36 young people with fewer opportunities from rural and urban areas from 6 countries (Italy, Armenia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria) will take part in three-stage international youth exchange project “From Unemployment to Self-employment”. Unemployment has been identified as a big concern in Europe and beyond especially among youth with fewer opportunities in rural and urban areas where they lack education and opportunity. Employability and being able to make your decent living is directly related to life fulfillment and personal independence. Young people in the vicious cycle of unemployment suffer from frustration, depression, low self-esteem and even aggression and cynicism. We believe that long term solution of this problem lies not in externalities of macro economics or policy but in hearts and minds of young people. A renewed mindset is needed for young people to understand that even in the most difficult situations they have more control over their lives than they think and through entrepreneurial spirit, proactivity and strategic approach they can spot values, seize opportunities, assess and take risk and grow. Instead of seeking a job, they can create one for themselves. We think the most effective way to bring this change is through encouraging and showing young people that it is possible to make the transition from unemployment to self-employment by sharing with them knowledge, skills and success stories of young entrepreneurs who made it out of the dark hole of unemployment and created jobs for themselves and others and through effective work of youth workers who work directly with young unemployed people. Overall aims & Objectives: Through exchange of insights, cases, approaches, ideas, tools and methods that promote entrepreneurial spirit and skills of young people in general and young people with fewer opportunities in rural and urban areas in particular, this three-stage international youth exchange project aims to create a space where participants experience personal empowerment and learn how to make an effective transition from unemployment to self employment and in turn help others in their community do the same through effective youth work and involvement in entrepreneurial activities and youth projects under Erasmus + Programme. The international exchange project “From unemployment to self-employment“ is comprised of three stages: Stage #1 Exchange in Armenia from April 25 to 5 May 2015, (11 days) The objectives are: - Deepen the understanding about the concept of unemployment, employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship - Map the conditions of young people today especially the youth with fewer opportunities in rural and urban areas and understand their hopes, dreams fears and barriers for their personal development. - Explore impediments and difficulties related to self-employment and ways to overcome them. - Exchange ideas, best practices and tools related to effective youth work with unemployed young people to raise their self-employability and entrepreneurial spirit. - Guide participants to do research and observation in their local communities after they return in order to find useful insights and opportunities for self-employment and entrepreneurship. Stage# 2 Field work and research: In between the first and the third stage participants will do research and observation work in their local communities to find useful insights and opportunities for value creation, entrepreneurship and self-employment. Stage # 3 Exchange in Italy from 1-8 October 2015 (8 days): to gather insights, learning, inspirations and experience of participants from their local communities and translate them into concrete business ideas and quality youth projects to be implemented under Erasmus + Programme. Objectives of the third stage are: - Equip participants with knowledge and skills in the field of project management in order to enable them to develop quality youth projects. - Collect ideas, learning and experiences of participants from their local communities and turn them into concrete project ideas - Identify existing resources on entrepreneurship and self-employment and share know how to link their education, personal life experience with entrepreneurship and self-employment potential. - Promote Erasmus + Programme and encourage young people to be involved in it and make the most out of it in their lives. - Develop concrete business ideas and entrepreneurial initiatives. - Develop concrete projects to be applied under Erasmus + Programme - Develop and publish an online booklet of business ideas and success stories. Both exchanges will be based on non formal learning methods and principles, intercultural dialogue and communication in including group discussions, interactive presentations, participant’s lead workshops, team work..etc. The methodology of the project will stimulate active participation and sense of initiative and involvement of the learners.