 2020; Local patrons; Erasmus + / CES; INATEL Foundation; projects financed by large for-profit entities, within the scope of social responsibility; between others. Some areas of intervention: Education and formal and non-formal training; Youth; associativism; Health; Art and culture; Entrepreneurship; Environment and Sustainability; Eradication of poverty and social exclusion; Sport and healthy lifestyles; Gender equality; Personal, social and professional training; Safety; Citizenship and Democracy.

Some history of our institution: In 2004, ARCSS obtained the accreditation at the IQF (Institute for the quality of training), in the following areas: organization and promotion of training activities and development/implementation of training activities.

From June 2005, ARCSS began the implementation of Actions co-financed by the European Social Fund, Further training and specialization of Qualified Assets, integrated in the axis 2 – life-long training and adaptability, the POEFDS (Operational Program of Employment, Training and Social Development). In 2005, the ARCSS held 10 shares workshop, for 150 trainees assets, and the population joined in an incomparable way.

Another project of the ARCSS that most boasted new activities enhancing the community was, without a doubt, the project “different sensitivities, Equal Opportunities”, which ran between June 2005 and November 2006, co-funded by the European Social Fund. ARCSS, also, developed, two projects supported by the Youth Program: the project “Local and Regional Policies for Youth”, developed through Action 5.1.2; and the project “Be Young Student”.

The ARCSS is member of: RNAJ – National Register of Youth Associations by the Secretary od State for Youth CCD – Center for Culture and Sports of Inatel, FAJDP – Federation of Youth Associations of the District of Porto, FCCG – Federation of Collectivities of the Council of Gondomar, FNAJ – National Federation of Youth Associations Local, AFP – Football Association of Porto, ABP – Association of Basketball of Porto, AAP – Association of Handball of Porto and the Municipal Council of Youth of Gondomar. ARCSS is member of: – RNAJ – National Register of Youth Associations by the Secretary od State for Youth; – CCD – Center for Culture and Sports of Inatel; – FAJDP – Federation of Youth Associations of the District of Porto; – FCCG – Federation of Collectivities of the Council of Gondomar; – FNAJ – National Federation of Youth Associations Local; – City Council Of Gondomar – Red Cross Of Gondomar.

The EUROPEAN INFORMATION CENTRE began activities on 24th of October 1997, when the Council of Europe uncovered first out-of-capital Regional information centre in Veliko Tarnovo. On 27th of December 2000 The European information center carried out registration in the court as NGO. The organization has been hosting the European Documentation Center of European Union since 4th of January 2001. The organization has been hosting the EUROPE DIRECT Relay for the Region of Veliko Tarnovo since beginning of January 2007. It continues providing EU information in all the periods since 2007, from 2017 its EDIC – covering two districts from North Central Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo and Razgrad.

The core of EIC are a group of academics from the University of Veliko Tarnovo, who dedicated their dreams, work and lives to the European integration of Bulgaria. The founding aims of EUROPEAN INFORMATION CENTRE are:

• to popularize values of United Europe within the country;
• to assist authorities, institutions, organizations, citizens in the process of European integration;
• to support the development of the civil society and media;
• to educate and train, to assist and do research, to provide consultations on the problems of the European integration in the country and contribute to the accession and development of the Republic of Bulgaria into United Europe;
• to educate and train teachers, youth leaders and educators to teach topics on basic European values using new methods and methodologies;
• to train, implement and multiply through the national institutions knowledge on new educational methods, technologies and techniques;
• to be a partner with local, regional, national and international bodies for easier accession of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United Europe.

The EIC works with various types of audiences: mainly with children, youth and students, academia, business, local and regional authorities, disadvantaged groups, minorities and groups in need, pensioners’ groups and cultural clubs from the rural area of the two territorial districts. EIC main activity fields cover:

• serving as information hub for all European integration information and resources in North-Central Bulgaria – hosting the European Documentation Centre and Europe Direct Information Centre and organizing number of conferences, workshop, educational games and projects, celebration of 9th of May; information on EU funding possibilities and calls educational resources and methodologies design and approbation;
• consortium member in running the Resource communal centre – multifunctional support centre or young people, women and citizens in need with a broad mosaic of developed social services;
• youth informal groups support and youth activities – hosting Girls leading our world (GLOW) – leadership academy for young female leaders all over the country; informal youth club “Europe”; youth initiatives, Career development centre, etc.

The overall mission of Sozial Label (Non-Profit Organisation, Civil Society Organisation) is to promote cultural, educational exchange at local and European level by strengthening local organizations in their work at European level and to support networking around social issues. Main areas of activities are social inclusion, non-formal education, intercultural learning within different groups.

SL has a strong experience in the management of European projects, in the field of education, active citizenship, social empowerment. SL is also working together with several local municipalities and grassroots associations in Berlin, working with young people with fewer opportunities, senior and migrants. SL is namely part of the network of social NGO’s in Berlin active in the field of social inclusion and education. In the past years SL has implemented several projects aimed at strengthening Europe active citizenship and knowledge about Europe and European mobility projects providing participants with tools and skills about project management, intercultural partnership and ICT tools. SL has three partly paid staff members and round about 20 members of the group. For every project we prepared a special group of people, who are interested to work in this special field.

Storie di Mondi Possibili (Stories of possible worlds) is an association created by a group of Italian trainers and volunteers experts in autobiographical methods, with different educational experiences, interested in collecting stories related to individual and collective memory, social commitment and change.

The founders come from diverse educational and artistic backgrounds, but are united by the conviction that the stories of active citizenship and social change have an enormous potential in improving the lives of people and communities. Life stories, in fact, can connect people of different cultures and social contexts, can reveal learning, values, and reconnect us to our desire for change. The association has realized, from its founding, activities in various educational fields, for adults, young people, teachers, youth workers, communities, always starting from the autobiographical and storytelling methods; we describe below the main areas of intervention.
Workshops on storytelling methods: the association has designed and realized storytelling workshops for adults and young people, also including people with fewer opportunities (disabled people, prisoners, young people at risk of deviance), aimed at empowering people and communities.
Training of trainers – The association has carried out many training activities for trainers in the field of autobiographical methodologies and storytelling applied in education. These activities have been carried out both at national and European level and in third countries.
Promoting autobiographical methods in teaching activities, included L2 – the autobiographical methodologies are very useful to support learning activities, especially regarding L2 for young migrants. –
Training of volunteers in the collection of stories – the association has trained numerous volunteers, young, adults and seniors, who offer their contribution to society by collecting life stories, with a specific focus on people with less opportunity, and the aim to preserve the memory of people and communities.
Creation of educational and social projects based on autobiographical and storytelling methodologies. The association has developed several Erasmus Plus projects, in Adult Education and Youth areas
Video documentation of social action experiences and educational activities in general, especially those carried out within European and national projects.
Storie di Mondi Possibili has created the portal “StoryAP, Stories for Active Participation”, www.storyap.eu, within the project “Storytelling to Develop Civic Competences In Young People”, Erasmus Plus Youth. This portal allows users and organizations to upload and share stories concerning social change.