The National Volunteer Service Program of the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Lebanon Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange Study Tour To Bosnia Herzegovina, the Netherlands and France May 21 - 31, 2016 Sponsored by the World Bank Group: the Lebanon Country Office, the Social Protection and Labor (SP&L) Global Practice (GP), the Leadership, Learning and Innovation Vice-Presidency, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) Background The "National Volunteer Service Program" (or NVSP) of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) of the Lebanese Republic aims to harness the potential of youth, by building their capacities and strengthening their engagement, to address and advance priority areas for the country. The NVSP, which is financed by the State and Peace- Building Fund, a complements the existing World Bank Group (WBG) projects in Lebanon striving to tackle a number of systemic issues in the areas of social protection, inclusion and resilience; industry development and economic competitiveness; and infrastructure and social services, among others. NVSP seeks to increase youth civic engagement to improve social cohesion across communities and regions of Lebanon by: (i) expanding youth volunteerism among 15-24 year olds, particularly in communities other than their own; and (ii) improving the employability of youth through enhanced soft skills. The 3-year project has three main components: (i) institution building and capacity development for volunteer civic engagement; (ii) Small Grants Program (SGP) for eligible NGOs, universities, and schools (from now on “Implementing Agencies,” IAs) as well as youth summer camps and weekend volunteering programs for expanding volunteer opportunities and building employability skills; and (iii) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of civic engagement. To date, around 5,000 youths and approximately 100 different NGOs and municipalities have been directly involved in the project’s activities. Specifically, the NVSP has benefited a total of 2,539 youths through the completion of 5 summer camps, 12 weekend volunteering programs and 22 SGP volunteering projects. A second CfP targeting schools and universities will be launched during late early April 2016, and is expected to benefit an additional 650 youths through the completion of 13 SGP volunteering projects. Given the results that the NVSP is having on the ground, MOSA has shown interest in scaling-up the project to improve its reach and impact. The World Bank has a longstanding commitment to the promotion of cooperation between developing nations, and has facilitated such cooperation through knowledge sharing workshops, study tours, among others. Given the ability to deploy its expertise in capacity building, youth leadership and empowerment and coalition-building around innovative development solutions, the WBG Country Management Unit (CMU) for Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Social Protection and Labor (SP&L) Global Practice (GP), the Leadership, Learning and Innovation Vice- Presidency, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) will support a knowledge exchange and capacity building study trip to Bosnia Herzegovina, the Netherland and France. The study trip seeks to support MOSA in the potential scale-up of NVSP and other related youth programming in Lebanon. Specifically, the study trip will help expose the NVSP team to international good practices and lessons learned on youth volunteering programs and policies. The trip will also help build knowledge of institutionalization schemes for volunteering service programs, which could in turn inform the development of MOSA’s National Volunteer Service Plan. Finally, the trip will seek to build overall capacity of NVSP and MOSA team members, by stimulating discussions with similar teams in the host countries. The capacity building and knowledge exchange Study Tour will take place May 21– 31, 2016. Participants The team will be composed of 11 persons from MOSA, the NVSP and the World Bank. MOSA team:  Mr. Antoine Zakhia, Head of the NVSP Committee and advisor to the Minister of Social Affairs NVSP team:  Ms. Marwa El Kik, Program Manager  Mr. Ziad Hawi, Procurement Specialist  Mr. Marwan Tamim, Financial Management Specialist  Mr. Marwan Alawiyeh, M&E Specialist  Mr. Patrick Fadous, Communications Specialist  Mr. Rabih Al Halabi, Program Assistant  Mr. Nassim Khaleq, Field Coordinator World Bank Group Experts:  Mr. Rene Solano, Senior Social Protection Specialist, MENA Youth Co-Coordinator SP&L GP  Mr. Benjamin Herzberg, Program Lead, LLI  Ms. Jemi Laclé, Study Tour Coordinator, LLI Learning Objectives The study tour, which is sponsored by the World Bank’s Leadership, Learning and Innovation Vice-presidency and the Social Protection Global Practice as well as the Middle East and North Africa Multi-Donor Trust Fund, has been tailored specifically for the National Volunteer Service Program (NVSP) and will seek to expose participants to best practices in youth development.  The Study Tour will enable the NVSP team to learn about the design and implementation of civic engagement/volunteering programs and policies in Bosnia Herzegovina, a country that faced high levels of social tension due to inter-ethnic clashes and high numbers of internal displaced people.  The Study Tour will also expose participants to integrated, nation-wide youth inclusion policies and programs in both France and the Netherlands, countries that are at the forefront of the youth development agenda. The Study Tour will additionally provide opportunity for cross-regional dialogues with a range of local actors, including: policy makers, youth-led organizations, development practitioners, from bilateral and multilateral organizations, think tanks, private entities, foundations, civil society, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), volunteerism initiatives, the private sector and start-up scene and academia involved in the youth agenda. The stakeholders visited will highlight their ongoing planned priority activities, analyze advances and best practices in the field of youth volunteerism, inclusion and innovation, and possibly identifying key action areas and catalyzing collaboration for the coming years. Any of the following aspects might be discussed during the visits with the counterparts:  Youth policies and initiatives on local and national level  Legal framework youth policies  System design and operations  Sustainability and institutional anchorage  Private sector role in promoting/engaging in youth corporate volunteerism  Social cohesion and integration enabled programs  Cross-sectoral mechanism for job creation  EU youth platform  Regulatory and statutory framework youth policies  Coalition building opportunities  Promotion of youth entrepreneurship and social innovation  Budget allocation for youth led initiatives  Public-Private partnerships on youth  Programs of youth economic inclusion local and national level  Best practices on youth policies and initiatives Output A technical report will be produced jointly by the MoSA, NVSP and the WBG team. The technical report will include the main conclusions of the study tour, lessons learned and relevance for Lebanon of youth programming and practices. The final report will be shared with the host countries, as well as through various World Bank communication channels, including the SP&L Monthly Newsletter and the LLI platform. In addition, this report will be made available at the MOSA website and NVSP online portal. Finally, the WBG team will write a blog that will be disseminated internally and externally. Protocol The capacity building and knowledge exchange tour is coordinated by the World Bank Group LLI VP and the SP&L GP. LLI/SP&L will provide official invitation letters from the World Bank Group as well as arrange for all logistics, so that the participants are able to request and obtain travel visas (if necessary) for the visiting countries. In addition, LLI/SP&L will also supply an announcement letter/email to publicize the knowledge exchange and capacity building tour to i) the visited entities in the recipient countries, ii) the World Bank Group country offices. MoSA might decide to announce the visit to the respective Lebanese diplomatic missions in BiH, the Netherlands and France. Agenda – May 22 – 31, 2016 Day I: Sunday, May 22 Amsterdam, the Netherlands The objective of the two-day study tour to the Netherlands is to learn about the Dutch multicultural society, the intercultural dialogue between the Dutch community and new-arrivals and the Dutch model of “mainstreaming” cross-sectoral initiatives ensuring that youth issues are taken into account when formulating, implementing and evaluating policies on issues such as youth education, employment and civic engagement. By visiting The Hague, the capital of peace and Amsterdam, the metropolitan EU-hub for start-ups, the team will gain valuable insights into successful and innovative models for effective capacity development and learn how to make optimum use of youth engagement, empowerment, volunteerism and talent in a digital multicultural society. Departure Beirut, Lebanon – Amsterdam, the Netherlands BEY 6.10 – IST 8.00 IST 10.45 – AMS 13.40 Pegasus Airlines 13.40 Arrival Amsterdam – NVSP team Taxi Schiphol – Hotel Team inception meeting  Recap of learning objectives 17.00 – 19.00  Going over agenda  Role of each team members  Action planning for after study tour 19.00 – 21.00 Dinner Day II: Monday, May 23 The Hague, the Netherlands 06.30 – 7.00 Breakfast 7.30 – 8.30 Train from Amsterdam - The Hague Meeting: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Location: Bezuidenhoutseweg 67, The Hague 09:30 – 11.00 Topic(s): Dutch youth policies translated from national policies to international initiatives. The purpose of this meeting is to converse with the Dutch government and see how they are shaping Dutch youth policies translated into the international interconnected world. 11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break 12.30 – 14.00 Meeting: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science works to create a smart, skilled and creative environment in the Netherlands. Its mission is to ensure that everyone gets a good education and is prepared for responsibility and independence. The Ministry also wants people to enjoy the arts, and aims to create the right conditions for young people in the Netherlands. Location: Spui 70, The Hague Light lunch will be provided Topic(s): Youth policies and regulation on volunteerism, education and employment on national level. The purpose of this meeting is to converse with the Dutch government and see how they are shaping youth policies on volunteerism and civic engagement on a local, national and EU level. Meeting: Cordaid Location: Lutherse Burgwal 10, The Hague Cordaid is a Dutch organization for development relief and aid and is one of the biggest international development organizations and operates worldwide. Cordaid creates opportunities for the world's poorest, most vulnerable and excluded people including young people. Regardless 14.30 – 15.30 of race or religion, Cordaid provides world citizens with an opportunity to make their voices heard. Topic(s): Youth engagement projects worldwide and Dutch civic engagement initiatives. The purpose of this meeting is to converse about the Dutch youth engagement projects worldwide and civic engagement projects in the Netherlands. Meeting: Central Bureau of Statistics, the Netherlands Location: Leiden University, Campus The Hague In 2010, a survey revealed that the Netherlands has the highest percentage of volunteers in the world. More than one in five people work as volunteer; a number which has been growing during the past decade. Volunteers spend an average of five hours a week on unpaid activities. 16.00 – 17.00 Topic(s): Discuss the research and findings on the Report Socio-Economic Trends 2015: Who does Volunteering Work in the Netherlands? The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the research and findings of the volunteerism report of the Central Bureau of Statistics conducted and released in 2015. Train The Hague - Amsterdam Day III: Tuesday, May 24 Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 08.00 – 8.30 Breakfast Public Transportation Amsterdam Meeting: NJR Council of youth Location: Van Doorne Law firm - Jachthavenweg 121, Amsterdam The Dutch National Youth Council is a coordinating organization that supports the voice of and acts as a focal point for youth between 12 and 30 years old. It gives you the possibility to say what’s on your mind and to influence decisions on your own future. If, for example, you are worried 9.30 – 11.00 about the environment or if you believe that there should be affordable housing, the Dutch National Youth Council is there for you. But also on a lot of other issues the Dutch National Youth Council offers help and support. Topic(s): Social integration and youth policies in the Netherlands. The purpose is to have a better idea of how young people collaborate and influence youth policies by working both with the Dutch government and other key stakeholders. Meeting: Voluntary Service Amsterdam - Youth Platform Amsterdam Location: Van Doorne Law firm - Jachthavenweg 121, Amsterdam They support volunteering across the board in the city. Our main activities are mediated by volunteers, advising volunteer organizations and the promotion of volunteering. We also provide information sessions, training and workshops. We also carry out projects which we provide or develop innovative products special attention certain target groups. It is their passion to help 11.30 – 13.00 people from all walks of life to become socially useful in order to strengthen civil society. We also want to help these organizations in a variety of ways to achieve their mission, with the help of volunteers. Topic(s): Inclusion of youth and volunteerism. The aim is to see how young people are strengthening the spirit of volunteerism and civic engagement through ground-breaking initiatives both in the Netherlands and abroad. 13.00 – 14.30 Lunch Meeting: NGO Location: TBD Topic(s): youth funded programs in the Netherlands 15.00 – 16.30 The main purpose is to understand what international organizations are currently doing in the Netherlands, why they are implementing certain projects and how they are executing the youth funded projects. 19.00 – 21.00 Dinner Day IV: Wednesday, May 25 Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina The two-day trip to BiH will provide participants the ability to engage with Bosnian experts on youth inclusion, volunteerism and employment. The objective of the trip to BiH is to gain input and advice from lessons drawn from practical experiences and seek opportunities in youth volunteerism projects. By visiting Sarajevo the capital of BiH and Mostar, the team will have the opportunity to experience a post-war country with various socio-economic challenges, however working on the building blocks of a national youth framework on volunteering initiatives. Departure Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Sarajevo, BiH AMS 10.10 – VIE 12.00 VIE 13.10 – SJJ 14.20 Austrian Airlines 14.20 Arrival Sarajevo Shuttle Bus Transportation SJJ – Hotel Meeting: Youth Information Agency Bosnia-Herzegovina (OIA) Location: Networks - Skenderpašina 1, Sarajevo OIA is the leading NGOs in the field of youth empowerment with more than 50.000 involved 17.30 – 19.00 young people from entire country. In the last 15 years he was board member of different CSO networks and programs and consultant for more than 20 international organizations (such as UNDP, WB, UNV, UNFPA, UNICEF, EC, OSCE, CoE, BCYF, SDC etc.). Topic(s): Civil society and youth volunteerism. The main objective of the meeting with the NGO's is to understand what kind of volunteering programs have been implemented, what the impact is and how they are progressing. 19.30 – 21.00 Dinner Day V: Thursday, May 26 Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina 8.00 – 8.30 Breakfast 8.30 Bus shuttle pick-up Meeting: Ministry of Civil Affairs Location: TBD 09:30 – 11.00 Topic(s): national programs on youth policies, law and legal protections, inclusion and youth rights. The aim of the session is for the team to understand the main issues faced by the youth in BiH. As well of the policy frameworks which underscores the youth agenda in BiH. Shuttle Bus transfer Meeting: Mozaik Foundation Location: World Bank Office Sarajevo Mozaik Foundation is a social enterprise, which owns two social businesses: EkoMozaik and MaŠta Agency. Our innovative concept of economic and social empowerment of Bosnia and Herzegovina is an investment in enterprise development, primarily in leadership and youth entrepreneurship. Mozaik`s mission is to identify, facilitate and accelerate the development of enterprising young leaders, so they can achieve their full potential and to put into the function 11.30 – 13.00 untapped resources for the sake of socioeconomic development of BiH. We were founded in 2002 with the aim of strengthening social cohesion in communities, giving citizens the possibility to initiate joint activities, to mobilize local resources and in that way to have an influence on local authorities, solve their problems and improve quality of life. Topic(s): Youth funded programs in BiH. The main purpose is to understand what international organizations are currently doing in BiH, why they are implementing certain projects and how they are executing the youth funded projects. Shuttle Bus transfer 13.30 – 14.30 Lunch Break Shuttle Bus transfer Meeting: Foundation SHL Location: World Bank Office Sarajevo Foundation Schüler Helfen Leben is a youth foundation working in the Balkan region and in Jordan with Syrian refugees. The vision of Schüler Helfen Leben states, “Children and young people take responsibility for themselves and others in society and engage with solidarity for peace, equal opportunities and democracy”. The mission statement guides the actions of our organization, provides a path for decision-making and serves as inspiration to our work. 15.00 – 16.30 The core values embedded in our work are participation, dynamics, transparency, responsibility, community and solidarity. Topic(s): Civil society and youth participation and volunteerism. The main objective of the meeting with the NGO is to understand what kind of volunteering programs have been implemented, what the impact is and how they are progressing. Shuttle Bus transfer 19.00 – 21.00 Dinner Day VI: Friday, May 27 Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina 6.30 – 7.00 Breakfast 7.00 Bus shuttle pick-up 9.30 Arrival in Mostar Meeting: Dzemal Bijedic University of Mostar Location: TBD Dzemal Bijedic University of Mostar was founded in 1977 as one of the pillars of the development of the Herzegovina region. Today University consists of eight faculties: Agro-Mediterranean Faculty, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Economy, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Information Technologies, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Study programs are organized according to the Bologna principles. Students come mostly from Herzegovina and mid-Bosnia, but also from the rest of the country. Additional University capacities include Institute of engineering, Institute for design and testing of materials and construction, Educational center, the International Centre for Philosophy, Institute for economic development, Institute of Biology and Chemistry, University Library, Multimedia Centre, 09:30 – 11.00 International Relations Office, Quality Assurance Office, Centre for biotechnology and Centre for Career Development. University mission is to organize a wide range of educational processes of different contents and levels, to perform theoretical, applied and emerging scientific research, to become one of the leaders in the education of young experts necessary for the development of economy and society, as well as to promote cultural and social development of our region and country. Topic(s): youth inclusion, engagement and volunteerism. The main objective is to understand what kind of support and programs are needed and translate what is needed in workable educational volunteering programs. 11.00– 12.00 Coffee Break Meeting: Spark Location: Blajburških žrtava b.b., 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina SPARK business park is an infrastructural complex situated in the center of economic region Herzegovina, City of Mostar. It is a place that promotes new technologies and lifelong learning, a place where new investments are realized, new products and services developed, and a place that sparks the 12.00 – 13.00 passion. Topic(s): Build community of international young entrepreneurs through innovation, coaching and hands-on support. The visit to the start-up accelerator will portray how young people build early-stage civic- ventures where they launch and scale new ventures that inspire, equip and mobilize citizens to drive positive change in societies. 13.30 – 14.30 Lunch Break 15:00 – 17:00 Tour – the Divided History of Mostar Throughout late 1992, tensions between Croats and Bosniaks increased in Mostar. In early 1993 the Croat–Bosniak War escalated and by mid-April 1993 Mostar had become a divided city with the western part dominated by HVO forces and the eastern part where the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) was largely concentrated. The city was divided along ethnic lines and both armies soon settled down. In November, the Stari Most bridge was destroyed by an HVO tank. The Croat–Bosniak conflict ended with the signing of the Washington Agreement in 1994, and the Bosnian War ended with the Dayton Agreement in 1995. Around 2,000 people died in Mostar during the war. 18.00 Shuttle Bus pick-up 20.30 Arrival in Sarajevo Day VII: Saturday, May 28 Bosnia Herzegovina - France 8.00 Breakfast 10.30 Check out Hotel 11.00 Transportation to SJJ Airport Departure Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina – Paris, France SJJ 15.10 – VIE 16.30 VIE 15.20 – CDG 19.25 Austrian Airlines 19.25 Arrival Paris Transportation to Hotel 21.00 Check-in Hotel Day VIII: Sunday, May 29 France, Paris Lastly, the Study Tour will conclude with a two-day visit to France. The objective is to achieve a better understanding of the French innovative youth framework, the ongoing and planned priority areas and possible cooperation on youth volunteerism and leadership initiatives. By visiting Paris the team will have a better insight in the well-established nation-wide youth policies and volunteering programs driven by youth empowerment, active integration and participation of young people. Team recap meeting  What we have learned so far 14.00 – 17.00  Knowledge gaps  Action planning for after study tour Day VIIII: Monday, May 30 France, Paris 8.00 Breakfast Meeting: French Government Topic(s): National youth policies and programs on volunteerism. Coordination of inter-ministerial youth projects. 9.00 – 10.30 The main purpose is to understand the front-running policy framework on youth volunteerism and civic engagement. Meeting: French Youth Volunteerism Organization(s) Topics: Promotion of youth inclusion, community education, and volunteerism. 11.00 – 12.30 The main reason to understand how France promotes youth inclusion, community engagement and youth volunteerism programs. 13.00 – 14.30 Lunch Meeting: public-private institutions operating youth volunteering programs  National local leadership and social cohesion program Presentation and Q&A  One-stop youth public youth policy Presentation and Q&A 15.00 – 18.00  Social cohesion and solidarity civil voluntary activities Presentation and Q&A The main objective is to understand what kind of initiatives have been implemented, how the volunteering programs work and how the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation are transferred to young people in France. 19.00 Dinner Day X: Tuesday, May 31 France to Lebanon France to Washington, DC 8.00 Breakfast 12.00 Check out Hotel – NVSP team 13.40 Transportation from Hotel to the airport NVSP team Departure Paris, France – Beirut, Lebanon ORY – BEY ORY 17.50 – IST 22.15 IST 23.00 - BEY 24.55 Pegasus Airlines