Usak MeM EU Projects/Ar-Ge/R&D Dep.

Usak MeM EU Projects Office Usak MeM EU Projects Office has been established in 2004 in order to improve youth works and other educational EU projects in Uşak/Turkey in societal level and to enable young people to be heard. The main reason behind its establishment as a non profit organisation fact the lack of a sound and specific youth policies in Turkey in state level. Young people suffer from this lack of interest from society. There is no a legal definition of “Youth Works” in Turkey, whereas in European Union youth is defined as people between 13-30 years old and work in the area. Moreover democratic participation and active citizenship mechanisms for youngsters in Turkey are insufficient and inefficient and civil society consciousness is low among young people due to lack of an organized youth information system in Turkey. Usak MeM EU Projects is sensible towards these problems and its main mission is to provide an effective youth service to compensate this lack of interest in local and state level and to empower these young people through promoting non-formal education and free consultancy. The main objectives of Usak MeM EU Projects are running workshops in social, cultural, educational, career, employability and sportive fields; contributing to improve and strengthen collective activities of civil society and cooperating with the individuals and legal persons working in these fields; providing an active support for the improvement of youth politics; pioneering for the protection and the development of youth works in every field. Main activities of the association are conducting research and working together with other institutions and foundations for the purpose of developing youth projects, non-formal education activities and cooperating with international youth organizations and foundations in order to strengthen the bonds and relations outside of the country through the methods of youth exchange, youth enterprise and inter-cultural dialogue, contributing to prepare adequate ground for more active youth in political platform, being included in international activities through membership to external and international organizations and partnership on the basis of projects and association, working for preserving and extending democratic rights and freedoms of youth and taking place in joint projects with other organizations for the issues and problems existing in youth mind. Usak MeM EU Projects Office is working mainly on EU and local social projects under Uşak Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü, and has been selected its main target group as young people in local, national and international level, between 18-30 years old, similar to the definition of European Union. When we look at its management structure, major decision making organs are General Assembly and the board. There are 5 youth worker on the board with different responsibilities. Youth-Agenda has about 30 volunteer members, who are basically students or former students and teachers. In Usak MeM EU Projects, there is a non-formal mechanism between the executive members and other members. Thus, it is not difficult for a member to express his/her own ideas about every topic held within the organization, from management structure to ongoing projects. The visibility of every member is one of the democratic structures in place in that organization. Secondly, every member is empowered in the projects run by the organization, there is not a central group imposing what to do on other members. Contribution of every member is possible within a broad framework. In conclusion, as a Youth Organization,Usak MeM EU Projects has the role of leadership within the civil society. It has the mission to enable youth more active and more equipped in order to empower and motivate young people working with them to impact youth policy. We supervise youth works in Usak province. Main objective of our organisation is to develope international projects in the province. To achieve this goal we aim to provide Youth and Adult Learning Projects under ERASMUS+ Programme.