You are invited to share your story about volunteering to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and tackling some of the world’s big issues related to environment, hunger, education, maternal health and HIV/AIDs. A 24-hour, online film festival on 4 December 2010 will showcase the best video stories received from volunteers, communities, civil society, non-governmental organisations and United Nations partners and will culminate with the celebrations of the International Volunteer Day (IVD), on 5 December 2010. The best stories will also inspire debate and dialogue next year, marking the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10). Join the discussion and find out how to share your story on this Facebook page.

Considering the success of the European Youth Capital initiative and the great interest among applicant cities, the European Youth Forum is launching a new call for the European Youth Capital 2014. Do you want to suggest your city to run for the title? Contact local authorities and persuade them to apply before 1 May 2011!

The title ‘European Youth Capital’ is granted by the European Youth Forum to a European city for a period of one year. It’s given the city the chance to show its youth-related social, economic, cultural and political life and development by presenting a multi-faceted programme.  The first European Youth Capital was Rotterdam (the Netherlands) The European Youth Forum has since then awarded the EYC title to Torino  (Italy), Antwerp (Belgium), Braga (Portugal) and most recently Maribor (Slovenia)

After the success of blogging competition TH!NK’s second edition in the run up to the Copenhagen climate summit, TH!NK4 is switching the focus to climate again. Journalists, students and bloggers are invited to use the competition’s online platform to share their thoughts, as COP16 Mexico approaches. Sign up by registering and submitting one blog post. Registration will enable you to join the competition and your post will be submitted as your first entry. Once registered you will receive a login and full access to blog on COP16 and other climate change issues. The winner of this blog competition will win a reporting trip to COP16 in Cancun. The TH!NK 4 contest started on 4 October 2010 and ends on 15 December 2010. Find out more about TH!NK ABOUT IT.

Maribor (Slovenia) is awarded for the European Youth Capital in 2013. The European Youth Capital is a title granted to a European city for a year and is awarded by the European Youth Forum. Over this period the chosen city will have the opportunity to showcase its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development and to host a number of corresponding events. This year Torino (Italy) is the centre of European youth and next year it will be Antwerp (Belgium).

The BBC World Service launches the global search for two of the world’s best new radioplays with the International Playwriting Competition. Two lucky writers will win the opportunity to have their plays broadcast on the World Service. It is a competition for anyone resident outside Britain, to write a 60-minute radio drama for up to six characters. There are two categories: one for writers with English as their first language and one for writers with English as their second language. The two winners will come to London and see their play made into a full radio production, which will then be broadcast on the BBC World Service. They will also each receive a £2,500 prize and there are also prizes for the runners-up. Are you interested to participate in this competition? Please, check the competition rules. Deadline: 31 March 2011.

Are you involved in organizing a youth event, youth exchange or internet project with a European dimension? In that case this is your chance to participate in a competition to win the European Charlemagne Youth Prize. The European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen will invite youth from all the EU Member States, to participate in a competition about EU development, integration and European identity issues. The Prize is awarded to projects undertaken by young people which foster understanding, promote the development of a shared sense of European identity, and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community.

Do you think your project makes a good shot to win this competition on EU development, integration and European identity issues? You can apply online until 23 January 2011. Further information about the participation criteria, prizes and selection procedure is available on the website.

Lights, Camera, Action! The Publications Office of the European Union is calling on the creativity and technical skills of young people studying subjects like communication and film for the production of short, fun and entertaining promotional films on two of its services: EU Bookshop and Ted (Tenders Electronic Daily). The contest is open to all educational establishments based in one of the 27 EU Member States or an EEA country, which can submit as many entries as they desire. Films and videos should be produced in one of the 23 official languages of the EU. Submission deadline:17 January 2011. For more detailed information about the contest, please click here.

Cau Jarufe Montagne, Márton Demeter and Balázs Kovács are the winners of the Youth on the Move ‘My European Diary’ contest. These winners were selected from among 47 stories and testimonials submitted in the form of videos, photos and texts relating to experiences of studying or working in a different country. The contest was launched with the aim to trigger exchanges between those who have studied or worked abroad and those who might be thinking about doing so. Visit the Youth on the Move webpage, to see the winning and other submitted stories.

The EU is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its Leonardo da Vinci programme, which helps to fund thousands of vocational education and training courses across Europe. Since 1995 the EU has helped more than 600 000 young people to go on training placements abroad. The European Commission is currently investing €240 million a year through Leonardo da Vinci to support the mobility of trainees, apprentices and trainers and the modernisation of vocational education and training in 31 countries.

Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: “Vocational education and training gives students the kind of skills that are increasingly sought after on the labour market. The Leonardo da Vinci programme offers them more by helping to fund work placements abroad. This experience boosts their language abilities and other broad skills like team-working and adaptability, which makes them more employable and enhances their personal development. In the long-term this contributes to building a better-qualified workforce and to making Europe more competitive.”

Public consultation on the future of the programme
Leonardo da Vinci is part of the Lifelong Learning Programme, and also includes three other programmes supporting mobility: Erasmus (for higher education students), Comenius (schools) and Grundtvig (adult education). Do you want to give your opinion on EU policies and influence their direction? The Commission has launched a public consultation on the Lifelong Learning Programme after 2014.

Read about how to apply for projects funded by the Leonardo da Vinci Programme.

Doc Next is a special program of IDFA (International Documentary Festival Amsterdam), featuring short documentaries by a new generation of young film talents from Europe using accessible media technologies to zoom in on their environments. At the Doc Next talk show (today), young documentary makers took centre stage. Their films and stories were seized to discuss the challenges and possibilities of user-generated media content with festival organisers, media broadcasters and documentary experts. How can do-it-yourself documentaries inspire different media domains and contribute to inclusive public opinion sharing in Europe? How can this new generation of storytellers help mainstream media to attract new audiences?

The European Culture Foundation (ECF) invited 10 talented do-it-yourself video makers to participate in the IDFAcademy, the international 3 day training program during IDFA for film students and emerging filmmakers. For a preview of their work, go to the ECF Vimeo channel or Read the rest of this entry »