Smokinya Foundation Newsletter
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Smokinya Club
Since July the Smokinya Club is progressing and we are happy to have weekly meetings during the evening to share and invite the young people of the community to have a good time around fun activities.
Here's a quick plan of what happened in July, and what's coming up in August!
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DO NOT STOP US NOW: JULY 2022
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Trainings, exchanges and opportunities
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Internships
As you know, in Smokinya Foundation we work with international volunteers in order to help youth to find European opportunity and now, we are looking for young people who want to get new working experience as an intern in an interesting environment by making their first step to a career of their dream! If you join us, you will be introduced to the organisation and will be trained how we work. You will be supervised and mentored in a way to set your own goals and learn, practice, develop and master some important life skills and competencies; team work, cooperation, learning to learn, time management, communication and coaching skills, project initiation from A to Z and much more! It sounds great, right? Then click in the following link and become part of the team!
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Eurodesk opportunities
In Smokinya Foundation we know if you are here reading these words, it is because you are interested in the European Union and what is happening there. For these reasons, and taking advantage the European Year of Youth, we are more than convinced that you will find the following tips provided by the Eurodesk platform about how to find and apply to opportunities abroad particularly interesting. So do not wait any longer and take a look now! And if you have not heard about Eurodesk, do not worry, click on the button and discover a new horizon of possibilities!
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Sustainable Me - Training Course
We live in a world that moves too fast at times, where we may find it difficult to meet and adapt to all the new changes that are coming in our time. In addition, we have an appointment with our commitment to the global environment to reverse the current levels of pollution and to stop the climate change that is already a dangerous reality in our lifetimes. So, what if we told you that you could do both? What if someone gave you the opportunity to take a break from your life to invest a few days to learn and contribute to doing something really meaningful for nature? Because this is no joke; Narana Hostopece, an NGO based in the Czech Republic, is looking for motivated participants willing to live an absolutely offline and isolated from the rest of the world experience in the heart of the country, where they will be taught about topics such as zero waste, sustainable lifestyle, recycling or the fight against global warming. Are you that person? Apply now!
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Youth Guide – Training Course
As a Youth NGO and official Eurodesk Multiplayer, in Smokinya Foundation we are pleased to announce you that we will host the “Youth Guide” Basic Synergy Training between the 30 August and 9 September; a very intense experience for those who want to get out of their comfort zone and find out themselves. So if you are willing to question your negative beliefs, set up long term goals, gain self-confidence take ownership of your actions, forget your previous prejudices and reflect about the actions you take, this is truly for you. Apply now and be welcome to your new life!
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On the way to quality – Training Course
Were you looking for a chance to become a youth trainer? Then it is your lucky day, because we have an amazing offer that you cannot refuse. Our friend of Brno Connected have open spots to join to a very intense long term project programme to train people who desires to develop themselves as youth workers. Ten days in Loutí, Czech Republic, where you will deal topics such as international environment, non-formal education, group work and soft skills, Erasmus+ and networking, learning how to design and deliver high quality education, filling the gap produced by official educational systems. The main requirement is to be proactive and have a strong motivation to make a change, so if that is your case, take the step now and apply today!
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Elevate YOUth work - Training Course
Do you work in a NGO? Do you want to improve the awareness about LGBTQIA+ situation in your professional environment? Or perhaps you are just interested in the topic? It does not matter; Active Rainbow is inviting people from all over Europe to take part in his Training Course in Latvia, and we are sure that could be the opportunity you were waiting for! Widen your knowledge and competencies about the LGBTQIA+ topic, experience the benefits of international cooperation, improve your organizational team-work skills, discover how to use new digital and media skills… And do not forget about the Image/Theatre/Storytellling techniques! Take the risk, and deliver your application as soon as possible, you will not have regrets.
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New Era - ESC Voluntering
The world is a beautiful place to live in, but even the paradise needs some support. In this regard, if you are a change maker willing to dirty your hands to create a better environment that fits for everyone, Hopeland, and NGO located in Greece has a gift for you. What about a full month living as a volunteer in Argos? Take initiatives by creating opportunities and real results for the society and local communities, share an unforgettable experience surrounded by people from other countries in an eco-village in the nature, learn how to handle with challenges and problems in your life and of course, develop your media skills working on photography, video editing, documenting and film making. But above all, test yourself! Get out of your comfort zone and do not let pass this opportunity. Apply now!
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News, events and activities
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Smokinya Podcast
Do you like to travel? Maybe you think your future lies abroad? Or do you just like to have fun in good company? Then you are in luck, because our international team has recently created "Smokinya Poadcast", a digital and online radio show that will touch on many different youth-related topics such as employment, entrepreneurship, studying and working abroad, life experiences and much more. During this second season, we will talk about volunteering, Erasmus programmes, working or studying abroad, thanks to the personal experience of local people and some of our motivated participants in Smokinya Foundation. Are you going to miss the opportunity? Click on the button below and enjoy, learn and laugh.
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Europportunities
Maybe you have already heard about Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps projects, since we make a huge effort to reach all of you, but… Did you know that there are hundreds of granted opportunities waiting for you in the European Union? Were quite sure that is not the case since they are unfortunately unknow, but as an official Eurodesk Multiplier is our duty, and of course a pleasure, to do it. So, we are glad to let you know that we have prepared a detailed article on our website where we present four amazing chances for you; the BlueBook Programme, which offers traineeships in the European Commission, the Fulbright-Schuman Programme, to apply for a grant to study in the USA, the Erasmus+ for Young Entrepreneurs Programme, for those who look for support to start a new business in Europe, and the World Forum for Democracy, an amazing event where young people will discuss about current problems of our society with experts, EU representatives and decision-makers. Does it sound interesting, right? Then visit our website, you can find all the information that you need there; how to apply, formal requirements, extra links…. Do not miss it these Europportunties, apply now!
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Sustainable Development Goals
Do you know what the United Nations is? Have you heard of the Sustainable Development Goals? In any case, we are sure you will find our new article both interesting and useful, where we explain the reasons why this initiative was taken in 2015 to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace by 2030. Do you want to know what are these 17 goals subscribed by most of the countries in the world? Click on the following link and become an active member of this change.
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"Goodbyes are not foerever" - Viki's final reflection
Nine months, that is how long Viki, our Austrian intern, has spent learning, working and contributing at the Smokinya Foundation to create a better world than the one we have already seen, through love and cooperation. It seems so far away in time, and it has gone by so fast! So, from our team we can only say thank you. Thank you for her tireless positive attitude, for her motivation to support us from the first moment, for her perseverance to succeed in all the projects and activities we have organised, personal or professional, and above all, thank you for giving us the opportunity to meet her and become friends. Viki is now leaving our organisation, but the result of her efforts remains with us. But we do not want to be sad; as she herself wrote in her last article, "farewells are not forever, they simply mean until we meet again", and we really subscribe to her sweet words. Do you want to know more about her experience with us? Check out the article on our website!
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EU Survey
Smokinya Foundation is a youth NGO focused on international mobility, in particular Erasmus+ and ESC projects. During these experiences we send young people abroad with the aim of improving their skills and making them achieve others that can make a difference in their professional and also personal life. Thus, all our participants travel all over Europe thanks to programmes funded by the European Union, but... What do they really know about it? What comes to their minds when someone mentions the EU? That is exactly what we were wondering in our team, so we grabbed our film crew and well, you can guess the rest; lights, camera and action! Do not be left out and discover people's thoughts and reactions, maybe you will see that you are not so different from them, or maybe you are. The European Union is so pluralistic that it's open to any option! Watch our video!
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World Environment Day
In accordance with the United Nations calendar, we have recently celebrated World Environment Day. A moment loaded with meaning and symbolism regarding the current situation of our planet, where global warming and climate change among other dangers are threatening our future. Thus, our team of volunteers took the decision to record a video to summarise and explain some obvious facts that people might have ignored, but which are the result of our actions and which we have to fight to change. The massive felling of trees, the pollution of the oceans, the lack of drinkable water.... Play the video and find out what is happening out there, become a concerned citizen and help us to reverse this situation!
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Zumba class
Summer is here, we like to go to the pool, to the seaside, and most of us have forgotten to do enough exercise during the year, so now we regret it... But do not worry! In the Smokinya Foundation we try to encourage people to maintain a healthy lifestyle, so we have decided to continue organising our popular Zumba lessons where Masha, our fitness expert, teaches everyone how to get active through funny and motivating dances and exercises. A way to cheer up, to improve your body, to work your heart and also to enjoy and meet friends in an international and friendly atmosphere. Are you ready to let this opportunity pass you by again? Do not be shy and join us for the next event!
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For a world free of hate speech
We live in a global, digital world, where we can even find out if a butterfly is flapping its wings on the other side of the planet in a matter of seconds, simply by clicking on our laptop, or scrolling on our smartphone. This has been perceived as one of the greatest achievements of our century, the information age, but ..... What if this ease is also something to be wary of? That is why we in our team, in line with our common goals of providing a safe space for young people to grow and develop their skills, consider it relevant to warn them about the dangers of surfing the internet today. Fake news, scams, hate speech and cyberbullying are some of the most common issues that young people need to be aware of and therefore our team has prepared a short but meaningful video to raise awareness of these issues. Click on the link below and find out what they have to say!
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Working for the future: Cleaning event
Summer is hitting our old continent hard, and Bulgaria is no exception. However, we are convinced that there is a lot of work to be done in our local environments to improve them not only for all of us, but also for future generations. What kind of landscape do we want to leave them? In this sense, we at the Smokinya Foundation have decided to contribute to this goal even if our work represents only a drop of water in the ocean, and that is why these days our tireless team of international volunteers has once again taken up their gloves and bags, going through the streets of our beloved Plovidv to clean it of rubbish. After the Maritsa riverside, our team's goal was to clean up the Bike Park and the main public areas of Lauta Park, and we promise they succeeded! Work, effort, sweat, results. That is our philosophy. Act with us next time and do something useful for your village, make a change in the world from your home!
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A small act of kindness
Life is not always an easy path, we know that, but the world is full of good people willing to help others without expecting to receive anything as a reward. For these reasons, and with the aim of demonstrating to our society that anything is possible if we work together for a noble goal, in Smokinya Foundation we have taken the decision to go out into the street and ask random people about the good actions that have happened in their lives, about the small acts of kindness that they still remember despite the passage of time. Because bad memories hurt, but good moments are even stronger and mark us forever. Are you curious to know what our participants answered? Then go directly to the video at the following link. You will be surprised how people can change the world through small acts of love.
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Human Rights Games
What is more important to you, the right to have a decent home or the right to have unrestricted freedom of expression? The right to marry the person of your choice, or the right to protest? These questions are just a few examples of the activity that the Smokinya Team organised a few days ago, when our motivated guests had to explain their views by reflecting on the relevance of the different rights and, moreover, put themselves in the shoes of an imaginary person with an opposite background to check if those rights are really guaranteed for them, or not. It was an intense session for all of them that will make them reflect on these issues for a few days after our meeting. However, that is our goal! To contribute to develop young people's critical thinking. Do not miss the opportunity to go through this experience, we are waiting for you!
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Gender Roles and Stereotypes
We are sure that you have heard about feminist demands for equal rights, equal treatment and equal opportunities for all, as it is an important issue of our century that constantly comes up nowadays. However, how much do you know about gender roles and stereotypes? Is your personality the result of your genes, your nature, or a process of construction as a consequence of social conventions? We know it is a deep question without a simple answer, and that is why we at Smokinya have prepared a special activity in which our participants have had to debate, discuss and share their thoughts and feelings, seeking to gain a better perspective on what is happening today and how our society works. Come to our next Smokinya Club, make your mark and take away something useful from an international environment!
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WHAT'S NEXT?: AUGUST 2022
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August 2022
Summer has finally arrived, it has arrived in full force, we feel it every day. However, the world does not stop, neither does in Smokinya Foundation! If you enjoyed our activity calendar in July, take a breath because we have planned a really busy August full of activities and opportunities for you, from our Erasmus+ and ESC projects to clean-up events, debates on the role of global warming and neurographic experiments. Catch this train now, it will not happen again!
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What are the experiences and successes of previous participants in our Erasmus + courses?
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Thank you for reading our Newsletter!
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