Opportunity for Youth Organizations To Participate in Entrepreneurship
Program
The Dutch National Youth Council (www.jeugdraad.nl) is seeking interest
from countries with an historic, or other clear link to the Netherlands for
a youth entrepreneurship and mentoring program in 2004. Youth Employment
Spark (YES*) is a new program funded by the National Commission for
International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO) in Holland.
Initially, four youth organizations will be invited to Amsterdam, Holland
in January, 2004 to design a two-year program. Travel and accommodation
costs will be paid for by the Dutch National Youth Council.
The Spark initiative, led by Ms. Leontien Peeters, arose after Ms. Peeters
participated in a YES Campaign training workshop in New York in early 2002.
"I participated with my friend and fellow youth representative to the
United Nations General Assembly Lydia El Afi in a YES workshop in early
2002. As a result, we wanted to start a youth employment network in the
Netherlands but we found it really difficult as youth unemployment was not
yet on the political or civil society agenda. This has now changed because
of the economic recession. So then we thought we should start a project
that focuses attention in the Netherlands on the problem in a positive way
by showing youth can be leaders and initiators", Ms. Peeters said this
week.
"We're calling for youth organizations to contact us as we are still
looking for possible partners for this program. We're bringing four youth
organizations from four different countries to Holland in January 2004 to
develop a collective strategy for a two-year mentoring and micro-finance
program. It's a start-up conference for the Spark project. Our partners
abroad will help us select candidates with attractive business plans,
supervise the selected young entrepreneurs on a day to day basis, and find
a mentor for them from the business community."
Youth organizations wishing to participate should contact the Spark office
at the Dutch National Youth Council for details. Youth organizations from
all countries are encouraged to contact Spark, particularly countries with
an historic, or other clear link to the Netherlands, according to Ms.
Peeters. "We're in the feasibility part of the Spark project, so we have a
lot of work to do to set it up and welcome anyone who would like to
participate or contribute in any way", she said.
Leontien Peeters
Project Officer Youth Employment Spark
Dutch National Youth Council
Maliebaan 127, NL-3581 CK Utrecht
t: +31 30 2303581/83 f: +31 30 2303585 m: 06 - 47326209
leontienpeeters@jeugdraad.nl & www.jeugdraad.nl
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