Take a Dare!

Czech Scouting Institute is established by Junák - Czech Scouting, which serves as the largest non-formal educational NGO for children and youth in the Czech Republic. Our aim is not just to stay with the past and ask what the scouting leaves in the world. We create space for meeting, debate and seeking new impulses. Starting in 2014 we manage to organize hundreds of events, lectures, meetings and workshops every year. This scale of operation is possible thanks to the hard work of dozens of volunteers. In 2019 a great opportunity came in our way: engagement in the Active Citizens Fund.

What is the Active Citizens Fund?

Support to civil society is a key priority for Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway in the EEA and Norway Grants. An Active Citizens Fund funded by the three donors will be established in each of the 15 beneficiary countries of the Grants. The objective is to develop the long-term sustainability and capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs) and the civil society sector as a whole, with the aim of strengthening its role in contributing to policy and systemic change, promoting democratic participation and active citizenship.

For more information please visit eeagrants.org.

So how exactly is Czech Scouting Institute involved in supporting civil society?

The strategy of our Active Citizens Fund project is to identify and address emerging adults who are not yet engaged in active citizenship, and to help them become active participants in the public sphere. Methodologically, we are able to support these young adults in two ways:

To start organizing public and cultural activities including debates, workshops, lectures, performances etc., in their community (Youth Forums)
To help them develop and execute ideas for the betterment of their community or the development of civic society (Youth project incubator)

The “helping hand” consists of education, training and mentoring with the aim to lead emerging adults to more self-confidence and competence in their activities in the public sphere and their ability to solve community-specific problems. Networking and experience sharing is a fundamental pillar of the whole project. You can learn more about the Forums and the Incubator on their respective pages (only in Czech though).

What is the main objective of the project?

The project will significantly contribute to an empowered civil society sector in future by a process of strengthening young people’s abilities to participate and become civil society representatives who know how to sustain their activities in public life and engage their peers. It should also result in an increase of youth interest in civic issues not only at a local community level, but also at the national one.