| Summary of the project: | A. Project environment: profile of the organisation and local community
" Outline the project environment for the suggested voluntary activities, including the local community where the project will take place (e.g. geographical, social and economical environment).
" If the host placement is located in a live-in community, please include the rules and conditions that apply also for the volunteer.
The Youth Information Center of Kilkis(Y.I.C.) belongs to the Municipality of Kilkis.
Geographical - Social -Economical Enviroment:
Kilkis is a middle town (35.000 inhabitants) and is situated 50 km from Thessaloniki, which is the
second largest city of Greece. The Kilkis Prefecture is located in Central Macedonia, between the
Prefectures of Pella, Thessalonica and Serres.
A large part of Kilkis lies around the verdant valley of the Axios River, the ancient Amfaxitida. Its western and northern regions include the sublime and forested mountains of Paiko and Belles, while Krousia on its north - eastern side, and the Doirani Lake in the north and west, constitute a natural border as well as a splendid aquatic habitat with rare bird and plant species. The region throughout appears to have been an area of human activity since the Copper and Iron Ages. Prehistoric settlements and interspersed tombs have provided significant findings dating back to the second millennium B.C. Due to the two World Wars, many inhabitants are coming from areas that nowadays don't belong to the Greek State.
The Prefecture of Kilkis borders on FYROM, and due to its vicinity to other Balkanian countries and to the border stations of Evzoni, Idomeni, Doiran, and Koula, which are near Boulgaria, it consists the north gate of Greece.
Concerning the economical situation of the area, majority of the population is working to the industries that exist in the area. Industries that can be seen in the Prefecture of Kilkis in exception of the Municipalities Galliko and Pikrolimni belong to the frontier area. In the Prefecture there are many areas at a small cost, which can be used for the foundation of new industries. In the Prefecture, there is the industrial area of Stavrohori, 10 km away from Kilkis, which is characterized as one of Greece's best-organized industrial area, the Industrial Parks of Axioupolis, Polikastro and the industrial area of Nea Santa. Groups of industries can be seen in the areas of Palio and Neo Agioneri, Pedino, Galliko, Kampani e.t.c. In the Prefecture there are all the Services and appropriate Departments (Prefecture of Kilkis, Courthouse, Customs, Tax Office, Chamber of Commerce, Banks e.t.c.), which help to the solution of industry's problems. In the Prefecture of Kilkis there is an excellent traffic line, which permits a quick and comfortable movement to every place.
About the Project Environment, we repeat the profile of our organisation:
Aims and Regular activities: The Youth Information Center of Kilkis belongs to the Pure Municipal Company for Multilateral Development of Kilkis Ergon. This company in co-operation with the Municipal Organisation for culture, youth and sports of Kilkis. The result of this co-operation are many and different activities.
1. There is an artistic department with activities for leisure time. Almost 600 people (different ages) from the town of Kilkis have applied and during each year (from October till May) they participate in artistic workshops such as :
" Painting (for children, teenagers and adults)
" Iconography (adults only)
" Making of jewels.
" Pottery (for children, teenagers and adults)
" Guitar.
" Photography
" Piano lessons
" Theater (for children, teenagers and adults)
" Percussion instruments.
" Chess lessons
" Modern dance
" Latin - Tango lessons
Parallel to this, each year we organise an International Puppet and Mime Festival in our town. For details, you can visit http://www.kilkis-festival.gr
2. About youth, the municipal organisation has founded the youth centre where everyone can find generalist information. We are members of Eurodesk (HE027) (you can visit www.eurodesk.org) network. As member of Eurodesk network, uses each possible way to receive requests and send answers on them(phone line and fax for 13 hours per day, e-mail, etc) . Also almost each month it sends a newsletter with news from European Youth Portal, scholarships etc. Apart from E.V.S. (as sending and hosting organization), it has created a team of local volunteers ready to help in cultural and other activities of the local municipality. Finally youth center is active in other actions of "Youth in Action" program by sending teams in activites of other organizations.
3. Also, the same organisation has founded the youth city council of Kilkis. This council (with representatives from 65 different youth associations of our town) is now an autonomous "organisation" with many activities during the year. The competences of the Youth City Council are related to public education, ecology, information, voluntarism, culture, sports and every social affair that can occupy young people. Its main target is to express the thoughts, problems and difficulties of local youth. For that reason, young people use to organize on annual basis, environmental activities such as tree planting, European Day "In my town without my car" etc, music concerts and a festival with local bands and meetings about theoretical subjects which are not so "clear" for the society and youth. The institution of the Youth City Council was founded to bring forward the applications, the ideas, the creative mood and the organizing character of the young people of our society. The prevention against drugs, fight against unemployment, education, policy, ecology are issues that concern the young people of our days and so all the above in combination with continual attempt for attracting the interest of young people about what is going on around them, are the basic needs which the Youth City Council of Kilkis has to solve. The Youth City Council of Kilkis is now in period of preparation in order to be reformed according to the demands of the new law related to the youth councils.
4. Finally the athletic department. We use to organise classes for gym in cooperation with the Greek ministry of sports. Also, there are more activities such as scratch race, tae-kwo-doe championship etc. There is cooperation with athletic teams of the town.
Our aim is the promotion of leisure time activities especially at the area of Kilkis where the young people have not many choices for their free time. We also believe that these activities must be characterized by quality and not to be just a simple solution. For that reason we are co-operating with different organizations all around Greece for exchanging ideas, experiences etc.
About the staff of our organization: Our organisation is the employer of 17 teachers directly involved in the artistic and cultural activities in cooperation with cultural organisation, 3 persons for economical and bureaucratic support, 1 person at the International puppet theatre, 3 persons working at the youth Information Center of Kilkis. At the program and its different needs 1 person for economical bureaucracy, 1 person as mentor and supervisor are involved. We have also approximately 40 local volunteers who help in different activities depending on the needs. |
