From 18th to 21st November, the final conference of the YOUNIC project was held in Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona), in Spain, in Mundus headquarters Mas Fonollar. This event gathered again the representatives of every partner in the project, who reunited in order to evaluate the last two years of collaboration and activities, and to present the local activities and initiatives that every partner has carried out with the help of transnational volunteers.
During the days of the final conference, YOUNIC partners have worked together in giving an overview of the project and presenting its main results and local experiences, along with the preparation of documents and administrative tasks. On 20th November, a Spanish local experience in the frame of the project, the creation of the former youngsters in care union UJEC, was presented to the partners. Two members of the association explained how they worked with Ferney Arévalo, a Colombian volunteer of the project, in setting up this new organisation that aims to empower youngsters who leave the tutelage system without enough hopes and guarantees for the future.
After having presented all the local results and impact and having evaluated all the implications before the closing up of the project, the members of YOUNIC’s partners organisations have carried out a follow-up meeting and an official farewell of the project. This included the exploration of new ways of further collaboration between YOUNIC’s partners once the project is finished.
In the opinion of the partners representatives, YOUNIC project has been an inspiring experience, which has help them enhance the local youth actions and initiatives. Specifically, Mario Barreto from GAL Valletenzano in Colombia, highlighted that YOUNIC habilitated the generation of cooperation knots with local and foreign stakeholders and organisations. He stated that YOUNIC was a great opportunity for GAL Valletenzano to grow and help empowering local youth in Boyacá.
Moreover, as mentioned by Txus Torres from Eveho Foundation, YOUNIC has provided the opportunity to many youngsters to live a once in a lifetime experience from América and Europe, that has brought both locals and volunteers a chance to know another cultures, practices and ways of life. Also some of the contributions emphasised that YOUNIC was a unique opportunity to establish new initiatives and foster entrepreneurship in a local level, thanks to the exchange of ideas and good practices that the project has habilitated in the last two years.