2.8 Raising awareness about youth volunteering opportunities
On this page
On this page
Information providers
Information in present times is very important for young people. Information needs to be eligible, factional and reliable in order to provide opportunities that are open for them. In the last few years’ big importance is given to the right for information, where CSO’s are supported by the government and international foundations, to provide information for young people, including information on volunteering.
National public authorities
Agency of Youth and Sport:
Main governmental body that is in charge of youth in Republic of North Macedonia is the Agency of Youth and Sport that is basically governmental body with its own budget and responsibilities. Although it is not a ministry, it is an independent structure that is not under any other particular governmental ministry and reports directly to the Prime Minister. The Youth Department is divided into two sub-Departments: International cooperation and Youth policy and training.
Other national public bodies
Other national bodies that are directly involved into dissemination of youth information are the Ministry of Education and Science, Employment Service Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Ministry of Culture, which has activities connected with youth. On a regular basis the mentioned public bodies provide information for youth on their web pages in general, and information on volunteering in particular as part of their providing information.
National Agency for European Educational Programmes and Mobility
An important role in the dissemination of youth information about youth opportunities and mobility also has the National Agency for European Educational Programmes and Mobility. This organization is in charge of the European Commission programs such as Erasmus+ (certainly most important for Youth) that are widely speeded among youth CSOs.
National Council for the Development of Volunteering
National Council for the Development of Volunteering (NCDV) was established by Government in 2012 in order to ensure successful planning and implementation of objectives and measures of the Strategy for Development of Volunteering. The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy provided administrative - technical support for the work of NCDV. National Council for the Development of Volunteering was responsible for the promotion and development of volunteering as a socially useful activity, planning specific measures and monitor the development of volunteering.
But since the mandate of the Council has expired in 2017 it does not currently function.
Local public authorities with competencies in the youth field
According to the new Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies Municipalities have to establish a youth office, which will coordinate the youth work in municipalities and is the primary point of access for young people at the local level. Beside this, in cooperation with the municipalities, youth centers will be established. Youth centers are places where programs are prepared and implemented that improve the well-being of young people, the development of personal, social and professional life of young people, and also share information of important interest to young people. To establish and open these youth centers the municipalities are required to follow the administrative procedure defined in the Law, as well as The Regulation for Standards of Quality for Youth Centers. So far, there are seven youth centers in the municipality of Centar, Probishtip, Kumanovo, Shtip, Veles, Kavadarci and Ohrid.
Youth CSOs
Nowadays, the youth sector in the Republic of North Macedonia is a combination of associations such as: youth organizations, organizations of different fields with youth target groups, youth lead organizations, student associations and student unions, youth political wings, and cultural and artistic youth associations. Youth organizations have an active role in dissemination of volunteering information for young people.
The largest youth representative body in North Macedonia is National Youth Council of Macedonia. NYCM unites 51 organizations throughout the country, in order to promote and advocate for the rights of the young people on a national level. NYCM was established on 29 June 2013 by 55 organizations.
Useful websites:
www.mladi.mk is an online platform (developed by NYCM) where young people can find volunteering and other opportunities for personal development.
www.mladiinfo.eu, web portal founded by Mladiinfo International (non-profit, independent organization). On the web portal youth can find different international opportunities: scholarships, internships, volunteering etc.
https://hajde.media, is an online platform, founded by Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), aimed for young people interested in taking part in events, opportunities, and news within the Western Balkans six countries, including North Macedonia.
Specific contact point
EURODESK is an international nonprofit association. As a support organization to the Erasmus+ programme, EURODESK is one of the most comprehensive and most accessible sources of free youth information about international learning mobility opportunities.
As of today, EURODESK is present in 36 countries and it is also present in North Macedonia.
Key initiatives
The Republic of North Macedonia is missing state-funded national or regional centers or agencies that support volunteering organizations. In general, the initiatives for youth policies in North Macedonia are coming from the civil sector.
There is some optimism that things will be changed soon, as at the beginning of 2020 the government finally adopted the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies. One of the goals of the law is encouragement of volunteering, youth activism and youth work.