Center Progress and Development

Center Progress and Development (CPD) is a new organization established in October 2018, by a group of knowledgeable professionals who have long experiences in implementing different projects in youth and social field. The group of professionals has been gathered and organized various informal activities a year before the legal registration of the organization. CPD is a not for profit, non-governmental and voluntary based organization that defends the rights and the interests of young people. The center’s mission is to guide the efforts of equitable and sustainable development by offering holistic programs and applying interdisciplinary research and community services to improve the lives of young people and other groups. The center serves as a connecting bridge between the energy, networks and the expertise that brings its founders and the young people willing to engage and gain new competences. The philosophy of the CPD is to raise awareness, acquire skills, and gain appropriate experience to empower youths in Albania to be engaged, active and responsible citizens. The CPD aspiration is to foster among young people a sense of responsibility, autonomy, and personal fulfillment. The overall goal of the center is to achieve sustainable development for all groups in society, especially for excluded and marginalized youths. The Center will promote and support policies and practices that lead to the growth of social, economic and environmental justice as a basis for development and prosperity. Some of the objectives of the center are: Strengthening and improving the living conditions of marginalized youth through capacity building, information and awareness campaigns. Promoting and encouraging sustainable development with a special emphasis on youth education programs and education for the younger generation. Promoting volunteering value by supporting young people to acquire knowledge, skills, and competences, facilitating their integration into social and cultural life, providing them with the framework to become active citizens. The target group is young people in general and marginalized youth, their family and community in particular. Some of the activities developed so far are mainly with young people in high school. The volunteers of the CPD that are students of the social science faculty are organizing different social activities in high schools in Tirana. The CPD has an agreement with the Social Sciences Faculty on volunteers’ involvement in different social projects. Volunteers have organized activities based on young people and school needs. The thematic of activities have been implemented are about nondiscrimination, making responsible decisions about their romantic relationships, drug or alcohol use, education and employment, the importance of volunteering, gender-based violence, human rights issues and active citizenship, diversity, and intercultural learning. The CPD is planning to continue these activities along the next year because young people are motivated to participate and they want to be involved in youth activities. For young people in rural areas these kinds of activities are considered very helpful because their entertainment and involvement in social life are restricted, only going to school and coming back home. Our activities address topics such as training and capacity development, seminars, volunteer work/solidarity activities, research, advocacy campaign, etc. CPD is working with some local organizations in the field of youth empowerment on local governmental participation. Some of the CPD volunteers are involved in different activities organized in this field. Civic education through volunteer work is the focus of the center, together with offering to youngsters space to improve their skills, knowledge, and attitudes towards diversity, inclusion, active citizenship and democracy, while learning and acquiring skills needed in the future job market where they need and must be competitive