View source for Youth for Exchange and Understanding

{{short description|International Non-Governmental Non-profit Youth Organisation}}
{{refimprove|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox organization
|name         = Youth for Exchange and Understanding
|image        = Youth for Exchange and Understanding logo.png
|image_border =
|size         =
|caption      = 
|type         = [[International Youth Non Governmental Organization|INGYO]]
|map          =
|msize        =
|mcaption     =
|abbreviation = YEU
|founded_date = {{start date|1986}}
|formation    = {{Start date and years ago|1986|08|28}}
|headquarters = Rue de la Loi 235 - box 27, 1040 [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]]
|language     = English
|leader_title = President
|leader_name  = Tamara Cvetkovic
|leader_title2 = Secretary General
|leader_name2 = Selin Gürlemez
|website      = {{URL|http://www.yeu-international.org/}}
}}

'''Youth for Exchange and Understanding''' (YEU) is an international nongovernmental [[Non-profit|nonprofit]] youth organisation established in 1986. It is a member of the [[European Youth Forum]] in [[Brussels]]. YEU is recognized by the [[Council of Europe]] and the Directorate of Youth and Sports of the [[European Commission]]. YEU has its Head Office in [[Brussels, Belgium]] and a second office in [[Faro, Portugal]], from where it coordinates a network with more than 27 member organisations from [[Europe]] and [[North Africa]]. YEU is a [[Nonprofit organisation|non-profit]] [[International Non Governmental Organisation|International Youth Non Governmental Organization]] (IYNGO) independent of all political affiliation.

==Overview==
===History===
Youth for Exchange and Understanding was founded on 28 August 1986 in [[Strasbourg]] by a group of 120 young people from 11 different countries, a result of 4-year cooperation which started in Germany in 1981 with the first international meeting - Convention (officially said Convention in 1983) with participants from eight nations. Since 1989 it has been a member of the [[European Coordination Bureau]]. Today YEU is a member of the [[European Youth Forum]] and the [[Lifelong Learning Platform]] and it is considered by the [[Council of Europe]] and the [[European Union]] as an international non-governmental non-profit youth organisation.

===Vision===
Youth for Exchange and Understanding works to promote peace, understanding and co-operation between the young people of the world, in a spirit of respect for human rights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yeu-international.org/en/yeu-international/about-us|publisher=YEU International|title=YEU website About Us section}}</ref>

===Mission===
YEU is inclusive network of youth organisations, led by and for young people, promoting importance of active citizenship initiatives by using non-formal education as a tool in order to provide knowledge, skills and intercultural experience for personal and social development.

===Structure===
YEU is run by youth for youth with a democratic structure headed by a board of directors. It has two offices, the headquarter and administrative office in [[Brussels]] and a second office in [[Faro, Portugal]].
There are three main bodies within YEU, the administrative office (AO), the [[Board of directors|governing board]] (GB) and the assembly of member organisations (GA).
* The Administrative Office takes care of [[logistics]], project management and coordination and network strategic planning;
* The Governing Board is composed by seven people and is responsible for general and planning and strategy of YEU;
* The General Assembly is held once a year with all full and observer members and it is devoted to GB and AO positions elections and to long-term planning.
Member organisations are youth-led [[NGO]]s registered as autonomous entities in their own countries.

==Activities==
YEU is actively involved in the [[Erasmus+]] framework and works closely with the [[European Youth Foundation]] to design and develop projects and events targeted at youth.

* '''International projects''': activities related with the work of YEU held in cooperation with other NGOs and/or partners, ranging from small events to extended cooperations in [[Horizon 2020]] projects;
* '''International Youth Convention''': a two to three-week convention held annually when people can experience life with local families, enjoy communal life in a campsite, and spend one week in a hostel in a city in the hosting country and meet with their peers, usually newcomers in the youth work field;
* '''Youth Exchanges''': a meeting of young people involving a maximum of 40 participants and lasting for around one-week to share ideas and discuss on a particular theme such as [[environmental protection]], [[Social equality|equality]] and [[democracy]], [[active citizenship]], [[social inclusion]], youth [[entrepreneurship]], [[human rights education]], etc.;
* '''Trainings''': one-week long full immersion training activities aimed at improving competencies of [[youth worker]]s in member organisations; 
* '''Work camps''': field work organised by a member organisation to perform a specific activity on a very local level to foster [[volunteering]] and [[youth work]];
* '''Internships''': periods of apprenticeship at one of the two offices open for people willing to explore the inner workings of an [[INGYO]].

==Members==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Organisation
!Country
!Status
|-
|Act4Change
|{{Flag|Belgium}}
|Full Member
|-
|Active Bulgarian Society
|{{Flag|Bulgaria}}
|Full Member
|-
|Agency for Development and Cooperation Cerebra
|{{Flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
|Full Member
|-
|Armenia Progressive Youth
|{{Flag|Armenia}}
|Full Member
|-
|Associação Movimento Juvenil em Olhão
|{{Flag|Portugal}}
|Full Member
|-
|Association for Development, Education and Labour
|{{Flag|Slovakia}}
|Full Member
|-
|"Bridge to the Future" Youth Public Union
|{{Flag|Azerbaijan}}
|Full Member
|-
|Center for Intercultural Dialogue
|{{Flag|Macedonia}}
|Full Member
|-
|Center for Social Innovations "Centrifuge"
|{{Flag|Serbia}}
|Full Member
|-
|CIM Horyzonty
|{{Flag|Poland}}
|Full Member
|-
|Civil Life Association
|{{Flag|Turkey}}
|Full Member
|-
|Club Culturel Ali BELHOUANE 
|{{Flag|Tunisia}}
|Full Member
|-
|Community Volunteers Foundation
|{{Flag|Turkey}}
|Full Member
|-
|Development NO Borders
|{{Flag|Egypt}}
|Full Member
|-
|Express Yourself
|{{Flag|Latvia}}
|Full Member
|-
|[[Foundation of Regional Initiatives (FRI)|Foundation of Regional Initiatives]]
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|Full Member
|-
|Impronta Giovani
|{{Flag|Italy}}
|Full Member
|-
|Institute for Ukrainian Studies
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|Full Member
|-
|Ireli
|{{Flag|Azerbaijan}}
|Full Member
|-
|Jaunimo mainai ir bendradarbiavimas
|{{Flag|Lithuania}}
|Full Member
|-
|No Excuse
|{{Flag|Slovenia}}
|Full Member
|-
|Resource Centee Leskovac
|{{Flag|Serbia}}
|Full Member
|-
|YEU Estonia
|{{Flag|Estonia}}
|Full Member
|-
|Youth Exchange and Understanding Malta
|{{Flag|Malta}}
|Full Member
|-
|Youth Exchange and Understanding Cyprus
|{{Flag|Cyprus}}
|Full Member
|-
|ZID Montenegro
|{{Flag|Montenegro}}
|Full Member
|-
|Ενωμένες Κοινωνίες των Βαλκανίων/United Societies of Balkans - U.S.B.
|{{Flag|Greece}}
|Full Member
|-
|Culture Goes Europe Erfurt E.V.
|{{Flag|Germany}}
|Observer Member
|-
|Generation of Changes
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|Observer Member
|-
|Gibberish
|{{Flag|Norway}}
|Observer Member
|-
|Mental Health Masters Association (MHMA)
|{{Flag|Georgia}}
|Observer Member
|-
|Mladinski Center Bit
|{{Flag|Slovenia}}
|Observer Member
|-
|SIT - Center for Counseling, Social Services, and Research
|{{Flag|Kosovo}}
|Observer Member
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.yeu-international.org/ YEU International Website]
* [http://www.youthforum.org/about/member-organisations/#Y European Youth Forum member list]
* [https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/otlas-partner-finding/organisation/youth-for-exchange-and-understanding.8157/ SALTO Youth page]
* [http://www.youthforum.org/assets/2014/10/QA-Framework-for-NFE_YEUs-adaptation.pdf Publication on NFE adaptation by YEU]

{{European Youth Forum}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Youth For Exchange And Understanding}}
[[Category:European Union youth policy]]
[[Category:Youth empowerment organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1986]]
[[Category:International organisations based in Belgium]]
[[Category:International organizations based in Europe]]
[[Category:International educational organizations]]
[[Category:Education in Europe]]