YOUTH EXCHANGE "Youth Campaigns and Modern Media"
and "Resistance Culture" symposium

Sofia, 21.03.2000 - 28.03.2000

Global networks and modern media are powerful tools in organizing campaigns and promoting certain values. In the resent past only huge organizations and institutions could propose and organize campaigns. It was very expensive and impossible for youth organizations to enter this field. Nowadays, using global networks and different type of modern media small and middle range organizations could develop campaigns and promote their ideas. The experience and methods used will be discussed in the youth exchange event called "Youth Campaigns and Modern Media".

Nowadays we face a number of new possibilities of non-mainstream visions. New media and communications offer young people and young artists the possibility to express their non-official and non-traditional points of view. We could see the emerging of the "new resistance". Modern media and communications open possibilities for the explosion of so-called "resistance culture". One of the most important ways to build independent thinking is the "resistance culture". And this culture becomes an important feature of the youth modernity.

Let's take some examples of "resistance". The careful observer could find several tendencies in the global networks and new media:

· when the level of democracy decreases the anti-governmental and anti-official usenet discussions increases;
· most of the discussion groups and chat rooms are more anti-official, anti-traditional than main-stream media;
· The freedom of Internet publishing, for example, could enhance the possibilities to express widely non-mainstream or anti visions;
· A lot of new art products resist against the triviality and daily round, they encourage people to believe in better and harmony society;

The youth exchange "Youth Campaigns and Modern Media" will take place in Sofia from 21.03 to 28.03.2000. It will give young people and artists, students and experts the possibility to share their cultural and work experience in the form of lectures, games and workshops and to exchange ideas about the topics above. In the frame of "Youth campaigns and modern media " the symposium "Resistance culture" will take part (proposed dates are 23-28.03.2000).

Almost all of the expenses will be covered by the hosting organization SCAS (for details see the "costs" section bellow) and this is a great opportunity to meet and exchange information.

The main training and information exchange methods will be: Lectures, discussions, workshops, interactive exhibition , confrontation games, simulations.

Target groups:

1/ Young people (up to 25 years) working in youth organizations and using new media and communications in their work;

2/ Experts working in the field of modern media and communications and influence of new media in the society;

Deadline for receiving the application forms: 28.02.2000

Working languages: English and Bulgarian.

Dates and place: Sofia, Bulgaria, 21.03. - 28.03.2000 (for the symposium 23-28.03.2000)

Hosting organization and supporters:

Hosting organization is the National association- Student Computer Art Society /SCAS/, Bulgaria. The symposium "Resistance Culture" is organized with the support of European Cultural Foundation and the exchange "Youth Campaigns and modern Media" is supported by Youth for Europe program of the EU. Both the events are also supported by SCAS. "Youth campaigns and modern media" and "Resistance Culture" are developed in partnership with a lot of organizations and institutions (more information about the program and organizers will be sent to the selected participants).

Costs of the course and compensations:

- board and lodging are provided by the hosting organization and are covered by the project budget;
- 80% of the travel expenses will be reimbursed on the basis of the most economic transport fairs (APEX, student fare etc.); Also there are limitations for the travel reimbursements, depending on the country and the distance, presented in the Table 1 (it will be sent to the selected participants). In principle, the biggest compensation for the travel costs will be up to 300$ (but 80% of the costs).
- Participation fee is 60$ for Western European Countries and 30$ for Eastern European countries; The fee will be deducted from the travel reimbursement;

Application and selection of participants:

- Please, send filled application form (by fax, post or e-mail) to the address of SCAS; All the applications must be received before the deadline;
- Participants will be selected by the Organizing Committee of the event on the base of: 1/ Different geographical areas and organizations; 2/ Experience, expectations and training needs; 3/ According to the above described profile of participants and the rules of "Youth for Europe Programme"; 4) According to the project partners proposals.

The accepted candidates will receive more detailed information and confirmation of their participation till 5.03.2000.

The DEADLINE for receiving the applications (by fax, post or E-mail): 28.02.2000

Address:
SCAS, 10 Narodno sabranie sq., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria,
phone/fax: +359 2 9870293, fax: + 359 2 9877477,
GSM: + 359 88 709451
e-mail: course@scas.acad.bg, URL: www.scas.acad.bg