In March 2015, with support from the European Union, the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association (DVV International) initiated a new 3-years Project “Youth Empowerment toward Sustainability and Change” (YES to Change) within the framework of the EU “Peace Building Partnership Programme”, “Youth employment as a conflict prevention and peace-building vector”.
DVV International being the Project implementing and coordinating agency, has extended development experience, including educational development projects, implemented in the Central Asia region. Local implementing partners are the NGOs “Nur”, “Madina” and the Khorog branch of the National Adult Training Center (ATC). The project is funded by the European Union (494.096 Euros = 80%) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (130.904 Euros = 20%). The Project activity targets 7 districts of Badakhshan and its capital town Khorog.
The overall objective of this initiative is to reduce emerging tensions in GBAO through establishing sustainable and efficient networks of young leaders engaged in policy dialogue, social and economic development of their communities, which will be achieved through the creation of a sustainable and structured environment.
Direct target groups of the Project are: 1500 youth of the age of 15 to 29 (graduates of civic education, business trainings, vocational courses and participants of debate clubs); 16 new master trainers/ professional orientation specialists and 12 consultants of small business development; 10 managerial staff of the two partner NGOs and the ATC; 25 youth education multipliers from 9 NGOs/CSOs; 50 local government officials, 30 local start -up entrepreneurs and 50 existing business structures staff.