The Balkan Children and Youth Foundation (BCYF) was founded in 2000 under the auspices of IYF to improve the conditions and prospects for young people throughout the Balkan region. BCYF represents a new model of regional cooperation that aims to increase the effectiveness, scale, and sustainability of existing programs. Its goal is to serve as a catalyst in strengthening the youth development sector through a range of capacity-building supports, targeted grantmaking, and networking opportunities. Chief programmatic areas supported by BCYF include: youth employment; technology; non-formal education; health promotion and prevention; and civic education and democracy building.

BCYF grew out of an extensive dialogue among local and international NGO, business, and government leaders on effective and sustainable ways to meet the needs of the region’s young people. With regional operations headquartered in Skopje, Macedonia, the countries served by the initiative are: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania and Yugoslavia (comprising Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro). In addition, Greece, Hungary, Slovenia, and Turkey are involved in the program as part of a regional strategy to network and share expertise.

Success Story

To read how BCYF positively impacted the life of Roma children click here

BCYF and the Clinton Global Initiative

In 2006, Studio Moderna, a European marketing firm learned about BCYF through the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), and decided to support its efforts to improve the lives and opportunities of young people in Macedonia. Since then, BCYF and Studio Moderna have launched a program to boost youth employment in Macedonia by providing employability training to 1,000 youth. Click here to read about this partnership on the Clinton Initiative’s website.

Report

To read the conference report of the Balkan Youth Forum 2004 “Building a Brighter Future Today”
click here

• In Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia, the Youth Business Entrepreneurship Program matches the ambitions of aspiring youth entrepreneurs with the resources they need to start their own small businesses.

• The Youth Social Entrepreneurship Program increases the knowledge, skills and resources of youth leaders or participants in youth-led programs.

• The NGO Youth Engagement Program, aims at engaging young people, ages 12-24 in civic participation activism service learning, social entrepreneurship, and youth mobilization with a special emphasis on cross-border cooperation.

• The Youth Centre in Gornji Vakuf in Bosnia-Herzegovina enhances and promotes reconciliation among children and youth from both sides of a divided community through educational, artistic, creative, and recreational activities.

• Association "Step by Step" in Skopje, Macedonia operates a unique children's center that offers a space for children to gain knowledge through active learning.

• Center Education 2000+ in Bucharest, Romania prepares teenagers for wage and self –employment. It equips them with the personal, social, and technical skills to successfully participate in the economy, to promote values of ethical business practices and economic citizenship.

• Group MOST in Belgrade provides training to 10 youth NGOs in conflict resolution, non-violent communication, NGO management and cooperation, and intercultural understanding.