The European Year 2008 (Intercultural Dialogue) will continue to offer a suitable context for European activities and projects focusing on diversity, inclusion, human rights and participation. Our consortium consists of youth NGOs active in different thematic areas and geographical regions and strives to contribute to these efforts by the proposed project, beyond the well established existing international youth platforms such as the European Youth Forum.

The special momentum of our project proposal, apart from the diversity represented in the project consortium, will be the SDDP methodology which we are going to apply and which will generate new ideas and strategies in order to promote the rights, opportunities and knowledge of less privileged youth and their participation in the Youth in Action programme. SDDP (Structured Dialogic Design Process) is an innovative third-phase science methodology specifically designed to assist inhomogeneous groups to deal with complex issues, in a reasonably limited amount of time. It enables the integration of contributions from individuals with diverse views, backgrounds and perspectives through a process that is structured, inclusive and collaborative. The approach promotes focused communication among the participants in the design process and their ownership of and commitment in the outcome. It is designed to prevent groups from prematurely focusing on decisions before they have adequately defined the situation, and conceptualize alternatives.
The project is bringing together NGOs that are active in youth work on an international and European level and which have a rich experience in developing and implementing projects in the context of the Youth, Youth in Action and Euromed Youth Programme and/or are striving to increasingly work with the Youth in Action programme. “UCYVROK” is aiming to provide a framework for these organisations in which they can exchange and pool their experiences and project deliverables from various projects they have developed or they are about to implement, especially youth exchanges, trainings, seminars, youth initiatives and youth democracy projects. It will help to establish links between projects and activities tackling similar issues and striving to overcome similar obstacles and arrange an organised framework for the valorisation, dissemination and exploitation of the results and achievements of those projects.

The objectives of the project are:
1. Create a platform for the exchange of expertise, materials and resources of youth organisations active in areas of cultural diversity, human rights and active citizenship;

2. Foster exchange of experiences and best practices between youth organisations across Europe, and create close bonds among them;

3. Actively engage youth organisations in old and new member states in developing
a.) a Joint Vision of a European youth environment, based on the concepts of diversity, human rights and active citizenship, and a Joint Action Plan towards a European Youth actively involved in strengthening and promoting intercultural dialogue and the participation of less privileged youth.

In order to achieve these objectives, the following activities are planned to be implemented throughout the project:

· An online platform which will serve as an interactive forum for the youth organisations involved in order to enable exchange of ideas and experiences.

· One initial SDDP – Co-laboratory involving all project partners, focusing on:

(1) defining the ‘problématique’, i.e. the challenges faced within the European youth environment with respect to cultural diversity, discrimination and social exclusion, as well as active participation of less privileged youth, and
(2) developing a Joint Action Plan on how to tackle these challenges, both within the project and beyond.

· Two regional SDDP Co-laboratories focusing on regional challenges of cultural diversity. One co-laboratory will take place in Italy and will be attended by participants from the old member states and Cyprus; and one co-laboratory will take place in Romania and will be attended by participants from the new member states except Cyprus.
· A second SDDP – Co-laboratory involving all partners as well as youth representatives from the partner countries, focusing on (1) developing a Joint Vision for a future European youth environment, based on diversity, human rights, social inclusion and active citizenship, and (2) developing a Joint Action Plan towards the empowerment and increased participaton of less privileged youth in European youth activities.

· An international conference focusing on strengthening the participation of vulnerable and less privileged youth, allowing for a cross-European exchange of best practices used by the different partner organisations.

· Sharing of the materials and resources developed throughout the completed or running projects of all the partners (videos, manuals, posters, leaflets, etc.)

· Based on the joint Action Plan, all partners will draft a Joint Declaration on Citizenship and Participation which will be submitted to the national Youth Councils, Youth Boards and Ministries, as well as to the European Youth Forum, the European Youth Parliament and the European Parliament.

· Virtual communication and interaction will be initiated through online portals with links on the projects developed and implemented by the partner organisations. A CD-ROM and a booklet presenting best practices, resources and materials, translated into English, will be produced and widely disseminated.