Our Mission
The aims of our program
Our goal is to strengthen future perspectives for the youth of Ukraine and develop and build them within the context of practical activities and initiatives – such as workshops, cultural events and charitable projects.
By this, we aim to foster self-efficacy and hope of youth, and at the same time support concrete initiatives for rebuilding and further developing social, sustainable structures.
We want to become allies for life – both in terms of the many facets that life offers, as well as for a long time – and at the same time encourage countless connections between young people with ideas for a better future and motivation to put visions into action.
Program Content
What is it about?
In the present, we focus on educational support, personal development and fostering meaningful connection among peers, thereby strengthening young people’s potential and capacities in collaboration.
In looking towards the future, we explore leadership, empowering young people to discover the chances and responsibilities they can embrace in rebuilding a resilient society. Youth discover the many facets of participation, envisioning a future they are passionate about, and becoming empowered to build it step by step and sustainably, in practical actions initiated within the program and aiming to grow far beyond it.
In this, we uphold our aim of becoming allies for life – participants build a resilient and meaningful network that accompanies them on a journey of a lifetime, and the program itself upholds a simple principle: To meet unspeakable aggression with the defiant emphasis of flourishing.
Our Activities
Project Allies for Life
Our baseline project focuses on supporting young refugees from Ukraine on the personal, social and societal level. In a year of activities, from summer 2022 to summer 2023, we provided support in developing competences for participation, experiencing opportunities for civic engagement by co-creating events, and creating ideas for society with an ecological, inclusive and/or digital emphasis, translating them into larger perspectives.
On the personal level, soft skill workshops and educational support were implemented. On the social level, cultural events were co-created, and forums for developing sustainable, inclusive and/or digital initiatives for society were opened. On the societal level, participants received input on leadership qualities and implemented an own initiative within the framework of a coaching program. The according project summary can be found here.
Project „Arriving in the Present, Building the Future“
Our „Arriving in the Present, Building the Future“ project also initially ran from summer 2022 to summer 2023, with spin-off activities having evolved and taken shape also beyond the initial duration. Its focus was especially on creating a multitude of dialogue events that empower the voice of Ukrainian youth refugees. The project summary is here.
The primary aim was and is to provide especially marginalized youth and young adults with support for ideas, perspectives and visions for their future, ensuring participation on a social and societal level through meaningful dialogue.
The activities intend to in particular help young people with fewer opportunities or more challenging starting conditions to find their role in our society and to feel confident and equipped to foster their own ideas, formats and initiatives.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Three Levels of Development
The Allies for Life program acts on three levels:
Questions?
We’d love to hear from you.