New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Regaining a sense of belonging

Email user
kloviskaroshi@gmail.com

Basic information
Initiative title
Serenatë 2023 - Forum of EYP Albania

Full initiative Title
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Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
An upcoming event organized by EYP Albania, Serenatë 2023 seeks to give its participants the chance to steep in the culture of Korça, one of Albania's most beautiful locales. Over the course of a week, youth from all around Europe will look at our world through the lens of heritage and learn as much from it as possible in order to, through debate and a democratic process that simulates the real-world European Parliament, provide solutions for the major issues European society is faced with.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
National

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Albania

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
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Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): European Youth Parliament Albania
  Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation
  First name of representative: Klovis
  Last name of representative: Karoshi
  Gender: Male
  Nationality: Albania
  Function: Human Resources Department of EYP Albania, Head Organizer of Serenatë
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Rruga e Barrikadave N.2 H.7
  Town: Tirana
  Postal code: 1010
  Country: Albania
  Direct Tel: +49 176 59679147
  E-mail: klovis.karoshi@eypalbania.org
  Website: https://www.eypalbania.org/home
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.instagram.com/eypalbania/?hl=en
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): eypalbania
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/eypalbania/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): European Youth Parliament Albania
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
Serenatë 2023 aims to gather 150 young Europeans in Korça, Albania, where, over the course of 8 days, they will get the opportunity to inform themselves on the issues our society is currently faced with and present possible solutions all related to the main theme: “Heritage as a stepping stone to a sustainable future.” .
The participants of this event are split into two broad groups: the delegates and the officials.
The delegates make up two-thirds of the headcount, and they are the people this session is targeting: new or recurring members of the European Youth Parliament with a desire to get to know new people, experience a different culture and educate themselves on a variety of topics.
The rest of the participants are officials, split further into three main teams, the organizers, the media team and the academic team, each with its own responsibilities.
For the officials, the session begins one day earlier with CMO day (Chairs, Media, Organizers), where the officials get to know each-other through team building activities and receive modules and training for their specific duties.
Next is two days of general teambuilding, where the rest of the participants familiarize themselves with their fellows, the venues and the program through games and fun activities.
Then there's a free day, during which we will provide a tour of Korça, its attractions and museums, with the hope of contextualizing the topics of the session and turning the discussion towards the concrete changes we desire for our society.
The majority of the work is in the last four days, during committee work and the general assembly. During committee work, groups of up to 12 delegates work on a chosen topic with the support of a Chair (a member of the academic team) to present a solution to the issue presented in the topic. During general assembly, each committee details their resolution, followed by a structured debate and, finally, a vote on whether it passes or not.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
Heritage

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Education

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Sustainability

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Community

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Innovation

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
We believe that the best way to achieve a sustainable world is by educating current and future generations throughout their entire lives on how to best treat themselves, their community and the world at large. The session will contain multiple topics covering sustainability in all aspects, from climate change to economy, culture, tourism, transport, education and so on. Our goal is to help the participants understand the importance of personal activism, as well as communal action, for the good of future generations that will have to live with the long-term consequences of our actions.
Beyond the intangible, we are also dedicated to making the event itself sustainable, as we are planning on minimum waste production. We will recommend vegan and vegetarian options to all participants, although they will be free to choose depending on diets and allergies. All the food will be locally sourced by certified producers, and beyond that we will keep paper and plastic use to the absolute minimum. Electronic boards and recyclable markers will be incentivized, and we will provide each participant with reusable, customized drinking containers, and hopefully use 0 plastic during the event.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The event is designed to give participants a fun, enjoyable and educative experience, not only an academically enriching one. There is a massive focus on intercultural exchange and learning, with events such as Eurovillage and Euroconcert, where participants will get to show off their national culture through song, dance, food, stories, etc.
Also, three out of the session's 7 official days are dedicated to teambuilding, fun activities and bonding, with the goal being to allow participants to create positive and reinforced relationships with their peers during the event. There will be plenty of activities that create a powerful sense of community, which is what a lot of people come back to EYP for.
There will also be a chance for participants to enjoy Korça's sights and culture, with its various exhibitions, landmarks and museums.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The goal of EYP has always been to provide an inclusive, accessible format for debate and cultural exchange. For this reason, we hope to make this session free of charge for all participants, and depending on the budget, also offer travel reimbursements if requested. We have also taken care to only choose venues that are accessible to all, whether via wheelchair, etc.
There will also be assurances in place to make the event a safe environment for all, with the aid of an Event Safe Person, whose goal will be to provide assistance for any situation in which a participant feels threatened, judged, persecuted or otherwise hurt by other participants. The topics that will be discussed have been carefully analyzed to consider all possible viewpoints and represent all of them equally, without bias. The participants' right to speak their mind will also be ensured by the democratic process of the session, within the bounds of respectful and understanding conversation. As is obvious, there will be no discrimination on any counts, whether that is skin color, nationality, sexuality, religious beliefs, etc.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
EYP continues to exist only through the effort of its participants. The people in this session will not only be educated on the topics that will be discussed, but also on the platform and how it functions, how they can continue to be a part of it and take more active roles in organizing similar events in the future. The experience and information gained will be beneficial for their future endeavors in civil society and with other initiatives/organizations that have similar goals. The delegates will gain information on a variety of topics important to civil society, and the officials gain important experience in organizing similar events, and how to make them function as efficiently as possible.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
There has been a lot of attention given to local businesses for this event, and we have an organizer dedicated to communication with local authorities and people for the betterment of the event. All food and beverages will be locally sourced, and all events will be discussed with the local community.
Beyond that, there are youth from all over the country that are interested and aiding the project, even more so now that we will open calls for participants. On an international level, the EYP framework has rules, regulations and standards that must be followed by all National Committees, and this event has already garnered attention by our sister organizations throughout Europe. This event has been and will continue to be influenced, to its betterment, by the will and desires of interested parties within Albania and the wider European landscape.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
Among the officials, there is a wide skillset necessary for the efficient organization of the event. The organizing team requires a good understanding of the logistics of such an event, as well as the ability to fundraise for it. There needs to be very careful planning and contingencies for any kind of emergency, as well as teamwork capabilities and efficient communication between each-other and with the other teams.
The media team is comprised of more artistically-inclined people, with their goal being photo and video documentation of the event, as well as public relations and social media management. They need to be skilled in editing, photography, videography, graphic design, etc.
The academic team, as evidenced by the name, is in charge of the gritty, knowledge-based side of the session. They need to have a very wide base of information encompassing all committees of the European Parliament, as well as a teaching mindset, with a focus on empathy and patience.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
This event has a focus on the youth of Europe, giving them the chance to work hands-on with topics that affect them and their communities deeply, as well as giving them the opportunity to be as creative as possible with their ideas. We give them no limits on their expression and desires, and allow them to truly think about the topics at hand in their own way, without influence, bias or harmful ideas. All these youth are put together in the same environment for a whole week, and the goal is for them to encourage each-other to think deeper, work harder and enjoy the event as much as possible, with the hopes that they'll want to transfer these feelings to future generations too.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
The entire EYP formula is designed to be flexible and replicable in vastly different circumstances. Everything about the session is repeatable by the participants if they take the time and effort to plan something special and use the skills they have gained in this event to recreate a similar experience for other youth around Europe. Our session focuses on culture and sustainability, but it would be very easy to move to the left or right of this idea and talk about corruption, technology, etc, etc. The EYP format allows anyone with a vision to express their idea to the European youth, and that is a very tangible and replicable process, as shown by all our events.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
As described in the summary, our initiative relies on debate and the democratic process to educate the youth on European problems. By creating a safe, fun and interactive environment detached from their routine, this program allows participants to concentrate on the event, the people in front of them and the information they're receiving to reach educated, carefully considered conclusions about the topics at hand and have a better understanding of the importance of their actions, the future they're capable of creating and the interests of the people around them.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
As described above, the entire point of this event is to put global issues through the lens of local culture and see what we can learn from our heritage, in order to best deal with the problems our society is faced with nowadays. Even the smallest actions have ripple effects, and it is our hope that by helping the participants understand what needs to be fixed locally and teaching them how to scale these solutions up to regional, national and international levels, we can make a difference in the future of Europe and the world at large.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
The event is planned to be held from the 1st to 8th of September 2023 and is currently in its first stages. The head organizers have been selected and the project proposal has passed evaluation by the board of EYP Albania. Open calls for the rest of the organizing team will be opened within the month, to later proceed with interviews and the selection process. In the meantime, talks have begun with prospective members of the session's Media and Academic teams. The budget has been finalized after talking to different venues in Korça, as well as the local businesses that will provide food and beverages. There have also been talks with other National Committees of the EYP, and some have already agreed to send delegations to the session (Switzerland, Kosovo, Greece, Serbia, Türkiye, Netherlands).
The past few events of EYP Albania have been very successful, so we plan to ride on those sessions' coattails and use that publicity to draw as much attention to the organization as possible, as well as increase member retention for the future of the EYP in general.

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
PDF
PDF
- pdf-1-20040.pdf
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
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Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
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By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes