Organization for Promotion of European Issues

The Organization for Promotion of European Issues (OPEI) is an educational, extrovert, and innovative NGO located in the region of Paphos, Cyprus which pays attention on the issues such as social inclusion, education, culture and youth. OPEI has in recent years provided its expertise and assistance to enable local communities to overcome social and economic disparities of disadvantaged social groups by developing specific and innovative solutions. OPEI constitutes of several professionals such as trainers, consultants, psychologists, social workers, teachers and other associates that contribute towards achieving the organisational main objectives. These associates offer volunteering and training services in soft skills and support the welfare services of the rural communities, especially when these include Individuals, Groups, and Communities. Through the development of our volunteering activities, we have enabled people to develop skills and capacities in which under different circumstances they would not have the ability to do so, as they have managed to develop the feeling of belongingness, inclusion, innovation, and creativity. The organization also has experience in hosting students from EU countries and operates a hosting facility where students can come and have a comfortable and safe environment during their stay. We host more than 500 people every year in Paphos in different EU projects. OPEI is a member of European Network of Innovation for Inclusion and has in recent years participated in several EU and national projects, such as the CoE "All Different All Equal" campaign, Youth exchanges, Grudntvig and Leonardo Mobility lifelong learning projects and strategic partnerships. Currently we support many ERASMUS + KA1 and KA2 projects. OPEI is a member of the Cyprus national network of Anna Lindh Foundation for the dialogue among cultures and cooperates with national research centers and academic institutions. We are proud of the development of our strong media contacts which has enabled us to work closely with several contemporary stakeholders such as www.pafosnet.com, from where we can disseminate project results and information campaigns. The exchange of experiences, the identification of the best methods and practices in this project would play a pivotal role in solving the core issues, where cooperation among European partners becomes invaluable. The organization, in cooperation with the other partners will define the goals that would benefit the education and training of trainers and learners in this project.