Measure I.1– Improving the productivity and competitiveness of the area’s economic, rural and environmental resources.
Project Title: Active cross border youth exchange – Investment for future
Project Budget:
| Project Value | EU Contribution | |
| Republic of Serbia | € 35,818.00 | € 23,920.00 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | € 29,220.00 | € 24,003.00 |
| TOTAL | € 65,038.00 | € 47,923.00 |
Beneficiary of funds in the Republic of Serbia: DTI (Democratic Transition Initiative)
Beneficiary of funds in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Red Cross Sokolac
Partners: Centre for Creative Gathering, Arilje
Area of implementation:
- Serbia: Arilje
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sokolac
The target groups of the project: Young people ages 14 to 20, activists, peers and leaders among youth, also the adults
Project duration: 1.12.2010. – 30.11.2011
Project objectives:
The overall objectives: Providing support to youth, 14-20, across Serbia -Bosnia and Herzegovina cross border area
The specific objectives of the project: Strengthening cross border youth-to-youth interaction to reinforce youth activism, cultural and sporting links and jointly to participate in activities of common interest.
Activities and results of the project
The project “Active cross-border youth exchange – investments for the future” has provided support to young people aged 14-20, their friends and families in the process of sharing knowledge, ideas and information, acquiring non-formal knowledge and skills, developing friendship through sports activities, fostering cultural needs and establishing a closer contact with nature and the environment in the border regions of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Project included about 400 young participants and about 1.000 indirect participants of the project – their friends, families and citizens who participated in project activities. During one year of the project implementation, 25 participants were skiing on Jahorina, 25 participants have passed through the school swimming in Arilje, 50 young people took part in summer camps in Arilje and Sokolac respectively, 120 young people have actively participated in the Youth festival in Sokolac and 140 youth took part in the Youth festival in Arilje.
Young people with their own initiative provided a good example to their parents, who recognized and supported the project. Today, the project “Investment in future” is a part of a wider initiative between local communities of Arilje and Sokolac, which includes cooperation in the following areas: youth cooperation, municipal governments, schools, media, cultural institutions, sports clubs, cultural societies, churches and raspberry producers. A number of strong and lasting friendships have been established, for which we expect to be the backbone of all future ventures. Such a comprehensive connectivity and interaction of local communities based on the Twinning Charter and the solid and lasting relationships ensured the sustainability of the project “Investment in future”.
Significant attention was put into the visibility activities: 8 versions of leaflets in 4000 copies, 200 brochures and 4 versions of posters were issued and disseminated to the potential target group. The interest of local media was raised and all the project activities had intensive media coverage, total of 77 media reports at the local radio, TV stations, municipal newsletters and official municipal web-sites in Arilje and Sokolac, as well. Project activities were covered by the national newspapers and Youtube.
Facebook page “Aktivna prekogranična saradnja mladih – Ulog u budućnost” presented strong and effective communication tool during the project implementation.
Enthusiasm is a significant factor whereby good energy of the project team and participants spread to the wider community and contributed to the twinning of Arilje and Sokolac Municipalities. Young people’s own initiative posed as an example that was recognised and followed by the whole community.
