Newspaper about youth contribution in local communityYear 1th No 1 January, 2002

EEUROPE HOUSEEUROPE HOUSESLAVONSKI BRODCROATIA

2

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

Abstrasct appeals for tolerance andreconciliation don�t work in RankaMandic�s experiance. Mandic is the prin-cipal of the Serbian elementary schoolJoban Ducic in Kasindo, a small town inthe Republic of Srpska, near Sarajevo.According to her, everyday experiance isbetter than peace theory. Along with theprincipals of a nearby kroatian school anda Bosnian-Muslim school, she has starteda visiting and exchange program inwhich, for instance, a Serbian educatorteaches English to Bosnian children, theteachers from all three schools meet toexchange ideas or the children all partici-pate in athletuc competitions which areenthusiastically attended by their parents.��Peace is not constituted by the abscenceof war. Peace is a virtue, an attitude ofmind, an inclination toward benevolence,

trust and justice.��Baruch de Benedictus Spinoza (1632-1677) Dutch philosopher.��We must create a world in which thereare no unknown, hostile aliens at the otherend any missiles.��Betty Williams (born 1943), NothernIrish holder of the Nobel Peace Prize.��You make peace witg enemies, youdon�t make peace with your friends.��Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995), Israeli prime minister.��There is no way to peace, Peace is theway.�� Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Indian peace campaigner.

School of tolerance: Jovan Ducic, aSerbian junior school near Sarajevo, has

organized a program of visits and inter-change with a Croat and a Muslim school.Schoolkids hold up banners in blue(Serb),green(Croat), and red (Muslim), all read-ing Mir (peace).

There is not way to peace, Peace is the wayBOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

AUSTRIA

DOBRINJA GRAMMAR SCHOOL in Sarajevo

You might have heard and read many nicethings about Dobrinja Grammar School. It�sone of the youngest high schools in Bosniaand Herzegovina. It was founded during thewar, at the time when Dobrinja � the part ofSarajevo � was under fierce siege. Therefore, itwas formed out of necessity and due to thehardships it was confronted with, earned thestatus of one of the most respectable schools,not only in Sarajevo.This human and pedagog-

ical challenge was answered by many teachers,some of whom are still with us.The school is situated in three businesspremises, having no building of its own, with682 pupils in 23 classes. Many local and foreignvisitors are willing to help the teachers andpupils to settle down in a firm building. Theschool building would be a tribute to youthwho decided to stay and survive at the timewhen it made no sense whatsoever.But these obstacles have been a greatstimulus for teachers and students to developtheir creativeness and actively to take part inrealisation of many differnt projects, such as:making postcards; ecological group; debateand dialog projects; The World FrendshipFederation, Civitas project, The Children�sParliament etc.Much effort is put into creating and car-ring out the project «The Bridge ofFriendship» between Grammar School in

Lukavica (theRepublic ofSrpska) andM e d i c a lSchool in Ba-nja Luka. Cla-ssical Gra-mmar Schoolfrom Zagrebis the schoolwith whichwe�re present-ly workingtogether ondiffernt proj-ects.S o m eprojects havebeen success-fully carried out, others are to be approvedand worked on, and we�re always more than willing to take part in projects that may beoffered to us. Mukadesa Ma�i}, teacher

Project Margaretner CowboysHorse Riding in YbbsertalThe Austrians have recently come upwith an idea of setting up a project withyoung people aged 11 to 14 who hang out indistricts where people sell drugs. They most-ly hang out in parks near schools and tramstations. These places are known as theDrug Scene. In order to make them aware ofthe drug problems we decided to make agroup of 5 people and to take them toYbbsertal to spend three days there. Duringour stay we have not only dicussed the mainissues but we also went horse riding, wewent on a small pleasant trip toHollensteiner Hallenbad and on the third daywe had a barbecue.We have put the emphasis of our projectMargaretner Cowboys on the prevention ofdrug abuse. Our main aim was to find outwhat kind of approach individual youngpeople have to drugs and to offer them away out of it. Therefore, during the project we havehad discussions about drug abuse and itsimpact on people, addiction, strengths andweaknesses, etc. Our goal was to make them trust us and turn to us whenever they they needed us. Within these three days we have also worked on the social behaviour of the young people. It was clear to us that peer groupsare very important to young people and therefore we also payed attention to the strengthening of friendships as well as on the form-ing of the new ones. These five young ones have, among other things also learned how to solve conflicts and how to make compro-mises.When we got back home we realised that we could use these five young people to attract more young people. In this way thechances of them hanging out in the places where drugs are being sold would dicrease. We took photographs of our sessions and recorded them and will use them for our new members.

Igore, Markus, Messed, Dusko, Alex Annelies & Hossein

INTRODUCTIONAlthough many young people mature both biologically andemotionally faster not earlier, they still, as it was the case fiftyyears ago, belong to a suppressed and undermined minority inthe world in which adults have imposed their own values. Theyare misused by all those who sell something. The young are themedium which is being exploited by the trading of everythingthat is fast, pleasant and superficial.They are numerically supe-rior but the old ones due to their bigger concern about theirhealth have become long-lived and more capable to withold theirposition in the world and barries which prevent young peoplefrom having a more active and higher- graded approach to theworld of the adults. Therefore, the generation gap is nowdaysdefined by socio- economic questions rather then by the psychi-cal ones. The grown ups have created a world for themselves aswell as for the young and by doing so they impose that kind ofworld as a role model. All around the world it is hard to be youngespecially in the poorer countries, the transitional countries andthe ones struck by war. Many parents project the atmoshere ofhostility, hate and fear in which they live onto their children whoalso become anxious, xenofobic, intolerant�The others with amore passionate need for social justice loudly react to the appear-ance of hypocracy, double standards, ignorance backwardness inthe world of grown ups�The adolescence is a period of life which is being experiencedfully , although sometimes also with difficulty, when young peo-ple become aware of themselves and their possibilities.How can we help them to find the true values?By giving them a role in the communities in which they live.The society in general is because of isolation and marginalizationsuffering directly and in long terms. One of the major goals is toincrease the level of participation and decision making in thelocal communities. One cannot deny that one has up to nowshown a significant attention through many project activities butthey have been rather passive- they were the ones who acceptedthe services and not those who were supposed to be active in thecreating of the content of the programme. With our newspapers, which have been dedicated to the par-ticipation of the young people in the small local communities, ourintention is to induce a stronger and a more qualitative co- oper-ation between the youth and the representatives of the localauthorities- institutions, organizations, schools- all those whowould help young people in their growth and development.Young people should be involved in the life of the local commu-nity. One should enable them to live inside their schools, townsand religions. Therefore with this newspaper we shall representall those cities, organizations and schools which give the bestexample of the co- operation with the young people. By bringing information from different parts of the Europewe would like to get to know people with positive experiences andtheeir way of involvement in the affairs of their communities. Wewould also like to actuate cities and schools to implement as muchas possible other educational programmes which promote theeducation on human rights and which support the participationof the young people in the activities of their schools. The induce-ment of the international exchange may play a very importantrole in the promoting of the economic life of the regions inEurope. We shall present cities, institutions, societies and schoolswhich most adequatly evaluate the needs of the young people;those which co- operate with the young people and which want toimplement all the activities. These must not have any prejudiciessuch as discrimination, colour of skin, social or cultural minori-ties. We shall also present some of the leading hints which canhelp in the realization of such projects. The aim of the newspapers is getting acquainted with thosecities, institutions, organizations and schools which stimulate theparticiption of the young people.If we take into consideration the political, economic and cul-tural problems with which Europe is confronted today- the worldin genera is faced with rasism nationalism amd all other forms ofintolerance. Therefore we think that iti is of great importance togive space to young people who are most certainly better creatersof our future. Editor

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE BULGARIAN EUROPEAN CLUBSNewspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002BULGARIA

3

NABEC is a non-profit public organisation.It has been established in April 2000, ini-tially associating 18 Students� European Clubsfrom all over Bulgaria, which number present-ly amounts to 36. These clubs are voluntaryorganisations of students and teachers fromsecondary and high schools as a form ofextracurricular activity. Recently the NABECwas joined by its youngest European Club rep-resentatives � the little Europeans of fourkindergartens from the city of Sofia.Each European Club, in particular, under-takes initiatives of its own according to its stu-dent members� capabilities and interests. Theactivities include: discussions concerning dif-ferent issues of the European integration andthe institutions, the administration and thepoliciess of the European Union; subjects ofinterest to members; studying the cultural tra-ditions of other European nations; publishingof information bulletins and articles; organis-ing celebration and anniversary events; corre-sponding with fellow club members fromEurope, etc.For NABEC 2001 was a year ofactivities and initiativesNABEC participates in the European edu-cation project to elaborate a Collection of 800proverbs in more than 20 European languages,coordinated by the European House, managedby Bojika Seldik in the town Slavenski Brod inthe Republic of Croatia. The participation of NABEC was uniquein implementation. By means of prompt, exactand strict correspondence only by e-mail theEuropean??? clubs of 9 schools � theTechnical College in Electronics in Sofia, pre-senting pictures as well, the Technical Collegein Economics in Dobritch, the SecondaryComprehensive School �Christo Botev� inDobritch, the Secondary ComprehensiveSchool �Dimitar Talev� in Dobritch, theTechnical College in Chemistry andBiotechnology in Sofia, the SecondaryComprehensive School No.105 in Sofia, theSecondary Comprehensive School No.4 inSofia, the Secondary School in Mathematicsand Natural Sciences in Gabrovo, theTechnical College in Economics in Pernik, forthe first two months of the year succeeded infinding the Bulgarian?? equivalents of theproverbs, collected by the Croatian partnersand the proverbs, provided to them in Englishand Croatian languages. Since the very begin-ning of the year the clubs demonstrated theirwillingness to work, and the Association �flexibility and organization skills.During the 3rd Academic Forum of theEuropean Youth Parliament in Marseille/France, held under the patronage of thePresident of France Jacques Chirac, the PrimeMinister Lionel Jospin and the President of the

European Parliament Nicole Fontaine inAugust 2001 the Bulgarian participants fromNABEC worked in commissions, discussingand passing resolutions, which were submittedto Brussels.NABEC organized an InternationalWorkshop �A star, striving to the family ofother stars� according to a project under theEurope Program of the European commission,held in the period 24.05.-27.05.2001in theGolden Sands Resort. Guests of theWorkshop? were His Excellency Mr. LuisGonsaga Fereira -Ambassador of the Republicof Portugal to Bulgaria from 1987 to 1993, TheVice President of the Portuguese �BulgarianAssociation for Culture, Education andScience � Mrs. Maria Fereira, the Manager ofthe International Network of the Europeanclubs Mrs. Alice Terivel, the NationalCoordinator for Bulgaria InternationalNetwork of the European clubs � Mrs. ZdravkaNaydenova. This Workshop enabled theNABEC members throughout the country toexperience unique moments in meetings withtheir fellows from France and Belgium, as wellas interesting persons �guests of theWorkshop.The unusual forms of presentation of thetopics discussed under the project made theparticipants think and gave them an impetus tobreak the traditional setting of a Workshop.It is hard to believe, but during theWorkshop people from four countries met forthe first time, and in the course of the follow-ing days they lived with the feeling, that theyhave always known each other. They commu-nicated spontaneously, frankly and eagerly.The meeting passed as an example of contem-porary relations among young and old in anew, democratic Europe.The project work activated the Bulgarianyoung people, members of the European clubsto look for more information about theEuropean Union, to go to libraries and to makeuse of the possibilities, available in Internet, tosummarize the collected information, to ana-lyze and to interpret it, according to theiropportunities. And all this � during the extra-curricula activities, without obstructing theirschool works !During the Workshop the Bulgarian youngpeople experienced their European belongingand they were proud to demonstrate theirnational identity.The Workshop proved, that there are dedi-cated Bulgarian teachers, depriving them-selves from their personal time in the name ofthe cause � the European clubs, centers for for-mation of European consciousness in theyoung people and our recognition in theUnited Europe. During the Workshop the young peopleactually proved, that the Bulgarian star is real-ly striving to the family of the other stars!

NABEC organized a national meeting ofthe Bulgarian European clubs - topic �FolkArt, viewed by professional and young per-formers� in the town of Ihtiman /17.11.-18.11.2001. Representatives of 24 club??? ??Sofia, Plovdiv, Dobritch, Gabrovo, Dupnitza,Pernik, Ihtiman, Burgas and Tchepelare werepresent. A folk-style show was performed byrepresentatives of the pre-school sector ofNABEC � the European club at kindergartenNo. 39 in Sofia. Being very kind, full of emotions andbeauty the children made a folk tour aroundEurope. They also made a strong impressionwith their nice costumes, in unison with theirdance. Excited parents, grandmothers, brothersand sisters came to become familiar with theEuropean clubs, members of NABEC. Withthis folk European show, the children haveshown, that as we all can dance, we could becloser to these nations, I=e= to live together.The interesting poet Mrs. Maria Bakalovamade a comparison with a computer poem andstimulated the audience to reflections, discus-sions, comparisons. The hosts presented Bulgarian folklore andhabits. Inspired by the artistic presentation, thechemists from the Chemical Technical Collegein Sofia danced the Bulgarian folk dance�Rachenitza� and demonstrated that eachBulgarian can master these rhythmsNABEC supports the inert-club activitiesA cordial meeting between the Europeanclubs of the Secondary Comprehensive SchoolNo.13 - Sofia and ??? - Sofia and guests fromPortugal was held at the Ministry of Educationand Science. It was attended by Mr. GeorgeMarkush � Secretary with the Embassy if theRepublic of Portugal, Mrs. ZdravkaNaydenova � National Coordinator from theInternational Network of the European clubs,Mrs. Vera Orishanova, Ministry of Educationand Science. The Portuguese fellows were sur-prised, how in a country so far away from theircountry, the children know about thePortuguese discoverers, recite poems ofPortuguese poets and speak their language/February 2001.NABEC supports the activities of theBulgarian European clubs, coordinate theactivities of the Bulgarian European clubs, by

effecting links between them, providing infor-mation materials about the European Union,etc. NABEC helps making contacts for theBulgarian school European clubs with schoolstudents from the European countries, byassisting its members to find partnership underinternational projects. The European clubs at the SecondaryComprehensive School �Konstantin Preslav-sky� in Burgas and the Secondary School inMathematics and Natural Sciences in Gabrovowere hosts to the European club of the ArtsLycée in Antwerpen/Belgium under theZornitza project, dedicated to the rediscoveryof Bulgaria, which ended with a mobile photoexhibition in the Belgian town. As a result of the contacts, provided byNABEC the following events were held:Meeting between the European club andthe management of Secondary ComprehensiveSchool No.13 - Sofia with the President of theInternational Network of the European clubsMrs. Alice Tervel, H.E. Mr.Gonzaga Fereira �Ambassador of the Republic of Portugal toBulgaria between 1987-1993 and the NationalCoordinator of the International Network ofthe European??? club???. A heated discussionwas carried out on the topic �Specific issues ofthe translation from Portuguese intoBulgarian? language�.Meeting between the European club at theSecondary Comprehensive School �ChristoBotev� in Ihtiman with fellows from Illiavo/Portugal and at the Maria-Pia College -Lisbon/Portugal, where the school studentsdemonstrated Bulgarian traditions, folklore,habits and promoted the National Culture. Meeting between the European club at thePrivate Secondary Comprehensive School�ESPA�- Sofia and the Portuguese writerPedro Tamen and his wife.Acquaintance of the European club at theArts Lycée in Marseille/France with the cur-riculum, organization and the life in SecondaryComprehensive School No.7 �Sv.Sedmotchislenitzi� as well as its Europeanclub. The meetings, discussions without lan-guage barrier brought both clubs closer and setthe beginning of further mutual activities/May 2001. Krasimira Vasileva-Chairman of NABEC

Krasimira Vasileva � Chairman ofNABECZdravka Naydenova � Coordinator forBulgaria from the International Net of theEuropean ClubsIn the frames of the Europe the separatecountries are in different stage of develop-ment. This insists increase efforts for invest-ment in the human resources in the educationand the bringing up of the young people inour country. If we do not invest in the educa-tion and the bringing up of the young peopleif we do no examine the reality and do notreact adequately to the changes in our socie-ty with more methods and work we shall sus-tain all negative consequences and shallappear in the social and cultural periphery ofEurope.The European Clubs in the schools give apossibility for obtaining and distributing ofinformation for the European Union as wellin the school program which is not enough,in search of the Bulgarian participation andcontribution in national and personal aspectin the integration of the European countriesfor examination of our good qualities as themutual consideration of the Bulgarian values

that we have to affirmative before the UnitedEurope.Our joint project with European Clubsfrom Lycée in Marseille /France and Lycée inAntwerpen/Belgium - �One star dashed atthe family of other stars� rise the interest ofthe Bulgarian students to a reality that still donot exist in their live but in which they shallbe. It gave the possibility to the youths inBulgaria to feel as a part from the star fami-ly of Europe.The great work for the project helped forturning the European Clubs in an institutionthat helps to the schools forms the personali-ty with its multi activities so they can feelequal to their coevals from the countries inEuropean Union. On practice this clubs workas dynamic centers for the realization of theyouths as a medium where their educationand bringing up acquire European dimen-sions � European spirit and behavior � i.e themethod of the dialog was applied, theexchange and deep mutual acknowledgment,freedom of the spirit. They help to be encour-aged the participation in the preservation andthe integration of the national cultural her-itage and traditions in an European con-sciousness in a global perspective, to be

ONE STAR DASHED AT THE FAMILY OFOTHERS STARS

Continues on next page

4

formed an active position considering thefuture. The realization of the project will help theyoung people in Bulgaria to construct inde-pendent wealth system shall answer to theirneeds for self-estimation and actualization oftheir knowledge. The activities for the realiza-tion of the project which are under the form ofpartnership of group searching of the truths inthe contemporary world give the possibility to

the students to acquire new methods to createnew connections and to participate in thedemocratization and the europeization ofBulgaria. They outlined the European perspec-tive that shall open and connect Bulgaria withthe fate of the continent and the united coun-tries and the students are able to examine theworld around which is changing so tomorrowthey can participate and feel well in it as citi-zens and as personalities.The leaded conversations and stormingdebates during the seminar made it clear that itwas useful for the communication as a prepo-sition for clearing of the ethical values con-nected with the citizenship, freedom and thedignity of the youths it gave a possibility tothem to feel their place in the democratic soci-ety. The dialog between the youths in the sem-inar brought back the trust, formed a possibili-ty for cooperation, broke the ice and it helpedto be created a long-lasting communicationand friendship, as well it increase the nationalself-confidence and assisted very much for thedevelopment of their communicative skills, itreturned back their confidence in their ownpower.The created long-lasting connections gave

a base for further cooperation and mutual ini-tiatives of the European Clubs in the schoolsfrom different regions in the country andabroad. The collecting of information and materi-als for the EU the preparation and the search ofnot traditional ways for representation of theobtained knowledge, helped for the independ-ent research work and had a great influenceupon the youths. This way the youths felt the power of thelight of their Star and shall manage to usewithout the need of reflected light or a shadow.With merit they can stand in the family of�shining European stars� with the feeling ofresponsibility and citizen�s attitude to theprocesses in the society.The participation in the meeting of youthsfrom Bulgaria, France and Belgium leaded toacknowledging of the European traditions anddances to the distribution of the Bulgarian cul-ture and increase of the personal and nationalself-confidence of the Bulgarian students,which is very important in the present projectthat shall obtain new dimensions and the lightfrom our star shall be brighter.

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

CROATIAHigh technical school is a school with long tradi-tion. It has been working for over half a century. Theschool has always tried to adjuast itself to time, peo-ple�s needs and market demands. Every year the technical school gets more and moreattractive to students. According to officially publishedcompetition all occupations are filled during the firstenrolment. The increased interest of students for technicalschool is most certainly the result of the following:qualified personnel enthusiastic teachers who are not only active duringthe classes but they are also included in manyactivites outside the school (informatics, technical creativity, radio amateurs,radio station, etc.) We are also promoting the com-petitive spirit of the students through our participa-tion in many competitions on the state level in thefollowing fields:architecture trafficelectrical engineeringmechanical engineeringWe encourage competitions from the followingsubcjects: I InformaticsII Technical CreativityIII Young innovators IV Croatian language V �Europe in school�In the school year 1999/2000 the following resultshave been accomplished:competitions on the country level Matice hrvatskeAward: final students� works � 16 awarded works in1) electrical engineering10 works2) architecture2 works3) mechanical engineering2 works4) traffic 2 worksCompetitions on the state levelelectronical engineering: 1st, 3rd placetechnical creativity: 2nd place�Europe in school�: 3rd placeLidrano: 5th placeInternational competitionsThe international olympics GENIUSE 2000 Budapest-GENIUS medal The international olympics GENIUSE 2000 Budapest -bronze medal IENA 2000 Nurnberg �� silver medalThis year students are being enrolled for the fol-lowing occupations:technician for electrical engineeringelectrical engineercomputer technician in the mechanical engineeringarchitecture technician postal techniciantechnician for telecommunicationsTechnical school has got 29 classes, i.e. 891 stu-dents, 56 highly skilled teachers and six fellow-work-ers.

We would like this school to be a school of this time aswell as the school of the future. Therefore in this schoolyear we have organized: Council of pupilsCouncil of parentsand we have organized a seminar of � Quality School�for teachers.The programme of the � Quality School � has beenorganized in five shifts. Each shift lasts 24 hours. Wehave done that in order to make the school more suc-cessfull and in order to improve the communicationbetween parents, teachers, and students. For exceptionally creative work our school hasreceived a Minister�s Acknowledgment on October,2000 as the only school in our county and as the one of13 other schools in the state. This acknowledgment ismost certainly the highest acknowledgment any schoolcan get. It incorporates our work from the day ourschool became independent ( 1990 ). Beside the Minister�s Acknowledgment we alsoreceived the Acknowledgment of our town in the year1998, and the Charter for our work from the CountyAssembly. We are very proud of all these awards, butwe see it also as a commitment for better and moreresponsible work.Technical school is known for its students, work andhumanity of its teachers.This is a school of work, order and togetherness.

High technical school Sl. Brod�Substitutionof Roles Student �Teacher�� wasorganised on 23rdNovember 2001 asa whole-day activ-ity within the proj-ect of the Schoolof Quality. Thepurpose of thisproject was forstudents to showwhat kind ofschool they wantto have, e.i. wetried to make ther e l a t i o n s h i pbetween studentsand teachers more democratic. Inpreparation and realisation of thisproject there were 196 students takingon teachers� part and 58 teachers tak-ing on student�s part for the wholeday.The principal of school was substi-tuted by I.Krajnovi}, a student and theschool pedagogue�s part was taken onby M.Gari}, a student. The results ofthe surveys done in the questionaires

before and after substitution of rolesshow students� satisfaction with thisproject and with lessons which wereinteresting and fearless that day andwith teachers who were more openand flexible.The students suggestions are: dif-ferent way of work in the process ofteaching where students will be moreinvolved and independent and the

lastest approaches to teaching. Theyalso expect more understandingbetween them and teachers in thefuture.Teachers assessed this project withthe mark very good as well as studentsdid with the remark that studentswanted this project to be done againmore often than teachers did.Adventures were talked over fordays after the project of substitution ofRoles as well as coments on the choice

of type of music that was played dur-ing break (the teachers had an oppor-tunity to listen to the music from��their time�� and broadcast it overradio station of Technical high school).Special radio shows were broad-casting everything and they were stim-ulating good cooperation and enter-tainment.

THE SCHOOL OF QUALITY

The teacher took on student�s part when he forgets slippers for school

Students took on parts of the school pedagogue and the principal

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

5

YOUTH PARLIAMENT -SLAVONSKI BRODYouth Parliament is a pilot �project for establishment of par-liament of Croatian youth, inwhich will be included and adedten more croatian towns. YouthParliament is a project which will

take part in realization of inter-grational idea of all europeancountries from decisions made byyoung people in schools and inwidth community to institutionsand the most important city,regional and (inter) nationalinstitutions.Youth Parliament of the CitySlavonski Brod gathers 36 mem-bers that attend 5 primary and 7secondary schools.ABOUT WORK OFYOUNG MEMBERSOF PARLIAMENTIn the presence of MarijaPej~inovi}, minister assistant inMinistry for european integrationof Republic of Croatia and otherguests, on May 3rd 2001 in theCity holl of Slavonski Brod isheld an institutional meeting ofYouth Parliament of the CitySlavonski Brod. Following repre-sentatives who gave their festiveoath, for first president of YouthParliament of the City SlavonskiBrod is chosen Marko Blagovi},pupil from Gymnasium MatijaMesi}.

On the second meeting ofYouth Parliament of the CitySlavonski Brod, which was heldon May 25th 2001 was chosen 7members of Government and thepresident of the governmentVeronika Gabri}.On September 27th 2001 washeld the third meeting in whichalso took part representatives ofthe city authorities of the norwaycities Sandnes and Strand, one of

their secondary school and GeirHetland, national coordinator ofYouth Parliament in Norway,who will follow of the YouthParliament of the City SlavonskiBrod.These two towns fromNorway are also participators ineuropean project �Health cities�as Slavonski Brod, which startedSchool of Democracy as a part ofthis project. So it was a greatoportunity to exchange experi-ence andnew knowl-e d g eb e t w e e nguests fromNorway andinhabitantsof the CityS l a v o n s k iB r o d .Guests fromN o r w a yh a v ee x p r e s s e dc o m m o npleasure incooperating in international proj-ect and in results of internationalproject of european YouthParliament in which is alsoincluded Youth Parliament of theCity Slavonski Brod.Youth Par l iament and

Government of the City Slavon-ski Brod, in the presence ofguests from Norway, have con-ducted through meeting on whichrepresentatives have asked mem-bers of the Government differentquestions about sport fields in thecity and about ecological condi-tions. Youth Parliament wasintroduced with the results ofinquiry that was conductedthrough, about sex.On the end of the meeting,were represented projects of 6schools of the City SlavonskiBrod, and after two circles of vot-ing for the best project waspronaunced project of secondaryschool Matija Antun Reljkovi}, towhich was given, for foundinghorse club, 10 000 kunas fromEurope House Slavonski Brod.VISIT TO NORWAYZlatko Sal~inovi} and IzidorKrajnovi}, together with theirprofesor Mrs.Maja Juki}, havebeen guests in Norway, on theseminar Democracy project thatwas held from 6th till 11thNovember, where have been 10pupils, reprezentatives from fiveCroatian towns � Slavonski Brod,Labin, Metkovi}, Vara`din andVinkovci. That was a great opor-tunity for young Croatian repre-sentatives to see how YouthParliament functions there, causethey have a long year traditionand big significance.That was a good experienceand a good example on whichthey have learned how and why is

necessary to promote taking partof young people in local democ-ratical deciding and also inschool. There is a new knowledgenow which will be immediatelyapplied in development of demo-cratical youth societies in the CitySlavonski Brod.

Europe House Aurich intend toorganize a big chat-meeting aboutInternational Youth meeting atEurope House in Aurich on weekend12.-13.01.2002.The times of chat-meetings are going to be: Saturday,12th of January and Sunday, 13th of January between10.00 and 12.00 am on German time.They will invite several groups from different coun-tries to take part; La Coruna/ Spain, The WanderersPielavesi/ Finland, European Youth Group Cyprus,Europe Houses Zagreb and Slavonski Brod / Croatia,Meols Cop Youth Centre Southport/ England, ClareYouth Service Ennis/ Ireland, Nowy Staw Lublin/Poland, Europahaus Aurich/ Germany.There would be four channels: The first one is´´Youth meeting´´, main and official channel.

On the second one ´´Program channel´´ youngsterscould talk about program of meetings in March inAurich, Germany. The third channel ´´Free time´´ is fordiscussing about freetime activities on seminar in Aurich,theme-parties, regulations and about international dinner.And fourth channel is for meeting friends in net.The organizer made some interview for leadersbecause they wanted to know theirs opinions. Aboutquestions from interview leaders should discuss before-hand in theirs groups and make than theirs answers andideas which are they than present on chat-meetings.The reason why are these chat-meetings organized isbecause in view of Europe House Aurich chat-meeting isa very good way to involve people in theirs projects - tolet them really participate. In these chat-meetings young-sters could talk about expectations, experiences theymade before, plans they made in theirs national groupsand about ideas they would like to spread out.The organizer of meeting expect that there would par-ticipate more than 40 people from 7 countries. After the chat-meeting German group will set up asummary and send it to others by e-mail.

EUROPEHOUSESLAVONSKIBROD

Croatian group which will participate in chat-meeting

Members of Youth Parliament

6

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

Our planet has around six billionsof people who speak between 6000and 7000 languages. Diversity of lan-guages and of cultures, as in the caseof biodiversity, is increasingly beingseen as a good and beautiful thing initself. Each language has its own wayof seeing the world and is the productof its own particular history. All lan-guages have their individual identityand value, and all are equally ade-quate as modes of expression for thepeople who use them.The diversity and numerousnessof languages and cultures is ratherimpressive but also intriguing. Thequestion is : ��Do people in thingsthat divide them the most also findsomething that connects them?�� Isthere a homogeneity in this heteroge-neousness ? We have tried to recog-nize and to express this very same andtherefore common thing by means ofproverbs. Proverbs are one of the oldestways of expressing human thoughts,which can be found in different cul-tures of the world; Sumerian,Hebrew, Old-Greek, Old-Roman,Islamic, Chinese, etc. They have beenpresent in the Croatian languagesince the oldest periods of literacy.The smallest, authentic literary formof specific aesthetics and realizationexpresse the judgement, moral, andattitude very precisely because it isthe consequence of the experience ofa confirmed time. It equalizes the his-tory with the contemporaneousnesspithily and picturesquely. A proverbis a catchword passed on from gener-ation to generation because it hasmanaged to observe and to standard-ize human phenomena � the all timetruth. Still today, it has not stoppedbeing favoured � it operates with theexperience that has been confirmedby time. Because of its suggestiveness,preciseness, and experience it hasbeen used in traditional forms, butalso in transformed and paraphrasedones. Therefore it is even more appli-cable/suitable for different contexts,where it gets the real meaning andstrength.We have created a multilingualdictionary of proverbial equivalents inCroatian, English, German, Greek,Russian, Bulgarian, Latvian,Lithuanian, Dutch, Norvegian,Swedish, Finnish, Romany, Italian,French, Roumanian, Hungarian,Polish, Slovenian and Spanish inorder to point out, by contrasting theproverbs, how different civilizationsin different languages respect, if notthe same then similar systems.One of our intentions when writ-ing this dictionary of proverbs was toshow that Croatian language nurturesits customary, moral and languagetradition and that it is not incompati-ble with other European societies.Moreover, for centuries it has been apart of the same cultural, civilization-al and European tradition. Theproverbial riches of Croatian lan-guage are as diverse as the riches ofother languages. Further on, it hasnot only followed cultural events inEurope, but it has sometimes beenone step ahead of them. Our secondaim was to prove how in different civ-ilizations, national cultures and dif-ferent languages, together with theCroatian language, one respects andnurtures the mutual and identical val-ues. The old, humanistic values are tobe found in the achievements of everynation. The spirit of universality isembedded in the homeland of every

nation.This dictionary should confirmthe old thesis of all humanists whowould like to point out that in varioussocieties, from the most primitive tothe most developed one, everywherein the world it is worth to speak thetruth, to be brave, to help the dis-abled, to be generous. On the otherhand, it condemns people who hurtothers, steal or are being selfish.Naturally, people do not alwaysbehave according to certain values.But it is essential that people knowthat every civilization disintegrateswhen foible becomes the rule ofbehaviour. The whole Europe togeth-er with us, is searching for stablemoral values and people, not onlywith words but also with acts, increasethe hope in the world in which themoral values and in which causes ofindignity will be elimenated � as thenegative of pure human life. With regard to the number of lan-guages in which we wanted to findmeaningful equvalents for Croatianproverbs and in regard to the greatnumber of our associates that wetried to involve in the project to makeit successful, we have decided to takethe proverbial minimum � around sixhundereds of Croatian proverbs. In the realization of this diction-ary more than 70 people have takenpart; professors, teachers and theirstudents, presidents of cultural insti-tutions, European houses and clubsfrom different European countries.Some of our associates were not ableto find suitable proverbs in their ownlanguage for each Croatian proverb,some have found most of theproverbs, and some have found all ofthem. We did not make a selectionwith regard to the quantity of theproverbs; we have respected the long,strenuous and voluntary work and wehave inserted the contribution of eachand every associate in the book.When choosing the proverbs wepayed attention to several rules. Wechose proverbs that are semanticallyand syntactically complete, and thatare not contiguous with other forms.We have inserted only proverbs inshort and epitomized sentences, andthose that include one suggestiveunity and the encircled judgement (although they are expressed with anincomplete sentence ). We took intoconsideration the generally acceptedproverbs because they carry out theexperienced events that are known tothe wider community and that havemeaningful equivalents in other lan-guages.We added a couple of moreproverbs to the �main� proverb . Ourassociates from other countries actedin the same way. By doing so theyshowed provebial riches and diversi-ty. In the brackets, we adduced para-phrases, translational equivalentsthat also in our language show a highrate of acceptance. It is to be expect-ed that there are going to be remarkson the existence and a more appro-priate choice when it comes toCroatian proverbs as well asproverbs in other languages. By contrasting Croatian proverbswith proverbs of other nations, it ispossible to note the similarities anddifferences. The similarities are con-ditioned by the common or similarexperimental basis. Only sometimesthe borrowings and the differences (the rare ones ) are the reflection ofthe different way of evaluating cer-

tain phenomena and conditions. Theyare the expression of different cultur-al conditions in which a certain lan-guage exists.Some concur with expression,content and predetermination, andsome concur with each other onlymeaningfully ( only some expressionsare different ), whereas the content ofother proverbs is expressed in a dif-ferent way. When one was not able tofind a meaningful equivalent for cer-tain Croatian proverb, some associ-ates offered a transitional equivalentbut they tried to maintain the typicalproverbial structure.Sometimes a proverb in differentlanguages did not support the mainproverb, but we connected it with theones that have the greater rate ofequivalence.We are aware of the fact that thiskind of work demands more time andmore associates in order to make thework more complete and more effi-cient. There are already people whoare interested in the continuation ofthe co-operation and the improve-ment of this contrastive dictionary. We have doubted greatly when itcame to the classification of theproverbs. �� Is it better to classifythem alphabetically or according tothe themes?�� The first one complete-ly disregards the semantic side of theproverb, and the second is also notappropriate because one and thesame proverb can fall into severalsemantic groups. Therefore, we havefound a compromise solution; weranked the proverbs according tothemes. Then we classified thethemes and the proverbs alphabeti-cally. Since there are proverbs in thisdictionary from 20 differentEuropean languages, we have decid-ed not to write an index for every lan-guage. We put the indexes only forEnglish and Croatian language. Thatis a task that lies ahead of us. The criteria for the selection ofthe chronology of the languages hasnot been made according to theimportance of the language oraccording to the number of speakersof that language, but the arrival of theworks of our associates. That is whythe Latvian proverbs come right afterthe English ones, and the Swedish arethe last ones because we achieved theco-operation with them rather late.This dictionary is intended for allthe sympathizers of Words, admirersof the linguistic and moral riches,translators, teachers of foreign lan-guages, students and pupils.At the beginning of the 21st cen-tury all European citizens live in amultilingual environment. In theirdaily lives citizens come across manydifferent languages. There is a needto increase popular knowledge andunderstanding of the diversity of thelanguages of Europe. There is a needto generate a great interest in andcuriosity about languages. There is aneed to enhance linguistic tolerancewithin and between nations.Our book is a small contributionto the progressive comprehensionthat would like to establish the ideathat by taking into account and by cel-ebrating the linguistic diversity wemost certainly must not forget thatcertain humanistic principles areincorporated in the language of everynation. Bo`ica Sedli}

The reason and the way of inception of the Dicitonary of proverbsThe reality of European societies lies in its diversity. Europe is the cradle for people fromdifferent cultural communities and these are mainly distinguished through languages

»ALL PEOPLEKNOW EVERYTHING«(Proverbs � folk philosophy)Among miniature literary forms proverbs belong to thesmallest but at the same time most philosophical ones. Brevity,often blending with functional (wise, meaningful) silence, isvital to their programme. Thus the Russian, for example, sayin their proverbs that brevity is «the sister of the talent», theEnglish, that it is «the soul of good sense» while the Croatianthink that «words have to be measured, not counted».Therefore, folk wisdom, in its own selfpresentation not onlyprefers, but, what is more, demands verbal conciseness,almost formulaic expression, to judge or solve the problems oflife, experience, world.What is indicative is the relationship between the proverbsand the language,i.e. the medium in which they take form.Namely, a number of proverbs of most different peoples (andlanguages) refers to the way in which the language, thetongue, should be used. The term «tongue» is here usedambiguously (with multiple meaning, playfully) to denote boththe body organ and the means of communication. («Tonguesbreak bones and herself has none»; «Hurtful words are morepainful than an inflicted wound»). True wisdom is not mani-fested as much in speaking at the right moment, as in keepingsilent at the right moment: «Speech is silvern, but silence is -golden»; «Hear twice before you speak»; «He cannot speakwell, that cannot hold his tongue».The relationship between the proverbs and the languagecan help us understand the essential, fundamental ambiva-lence folk wisdom uses to cover issues of life. To the ambigui-ty, controversion and multitude of aspects of the life situa-tions, correspond the ambiguity and «controversion» of theproverbs which refer, so to say, to the one and the same thing.Thus, «honey catches more flies than vinegar»; but � at thesame time � «»fair words butter no parsnips»; not to mentionthat «the magic of the tongue is the most dangerous of allspells» and that «words cut more than the sword»...Based onsuch observation the folk philosophy concludes correctly:«Words heal but they also kill»; «Honey is sweet but the beestings». Likewise, God can be quite close («God never sendsmouth but he sends meat»), but also far away («God is highabove, emperor far away»). Truth is «more valuable thangold» and «fears no judges», but nevertheless: »He that fol-lows truth too closely must take care that she does not strikehis teeth» because «the truth will out», «the truth alwaysemerges».Man�s life turns out to be an inextricable wheel of fortuneand misfortune, love and hatred, justice and injustice, wisdomand stupidity. Essential to worldly wisdom is the ability tochoose the corresponding (right) formula or prescription, i.e.proverb on any occasion. However, the unity of folk philoso-phy, contained in the totality of proverbs of some people, isclear evidence of the fact that an unambiguous, uncontradic-tory formula for solving existential situations simply does notand cannot exist. The Absolute, taken as a unity of all that isreal and possible, presupposes rather than excludes the con-troversions and differences. Only through its controversionscan the Absolute be «complete».The universality of proverbs in terms of time and space,i.e. the existence of equivalents in most different languagesand cultures, testifies to the common material and spirituallife frameworks of the human species.As to the historical depth, it is not difficult to recognize therole that the Bible or the culture, literature and philosophy ofancient Greece and Rome, play in the proverbs of modernWest European nations.On the other hand, though, geograph-ically and historically distant cultures are founded upon simi-lar or even same universal human systems of values. Mattersat issue here are always the individual and the society, theauthorities and the law, the state and the church, relatives andfriends, war, illness and death, gift giving and love, customsand morality, money, wealth and poverty ....Vladimir Dalj, a well-known Russian lexicographer andethnologist, classified his collection of Russian proverbs intosome 150 «semantic fields». This means that the network ofproverbs «covers» the most important fields of life in somedetail. So, taking into consideration that different languagesand different cultures solve the same general spiritual andpractical life problems � it is not difficult to see that proverbscan serve as some kind of communication bridges betweenpeoples and languages. In the process, of course, what is uni-versal and common in them gets some local colour, some sin-gular materialization: particular languages, people or culturalcentres enrich, dynamize and bring to life the universalitieswithin which they move, rather than reduce them.The saying «All people know everything» does not meanthat every man knows everything but rather that every mancan learn whatever there is to learn and can be learnt if onlyhe is willing to make contacts with everybody else.

Josip U`arevi}, Zagreb, October 29, 2001

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

7

ABOUT PROVERBSAuthor Bo`ica Sedli} got involved in a big project of collectingproverbs of different nations. The project was accepted by theInternational Coordination Centre of European Clubs acting withinthe Ministry of Education in Lisbon. Helped by her assistants, Mrs.Sedli} collected four and a half thousand proverbs from Croatia only,but only six hundred of them are realized in this project, consideringthe principles of truth, justice, solidarity, love, hatred and lies.Naturally, former collectors of folk treasure were of great help.Hopefully, the dedicated collectors from other countries will join in sothat we could get a better insight into the folk wisdom.Proverbs express the age-long experience first of all but at thesame time they provide instructions and teach us how to live. Theirlapidary character can be compared with poetry, which also tends toexpress feelings and ideas in as few words as possible. Of course, folkexperience is different; it is not the truth, honesty or justice that alwayswins so that the proverbs cannot form a consistent system.Nevertheless, it is the morality deeply rooted into the human race thatprevails in all this confusion and contradiction. Surely, one can ques-tion the sayings: �liars must have good memories�, or �a liar is soonexposed�, �lies are short-lived�, but if all the people lied, the societywould disintegrate. It is the same with the maxim:�a good turndeserves another�, or as the Bible says: �cast your bread upon thewaters�. How many benefactors received abusive language or evenassaults in return for their good deeds! Well known is the warningfrom Dubrovnik: �Beware most of the one to whom you did good!�Unlike the contradictory experience, morality demands from men todo good without regard to whether it will be taken into consideration.A number of proverbs offer salvation in the form of a reward afterdeath but this salvation is not generally accepted and does not haveany rational explanation either. Besides, a moral act must not be theresult of premeditation that it will be rewarded sooner or later. It mustbe autonomous, inspired by an inner motive. Do good because itproves your human qualities! A good man does not lie, steal, is not vio-lent, does not kill, but rather the contrary, he tries to understand theother man and help him in distress. Folk sayings argue mostly for thisideal of an honest, truthful, brave, compassionate man in spite of theage-long experience, which is the witness of a number of socially suc-cessful liars, thieves, tyrants and robbers.Plato asked the question: does it pay to be just? The greatestancient philosopher did not find the answer, nor will anybody whostarts from an individual point of view. However, the proverbs expresscollective wisdom and even if they do not deny that some criminalsmanage to spend their lives in luxurious living, a maxim like this doesnot hold on a human scale. Against the swelling tide of vanity, lies,selfishness and rapacity, different peoples have, through centuries,developed a universal morality, guarantee of common survival andcontained as such in folk proverbs. Therefore, heartfelt thanks to dili-gent collectors!

Ivan Supek, member of Croatian Academy of Arts and SciencesYOUG PEOPLE AND SEXUALITY

Many people say that adolescense is a hard and complicatedperiod for the young as well as for those who surround them. Theroots of everything that happens in adolescense are to be found inchildhood, a perid when we require prerequisite conditions for thedevelopment of our birth role.Adolescense is like a transitional period between childhoodand the age of adulthood, which idicate changes of the way ofthinking and its expression, the sexual maturing. It ends when onebecomes socially mature. The qualitative relationship between achild with its parents is very important for that process; it stimu-lates the whole mental developement and the firm foundation ofthe forming of the samosvojne identity. Beside that, the society with its stereotypical norms of behav-iour has a strong impact on the development of the child�s birthidentity. With the separation young people from their family andthe inclination towards their peer groups, they make their own con-clusions about themselves comparing themselves to their peers. Although adolescents think that their sexual behaviour is onlya matter of their own choice, it is without no doubt greatly iflu-enced by their parents, peers, social environment and prejudices,The sexual behaviour of the young people cannot be observed onlyas a biological phenomenon; it is conditioned by the norms of thesociety and the culture in which it appears. No one can deny thatrace, class, economic status, religion, age and sex are equallyimportant factors that influence the young people�s attitudes onwhat is appropriate for boys and girls in a particular time and a par-ticular place.

The idea that adolescents know everything about sexuality iswrong and has nothing to do with reality. In order to find out andto confirm what we already knew, and that is that young people livein ignorance, lack of information about sexuality and reproductivehealth, which lead to a great number of unwanted pregnacies, abor-tions and disturbed health- we have conducted a survey on youngpeople who live in Slavonski Brod. The survey has been conduct-ed on 700 young people attending elementary and secondaryschools in Slavonski Brod. Out of the entire number of personspolled 60,02% were females and 39,85% males.The idea that adolescents know everything about sexuality (actually about everything ) � is wrong. Many young people act asif they knew everything. Although they are mostly informed, theylack self- confidence, stability and comfort in relation to their ownsexuality. With this survey we have found out the main sources ofinformation about young people�s sexuality. Because of the lack ofsexual education, which should also be learned in families (parents unwillingly or not at all accept the role of the educatorwhen it comes to sexuality ) adolescents are forced to learn aboutsexuality through mass media and their peers, who are the mostfrequent sources of information, but also often incomplete andinaccurate ones. The results have shown that these sources are thepress ( 39% ) and television ( 26% ). Friends have taken the firstplace ( 14% ). After them come parents ( 12% ), then school ( 8%) and brothers and sisters ( 1% ). Not even one person polled hascited the heath workers as a source of information on sexuality. These results show that one should work on a more qualitativerelationship in the process of growing up and socialization. Familyis the space for understanding and acceptance, learning and rejec-

AN ADDITION TO THE CARE ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH(Results of the survey conducted in elementary and secondary schools in Slavonski Brod)

8

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002tion, a space for resistance and violence, rightsand responsibility, a space of changes and aspace for changes. It is no wonder that thecommunication inside families is disturbed. Ifone does not practise something in the macroworld, one does practise it neither in the microworld. While raising a child parents follow theinstructions and models which are the resultsof their own socialization and which corre-spond to expectations of the community andsociety in which they live.

Havig asked how they would evaluate theirown knowledge on sexuality the female part ofthe conducted survey said : 1,7% thinks that itis insufficient, 13,2% that it is sufficient, 30%that it is good, 47,4% very good and 7,7% thatit is excellent. As to the male part of the con-ducted survey 2,5% thinks that it is insuffi-cient, 6,9 that it is good, 41,8 that it is verygood and 17,5% that it is excellent. This partof the survey shows that young people appre-ciate the way they are informed on sexuality. Wanting to define closely the persons withwhom one often talks about the problems ofsexuality, we asked the young people howoften they talk with their mother, father, teach-ers, partners, doctors, friends about questionsrelated to sexuality. We have ranked the quali-ty of their conversation with numbers from 1to 5. The biggest number of the female personspolled answered that they sometimes talkabout the issue with their mother, never withtheir father, never with their teachers, neverwith their partners, never with their doctorsand always with their friends( ?! ) The biggest number of the male personspolled answered that they never discuss theissue with their mother, never with their father,never with their teachers, never with their doc-tors and always with their friends. When it comes to the question if they everhad sexual intercourse young, men blaze thetrail; at the age of 14, 0 % of the young menhad sexual intercourse, at the age of 15, 20%,at the age of 16, 39,2%, at the age of 17, 50,8%and at the age of, 18, 66%. The numerical datarelated to females are: at the age of 14, 2,4%had sexual intercourse, at the age of 15, 4,8%,at the age of 16, 11,4%, at the age of 17,29,7%, at the age of 18 52,75.

During sexual intercourse most youngpeople use contraceptives, 30% use themsometimes and 26% never use them. . The dataon the usage of the contraceptives has alsobeen made according to the age of the exami-nees. The most represented form of contracep-tives is condom, 95%, while only 5 % usesbirth control pills. When we asked wether one should open aguidance center for reproductive health inSlavonski Brod, 85% of the young peopleanswered affirmatively, and 6% negatively and9% of the examinees were restrained.Although young people very much appre-ciate the way they are informed on sexuality,the majority of them voted for the introductionof the subject on sexual education in schools.89% of the examinees wish for the to be intro-duced subject, 7% of them is against it, and 4%is restrained.The aim of this survey was to show thatsexuality is a tabu and that young people donot have adequate sources of informationwhen it comes to sexuality. The familiy, schooland health institutions should have a greaterrole in providing information for the youngabout sexuality. There are only three guidancecenters for reproductive health in Croatia, andall three are situated in Zagreb. We are plead-ing for the opening of such a center inSlavonski Brod because we think that informa-tion which are transmitted through the mediaare not always true. Sexuality is a componentof a human being during his whole life. Itaffects not only ones body but also onesthoughts, feelings and self- respect. In order tomake the lives of young people healtier andmore qualitative, the family, school and healthinstitutions must promote their concern onreproductive health. The right on the reproduc-tive health is a part of the common people�srights and it brings great changes to the indi-viduals, families and the community in gener-al. Therefore every modern society systemati-cally organizes reproductive health protectionthrough which prevention, diagnostics, med-ical treatment, health education and consulta-tion are carried out.

We are pointing out this problem because

the majority of adolescents becomes sexuallyactive before marriage, which is due to the pre-mature psysical and sexual maturity, longereducation and the postoponement of marriage.The curiousity, the impact of the influence out-side of the family ( the media, the peer pres-sure ), ignorance, the declining of the role ofthe family in the process of globalization leadsyoung to the risky sexual behaviour: prematuresexual intercourse, accidental sexual inter-course, changing of the partners, not using theprotection. It all produces bigger problems ofreproductive health. A bad reproductive healthis very often connected to ingnorance, sick-nesss, abuse, exploiting, unwanted pregnancyas well as to death. Providing adequate care foryoung people we make contributions to theirreproductive health, and by ignoring theirneeds for appropriate information on sexualitywe � endanger it.

If we opened a guidance center for repro-ductive health we would insure permanent pro-tection of the reproductive health which wouldencompass : education on sexuality and repro-duction; guidance on how to plan a family andhow to use contraceptives; health protection ofthe reproduction; prevention and healing of thesterility; diagnostics and the healing of the dis-eases of the reproductive system, hormon dis-order etc.; diagnostics and the healing of thesexually transmitted diseases; abortion withprevention and the treatement of the cose-quences; the prevention of the sexual abuseand the care for the victims. ( To be continued� )Marina and Zorica Gari} (members ofthe Youth Parliament of the town Slavonski Brod)

The Municipal Government ofSlavonski Brod, as joint organizer,together with the Europe HouseSlavonski Brod and with primaryand secondary schools at the townarea, will provide the YouthParliament project dedicated toincreasing the participation anddecision making level of youngpeople in schools and local com-munity.The town of Slavonski Brodhas accepted the strategy of posi-tive, partnership approach to theassociations, organizations andNGSs which work with young peo-ple, allocating them the space,moral, professional and financialsupport, to create and implementnumerous of programmes and proj-ects that improve the quality ofyouth growth progress and devel-opment.By the project Youth Parlia-ment, Europe House SlavonskiBrod wants to intensify the co-operation between young people ingeneral on the one hand, NGOs onthe other hand and the bodies ofthe town authority and autonomy

on the next hand, to realize adesired target � the intergration ofyoung people to the works of thecommunity and to increase theirinfuence in decision making.The ideas for emerging in themaking, development and imple-mentation of this programme,which is based on the UN�sConvention of Child�s Rights, theEuropean Charter of YouthParticipation in the life of theTown and the County, and on posi-tive experiances of European citieswith longlasting democratic tradi-tion in implementation «youth pol-icy/policy to youth/policy foryouth», and which take in consid-eration the infuences of childrenand young people, the project cre-ators have already gained � theEurope House Slavonski Brod inthe longtime work with young peo-ple in the local communty.As the evidence I state that theEurope House in co-operation withthe Administrative depertment forsocial affairs of Slavonski Brod,have been organizing the School ofDemocracy for three years now for

the students of secondary schooland for the pupils of higher classesin elementary schools.We are pleased to take part inthis project. We are pleasedbecause Ministry of education ofRepublic of Croatia accept theproject proposal of youth participa-tion, NGOs and Muncipal authori-ty of Slavonski Brod � as a pilotproject for the Republic of Croatia.This project proposal of theEurope House Slavonski Brod, theCity Council Slavonski Brod haveofered to the Net of Towns � thesubscribes of the Citizen�s Pact forSEE � the initiative of citizengroups proceed as rhe response tothe establishment of the StabilityPact for SEE. Its particular purposeis improvement, development andorganization of the model forregional co-operation by youngpeople, local NGOs and townsdevoted to stability, peace anddemocracy.

Slavonski Brod, 30th January 2001Dr. Vladimir Jerkovic

President of City Council Slavonski Brod about project YOUTH PARLIAMENT

International Projects:

EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP - project run by the Council of Europe andthe Ministry of Education of the Republic of Croatia. It has been going on for a year and halfin 5 Croatian Schools, including ours. The aim of this project is democratisation of theprocesses and relationships between students, teachers and parents. It aheightens publicunderstanding and awareness of how important democracy is.DEMOCRACY SCHOOL PROJECT - is an international project which has been realised asa part of the network project of the Healthy Cities of Croatia, that cooperates with theEuropean network. The aim of this project is education and engagement of the young peo-ple in critical thinking and stimulation of the democratic solutions for a more quality life.Right now, we are trying to organize Youth Council, which would be a new form of the par-ticipation of the young people in the local government. It would be based on the pattern ofthe Youth Council in the Norwegian city Sandness.

PARTNERSHIP OF SCHOOLS (Labin - Leverkusen) - a special project which has beenrealised on an international level. Cooperation between our school and BerufskollegOpladen from Leverkusen is based on the intercultural principles and realized throughcommon projects, exchange of experience, partnership, relations and investigations of thecommon interests.ECOLOGY GROUP - very activ in many international and educational projects and activi-ties in its environs: since 1995 has been involved in UNESCO-SEMEP PROJECT and since1998 in GLOBE PROGRAMME. It was developed from the successful activities of theChemical-biology and Ecology workshops that had existed for a long time. This group hasstarted with new investigations and measurements (meteorological, soil investigation, budburst...), which are being carried out in the field or in the school laboratory by 60 students.COMPUTER SCIENCE GROUP ACSL - since 1997 it has participated in the AmericanComputer Science Legaue (ACSL with the aim of computer programming improvement. Asthey achieved outstanding results, a group of students together with their teacher were invit-ed to the USA in 1997 (Salt Lake City) in 1999 (Alexandria), in 2000 (Houston).SCHOOL MAGAZINE IN GERMAN LANGUAGE - TREFF - a project work - Conceived,prepared and realized by a group of teachers and students as a part of German languagestudying. It is an additional activity, which creates motivation in a quality acquiring of a for-eign language.DEBATE CLUB - extracurriculum activity that has been going on for 5 years. Move thanseventy students work together on mastering and promotion of the skills of the argumenta-tion and public communication. Debate as teaching method has been partly applied in thecurriculum of elective subjects such as Politics and Economy, Ecology or CroatianLanguage.JOURNALIST GROUP LABIN HEALTHY CITY - a group of students under the leadershipof an experienced teacher and in cooperation with Labin Healthy City prepares, and issuesperiodical magazine Labin Healthy City. This magazine presents and promotes many activ-ities of the Healthy City. Majority of these activities are being carried out in our school asprojects on its own.RADIO PROGRAMME "GIVE ME A BREAK" it is a group of students that independentlyprepares and realizes a school-radio programme every Friday afternoon on the local Labinradio. Through this project, students are acquiring skills in this kind of general public inform-ing.DRAMA WORKSHOP - October in Labin - this project has been realized in our school asan independent project in drama training for the students and leaders of these activities ofour school and other schools from the Istrian and the Primorsko-Goranska Counties.Through drama workshops both students and teachers broaden their knowledge of lan-guage, expression, literature communications, scenic expression, art and creation in gen-eral, under the leadership of the drama teacher.FASHION DESIGNERS AND MODELS - activity that has sprung from the textile curricu-lum, and from its orientation to work on accompaning programmes.Pacrticularity of this programme has started a quality creation: students-fashion designerspresent their collections.SCHOOL YOUTH CLUB "NEW HORIZONS" - this club started on the initiative of the stu-dents' school board, which was supported by the Labin - Healthy City Project. School dor-mitory is a place where they regulary meet and where they spend their free time in order toencourage the forming of their personality. Youth club is presented through several activi-ties and all of them started on the initiative of the students themselves. They are now thosewho inspire the teachers, who give their ideas and suggestions. Teachers - leaders arethere to assist the students and to encourage them to be persistent in realization of theiraims.

We are quite certain that the Secondary School Mate Blazina will continue with suchwork, which includes the acquiring of new knowledge and skills, and all that with the aim ofcreating high quality education.

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

9

PRESENTATION OF THE EXTRACURRICULUM ACTIVITIES OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL MATE BLA@INA LABIN^EDOMIR RU@I], principal of the school and his collaboratorsBRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SCHOOLIn 1998, Secondary School Mate Bla`ina celebrated its50th-anniversary. Since its beginnings, it has educatedagreat number of young people of different professionalprofiles, through various models of professional andschool education. It has been a nursery of the qualifiedpersonnel, always trying to satisfy the real needs of thesociety and of the educational system. Education of theyoung people for various vocations and those coveringvarious programmes, has been sucessfully realized allthese years. At the moment, Secondary school Mate Bla`ina,which is the biggest secondary school in Istria, hasCurriculum activities that cover all education and trainingin the four-year and three-year courses as well as theactivities that are carried out in the school dormitory which is also a component part of ourschool. Educational courses offered are: Grammar school, Electrotechnical school, Businessstudies, School of mechanical engineering, School for catering trades, Commercial school andTextile school.Children from Labin, as well as from nearby communities of Ra�a, Sv. Nedelja, Kr�an andPi?an attend our school. There are from 900 to 1000 students who are put into approximately35 classes. There are more that 90 people working on all kind of jobs, 70 of them teachers.In October, 2000, on the International Teacher�s Day, our school was given Minister�sacknowledgement as one of the 13 secondary schools in Croatia that succeeded in creating highquality curriculum and varied extra-curriculum activities.THINGS WE HAVE DONE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR SCHOOL, ONTHE PROMOTION OF THE INNOVATIVE FORMS, IN THE CONTENT AND IN THEMUTUAL RELATIONS (EXTRACURRICULUM)Our school was the first secondary school in Croatia that back in 1993. started with the sys-tematic education of the teachers, when we took part in the seminars from the Theory ofChoice (which was proved to be successful). These seminars gave us new knowledge as well asnew attitudes towards different teaching methodology. We realized that these were contents weneeded in order to make improvements in the process of teaching. Whole theoretical conceptof the Quality School is based on the idea of creating such conditions in the school, where both,the teachers and the pupils will be able to satisfy their psychical needs. It is based on mutualagreement and not on coercion or punishment. These are prerequisite conditions for the cre-ation of the quality school.Being aware of the fact that school, as an institution can not exist alone, but only as a partof the local community, we started with an intensive cooperation with the Labin Municipality.They expressed wish to realize this project as the part of their project Labin � Healthy City. Inthat way, we established an educational project called Our way in creation of the quality school.The part of the road that we have passed so far, and the one in front of us is not an easy orfast one. It meant the change of the system and the change in the way of thinking of all the par-ticipants � pupils, teachers and parents. We achieve good results not only in numerous extracur-riculum activities and projects, but also in the presentation of the curriculum through the team-study in the various subject matters.

DEBATE CLUB

^. Ru`i} and W. Glasser

10

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002Metkovi} Grammar SchoolECO AND DEMOCRACYREPORTSSCHOOL OF DEMOCRACY IN THETOWN OF METKOVI],CROATIA

It has been a few years since a Debate group started their dis-cussions on the latest isssues at Gimnazija Metkovi}, the second-ary school with the students aged 15 - 18. As everybody was enthu-siastic with this new form of communicaton we went on. Our goalswere to draw the students' attention to tolerance, patience, under-

standing, listening and good behaviour. We managed to join theworkshop at Labin Summer School of Democracy and later oninspired by the Norwegian model of Children's School Council thefirst Croatian Parliament of City Youth Council took place in ourtown. Nowadays we are aware that schools, parents and the localcommunity are the institution who are responsible for the devel-opment of the democratic processes. Therefore we are giving ourefforts to prepare young generations for participating in publiclocal life by means of intelligible and persuasive discussion basedon arguments and the behaviour according to the sence of con-science.

The aim of this prolect, besides defining the situationon the spot is getting together those who are interestedin water protection and who will be able to take part inthese activities in the future in order to help protect theremaining unspoiled natural areas.There is a group of 20 students who have beentrained and gained the knowledge of technical possibili-ties of a continual testing the quality of water in theregion of the Neretva Delta. It was drawn a special atten-tion to young people's significance in evaluating, criticiz-ing and creating future.

The folloving activites were set in carrying out this pro-ject: 1. making an advertising leafter ( with a questionnaire )2. defining the water sites on different locations3. taking and analysing samples of water4. publishing leaflets with the results of the researchA group of students from Gimnazija Metkovi},Croatia, interested in digital, graphical and journalisticinformation have been included in creating this advertis-ing leaflet.The questionnaire was distributed among thestudents of the fifth forms of elementary schools (aged11) and the students of the first forms of secondaryschools (aged 15) in the town of Metkovi}. The result ofthe analysis of the questionnaire showed the students'interest for ecological problems. At the same time atGimnazija Metkovi} an Eco-group named "Protection ofman's environment" has been formed, the group who are

going to deal with the project as well as other projects,and therefore, they will be significant holders of ecologi-cal education in the town. Their first task was going outto the water locations and finding suitable sites, togetherwith necessary photo documents. At the very beginning,the idea was to find 5 sites; namely, one by the NorinRiver, a tributary stream of the Neretva River, and 4 sitesby the Neretva River in the towns of Metkovi}, Opuzen,Komin and the Estuary.All samples have been chemically and biologicallytested a number of times. The results of this researchhave been published in both leaflets and the 3 large eco-boards. Finally, the analysis of the water has revealed aslight alkaline value of all the samples.

Since the town of Metkovi} lies on the NeretvaRiver which has recognized and distinguished Deltathroughout Europe, and moreover, geographically it isa boundary region with Bosnia and Herzegovina, weshare the same river, watershed and habitat. There area lot of eco-projects with our school concerning theanimal life. One of the most popular educational tripsis boating by la|a down the Neretva River aroundwhich there are still unspoiled marshy and Karstregions. Students are really and directly taught aboutthis treasure and the intention is to make them awarehow important it is to have clear water, the source andconsolation of life. The History group at GimnazijaMetkovi} have also made a project on the Neretvanriver boats, called trupa and la|a which was present-ed in Norway in November, 2001.THE ANALYSIS OF QUALITY OF WATER IN THE NERETVA RIVER

The second workshop on the´Twinning of sites of citizenship inSoutheast Europe´ held in Varazdin,Croatia, from 5-7 October, 2001, wasjointly organized by the Council ofEurope (Stability Pact), the CroatianMinistry of Education and Sports andthe Varazdin site of citizenship. Therewere 27 participants, including nation-al EDC coordinators and site actorsfrom Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia,Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Federal Republic ofYugoslavia ( Serbia and Montenegro),Moldavia, Romania and Slovenia.Further, there was the Deputy Ministerof Education and Sports of Croatia, MsNatasa Jovicic, the Mayor of Varazdin,Dr. Ivan Cehok, and the CountyMayor, Dr. Zvonimir Sabati, who alltook part in the opening session. Also,there were six members of theMonitoring Group on the ´Twinning ofsites of citizenship in SEE´, includingthe main animator, Mr Graham Dysonfrom the Centre for ConflictManagement and Peacebuilding,

Norway. Finally, there was the evalua-tor of the twinning scheme, Dr ReinaldDoebel and the Council of Europe sec-retariat, Ms Mechthilde Fuhrer.The workshop on ´Twinning ofsites of citizenship in SEE´, which wasof a fully participatory nature, pro-ceeded in three days. After the openingspeeches, the first day was dedicated toplenary presentations on developmentssince the first training workshop aswell as to the needs confirmation,visions and objectives of the twinningprocess. The second day was focusedon the management and methodologyof the planned twinning activities withthe special emphasis on the evaluationprocess. On the third day, the partici-pants focused on the detailed planningof next steps as well as on rules andcontracts between twinning partners.After several sessions of groupwork in which the participants plannedthe contents, events, time-table andother technical details of theexchanges, the rules or ´twinning con-tracts´ were set up between:

Albania � Croatia - `Let´sfind a friend in Albania / Croatia`Bulgaria � Croatia � Kosovo -`We are different, we are equal`Macedonia � Moldova - `Massmedia in promotion of humanrightsS̀lovenia � FRY, Serbia - `Backto the future`Montenegro � Romania - `Let´sget to know each other`Besides the working part of the semi-nar, there were some interesting socialevents which included CroatianCultural Welcome Evening, Intercu-ltural Evening and Baroque MusicConcert, which all contributed to thespirit of understanding and acceptingdiversities. Also, the participants visit-ed Gimnazija Varazdin site and talkedto students and teachers, who gave apresentation of their citizenship activi-ties.At the end of the workshop the partici-pants felt that the objectives of theworkshop were met as the participantsreflected on their developments, got

informed on the available resourcesand support system, developed an inte-grated evaluative process, worked outrules and contracts of the exchanges,developed positive relationships andpartnership and improved their ownempowerment. RAJKA PTICEK

Grammar School activities Varazdin, CroatiaTHE SECOND WORKSHOP ON THE �TWINNING OF CITIES OF CITIZENSHIP IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE�TWINNINGS PROJECT - ACTIVITIES IN VARAZDIN SITE

As a part of the program of the Varazdin Site of the ODC Project,there was a meeting on PEACE AND MULTICULTURALISM, an intro-duction to our twinning cooperation with the Albanian Site. The meetingwas held in a Gimnazija classroom on the 30th October, 2001 and theguests were Mikac couple. They were of our interest because of many rea-sons. Mr Mikac is a member of the presidency of the Varazdin branch ofPaneuropean Union. He spoke of the role of the Union in promoting peaceand cooperation in Europe. Mrs Mikac comes from an Albanian familywhich has been living in Varazdin for 3 generations. She spoke of herroots and Albanian tradition (music, language, religion). The couple alsospoke of their 16 years spent in Germany and of the experience of theirson who spent a year in USA. The students put some questions to theguests, who gladly answered them. Mr Mikac presented GimnazijaLibrary with 2 books on Paneuropean Union.

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

11

INTERVIEWWITH A ROMGipsies, pardon, Roms as I´ve learnt it´s right, are the peo-ple who we think to be lazy, dirty and lying, basta. But is it likethis? Are they really just humanoids or simply differenthumans? To find it out, I talked to Darko Orsos, 22, married, 2kids, living in the same house with 7 brothers and sisters, hisparents, grandparents in a three-house Roman village.Aren`t you a bit young to be married?No. Roms usually get married at 13 or 14.How come?We have a short life. If you live for 50 years only, then youhave a long life and you are among the oldest members in thevillage.Who decides on who you are to get married?We have a leader in the village. His word is the law. Whenhe says something, it´s the way it´s to be. He decides on mar-riages, what you will do, whether you´ll go to school�Everybody obeys him. If someone doesn´t, he will beat the shitout of him.What!?Yes. Sometimes we get beaten up in the morning for some-thing we´re going to do that day. But everybody respects him allthe same.What do you do? How do you earn the money?I do what they tell me to do. Sometimes I work in the fieldsor get a job as a construction worker. Sometimes I must beg formoney out in the street.How much can you get in this way?About 50 � 200 kunas (15 � 55 DM) a day.What kind of condition do you live in?We have no electricity, no water supply. It´s terrible to sur-vive. We live each day at the time just to survive.What language do you speak?Every family has a language of its own. It´s a combinationof many languages which we learnt moving from country tocountry. We used to move but not any more because of new bor-ders. We´ve lived in Croatia for 10 years and we have theCroatian citizenship but we don´t use Croatian so much. That´sway nobody understands us.What do you call yourselves? Gipsies?No! It´s an offence. We aren´t Gipsies, we are Roms. Itmeans HUMAN in our language. If someone calls me Gipsy,I´m ready to hit him. Remember we are Roms.I remember, I do, so help me god.FORGOTTEN ANDABANDONEDAt the edge of the town, in a semi-ruined environment of theex-bar-rock complex, there is a sanctuary of some 360 refugeesfrom Croatia and Bosnia. Left alone by God and people, as someof them would say, they stubbornly keep subsisting deprived ofany future. Anyway, they keep saying HOPE DIES LAST trying todrive away sadness and to encourage themselves. To sooth ourmild souls, we went to Refugees Centre 1 to talk to some of them.Let them give vent to their troubles and possibly let`s get rid of ourremorse. That`s the most we can do. (Later it appeared it was thevery least we could do.) When we came there, we were at no timesurrounded by groups of people all trying to tell us their story. Hereare just few of them.JOSIP BARICEVIC: I come from Vukovar. I`ve been here for11 years. I was also I n Zagreb and Primosten. We spend days likeDalmatians: some go fishing, some go moonlighting as we legallycan´t get a job. Food suits to somebody, to somebody else itdoesn`t. As for the future I don`t know. I don`t think about gettingback. Vukovar is not what it used to be. I asked the Government togrant me a gorse or a flat here or in Osijek. I just got promises.MATE MATOVINA WITH HIS FAMILY: I come from villagenear Plitvice Lakes. I like Varazdin but I don`t have recourses tolive in my own place. Accomodation here is much better that isused to be. Everything else is just to stand. Food used to be bad,now it`s medium. I look forward to returning. I`d like to restore myhouse but it will take years.SABINA, 17: I come from Bosanka Gradiska. Everybodycomplains of the conditions here but they are okay for me. I madesome friends here in Varazdin and I go out every evening. I`d liketo study psychology. In the October I`m seeing my sister inDenmark. I don`t think of any return at all.CAMILA, ELDERLY LADY: I`ve been here for 5 years. Ihave nothing to say. I`m on my own here. Almost everybody in myfamily got killed and my relatives are somewhere else in exile. It`shard for me. I have no money. All my clothes and footwear aregiven by Caritas. It`s hard for us in a strange world. We hope toreturn to Bosnia as soon as possible.MARGARETA AND KRISTINA

When I first arrived to this school, Iwas totally disappointed, and notbecause of the school but because of mycountry, my Albania. I lived in Greecefor a long time and coming here andfacing that cruel reality made me at alittle pessimistic. When I chose where Iwas going to seat, wrote to my desk akind of message:So tear me open pour me outThere are things inside that scream andshoutSo tear me open but be wereThere are things inside without a care.

And that was my cliché, my way ofshowing my disagreement with every-thing that was around me. I`ve neverbeen sociable and very friendly, and Ithink, that this happened because ofme, because I was not satisfied withwhat I saw and did. So I trustednobody. And my cliché for this was:�Do you trust what I trust, me, myselfand I?�In school we spent a big part of ourday, so I thought that school was goingto shape me in a way or another. Dayby day I found out that our reality wasnot so cruel and so miserable. So schoolwas teaching me how to collaboratewith the others, and help the others. Ittaught me how to be an active part ofsociety.My teacher and my friends mademe feel important and gave me somuch spaces that I refund myself.

Being part and active member ofgroups at school, special member ofCitizenship and Human Rights group,made me feel really good. Our cualifi-cations for citizenship, conflict resolu-tion, carrier consoulter, human rights,going and helping the handicaps, buy-ing presents to orphan children, asi-lants ( third generation ) and a lot ofthings like those were a satisfaction anda very good way to make us worktogether. Winning at the Mock Trialwas an enormous satisfaction for me.But at that time I was an active mem-ber at almost every contribution andactivity that my school made. And Ifound out that being just you and your-self, and not trusting and sharingeverything with your friends was awaste of life, and life is so beautiful thatwe shouldn`t waste it. I feel kind of badthat I`ve been passive for the first twoyears but I think that I filled some ofthe holes that I left in the past.It was absolutely fantastic for me tomeet the president of my country him-self, the vice-ambassador of the USA,the minister of education and lot ofother personalities. I think it`s notsomething that happens every day tomake a Mock Trial in the building ofthe Supreme Court, but I was thereand trust me, I felt like a God. Me, asimple student entering there andbeing part of this �Saint� institution.My school is a leader of 6 secondaryschool in Tirana. My principal is aleader of Albanian system of education

activities for our National Justice Day.Is this �Arben Broci� identity, inwhich we are involving together forAlbanian, Balcanian, European citi-zenship?We are proud for this for today andspecially for the future.Well these are some of the thingsthat shaped me, that made what I amtoday.For those achievements I thank myteachers and my friends for their sup-port, but I want to thank especially myheadmistress for believing in me somuch and for supporting me and theothers with everything, she had inpower. Well after those four years I seethe world and myself from anotherpoint of view.And this year I wrote, not anymoreon my desk but in my copybook:None is a desert island. None is onlyhe, we are all part of this big universe,and we are all part of humanity. And ifsomebody dies, it dies even a part of mebecause I`m a part of humanity, so ifsomething happens don`t sent some-body to ask, �For whom the bell tolls�It`s tolling for you.I thank my family, my school,teachers and principal, for givingshape to my personality, personalitiesof my friend for the beliving to ourfuture, democratic Albania.PERVIN GJIKURIA, STUDENT INFRANCE � JULY 2001

WHO AM I OF �ARBEN BROCI� COMMUNITY?

25th March 2222Marsian Solarfactory inc. Mr. BossI have some problems with my job, so I would like to ask youto do me a favour. Could you transfer me to Earth? I can�t live orwork any more. I have to get up when the sun rises, and I go to bedwhen the sun goes down. That is too much for me. If I lived onEarth, I would sleep longer and I wouldn�t have to go to sleep soearly. My spacesuit, well, it�s nothing but a big problem to me. It�stoo heavy and uncomfortable. If I didn�t have to work here, Iwould wear T-shirts and jeans like all other people on Earth. Andthis instant Marsian food is terrible. I�m very sensitive and alergicand it only makes me sick. If you gave me a job in a normal place,I would eat only natural and healthy food. And if I ate only healthyfood, I would have more energy and I would work better. Thatwould be better for both of us. And this job in the snlar factorydoesn�t suit me at all. I don�tlike to work with computers. If I worked in a meat factory onEarth, I wouldn�t have to work with computers, I would work onlywith my hands and a knife. Here on Mars I can�t even enjoy myfree time. I can only watch TV, because I have to stay inside thestation. And the programme of Marsian TV is so boring. Onlyfilms from the 20th century and geology. If you transferred meback to my home, I would play football with my friends and Iwould watch national TV programmes. If I had more fun in my

free time, I wouldn�t distract the people around me from work withtelling jokes. And that�s not all. I�ve got more problems. My wifedoesn�t even like me any more. We got separated because she fellin love with another alien. If I lived on Earth, I wouldn�t have awife with three heads at all. I would have a normal, human wife.And if I had a normal wife, we would still be together. My friendsfrom Earth forgot all about me. I don�t have any contacts withthem. If I were withthem, not on Mars, wewould stay together andwe would play football every Sunday. Idon�t have any friendshere. All your otheremployees don�t like mebecause I�m human, andthey are from all aroundthe universe. Mr. Boss,I�m really sad and I can�tgo on like this. Wouldyou please transfer me toEarth`? Your employee,Marko Pa~ari}by Marko&Nata�a, 3H

IF·CLAUSES, TYPE 2

Youth Contribution In TownTartu Dam Tan Dance / Jaani 20Tartu is known as a city that has a university. Becauseof that here is a lot of young people from all around theworld. Tartu has become more popular amongstEstonians. Young people of Tartu have become moreactive in the town�s welfare. The last project of youngsterswas the reestablishing the oldest house in Tartu, that issituated in the corner of Jaani and Laia street.Originally it was the oldest building in Tartu. But in theyear 2000 it started as a club for young people. The firstbigger party was held in autumn 2000. Six young menestablished the so called Musicgallery. Which features par-ties and art exhibitions from young artists. They made alot of repairs and decorated the rooms in a very stylishway. It has elements from the streets and from the graf-fiti era. The main character behind the job is Egert Ivask,who is a media student in Tartu University. And Karel Isakis a student in the philology faculty. The most known exhi-bition in the gallery was Timo Toots´s extreme sport pho-tos and the artist called Kiwa´s exhibition which endedwith police arrival. And Egert Ivask had to go with thepolice to the department. The police is known to visit thegallery several times, because of the noise. It providesyoung artists free exhibitions and performances. TheMusicgallery is a non profit organization for bringingyoung people together.The music played in the club is not regular techno ortrance, it has a more deeper sound. The music-stylesplayed there are known as house, drum&bass and so on.There was a big story in our local newspaper about the gallery. It was about the protest against China ruling Tibet. They tried to burn the nation-al flag of China, but they didn�t. Because it would have been illegal. In the end everything went fine.Now the building can be rented for birthday parties and events. We think it is a very good that young people have now a place where to go andrelax. It is also honorable that old buildings are repaired.

12

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002DENMARK

ESTONIA

FACTS ABOUTUngdomsringen � the Danish Association of Youth-and Leisure Time Centres-is the umbrella of more than 1.200 local centres and clubs, which gather more than130.000 children and young adults for leisure time activities after school and work.Ungdomsringen is national, non-governmental, and not for profit organisationwith a voluntary membership. Members are recognized leisure time clubs, youthclubs, drop in centres, and other open youth work facilities, which are run by thelocal authorities, independent associations, or other groupings. Ungdomsringen sup-ports its members in their work and aims at improving the general conditions of chil-dren and young adults in Denmark.According to its statues, Ungdomstringen shall: improve young people`s activeparticipations in society through open youth work/youth club activities; support theestablishing and running of open youth work facilites through consultative aid; pro-tect the interest of members in all matters vis-à-vis local authorities, and to establishand maintain relations to other fields of youth work; initiate joint activities at nation-al level; conduct education and training; to promote social/educational activities (i.e.open work) for children and young adults; to conduct the co-operation with associ-ation of youth work in other countries.ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNGADULTSThe development of the educational content of open youth work, as well as themethods applied, are one of Ungdomsringen`s prime tasks. To this end, theAssociations co-ordinates and sponsors a number of major national gathering forchildren and young adults: Sports tournaments, theatre and drama festivals, themat-ic events, members` conferences or �virtual activities�. Each year, thousands ofmembers take part in these activities, which offer excellent opportunities for youthcentres to network or to get inspiration for new activities in their own centre.

DEVELOPMENT ANDPROJECTSMany youth centres have taken up the challenge of continuous in-service-development, and in recent years, a largenumber of innovative projects have been launched all over the country. Also, many participate in the discussion on localyouth policies, and try to find new ways of involvement of young adults in democratic processes.Through consultative aid already in the planning phase, and by offering supervision throughout the different stepsof a project, Ungdomsringen strongly supports these initiatives and makes the results known to a wider public throughpublication of reports, educational materials, etc. But the association also acts as a prime mover for a number of proj-ects on different subjects and in different parts of the country. In a constantly changing world, open youth work activi-ties have to compete with a vast of other, not least commercial offers. Therefore, the activities must be attractive to theyoung people, and staff members must be well-trained and well motivated. Ungdomstringen offers a wide range of in-service-training courses for a growing number � more than 7.000 � of part time and full time staff in open youth workfacilities.

Party

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

13

FINLANDMETSOLA PRIMARY SCHOOL, HELSINKI, FINLANDTHE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT, YOUTH- TOUCH!

Metsola primary school is a woodenbuilt school in the middle of the wood. The school was builtin 1991, near a manor park; rear and beautiful trees growing on the plot - ashes, goats, willows,rowans, maples, birdcherries and sprucies. The whole vegetation has been retained almost in its orig-inal form. The school melds into the woodland setting, the pupils play under the trees, the cliffsoffer them a natural place to enjoy themselves. Metsola school offers its pupils an encouraging andversatile environment in which to feel at home and to work. The curriculum sees and values thepossibilities of the location of the school and puts weight on environmental subjects, projects, learn-ing and learning from experience. All the 162 pupils of Metsola know, that they study in the mid-dle of the nature. They have good opportunities to grow and to learn to appreciate beauty; the beau-ty of the nature, the beauty of the succesful architectural planning.But one day in the spring of 2001 the illusion was near to get ruined. The news was, that therewas a housebuilding plan being prepared; it would bring small houses near to the school, it wouldmake the trees and the forest desappear. It would brake down the places of natural environment,the playground of the Metsola-pupils. It would make it quite impossible to study natural sciencein its own surroundings. From that moment, the �Youth-project� of the school started.The chairman of the schoolboard happened to be an architect as well. So we had quite easely thepossibilities of getting firsthand information; about, what was going on. The group of planning-officers were invited to our school to have a look. To see themselves how important the environmentis to us. The whole school; the pupils and their parents knew about the plan and everyone was readyto show their concern and feelings. The pupils quite obviously understood their huge value in mak-ing this clear; to show, that they didn�t want their play-ground to turn into something totally differ-ent. Even the birds sang louder.The visitors came in August, just when the school had started. But the pupils were there, they wereready. Oh, that playing in the woods! Oh, that running among the trees! Someone hugged the trunksof the pines. Some pupils were just doing reseach about flowers. That looked so amazing and inthe same time, so natural. It WAS so natural; it is the everyday way of studying in Metsola. Butin the minds of the pupils you could sense the eagerness and enthusiasm. They experienced the feel-ing, that they really could influence in decisionmaking; in this big, threatening project. And theyreally did that; with full, honest heart.The architects and the planners from the construction department went around, saw what the real-ity of the school was like working in these surroundings. They walked and walked and they cast aglance at the pupils. Finally they ended their thinking in saying:� We didn�t realise it was like this.It does look so different on the planning table. We sure must give it a better and deeper thought.�And they left . When they were walking to their cars one of them added:� Maybe I should bring mychildren here, to school.�Then it was time to start waiting, whether the catepillars and motorsaws would arrive when said,or not.In good time however the mail arrived with the announcement. � THE BUILDING OF THE NEW HOUSES HAS BEEN POSTPONED. MORE TIMEIS NEEDED TO DO BETTER RESEACH OF THE PLANNING OF THE AREA.�The threath had been overcome, at least for the time being.It was time to go on studying in peace, the pupils running happily among the trees.

Sirkku SorvariTeacher of special educationMetsolan ala-asteen koulu Helsinki, Finland

The Helsinki Youth Mouth Departmenthas a major influence in youth affairs. Youthwork is carried out by municipal youth workunits and youth organisations, includingyouth groups that are not officially organ-ised. The City Of Helsinki provides finan-cial support and various services for youthorganisations. This division of labour islegally set out in the Youth Work Act. InFinland, youth affairs are under the author-ity of the Ministry of Education which sub-sidises municipal youth work and supportsyouth organisations.The objective of the Youth Departmentis to help the young become equal and ac-tive members of society. Membership ofsociety in this context refers to participationin education, training and working life,social activities, cultural life, and socialdecision-making. The Youth Departmentdirects its resources at combating youngpeople�s (SOCIAL exclusion) by offeringthem a variety of cultural and recreationalservices that will promote their social par-ticipation, support their introduction intoworking life, and influence the decision-making process that concerns young peo-ple�s living conditions. The Youth

Department works in close cooperation withschools, the Social Services Department,the Department of Cultural Services, andlocal organisations and associations.The Helsinki City Youth Department is alarge organisation, with over ONE HUN-DRED premises including almost sixtyyouth centres, located throughout thecity.The activities are directed by the YouthAffairs Committee, the members of whichare nominated on political basis. The Headof the Youth Department runs the depart-ment and mana; six profit sections. Four ofthese are local youth districts and two areadministra units that support youth work(the Administrative Section, and theSection for Development and YouthOrganisation Affairs).Some 360 people work at the YouthDepartment on a full-time basis. Of these,about 260 are youth workers. In addition,there are hundreds of hourly paid instruc-tors and trainees working in youth centres,including unemployed people who havebeen provided with short-term employmentsubsidised by the State. The YouthDepartment activities are financed from

municipal tax revenues.The annual runningexpenses amount to over FIM 100 million.The operating enviroment ofyouth workAdolescence is a challenging time. Onthe one hand, they want to plan their future,both in terms of education and employ-ment, that will support their INDIVIDUALwishes and inclinations; on the other handthey try to define their own identities andtest their limits in free time activities. At thesame time, the number of opportunitiesavailable for young people to define theiridentity through leisure pursuits hasincreased. These days, the number ofyoung people who receive no professionaltraining is very small. Young people havebecome more interested in studying andworking abroad and in international culturalcooperation between youth groups.Youngpeople�s interests and hobbies havebecome more diversified, and the intensitywith which they are pursued hasrisen.Young people�s music, theatre,dance, skateboard, video and handicraftproductions organised on their own initia-tive attract an increasing number of perform-ers and large audiences.

YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CITY What is the Youth Department

14

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002Key activities of the youthdepartmentLocal youth work provides services thathelp to establish a positive, active environ-ment for young people that enables thesociety to function effectively. Local youthwork is carried out in youth centres distrib-uted fairly evenly throughout the city.A sur-vey conducted earlier this year showed thatsome twenty per cent of 15-year-olds livingin north-east Helsinki visit a youth centre atleast once a month.The percentage dou-bles if less frequent visits are included.In practice, youth work means, on theone hand, WORKING WITH the youngpeople to improve their status in societyand, on the other hand, protecting theirinterests both in the local community and insociety as a whole. Youth workers cooper-ate actively with parents, local organisa-tions and various authorities, such as theschool, to combat the social exclusion ofyoung people and to take steps to preventit happening.

The activities pursued in youth centresare varied: some youth centres use music,theatre and handicrafts as a tool in youthwork, while others are directed towards traf-fic education, environmental or multi-cultur-al activities, or sports and physical ex-ercise.Youth centres provide young peoplewith premises where they can pursue hob-bies and activities that are meaningful tothem. In addition, youth centres are localactivity centres where young school chil-dren are offered activities in the afternoonafter kclasses, and where young peopleand organisations can pursue their owninterests in the evening. The Koskela youth centre, which islocated in a rented housing area, is anexample of this kind of youth work. In theafternoon, clubs for young school childrenare organised in the youth centre; after thisthere are activities organised for youngpeople in their early teens, and in theevening the centre is an open house with avariety of cooking, music, dance, visualarts, and sewing clubs.The objective is toprovide young people who come from low-

income families with a wide range of high-quality, purposeful activities ao little cost.The Koskela youth centre also cooperateswith the social and educational authoritiesand the police to support youth at risk.The following DATA shows how active-ly young people aged 10 - 15 participate invarious organisations in Helsinki: 40% ofthem belong to sports clubs, 28% to hobbyorganisations, 23% to youth organisations,and 10% to other organisations. Some 15%of young Helsinki residents aged 7 - 16 arescouts. In 1996,young people in the ninthgrade at school (15 � 16 - year-olds) livingin the north-east of Helsinki were askedabout their participation in organisations,associations and clubs. Some 38% re-ported participating in the activities of somesports club, I 2% said they participated inhobby organisations, 4% were scouts, and4% were members of religious or othergroups. Over half of young Finnish adultsaged 18 - 26 belong to some kind of organ-ization.

WHATTaking Control of Your Own Life is a training pro-gramme organized by the Finnish Red Cross for young peo-ple lacking a job or a place to study. It is consciouslydesigned to be significantly different than any other coursesoffered to socially alienated unemployed young Finns.Thepurpose of the programme is to help them redirect their lifesby offering means and methods to fearlessly address and solve prob-lems which they unavoidably meet during their search for ameaningful adulthood.HOWThe participants get to know themselves and the resourcesand. possibilities they have. In this programme, all youngpeople are treated as worthy individuals.Their personalneeds and characteristics are duely appreciated.They get agrip on themselves. They find ways to use their strenghts toget a hold on their own control panel.They know more, andare able to achieve things on their want list. The results sofar are stunning: six out often youngsters participating in theprogramme have got either a job or a place to study. Feedback from previous participants:�The trainers had a positive attitude, and would alwaysencourage youthrough tough spots.��I got a fixed-term contract with a food company to packagea local delicacy.

It was a real job with a decent pay. Now I�ve got work expe-rience, and finally some hope, too.� �I got a clearer pictureabout my plans for the future.� �Lots of new ideas poppedup. I�ve been smiling a lot since� �The course taught you toappreciate and love yourself. I�m me, and good enough assuch.� �I�d take a refill any time.� �I used to have no confi-dence in my abilities. I was afraid of failure and of what otherpeople were thinking of me. Not any more. I believe in thelows of success and feel like a winner, like a person in con-trol of her life.� �Before, I never had the guts to seek a job.��I found a lot of things in me that are good, though I alwaysthought there were only bad things.� �I learned to expressmyself better, and now I get to know people easily. I don�thave to hide my feelings

This course was real good. You learned to take things as achallenge.I even got a job for almost a year, thanks to the practicaltraining period.��I got more self-confidence, and a more positive attitude ingeneral.I made up my mind to get an education in the social servic-es field,

no matter how long it�ll to get in.�Working togetherThe Red Cross and Red Crescent is a world-wide movement. Itsmain task is to protect life, health and human dignity. In all activ-ities the Red Cross observes its seven fundamental principles, themost important one being humanity.

�Inter arma caritas�The Movement was initiated by HenryDunant, a Swiss businessman, in 1863.The Red Cross and Red Crescent is theworld�s largest civic organisation: it worksin over 170 countries and has more than106 million members.The Red Crossis also the world�s largest youth organ-isation! The Finnish Red Cross has 15000 youth members and more than 400youth groups./Ttternational activities� Groups for international activities� Cooperation with youth in develop-ing countries� Camps and training all over the world.

First aid and preparedness� First aid skills can be learnt on acourse and practised in first aid groups.� Groups give first aid attendance forexample in concerts, competitions andon ski slopes.Contact activities� Joint activities for disabled and non-disabled youth.

Outreach work� Social work in the streets by 18-year-olds and older.Emergency shelters� Somewhere to go for a young person in a crisis situation.

Youth club houses� Diverse activities for the young, openfor all.Training� Basic level training, instructor train-ing,training for trainers and specializedtraining.1 OEV is an FRC training programmefor unemployed youth.

Other activities� Campaigns and events, for examplefor tolerance and AIDS workCollections and fundraising� Camps.Making decisions� The channels of influence includeyouth committees at different levelsand the annual youth parliament.Information� SPRAY is FRC�s very own youthmagazine published four times ayear.

Membership� The young have theirown membership fee.

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

15

FRANCE

GEORGIA

Parlament Européen des Junes,Lycée Marseilleveyre, FranceCommision for women�srights«What access forEuropan women topoblic life ?»Operative clauses1. Call for the suppression of the plurality of functions and posi-tions or at least its limitation;2. Affirms that it is necessary to transform the quotas on elec-tion lists concerning sexual equality so that women be on thetop of the list;3. Recommends to put in place measures in favour in equalitybetween men and women in the public civil service and in par-ticular in decision making positions of responsibility;4. Wishes that the fathers be given an equivalent role to that ofmothers in education of children in order to enable women tohave the time necessary to participate fully in public life andalso to prevent children from having a segregationist view ofthe role of men and women in society;5. Wishes to see the developmentof educational measures forchildren:a) Infrastructures(more nusery schools);b) Extension of paternity leave;c) Systematic child sittinf during political, union and profes-sional meetings:6. Establishes that viligance is necessary with family policiesthat attempt to bring

women back to home while the strong presence of women inprofessional life should help to change the mentality and therepresentation of women in our culture;7. Advocates a vast European advertising campaign showing:a) Happy and successful women with balanced public and pri-vate livesb) The advantages of balanced participation between menand women in decision making;8. Recommends to modify the different socialization atthe early age for boys and girls so the women exercise their partof power in public life by changing the stereotyped picturesconveyed by:a) Children�s books,b) Toys and colours;c) Media;9. Asks that the image of women be promoted by the media:By imposing guidelines to the producers of advertisments andtelevision serias;By developing European laws concerning the equality betweenmen and women through the media;10. Asks that the justice system of each country penalize anyand all types of discriminatory practices;11. Strongly insists that Sweden is the model which it would be

prof-profitable to follow; 12. Recommends that thefuture candidates for mem-bership in the Europeanunion respect the princi-ples of equality betweenmen and en in public life.

SUGTUThe Students´ Union of Georgian TechnicalUniversity was founded on December 18, 1990.The Students´ Union is an independent self-administration organization of students. Its aim isto protect the rights of students and promote theirinterests. The Students´ Union brings togetherabout 10 000 students. Each new academic yearover 90% of the GTU students voluntarily accedeto it. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OFTHE STUDENTS`UNION ARE:Creating the best environment for the studentto acquire knowledge;Improvement of the teaching process and pro-moting an active interaction of students therein;Protection of the students´ social rights;Protection of the interests of the SUGTUmembers before the state authorities and the GTUAdministration;Creating conditions to promote the develop-ment of the students´ independent action;Arranging trainings, seminars and otherevents to enhance public activity and raise a senseof civil responsibility among students;Promoting fruitful cooperation with the GTUAdministration, other students´ and youth organi-zations and foundations;Stimulating students with highest academicrecords.

STRUCTUREThe Conference is the highest body of theStudents´ Union. The Conference is called once every twoyear. The meeting consist of the delegates electedto the faculties and branches of the Students´Union. The Conference elects President,Chairman of Auditing Committee, approves thecomposition of the Parliament of the Students´Union and the candidacy of Chairman of theExecutive board; evaluates the recent reportingperiod, determines the general strategy of theaction plan of the Students´ Union.The highest representatives and inter-Meetingbody of the Students´ Union is the Parliamentwhich consist of the chairman of the faculties theStudents´ Union and chairman of the branches of

the Students´ Union. The Presidents, or theSpeaker, presides over the Parliament sessions.The parliament elects Speaker from within itsmidst.President is the top official of the organiza-tion. President represents the Students´ Unionbefore various authorities, defends the position ofthe Students´ Union, and safeguards the rights ofits members.The current activity of the Students´ Union isdirected by the Executive board which consist ofChairman and Departments. In their turn, thedepartments are staffed with the members dele-gated from the faculties and from the students´unions of the branches. Chairman of theExecutive board supervises the activity of thestaff. The Auditing Committee exercises controlover the financial matters.THE GTU STUDENTS MAY:acquire highest education; request the cre-ation of the adequate conditions and environ-ment for learning that complies with modernstandards;Take part in the public and cultural life, cre-ative and art unions and clubs of the University;Participate, directly or though a representa-tive, in the solution of all the issues of the activi-ty of the University;Receive grant if they comply with the rele-vant requirements; Elect or be elected to the Scientific Board ofthe University, faculty or institute boards, or otheradministrative bodies of the University;

Obtain academic leaves;At any time terminate their education in orwithdraw from the University. Use the materialassets, cultural and service facilities of theUniversity;Agree or disagree with, or appeal in court, thedecisions made by the University.THE GTU STUDENTS SHALLObserve and comply with the Statute of theUniversity and the Rules and regulations of theUniversity;Ensure the effectiveness of the educationprocess and scientific research;Improve their qualification skills on a perma-nent basis;Fulfil the tasks prescribed under the curricu-lum and syllabus.

THE CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN CULTURE�Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle� at St Jeand�AngelyNon Governmental Organisation supported by the European Commission�Since its founding, the European Commission has sought toencourage encounters among the youth of all its men6er States.What is intended is to provide opportunities for young people tobecome familiar with the diversity of European sensitivities, todevelop tolerance, to heighten awarness of common bonds. Jacques DELOIZS, Honorary President of the Commission ofthe European Union.The Centre for European Culture is a non-governmental organisa-tion (a non-profit making association under the terms of the lawof 1901) which since 1989 has been running TRI-NATIONALSESSIONS IN EUROPEAN CULTURE AND CITIZENSHIPDEDICATED TO SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS in the RoyalAbbey of Saint Jean d�AngeIy around teaching programmes

which to date have no equivalent in Europe.The Centre for European Culture functions as part of the National-Regional Contract Plan, the French National Ministries ofEducation and Culture, the Department Charente Maritime, thetown of Saint Jean d�Angely and the supports of the EuropeanCommission.In the relationship, since 1999, the Centre for European Culturehas been a signatory to a partnership convention with theEuropean Institute of Cultural Itineraries of the Council of Europefor all its activities in France and in Europe. Within the frameworkit received first prize in the year 2000 competition of the Councilof Europe »A common Heritage«. This award category was set bythe French national committee under the aegis of the Ministies ofCulture and Communication, Regional Development andEnvironment, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Over the last 11 years, the Centre for European Culture has organ-ised 70 tri-national sessions in 7 countries, involving 7000 sec-ondary school pupils and teachers from 17 courmies and 250 lec-turers.http://www.cceangely.org

16

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002GERMANY

Chat-meetingAnother chat meeting has happened!Successfully � at least for most people who triedto join the channels�Those who did not make it today will hope-fully be there tomorrow. After �logging� some ofthe discussions going on in the serious channelswe thought it would be good to let you know theresults of today�s talk. So this is the summary.Please read, consider, and discuss with ustomorrow!In the channel #programme we discussed thedifferent possibilities to approach the topic andhow to best introduce it to the participants.Aspects that are of interest regarding Racism:1. Everyday racism (where do we seeracism and where/when do we ourselves haveracist tendencies?)2. In which way is racism becoming somesort of youth culture?3. Under which conditions will racismcome up and stay �alive� in a society?4. Racism is not a phenomenon among�stupid� people: racist movements need intelli-gent leaders. They are the ones to develop racistarguments to attract followers.5. What are common prejudices in the dif-ferent countries and how can they be provenwrong (can they be?) or contradicted?

6. In which way is racism institutionalisedin the regulations and customs of our societies(structural violence)?For an introduction to the topic it would bebest to give an overview of these aspect alongsidedefinitions of racism that could be compared.Also some statistical facts would be helpful inorder to compare the situations in the participat-ing nations. It was discussed that the German leaders willhave to decide which information should beresearched by the different groups and how anintroduction can be done in an interesting way,i.e. not too scientific and not only based on �hardfacts�. Possibilities for that would be to includerole plays, posters, collages, and presentations.Similar methods can then be used later to com-pare information brought to Germany by the par-ticipating groups. However, in order to come upwith a plan, we will need further discussions andinput in the chat meeting tomorrow. The German�Team� will then have another chat conferencelater to go into detailed planning.In the channel #freetime we discussed ideasfor creating the free time activities, especially inthe evenings.At first, we agreed that it is no problem tohave some of the presentations after dinner. Therewill still be enough time for evening activitiesafterwards. For example: Theme parties! Thismeans that one group offers a party with a specialtheme, like traditional stuff from their own coun-

try (drinks, snacks, songs, dances) oranother special motto, like 60�s styleparty or Oldies, Caribbean night etc.Further ideas are welcome. This canalso be connected with the presenta-tions, so that the group presentationsturn then into a party. Sports: If possible we will beable to use a sports hall, which canbe parted into three fields. We wouldlike to offer volleyball, football /soccer and badminton or basketball.If you are interested in badmintonmatches you�ll have to bring racketsand, if possible, balls. We can alsogo swimming and to a sauna. Bowling is also pos-sible (as always!).We discussed to drop the visit to Dini�s dis-cotheque. Reasons: It has no personal atmos-phere, people don�t come together, it is boring,because we have to go back to Europahaus at 0:30(you know, there is a German law saying there�sa curfew at midnight for persons under 18) andthe real �party� time there starts later. Rather thanbeing disappointed we should have our owndiscoJ.Then, we would like to collect ideas for new�getting to know each other� games. Please, addyour ideas and bring them with you next time!And finally, we still have to talk about theinternational dinner. The earlier, the better. So it iseasier to organize.Last but not least: some more tech support!

Only valid for mIRC, not for the web based chaton www.irc.at!!!Today people managed to get into mIRC, butunfortunately were on the wrong server (Anikafrom Germany and Maria from Cyprus met insome dubious place�).In order to find the correct channel #youth-meeting you have to do this:Open mIRC, in the menu �Files-Options�where you enter your nick name and e-mail-address etc. you have to choose your Server.There you have to select a server named IRCNet(there are several IRCnet servers!), any otherserver will not get you to our chat channels! So good luck and may we meet tomorrow!The German group with Fin support (Suvi).

International Youth Week is a very special timein Aurich.Special because of the wonderful thingsthat happen and becouse of the wonderful peoplewho take part.So,what is International YouthWeek?It is a youth seminar which aims to bringyoung people from all over Europe together to dis-cuss issues which are important to them.Each yearthere is a theme and one chosen for this year is ��TheWadden Sea & North Sea��.The programme tookplace in Europa Haus, Aurich for ten days,and theparticipants explored the issues involved using infor-mal education methods.The participants learned in a number of differ-ent ways and everybody had a great time as the ses-sions were both informative and fun.A number ofexperts were invited to share their views and knowl-edge with the young people,and those involved thisyear have been very interesting and helpful.Thegroup also took part in an excursion to the WaddenSea,where they walked through the mud flats to theisland of Baltrum.This allowed participants to expe-rience at first hand the significance of this naturereserve in an enjoyable way.The seminar alsoincluded a number of workshops,which allowed par-ticipants to explore the issues involved in smallergroups.The workshops were designed around differ-ent media such as:Video production;Graffiti;Theatre;Games;Power Point presentation;Music; Public Action; and Newspaper.Young peopleworked in international mixed groups and learned alot about the topic in this way.They also learned about each other and theircountries through presentations made by the partic-ipants themselves.This year the groups came from Poland,England, Finland, Cyprus, Ireland, Croatia andGermany.It was a huge learning experience foreveryone and it plays a valuable part in education ofyoung people.Another significant development hap-pens when the young people return to their owncountries and tell of what they have learned to otheryoung people.The seminar was organised by theGerman group with co-operation from the otherpartners,and has proved to be highly successful.Thiswork of course would not be possible without prop-er funding and the organisers were extremely grate-ful to Youth For Europe for their involvement infunding this project.Without such funding the proj-ect could not happen.We hope you�ll enjoy readingthe report of our seminar and look forward to con-tinued work with those involved.Flan,Ireland

International seminar in AurichThe seminar included a number of workshops,which were designed around different media: Videoproduction;Graffiti;Theatre;Games;Power Point presentation;Music;Public Action;and Newspaper.Participants of each workshop learned a lot about each other and their countries.-Video production-had 7 members.They made two videos.First video was a documentary of the week.The second one is called ��TheWadden Witch Project��,and it�s about five explorers going in search of the Wadden Witch.-Graffiti workshop-had 10 members.They made 3 graffiti pictures;one for the theme of the youth meeting (The Wadden Sea),one graffitithat represented the youth meeting and one Europa Haus.-Games workshop-members of this workshop had to produce a game that people can learn and use in their own countries.The names ofgames they produced are:��Block Buster��, ��Wadden Sea Jeopardy�� and ��Nation Hopping��.-Music workshop-had 7 members plus leader.It was created when the other workshops were too full.-Public Action workshop-their main goul was to create a performance to entertain the people in the city of Aurich.They made littlequiz,which was a puzzle of nations.There were also some questions about Croatia,Poland,Cyprus and Germany.-Newspaper workshop-members of this workshop wrote about workshops,people and events which were important for Europa Haus.Theyco-operated with other workshops.-Theatre workshop-had 7 members.They made a play on a theme of the youth meeting,but they showed it on funny way.-The Power Point workshop-had 6 members.The members of this workshop co-operated with the Newspaper workshop. THE WADDENSEA & NORTHSEA

Theme chosen for this yearsyouth meeting in Aurich was ��TheWadden Sea & North Sea��.The Wadden Sea in front of theDutch,German and Danish coast isindeed unique.The rivers transportsand and minerals into thesea.Minerals sink into the groundand accumulate because of theshallow coast and rather calmwater.Twice a day the high tidefloods the Wadden Sea temporari-ly.The range between high and lowtide water levels is about 3.80meters.The Wadden Sea is protectedby state measures in all three coun-tries concerned.It is a home ofmany animals who live in theNorth Sea and the North Atlantic.Itis an important and indispensablefood reservoir for the birds.These are just little exampleshow Wadden Sea and North Seaare unique and how important theirprotection is.

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

17

HUNGARY

ICELAND

SOME LOCAL BUDAPESTPROJECTS IN THE FIELDOF YOUTH VIOLENCEAND PEER EDUCATIONZÖLD KAKAS LÍCEUM is a special school those high schoolaged youths who are �unsuccessful� in the framework of possi-bilities in the regular high school system, but possess the ability tograduate from it. Having already experience in similar projects,they are starting a socalled �face to face� program/training onconflict-resolution within the school in September. They also runa youth counselling centre. For this visit they have proposed pro-gramme that among others includes presentation of short intro-ductory video film made by students, discussion about coopera-tion that teachers and the students create together and discussionon the �Face to face program�- a mediation technique that hasbeen built into the everyday schoolwork.KAPOCS PEER EDUCATION SERVICE � PETOFICSARNOKThis is a centre located in the Petofi csarnok youth centre whichorganises outreach programme for young people with problems.Among others they work with homeless kids and drug addicts.They work mainly on individual basis and also with walk-ins in

their centre. Started in 1992, the centre dals with victims of vio-lence, offenders, consulting parents, work with disadvantaged anddisabled young people. They have also published different publi-cations (e.g. Budapest Survival Guide for Young people). Theyhave 3 staff members and app. 70 active volunteers. It is locatedin a frequented youth and cultural centre in an endangered neigh-bourhood.DIOTORES (The Nutcracker Foundation) is a foundationbased in the city�s oldest hostel for homeless people. They havetwo different programs with two different stages of social treat-ment at two different locatios. The paticipants from the Seminarwill have chance to meet with the selfhelp group composed ofdelinquent homeless kids from 8th district of Budapest. EveryWednesday this group of 10-20 young people has a regular meet-ing with 2 social workers from Diotores. Seminar participants willhave a chance to talk with these young people and to explore thelocal reality of the youth on the streets of Budapest.BELVAROSI TANODA � MEGALLO CsoportSchool for social disadvantaged, deviant young people. It is non-governmental, non-profit organisation. The participants of theSeminar will visit the special project called MEGALLO Csoport(menas Station Group). This project provides activities, humanrelations, company for neglected, deviant, addicted, bored, lonelyyoung people who would like to identify themselves. They oper-ate with self-supporting groups and through peer education prin-ciples. The visit will bw meeting with some of the groups and dis-cussing their experiences and approaches.

KORTÁRS SEGÍTÖK ALAPÍTVÁNY � Foundation for peergroup education. They organise long peer education training foryoung street-workers (once every year � 120 working hours). Thefoundation is involved in different programms such as:develop-ment of peer education database, drug prevention on the PEPSISZIGET- largest summer music festival in Hungary and �Safeclubs and bars� programme-peer educational work in discos andplazas.For the purpose of our visit they will host us in the IránytüYouth Service and Vízöntö Youth Club in XII district ofBudapest. The programme for the visit includes a meeting withthe trained peer educators from the previous generation and sev-eral demonstrations of their work (through role plays or simula-tions)

Sport and YouthCouncil of ReykjavikPrimary objectsITR operates as a recreational body based on ped-agogical values. Special emphasis is placed onreaching young people not involved in construc-tive recreational activities. ITR tries to create pos-itive environment which is suitable for every age-group, aims to raise self-confidence, responsibili-ty and active participation based on democraticprinciples.CooperationITR cooperates with different associations,organizations and institutions. If cooperation isnot evident then ITR�s role is to initiate coopera-tion. ITR and it�s cooperators share informationin order to solve the problems of the youth. ITRrequires professional work from it�s cooperatorsin achieving mutual goals. ITR has research obli-gation regarding social issues, sports and youthrelated matters.ITR seeks to hire the most qualified staff avail-able. Educational and training opportunities isopen to all employees and ITR places emphasis

on professionalism and awareness. ITR aims toprovide equal opportunities and to offer salaryand promotions which corresponds to responibil-ities and achievement. ITR wants to offer savework-environment and trust between employeesand employer.ActivityEach Youth center or ITR should stimulate socialdevelopment and positive interaction betweenchildren/teenagers in their work.Each Youth center of ITR should be open to allinterested youngsters, should make every attemptto reach those that lack interest or for any otherreason do not participate in constructive recre-ational activities. Spacial emphasis is placed onreaching isolated, mentally and physically handi-capped shildren.Each Youth center of ITR should put emphasis onpreventive work involving children andteenagers. Especially prevention on drug abuse.Each Youth center of ITR should respond tosocial needs, find ways for the Youth center toremain active force, constantly evolving, never tostagnate.Each Youth center of ITR should promote andstrenghten all kids of neighbourhood activitiesby offering it�s facilities to local associations,

organizations and individuals.Each Youth center of ITR should at all times beable to provide clear information or sports- andrecreational activities for the general public in theneighbourhood.

In its yearly work out-line, The ReykjavikSports and YouthCouncil(ITR) hasstressed progress andprofessionalism. Acomprehensive serviceand neighbourhood co-operation are among thekey factors. With all thechanges that haveoccurred in Grafar-vogur in recent years afeasible foundation hasbeen laid to install thispolicy and ensure itssafe progress and devel-opment, as well asimproving service tothe inhabitants.Adding to this the facil-ities at Gufunes are verysuitable for many sportsand outdoor activities,easily employed in connection with the opera-tions already going on at Gufunesbaer. The sur-rounding area offers various possibilities to createa pleasant outdoor and leisure locale.MONEY by Neven Mrgan

18

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

YouthActionWorking with YoungMenYouthAction Northern Ireland�s Young Men�s DevelopmentProject is using new and imaginative approaches in workingwith young men through youth groups, community groupsand on the streets.The Project aims to:-� encourage young men to talk about real issues in theirlives and explore issues of common concern;� address key issues such as self esteem, self confidence,communication skills, relationships, masculinity and sex-

ual health with young men;� build on the experience of YouthAction Northern Ireland�sYoung Men�s Health project in addressing the healthneeds of boys and young men.�The suppression of feelings and emotions such as pain,fear, hurt and anger that young men experience in their livescan be damaging and detrimental to their future developmentand therefore opportunities must be created which willencourage young men to talk about what they think and feel.�Taken from �Young Men Talking�..Voices from Belfast�WWM/YouthAction Northern IrelandYouthAction Northern Ireland can support you in the planningand delivery of programmes with young men; providingresources; facilitating workshops for youngmen and training of workers.

BackgroundThe Olympia Young Men�s Group was setup in September 2000, by a member ofYouthAction�s Young Men�s Forum calledRobert Fletcher. (Fly). Fly had grown up in an area of SouthBelfast, known as The Village. As a youngperson, he got involved with alcohol andviolence, and was always in trouble withthe police. By joining a local Young Men�sproject which was run by YouthAction N.I,he became aware that he was ruining hislife. As a result of this project he decided to

set up the Olympia group so that hisyounger brother and cousins, and the youngmen in the area, wouldn�t share the experi-ences that he faced as a young person.�With support from YouthAction NorthernIreland, this led to me setting up a YoungMen�s Project in my own area, with 15 to18 year olds. Initially, I wasn�t sure what toexpect but the young men are really enthu-siastic. They have the opportunities to dis-cuss issues important to them and gain newskills and qualifications.�Robert Fletcher (�Fly�).Young Men and Violence ProjectThe first project that the Olympia grouptook part in, was the Young Men andViolence Project. This encouraged theyoung men to talk about the issues of vio-lence that they had experienced in theirlives, and also encouraged the young mento think about the consequences of violenceif they ever came across these issues again.This involved different workshops, whichincluded a Young Men and Violence game,which was very informative for the youngmen as well as fun. The group also invitedin an ex-prisoner who had been in jail forthe paramilitaries for murder, who now

tells other people his story. This also was agood experience for the group, because itlet them see how far violence can really go.Overall, the group enjoyed this programmeand held a community presentation tellingthe local community about the group andwhat they were involved in. Here are a fewquotes from the young men who wereinvolved in the Young Men and ViolenceProject:�We talked about things you wouldn�t usu-ally consider.�

�You know that violence doesn�t work, buthearing about it first hand makes youthink.��It made you think about how to changeyour life for the better.��The group helped us talk about things �me and {friend} do anyway, but we hadmuch deeper conversations because of thegroup.��I didn�t think much of it before it started.I just came �cos I thought we might get afree trip � but I really enjoyed it and foundit useful.��The course was good �cos it specifiedtalking about violence. People did talkbefore, but you realise they are not justtalking to impress others � they reallywanted to talk.��It�s hard not to get involved in violence.You need to have done it to know it�s badand not interesting or �just a good laugh��that�s what you think it is like when you�reyounger. But it�s hard to get out of violenceonce you are involved.�Youth Achievement AwardsYouthAction N.I�s training service offers

young people nationally recognised qualifi-cations (Youth Achievement Awards)which they can gain by taking part in dif-ferent activities. The Olympia group tookpart in the bronze level of these awards.To achieve this goal, the group had to takepart in four different challenges of theirchoice.The group�s four challenges were: Organise and run a pool competition.Personal activity of their choice.Plan and take part in a residential.Create a community newsletter.This gave the young men a sense of owner-ship in the group because they got to planall of this by themselves with no help fromthe workers. E.g. plan accommodation forthe residential etc. that the wouldn�t havebeen involved in doing before.Outcomes and Future Plans of theGroupThrough the group, some of the young menhave had the chance to join YouthActionN.I.�s Youth Governance Group, which is agroup to let young people make importantdecisions in the steering of YouthActionN.I.This has involved some of the group goingto York, England for a conference run bythe NMG called �Mission Possible� in July2001, some to Coventry called �Fun Lovin�Activists� in September 2001. Also onemember of the group attended a seminarwhich was set up by Council of Europewhich was �Youth Against Violence.�

The group has received funding from thePrince�s Trust for the Youth AchievementAwards, and the N.I.V.T. for their next proj-ect entitled �Young Men and MentalHealth.�Future plans for the group are to take partin other conferences and seminars, meetwith other young men�s groups, and to cre-ate a flyer to publicise and promote thework of the group.

By Jamie Morrison (17)

Clare YouthService(CYS) is non porfit independent organisation, estab-lished in 1969 and dedicated to young people in CountryClare.Their aim is to fulfill their needs by providing a compre-hensive range of programmes and services with the goal ofbuildinf young people�s selfconfidence and awareness aswell as their practical skills.A full time professional staff of 20 offer invaluable infor-mation with state-of-the-art technology that is immediatelyaccessible to all who require it, yung person and adult alike.CYS headquarters are in the old Boys National School inEnnis, a dynamic centre of support, guidance and informa-tion.Clare Youth Service offer a range of vocational educa-tion programmes and workshops with the aims of providingearly school-leavers or disadvantaged young people with achance to acquire essential life skills and practical training. The emphasis of the workshops is on creating a real-lifeproduct-based working situation, while encompassing

accoommodation, craft skills, literacy, computer literacy,languages and faith development, social and personal devel-opment.Clare Regional Youth Council is the organising body forClare Youth Clubs. With over 50 affiliated groups, it is com-mitted to providing young people with a variety of recre-ational and educational experiences. It is also responsiblefor the training of youth leaders throughout the county.The Youth Information Bureau (YIB) is their one-stop-shop facility at the Ennis centre � the heart of the county-wide youth service network.Here the staff provide information for young peoples�immediate needs. YIB has the capability to answer anyquestion and is linked to N.I.T.E.C., Dublin, and the PetraVideotex system in the University of Limerick. Recognisedas a model in the area of information provision, YIB incor-porates an Emigrant Advisory Service.Participation in Exchange Programmes is a central partof CYS. Exchanges, whether for holiday, training or study,offer young people an opportunity to experiance and lernabout another culture and about themselves.

YOUTH ACTION NOTHERN IRELAND - OLYMPIA YOUNG MEN�S GROUP

IRELAND

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

19

ITALY

LITHUANIA

LATVIA

Students�experience at �LiceoS.S.R.Nuzzi� in AndriaWhen theSchool joinsfairs and castels School and territory: the relationship in get-ting closer and closer. Some students at� LiceoS.S.Nuzzi�are consolidating this tie more and morealso thanks to the expressive form of theatrical per-formances.Last year the 3rd A (4th A now) developed anoriginal interdisciplinary course:�The shadow� histo-ry. The�Shadow� was studied throught its historicalphilosophical literary and scientific implications;start-ing from the old negativeconsideration of shadow-opposed to light-they came to reevaluate the �Sha-dow�linking it-dialectically-to thebrightness.Therefore the �Shadow�, symbol of what isdifferent, what is collateral, what is persecuted, whatis censored, what is inferior, what is voiceless.Later the interdisciplinary study took the shape ofa theatrical text.Hence the students realized and perfor-med aone-act play: �Il Club dell� Ombra�(The Shadowclub). So the students had the opportunity to developthe School-territory relationship in a positive way.Actually �The Shadow club was performed in theframework of �Fiera d�Aprile�(April fair), an age-oldmanifestation held in Andriain order to show its typical products and goodsand to promote cultural and intellectualevents.Originally the aim of �April fair� was: toexchange and compare not only goods but also ideasand opinions. Therefore the students presented during

the Fair, open to the inhabitants and territory, whatthey analysed and studied at school, a closed place. Their one - act play, the result of a peculiar study,was performed in a desecrated church in the old townand was enjoyed by everybody.Later on the framework of manifestation�Casteldel Monte by starlight� the students were invited bythe Superintendence of artistic architectural environ-mental and historical works of Apulia to perform their�The Shadow Club�in the courtyard of Castel delMonte,the charming and mysterious castle thatFrederic II° of Swabia ordered to be built.There the theatrical shadows were combined withthe Castle shadows: the result was meaningful.The students are going to repeat the same experi-ence during this school year.They are studing andanalysing a new important theme:legality.They are realizing a new one-actplay�Falcone:ricordo in forma di tragedia�.They want to recall the judge Giovanni Falcone,who died 10 years ago Killed by the Mafia.So therelationship between School and Territory is going to

Grobina Secondary school is situated not farfrom Liepnja. Liepaja is the third biggest city inLatvia.As an important event this year in ourschool we can mention theatre show in English.It has become a tradition because it was alreadythe second show in turn. Students love to takepart in it and they are interested in acting.The theatre show is only for high schoolstudents. It�s our teacher Indra Kalni?a�s idea toorganize such an activity in our school. We arethe first school in Liepaja region who started toplay theatre in English at school. This traditionhas expanded and on 8 February, 2002 inGrobina Secondary school there will be Liepajaregion Secondary school theatre show inEnglish.But now I�m going to tell how it was on 4December, 2001. That was our school contest.The best play was �The Story of Osama� where

students showed their own version about presi-dent Bush and terrorist Bin Laden. The play waswritten by the student of class 12 KristapsJe�kevics. At the end in the play bin Ladenovergrows into a positive character. All 8 playsreceived a lot of applause and the spectatorswere glad to see them. After the show studentsfrom School Broad expressed their opinionabout this theatre show:Evita: �It was a great possibility to show ourtalent on the stage. It was the second time whenI took part in it and I wish that this traditionnever ended.�Agnese: �When I took part in the theatreshow for the first time I was very scaredbecause I had no idea how it would be. The bestthings you can learn in this activity is how tosupport each other�s work in a team, and hownot to lose patience.�Atis: �It was very interesting. My group

sang some Christmas songs. Actually this the-atre show is very, very popular. I don�t knowany other students� show which is so funny andinteresting. Evita Laudama Vice-president of Grobina Secondary

Theatre in Grobina Secondary school, Latvia

2001-2002 school yearThe 25th school anniversary was celebrated in October, 2001.Vilnius Senvagé secondary school is a comprehensive school,providing its students with profile teaching and having 53 classes.The school has got 1388 students, who are taught by 114 teachers.Democratic relations prevailing among teachers and studentshelp to create comfort and warmth in the school atmosphere.Ethic culture prevails in our school. It is treated as a kind ofexperience, accumulated by the past generations, a living systemof cultural values. There are extra-curricular activities at school.The students are fond of folk art clubs such as: weaving, sewing,making souveniers, ceramics, knitting, woodwork and so on.In 1994 European club started its work at our school thanks tothe initiative of the Information Centre for European Clubs inLisbon, Portugal.

Honourable guests from 22 European countries at our Europeanclub in October, 1999. (the participants of the seminar �Europe atSchool� in Vilnius).2001-2002 The Board ofEuropean ClubThe club members, teachers and students take part in a proj-ect �Europe at school�. We took part in EC projects �my Village�1998 (coordinator � Italy), �Christmas Traditions� 1999 (coordi-nator � Poland), �Famous European Composers� 1999 (coordina-tor � Austria), �Europe Day and the 50th Anniversary of SchumanDeclaration� 2000 (coordinator � Portugal), Evora � 2000(Portugal), �You Finish School and What Is Going to Be Further�1999 (Bosch Foundation), �Sports� 2001 (coordinator � Poland),

Sevagé Secondary school, Vilniaus, Lithuania

Interview with prof. Nicola Ieva, the headmaster of LiceoScientifico �R.Nuzzi� AndriaWhat would you like to say to a foreign student if you should introduce your school?I should say that it is a school concerning not only with teaching and learning but also with civil and moraleducation. It is attended by young people between 13 and 19 who are going to study at University.What are the most distinctive subjects, in your opinion?At the end of this school you cannot practise a profession. The aim of the subjects in this school is not a voca-tional training but the forming of the boy�s character. There are some subjects such as Italian, foreign literature,History and Philosophy which are necessary for the mind training. But our school is focused on the subjectssuch as Mathematics, Physics and Science which help to increase the knowledge and the sense for science.These are universal subjects and so they answer to the purpose of universal �paideia�.Do you think that extracurricular activities are important to form young people?Yes, of course they are; because they support the basic learning and enable students to be in touch with every-day life and society.Can you give us an example?The most important are those we carry out some foreign schools, as they give young people the opportunityto be in touch with students from different countries, different cultures. These links help them to get rid of stereo-types and develop a stronger sense of sharing an European identity and foster the ability to shape and adapt tochanges in the economic, political and social environment.What European countries in this school connected with?This school is connected with Germany, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Austria, Poland, Ireland, thanks to theEuropean projects such as the Socrates programmes: �Comenius�, �Lingua�, and the �European Club� someteachers are members of. These programmes provide us with a means to consolidate European co-operation in thefield of education. Their objective is the creation of a true European educational area.Why have you left out of the list countries such as England, France, members of Europe, since they aremore suitable for linguistic training?They are not left out; actually France and England are the most re quired countries and are not always will-ing to realize culturalexchange; in addition to this the cost is much higher and so some students cannot afford it.Do you think that the cultural exchanges with young people coming from different countries are use-ful?Yes ,they are. As I have already said they help to get rid of some ways of thinking or some prejudices we andsome students have, in order to realize a unified country: Europe not only economically but also politically andsocially.In your study visit abroad did you find anything you would like to realize in your school?Yes, I should like to have a school like some colleges in France, England or Germany, so that young peoplecan feel part of a united body. I should like a really living school, not a �parking area �where teachers and stu-dents carry on sports or cultural activities only for school hours and irregular points in the afternoon. I should likea sweeping reform in schools.

20

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002�Proverbs� 2001 (coordinator � Croatia) and oth-ers. After taking part in the competitions �AnUnforgettable Journey to the World ofTelecommunications� (coordinator � Lisbon,Portugal) we won the prize to visit EXPO � 1998in Lisbon.Our school has links and exchanges withHaslev Ungolomskole in Denmark since 1993.According to the bilateral takes place every sec-ond year with Wechmar Regelschule in Germanysince 1983.Delegation fromWechmar near ourschool in September,2001.

The friendship with Wesendorf Basic schoolin Germany started in 1995. Since then Days ofEurope are celebrated together either in Germanyor in Lithuania.

Two years ago our links with Cheadle HulmeCollege in Mancherster, England started. At pres-ent our school and above mentioned schools inGermany and England are running the project�Cooperation Between Generations� 2000 �2002, SOCRATES Foundation.As citizens in a future Europe we declare thatwe want to develop our further cooperation withforeign schools and institutions. Closer relationsbetween different educational systems will enableto understand each others conditions of life, tradi-tions, respect, democratic and human rights andto use differences as means of development of acommon future.The headmistress of our school Birut?Terminien? (Germanic philologist) and thedeputy Vida Metelionien? (English philologist)are in charge of links and exchanges with schoolsand institutions, international projects. Headmistress Biruté TerminienéDeputy Vida Metelioniené

Factbox The headmaster is Rima Ramanauskien?, thedeputy head is Adona Medoniené, the supervisorsof extra � curricula activities are LaimutéSenteliené and Danuté Jasaitien.There are 29 teachers at school, 21 of them aresenior teachers and one teacher � Methodist.253 pupils learn at our school. The primaryschools of Sliciai and Pageleciai are under rule ofVepriai secondary school. There are 40 pupils and4 teachers.Educational processDuring the school year 2001-2002 the teaching ofGerman in the second form is continued. Thefourth formers learn German on profound level.Pupils in primary school have dancing lessons.The learners of the seventh and the eighth formshave Economics as an optional subject.Profound teaching of the Lithuanian language,German and Mathematics is taught in the ninthand tenth forms.The eleventh and the twelfth formers can chooseeither humanitarian subjects or science as basiccurriculum. Some subjects are chosen as optionalExtra � curricula activitiesAfter the lessons pupils attend various extra �curricula activities. Our school offers such activi-ties as singing, folk dances, the folk culture club�Geltud?�, the young ecologists, the youngforesters, plaiting and composing of bouquets, theScouts, making ceramics, playing basketball.Pupils can deepen their knowledge of English,German, Russian and Mathematics.My school(Lina �imatonyté 11th form)There are 253 pupils in our school. It may seem asmall amount but every child is important here.Pupils learn here till the twelfth form.Pupils have a lot of favorite places at school. Thesports� room is the favorite place of basketballfans. We have some really good players who pres-ent our school in the competition.The schoolyard is full of pupils during the brakes.They sit on benches and relax. Some pupils go toreading room where they can read various maga-zines, books and newspapers. Our school has arich library. If you cannot find a book our librari-ans will help you.Pupils of senior forms spend a lot of time here.On Friday evenings there are discos at school.They last till 10 o�clock in the evening and lots ofpupils come to dance there. Sometimes there arediscos for primary school pupils.Our school has old traditions. We celebrate theHundredth Day till exams (the twelfth formers),the baptizing of eleventh formers, the New Year�sDay. We organize meetings with people who fin-ished our school. Maybe for strangers our schoolis just like other schools but for us is specialbecause we spend more then a half of the day anexperience lots of pleasant moments.

Teachers� Day(Vilma Urbonaié 7th form)Every year on the 5th October all teachers cele-brate Teachers� Day. Pupils give flowers to theirfavourite teachers. Teachers Day has its own tra-ditions in our school. The twelfth formers teachyounger pupils instead of teacher. It helps to seeteacher�s work from the other side.This year young teachers worked as good as thereal ones. They checked the knowledge of theirpupils and wrote marks. Although these lessonspassed quickly but pleasant memories will stayfor a long time.

The Baptizing of the eleventh formers(Indre Mi�kinyte 9a form) One of traditional events in our school is the bap-tizing of the eleventh formers.This tradition can be met in almost all Lithuanianschool. In some school the ninth formers are bap-tized as well.The baptizing in our school started with drawinga cross on the foreheads of the eleventh formers,whose hands and legs were tied.They had to climb the stairs, which were coveredwith pebbles, on their knees. The godparents (thetwelfth formers) were not kind. When all theeleventh formers reached the first floor they gotsome difficult and unpleasant tasks.The godparents read poems about each godsonand goddaughter and showed their caricatures.The eleventh formers swore to obey their godpar-ents. At the end of the baptizing there wasa disco where the eleventh formers could relaxand forget their suffering.The day of European languages inour school(Ruta Karietaite 7th form) The 27th of September was the day of Europeanlanguages. Our school also celebrated this day.Pupils could see different kinds of books inGerman, of English and Russian languages.Teachers of English and Russian had lessons with

those pupils who didn�t learn English andRussian.After the lessons all pupils came to the hall whereteachers of Lithuanian, Russian, German andEnglish taught them to say �hello� and �good-bye�.Pupils tried to guess riddles, said proverbs andtold fairy-tales. There was also a competition oftranslator. Pupils sang German, Russian andEnglish songs. Teacher L. �enteliene sang twosongs in French.This celebration encouraged pupils to learn for-eign languages better. Folk dances(Jovita Balionyte 7th form)This year there are a lot of changes in extra-cur-riculum in our school. The rehearsal of folkdances in one of them. Although I was not inter-ested in folk dances I decided to go to the rehears-al. My classmates and I were not very enthusias-tic at first but we decided to try. The teacher toldus that we shall visit a lot of towns during theconcerts. After the first meeting we changed ouropinion and decided to come the next time. Nowwe don�t pay attention to those who say that folkdances are old fashioned because we like what weare doing. My advice to other pupils would besuch � don�t rely on your first opinion becauseyou can miss a good opportunity as I almost did.Our first meeting(Sandra Auéiunaite 7th form)It is a tradition for our school to meet with pupilsand teachers of other schools. We (the eight for-mers) were eagerly waiting for this meeting.When the guests arrivedwe were in the school-yard. We took the eightformers from Siesikai toour classroom and gotacquainted with them.Our guests have not beenin our village earlier sowe decided to give thema guided tour in the sur-roundings of the school.Guests liked our lake andsmall waterfall. Laterthere was a concert atschool. We showed ourprogramme to our guestsand they in returnshowed their programme to us. At the end of theconcert there was a disco where our guests andwe had a good time. Unfortunately, the time flewunnoticed and our gests had to go home. We part-ed with a promise to visit them in Siesikai.Europe Club(Lina �arkaite 10th form)The new century makes us think and dream aboutnew life. People change the World and the sametime they change Europe. Do we know all theEuropean nations? Lots of Lithuanian, German,Italian and other children hurry to their schoolsevery day. Do we know what they are interested

in and how they live? In order to find it out wehave to communicate with each other. That�s whyat the beginning of March in 2001 we established�Europe Club�. There are 20 members there now.Our aim is to find friends in European countries,to participate in various projects and to knowmore about the culture of European countries andpolitics. Although we live for such a short timewe have a lot to tell about our club.Harvest feastA�urine Mockaite 4th formAs usual this autumn we had a harvest feast.Uncle Harvest came to our school. He and thepupils of the primary school visited �The hill orriddles�, �Taste and guess corner� and �The fieldof games�. Pupils had a good time. They danced,played traditional games, guessed riddles. Therewas an exhibition of vegetables and fruit whichwere harvested this year. the harvest feast broughta lot of joy to all the participants.The contest of Piggy banks�arün? Musnickaité 6th formEvery year Lithuanian savings bank organiz-es the contest of piggy banks. The pupils of ourschool like to take part in this contest. The worksof Artüras Zereckas, Vilma �imkuté, JüratéSentelyté and Benas Dzimidaviéius had wonprizes in these contests. This year pupils eagerly waited for the contests.Lots of beautiful piggy banks were made. Thesixth former �arüné Musnickaité was lucky andher piggy bank was chosen to the final. One of the

best works in Ukmergé was Gustés Unéiurytéspiggy bank.Ecology at schoolMilda Akunyte 12th formThe senior teacher of Biology SnieguoléAkunien? supervises activities of the young ecol-ogists. This year young ecologists perform theproject �The fate of the lake �Veprys�. They aregoing to observe the flora and fauna of the lake.Young ecologists also clean the waterfront of thelake and prepare the brochure �The lake Veprys�.

Unmerge district Vepriai secondary school, Lithuania

21

MACEDONIA

MONTE NEGRO

The Center for Civic Initiative (CCI) is non-partisan, non-profit organization, established in Prilep, R. Macedonia. The pri-mary aims of CCI are to help in the development of the democra-cy and civil society in Macedonia, to attract young people in theeducation and to promote positive changes in their municipalityand country.CCI organizes different activities and projects to achievethose aims and increases the participation of the Macedonian cit-izens in the process of building better and opener democratic soci-ety. CCI�s work is focused on the following:� Non-partisan education about the pluralism and democracyfor young people through seminars, summer schools, children andyouth centers and other activities;� Promotion of human rights and freedoms through moni-toring of the local and national elections, work on projects, hold-ing of meetings, seminars, etc.;� Development of the interethnic and international relationsbetween Macedonia and its neighbors through concrete projects.The cooperation with similar non-governmental organizationsin Macedonia and abroad is directed towards accomplishment ofthese aims.The Center for Civic Initiatives is currently involved inseveral interesting and worthwhile local and international activi-ties and projects.Education of children in children rights

After the ending of the Kosovo crises, the project for education ofchildren in the area of the rights of the children continued as anecessity. However, this time in the education were included chil-dren from Macedonia of the age of 6-14 and from different ethnicgroups. The education took place in children centers by usinginteractive method of working with more stress on the participa-tion of the children. The aim of the project was to decrease theinterethnic tension, and to educate the children in the area of chil-dren rights, that was especially noticeable of that period becauseof the Kosovo crises. This project included around 500 children.The project was financed by the Dutch foundation CARITAS.Children - Youth Centers � Babylon

On June 15, 1999 began the implementation of the project

�Children - Youth Centers -Babylon� by the Italian humanitarianorganization Coo-perazione e svilupo (CESVI), financed by theEuropean Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO). The projecthad socio - educational character with special accent on the relax-ation of the inter-eihnic relations in Macedonia and socializing ofthe children. The idea is forming and providing sustainability ofthe children - youth centers throughout Macedonia whose aim isto provide space ways, methods and all necessary materialresources, for socializing, communication recreation and in frontof all,education of the children in our country. Prilep in which liveMacedonians, Turks and Roma; Veles (Macedonians, Roma andTurks); Slip (Macedonians and Turks); Struga (Macedonian andAlbanians); Kumanovo (Macedonians, Serbs and Albanians);Radovis (Macedonians and Turks); Krusevo (Macedonians andVlahs) and Tetovo (Macedonians and Albanians) are the eight

towns in which these centers were established. The children com-ing in the centers are from 6-18 years of age. The centers areequipped with all necessary technical devices, literature andinventory essential for achieving of the aims. CCI coordinates thecenters in Prilep, Veles and Krusevo.Activities through which apart of the educational process are im-plemented and methods for interethnic tolerance and socializationare: English language, informatics, sport, creative workshop(music, art, drama, etc), social skills (psychological workshop),journalism, street law and debate workshops. Each activity is car-ried out according to specially determined program for the ade-quate aim. The program itself is significantly different from theone in the regular educational system, since there is not directevaluation of the work of children, through test and marks andthere is greater flexibility at the choice of the activities, themesand methods by each child as well as freedom to choose the peri-od at which the child conies to work and socialize. Due to thelarge number of interested children included in our program thatis over 500 per center, it is possible each child to visit the centeronly once in a week. In the children - youth centers works highlyqualified personal (assistants) composed of persons with differentprofiles and working experience with children. The team wentthrough a lit of training sessions and seminars given by expertsfrom the country and abroad, in order to upgrade their methods inthe work with children, in the spirit of Babylon project.The sustainability of the project as one of the final aims is accom-plished by:� Active participation of the local NGO�s in the organization andall other responsibilities for the functioning of the centers;� Involvement of the community through direct contacts andagreements for help and mutual cooperation of the centerswith the local government and the corresponding ministries.� Establishing of the so - called Voluntary association composedof assistants, citizens, teenagers and children who voluntari-ly with clearly defined motives and enthusiasm will activelyparticipate in the activities and- accomplishment of the aims.� Establishing of the Babylon Parents Association as special seg-ment for the sustainability of the project, composed of par-ents whose children are coming to the center, and who willvoluntarily participate in the work and will help with theirexperience in all parts of the programm. In the conducting of the project as partner appears the OpenSociety Institute - Macedonia with whose help and program arerealized the journalistic activities, street law and debate.

Center for Civic Initiative

In the fall of 2000, CRS FRY/ Montenegrobegan an assessment of youth needs andassets in the schools of Montenegro. Basedon this assessment and in line with its com-mitment to community involvement in edu-cation, CRS launched a Youth InitiativePilot Project. What we wanted to achievewith this project is not to �fix� young people,but to support the empowerment of socialactors who will contribute to the positivetransformation of their schools and commu-nities and who will help build a more demo-cratic and open society.Pilot Project Goal: Initiate a process ofyouth organization and empowermentCRS partnered with Mediteran, a localyouth NGO for the implementation of theproject. Creative Center Mediteran hasdemonstrated a history of expertise andexperience working with youth. However,there are areas where they need to developtheir organizational capacities. Given itsprogramming and organizational experiencein the region, CRS is in an excellent positionto promote the institutional capacity for localNGOs. Therefore, we have provided oppor-tunities for trainings for Mediteran that havetaken the form of community building forcommunity change (ToT), youth work(role of peer education as a means tocombat violence), partnership, projectproposal writing (hands- on training).

ActivitiesThese have been core activities: assess-ment, formation of youth councils (YCs)in two secondary and one elementaryschool, capacity building training work-shops for YCs, support of youth-led ini-tiatives (2000 USD per each YC), a cross-border study tour to Bosnia (October 26-31) and the organization of a FinalCelebration to highlight the accomplish-ments of the YCs (on the 6-7 July 2001).Mediteran conducted three workshops pereach YC, based on the identified needs andinterests of the young people. These work-shops included Team Building, DrugPrevention, Active Listening/ Communi-cation skills, etc. Mediteran�s young volun-teers on their SOS Hotline for teenagersalso participated in the facilitation of thesetrainings, acting as peer educators.CRS staff facilitated trainings on�Identifying and Prioritising Needs� and�Project Proposal Writing�.Each YC had the opportunity to accessmini-grants to implement projects based ontheir identified needs. Two YCs decided to make a newsletter:YC of the Primary school �Njegos� in Cetinjeand the YC of Secondary Economic school�Mirko Vesovic� in Podgorica. The project bought the equipment (a com-puter, printer, scanner, camera) for printing

the newsletter. All the Councils had advisorteachers (chosen by youth) who helpedthem with preparing the articles, editing,working on a computer, organizing meet-ings, etc.The third YC of the Secodary school �25.Maj� in Tuzi, chose to change the floor intheir gym. As they do not have their ownbank account (they would have to be regis-tered as an organization in order to have it),they were given cash advance and after theproject was finished, they supplied all thereceipts. Four persons were responsible forthe money � three members of the Counciland their advisor teacher.

MAJOR OUTCOMESThe results of both projects and interviewswith the YC members, teachers, studentsoutside the YCs, NGO partners, and otherinstitutions have shown the following majoroutcomes:Demonstrated ability of YCs to work togeth-er to design and implement successful proj-ects, and responsibly manage funds. Theprojects included two newsletters, and repa-ration of a gym floor;Demonstrated ability of YCs to lead local

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

YOUTH INITIATIVE PILOT PROJECT

22

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002fund raising initiatives, including soliciting funds from com-munity members and other donor agencies, and sellingnewsletters;Demonstrated pride, enthusiasm, and mutual support amongYC members, advising teachers, and the community;Youth actively involved in three issue-based campaigns;Linkages established and improved between NGOs, YCmembers, other youth outside the YCs, the police force, thenarcotics division, the Bijela Home orphanage, and theMinistry of Public Works;Proposal writing and training skills of local NGOs utilized andenhanced through project activities;Activities and initiatives taken on the part of some YC mem-bers and the community beyond the scope of the YI, whichcreated a natural link between the two projects. Theseincluded: Conducting interviews and writing articles about the drug pre-vention campaign;Assisting the partner NGOs in workshop facilitation during allthree campaigns;Meeting between President Djukanovic and the YC of the

Economic High School in Podgorica to present the YC activ-ities and project. President Djukanovic expressed his sup-port for the YC activities, continuation of initiatives amongyouth, NGOs and the government. Following this meeting,this YC was invited again by the President and receivedcomputer, printer and scanner.Just before New Year, CRS was assisting in organizing a toydelivery to the Bijela Home Orphanage. The Cetinje YC then

organized a fundraising campaign in the school and town tocollect money, books and toys, and with the money raisedpurchased a VCR for the orphanage. All the YCs togethervisited the orphanage and expressed a desire to make thiskind of visits traditional; to help as much as they can and tryto raise public awareness on the problems and needs of theorphans and the orphanage itself. e. Unsolicited media coverage drawn to the project activities,including Bosnian TV coverage of the YCs and a localBosnian youth group during the study tour to Sarajevo, andnewspaper articles and a television interview aired onMontenegro national television.All these activities will be used to create a better picture of thesituation of young people in Montenegro, and to serve as abasis for developing of the new, long term Project proposal.Our experience, observations, students� needs/interests andthe analysis of the assessment and Implementation phasewill be incorporated in the new Project Proposal.

CRS AROUND THE WORLDCatholic Relief Services (CRS) was found-ed in 1943 and today works in over 80 coun-tries around the world. CRS works to allevi-ate human suffering, promote human digni-ty and support pities. The agency assistssolely on the basis of need without regard torace, nationality or religion.CRS IN MONTENEGROCRS opened its office in Podgorica In 1998as part of its overall program in Yugoslaviato begin implementation of the ParentSchool Partnership (PSP) Program.Currently in Montenegro, CRS maintainsoffices in Podgorica, Berane and Bar, andimplements a bulk food program for inter-nally displaced persons (IDP-s) and socialcases, firewood distribution to IDP-s andsocial cases, a community services projectto assist the most vulnerable of the commu-nity and sh-elter rehabilitation in to the PSPand other educational programs. THE EDUCATlON TEAM�SVISION Education programming as a constantchallenge and source of inspiration, willbe child-centered, in-clusive, flexible,innovative, and fun. Subsidiarity, as thebasis for community ownership of edu-

cational and empowerment to createchange, is the leading principle of alleducation-oriented activities. CRS EDUCATION PROGRAMCRS� approach to education programs issimple-facilitate, empower and supportthose involved in education. CRS strives toinvolve all stakeholders in the improvementof education through the promotion of com-munity, initiative and ownership.Pailnt School Partnership Program (PSP)PSP is the central program to CRS educa-tion initiatives. Begun in 1998, with grantfrom United States Agency for InternalDevelopment, program has flourished inMontenegro. The education of children is acritical concern of parents worldwide.Because of its dependence on central fund-ing, the educational sector is in crises, asbudgets for education have contracted.CRS belives that one of the solutions to thiscrisis is a greater involvement of the localcommunity and parents groups in schools.PSP encourages a philosophy of directproactive involvement and proposes thatresponsibility for educational decisions and

outcomes must be shared by those closestto the school: parents, community, mem-bers, teachers, school directors and stu-dents. The strategy used in the PSP pro-gram is to offer local communities assis-tance for the improvement of their schools inpartnership with a local parent council (PC),teachers and students. The local parentsmust organize themselves and with CRSassistance, define their needs and priorities,and contribute to the rehabilitation effort. Tomeet the objectives of this program CRShas a comprehensive and integrated pro-gram of financial and technical assistance.These range from small to medium sizegrants for equipment purchases, seminarson the organization and management ofcommunity organizations; to teacher train-ings on new and innovate teaching meth-ods. The use of these grants may includereconstruction or repairs made to the schoolbuilding, construction of specialised foreignlanguage teaching facilities, purchase ofcomputer or library equipment, or installa-tion of telephone lines for Intenet acc-ess.Other CRS education programs use thisphilosophy of commu-nity involvementimprove education conditions.

NORWAYFrom 6th to 11th November 2001 a seminar called¨DEMOCRACY PROJECT¨ took place in Norway. In theproject where ten pupils participants from five Croatian towns: Slav. Brod, Metkovic, Labin, Varazdin and Vinkovci, andeight pupils participants from Norwegian towns Sandens andStrand.The events in Norway were taking place according to thefollowing schedule:· 6th November 2001 ten hours after boring hours atairports of Europe (read Frankfurt and Copenhagen ) about4:15 p.m. we finally arrived to our destination StavangerNorwegian town. At the airport we have been welcomed byour very kind hosts � Mr. Geir Hetland and his very close part-ner whose name I can not remember. Accompanied by themwe came to ¨QUALITY RESIDENCE HOTEL¨ ( it didn¢t getthis name for no reason, believe me ). In chatting with ourNorwegian friends the time passed quickly.· 7th November 2001 � The hosts generously allowedus to sleep till 8 a.m. (we didn¢t find out the reason why ).After a big breakfast we were taken by cab to one of numer-ous counties in Sandens called VARATUN GÅRD. We werepleasantly welcomed there by the mayor of the town Sandens,Mr. Jonstein Rouika. He briefly introduced us with Sandens,his political and civil parliament. After him it was Mrs. TONELINGE turn to lecture us about how they started with the pro-gram of children parliament and how children debate in chil-dren¢s parliament of their town. We were also listening to alecture of Miss SILJE ARNØY about experiences of youngpeople in Sandens. In brief, to tell the truth, I was a littlebored after this third lecture, but that boredom was interupt-ed by a pause of about 20 minutes, and after that there wereonly two lectures more, and these were :1.�Why is it important that young people debate?�, thislecture was given by Miss Benedikte Thu Mørgaard, popularycalled Mother

2. The lecture about the project, which Englesh name Idon¢t remember, but its Norwegian name is ¨UNG AND UNDBY¨ - a lecture given by Mr. Bjarte Bjørnsen.Finally it was over, and we went for a lunch, and cameback to hotel where we ha 6 hours of free time, which we spentin a local shopping centre. After supper we went to a culturalcenter ¨KULTUR � HUSET¨ where we saw a concert called¨STREET-MUSIC¨. The concert was performed by anEnglish musician (I don¢t remember the name � try to ask myteacher Mrs. Jukic )

· 8th November 2001. That was maybe one of the mostinteresting days of our stay in Norway. That day we were pres-ent at the Youth conference in the City hall. The mayor andhis partners welcomed us in the introduction. After about halfan hour the representatives were divided in to groups and setoff some houndred meters farther into children¢s culturalcenter ¨KULTURMØLLA¨ where they discussed about 2-3hours. During that time we were surfing on the internet and in

other ways we were killing time. The conference was finallycontinued. The goal of the conference was the distribution of100 000 Norwegian krones (about 100 000 kn). From this sum75 000 krones were distributed to 28 schools, and 25 000 kro-nes were awarded to the best project. The young representa-tives had heated discussion until the best project was chosen(for more information ask prof. Juki}). At 6:30 p.m. we visited another county. After that we wentto Mexican restaurant for dinner.9.11.2001. � We woke up at 6:30. After breakfast we wentto the Strand where we visited their high school. We had avery interesting time there � students from that school had apresentation about Viking�s ship and the students fromMetkovi} had a presentation about ships on Neretva «LA\A ITRUPA». We also had one workshop on youth and democra-cy. After that our teachers went away with Norwegian teach-ers and we (students) went away with our Norwegian friends.We spent the night at their homes. We had a dinner at a localyouth house. After dinner we went out to a discotheque andstayed there till 3 am.10.11.2001. � We had a breakfast at our host�s home (hisparents were very kind and pleasant). At 8 o�clock we had toleave oour host because we had to go to the ferryboat toStavanger. We were at the biggest shopping center inStavanger (believe me, it is very big). We came back to theSandnes at 3 p.m. by bus. That day we had dinner at Chineserestaurant. After dinner we went back to the hotel where wespent the whole night with our Norwegian friends in the roomnumber 320.11.11.2001. � After we had said goodbye, what was veryhard for me, we went back to Croatia, but in our minds wewere still in Norway. After the trip which lasted approximate-ly 10 hours (3 hours of flight, 7 hours waiting for planes), welanded at the Zagreb airport at 10:05 p.m., and finally we wentto our beautiful town, Slavonski Brod.

Ah, that Norway by Zlatko Salcinovic

23

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002Labin, Croatia, July 2001Dear officials, teachers and students.Dear Croatian friends!It is a pleasure to be back here in Croatia and in the fan-tastic surroundings of Labin, and to meet you allagain.Thank you for your invitation and for such a warm wel-come. I remember from last year here in Labin; The firstnight we stood outside in the night because we couldn�tsleep, and it struck me in a clear moment, you actually havepalm trees. I thought, this must be the greatest differencebetween Norway and Croatia, you have palm trees. What Ihave learned from this project is that we are all similar peo-ple in spite of some differences in way of life and in cultu~.We ace aU humans and can learn from each other�s mis-takes and better doings. The democracy is a cornerstone foralmost everything in the Norwegian society. It has helpedus build the Norway we are today. I have learned a lot aboutour democracy through my positions in the Youth council,Students Councils and other activities, like the mini-parlia-ment. I will try to chare some of my ideas on what a youthdemocracy and what youth involvement should and couldbe from my point of view as a president of Strand youthCouncil. I will try to give you a view on what we are work-ing on and how we try to maintain the interests of the youthin Strand Municipality.Strand Youth CouncilSilje has presented the youth council model fromSandnes, which is pretty much like model from Strand, soI guess she mostly covered that for me too. Thank youSilje.

Students council vs* Youth councilI will start with the difference between a youth counciland a student�s council. In the youth council there are rep-resentatives from several schools with pupils from the age12-19. The issues we discuss are also often political, andnot directly related to each of the schools. The 9 membersof Strand Youth Council represent the students at theirschool and shall discuss the more important cases andissues up for debate in the youth council with the student�scouncils. The members of the youth council shall act in theinterest of those he or her represent and not in his or hersown interest. The name and influence of the youth councilshall only be used to promote youth interests. RepresentationI have always though of representing youth in thecouncil as a privilege. To have that kind of trust behind youto do a good job is motivating. And of course you alsoknow that if you don�t do a good job, if you don�t do yourbest, you will be voted out in the next election. That alsomakes you work harder. If you want the position of course.Being president of a youth council is a lot of work, and if Ihadn�t thought that it was fun and interesting, I wouldn�tdo it. If you are doing a good job, then it rewards itself inmany ways. You get a lot of respect for your arguments,you often get to travel and you learn a lot about politics andhow to work with other people.Changes in SYCStrand Youth council has changed since last year. Wehave gotten more members, more influence and moreresponsibility. We can now change our own regulations.The members are elected to the council for a period of twoyears. We have taken over the control of the Peoples Housein Jørpeland and we distribute the incomings from thealcohol taxes in Strand. The politicians are positive to ourwork and try to help us by following up the cases that areimportant to us. To get a positive response from politiciansmakes the wheels of the youth council spin faster and morestable. It is important to have good connections with mem-bers of the local council and administration to gain thehighest possible level of youth influence.Youth democracyA democratic elected youth council has an endless listof opportunities. It represents youth, especially outh underthe age of 18. This is a group that are without the right tovote and therefore without elected representation in localcouncils and even national parliament. In a democraticcountry every group of the society should have the right tobe heard and to tell their meanings. A youth council may bethe only way for young people under 18 to be heard in thepolitical system. Our slogan is: - Voice for the voteless.Youth speaking for youthYouth democracy and youth involvement is somethinggetting high priority in Norway these days. The youthcouncil can help strengthen the democracy and it is a greatway to learn youth about democratic thinking and a demo-cratic rule. The same democratic principals apply for theStudents council, only that a students council is aimed atthe schools and the students, but the youth council is aimed

at the politicians and youth in general. The politicians canuse the youth council for statements which they need tomake a fair and good decision in some cases. Like where tofocus funding to youth clubs and other youth activities. Getstatements on what is important for the general populationof young people, and can give politicians information theycould only dream of possessing themselves. I say it likethis: -To know what young people need, you have to beyoung. To know what the elders need, you have to be old.That makes it pretty hard for middle aged politicians todecide what we need and what we will get. I see it asimportant that all groups of the society gets to be heard.How these groups get to be heard is not important as longas the arguments and statements are made in a democraticand representative fashion.OpportunitiesA youth council has, as lmfilidooed, an endless list ofopportunities. There is a lot that we could and can focus on.Many youth councils work a lot with Youth Caf~s andYouth houses. Strand youth council does too, only that weare not running any activities, we are only making sure thatthere are. It has been important to me as the president ofyouth council to focus on some cases and to do them well.I have a lot of ideas for the council, it is just important thatwe do not have to many balls into the air at the same time.�Project peoples house**The past year we have been working a lot on a projectcalled �Project Peoples House�. We started the projectbecause we knew that there were too little to do for youngpeople in Strand. This was also confirmed by a question-naire to most of the schools in Strand, and theactivities and the rooms at the peoples housewere not good enough. The project is not fin-ished yet, it remains a full reorganization ofthe way the house was operated, but as youcan see on these pictures, the redecoration ofthe basement is finished. We also work a lot with the cases up fordiscussion in the local council. Everythingfrom budget iscussions to if we need a newtunnel under the fjord to Stavanger. We havealso been very active in the alcohols and drugsdebate and I have been in some debate panels,and as I represent young people I often havedifferent and some times more provokingmeanings than others. We have been up beforethe Local council and spoke about what we mean, we havecome with statements to many eases, and we feel that thepoliticians listen to us and takes us seriously. We have alsobeen working together with local trade and industry inplanning of a development plan for Strand. Serious organizationWe always try our best to make the council look like aserious organization that represent youth and youth inter-ests. I believe that respect from politicians are a result fromhard work, honesty and patience. It is very important thatthe youth is involved and get influence where the decisionsare being made and not are being put aside when the rule isbeing made. That will help for morale and make us feel thatwe are making a difference. The main tasks for the youth council the next year is toestablish an even better co-operation with the studentscouncils and to work for youth getting more influence,locally, nationally and internationally, and to make it betterfor youth in general. Dag Josef Foss Alsvik

Information about STRAND UNGDOMSRÅD

The Viking shipThe sea surrounded most of the Vikings� Scandinavian homelands.In addition, hundreds og fjords cut into the coastline. As a result, watertravel was the main form oftransportation in the region,and the Vikings became aseafaring people. In thedecades before the VikingAge, people in the Northmade great progress in ship-build-ing.the Viking rankedamong the best shipbuildersof their time. Viking ship-builders greatly improved thesailing ability ofScandinavian ships.The Viking ship was notinvented at the start of theViking Age, but was devel-oped from boats used in ear-lier times.Early Viking navigatorsdepended primarily on sight-ings of the sun and the starsto determine direction and approximate location at sea. But during theViking Age, The Vikings developed a system that enable them to deter-mine the latitude in which they were sailing. They made a table of fig-ures that showed the sun�s zenith of each week of the year. Byusing ameasuring stick and this table, a navigator could make a sighting and

estimate the latitude of the ship�s location.The Viking Age began after a long period of rapid populationgrowth in Scandinavia. That reduced the amount of available farmland.It led many Vikings to find a source of wealth, or a new place to live.At this time, Scandinavians developed new shipbuilding techniques thatenable their ships to travel even farther than before.The most familiar opinion of the Vikings is that they were brutaland ruthless people only, and that they raided every country andcitythey reached. A lot of them did, but they were also good traders andbusiness men. Most of them were also farmers. But they did not quit theraiding though. Later on it is possible that the Vikings found out thatthreatening the inhabitants gave them more than enough of silver andgold, in stead of killing and burning everyone and everything on theplaces they raided. Some historians clame that the Vikings were not asbloodthirsty as mostpeople think. More-over, most discrip-tions of their attackswere recorded bymonks an Clergy-men. Their objectiv-ity cannot be takenfor granted, or?��This project wasmade by: May Sissel Kleppa, Dag Josef Foss Alsvik and AsgeirFowelsfrom Strand Upper secondary school 2001.Thanks to:Our Croatian friend, Mr. Geir Hetland and Mr.Sigmund Landa

THE DEMOCRACY PROJECT FROMNORWAYThe leader of WHO in Europe, John Asvall stated in hisopening speech at the Healthy Cities project may stimulate ademocratic development in the participating cities, and thatthese ideals are fundamental to the development of a sustain-able society.Based on the same ideology, Strand Upper SeondarySchool in Rogaland County in Norway and the NorwegianWHO-Healthy City, Sandnes, started a co-operation in 1996for the development of an international democracy project. Theproject has been financed by the Norwegian Ministry ofForeign Affairs together with the participating cities. The proj-ect is meant for students in upper secondary schools and shouldgive the participants possibilities of training in democraticprocesses.During 1997 two Latvian cities, Liepaja and Grobina, andtwo Croatian cities, Labin and Metkovic, each represented byan upper secondary school, signed intentional agreements withSandnes and Rogaland County in Norway, and have now established their own local democra-cy projects where also students and city councils work together. So far there have been inter-national and local meetings and workshops in all three countries where students, teachers andpoliticians have been represented.A network has been established between the responsible co-ordinators representing the treecountries. These co-operators are Selma Sogoric and Cedomir Ruzic in Croatia, Geir Hetlandand hans Ivar Somme in Norway and Uldis Linins in Latvia.Through this project they hope to promote a development of the society based on demo-cratic values and on the ideas of a sustainable future development. It is important that the proj-ect should be built on local needs, trust and good personal relations between the participantsin school and cities. The long-term goal will be the development of both national and interna-tional networks in democratic training based on good common model institutions. This couldalso be part of the WHO-Healthy Cities network in the participating countries.We have experienced frequent international contacts between our students in this project.Numerous letters and presentations have been sent between students, classes and teachers andthis is an inspirations for the continuation of our work for the development of democracy andbetter understanding.In 1998 and 1999 three new Latvian school in Aizpute, Brocenu and Saldus and three newCroatian schools in Osijek, Vinkovci and Slavonski Brod joined the project. A delegation withtwo Norwegian representatives from Sandnes and two from Rogaland County, visited the fiveLatvian schools April 1999. The delegation had meetings with the schools` administration andthe students` councils.In Croatia students and teachers from the Croatian project schools have met three day inLabin in July the last three years to participate in democracy workshops arranged by the uppersecondary school Mate Blazine. In the 1998 both Norwegian and Latvian teachers and studentstook part, and the Norwegians were represented in Labin both in 1999 and 2000. Croatian andLatvian delegations have visited the Norwegian �Children´s City Council� in Sandnes and alsoStrand Upper Secondary School every year since 1997.There has been an international presentation of this project by the Latvian co-ordinator,Uldis Linins. This was at the first regional WHO conference of the European Sustainable Citiesand Towns´ Compaign in Turku, Finland, September 3-5, 1998. The following conclusions weredrawn from this session:Local Agenda 21 needs to address the democracy prosess.Baltic Agenda 21 must include more social and democracy issues.Another international presentation was done by the Norwegian co-ordinator, Geir Hetland,at a Council of Europe seminar in Riga, April 14-17, 1999. This presentation was given on aninvitation from the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science. The project was also presentedby the Croatian co-ordinator, Selma Sogoric, to the Norwegian Embassy in Zagreb, February1999. There have also been several TV, radio and press reports from this project.The last two years, youth parliaments have been arranged in Slavonski Brod, where theyare planning to enlarge their project into Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first youth parliamentin Metkovic was held in May 2001. The meeting was led by the mayor and there were delegatesfrom all four schools of the city. Three Norwegian officials from Sandnes and Rogaland Countytook part as observers. Geir Hetland

24

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002ROMANIA

RUSSIA

Foundation Civitas fromRomania has intention tomade investigation on thestatus of youth fromSouth Eastern Europeand their attitudetowards European inte-gration processes, with support ofAssociation for Democratic Prosperity �Montenegro, UNO and Helsinki CitizensAssembly Tuzla � Bosnia and Herzegovina,Europe House Slavonski Brod � Croatia,Society and Information Foundation �Bugaria, Young Intellectuals, Hope IRSH �Albania, Embassy for Peace � Macedonia.GoalThe research project aims to create a databaseand a comparable review of the problems youthare confronted with in South Eastern Europeand to improve the strategies of joint action forthe youth in this region. Motivational backgroundIn the frame of EU integration, the lack of sim-ilar approaches, scientific studies of the attitudi-nal, behavioral environment of youth from theSEE region needs to be covered. The youth arenot to be ignored, since youth problems arecommon to the problems of the entire society.The countries from the SEE region represent aspace confronted with significant problems con-nected to low life standards. Unless the per-spectives improve, the emigration of this seg-

ment of the population will increase. In thisframe, it is imperative to identify the prioritiesof youth, to disseminate this information and toact towards improving the perspectives ofyouth. The target group is formed of youth, aged 18-30, from South Eastern Europe countries, suchas Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria,Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, andRomania. Project activitiesThis research will be made using two methodsof data gathering. Firstly, quantitative methods, a statisticalapproach of the phenomenon. The use of thesemethods provides a general view on the wayyouth approach the topic of European integra-tion. For this it is necessary to conduct a surveyon representative sample groups for each of thetargeted countries. The size of the sample groupvaries from country to country, ranging between800 and 1000. The same questionnaire is to beused in all participating countries, for compara-tive reasons. Secondly, the qualitative research methodsimply to formation of focus-groups (interview-ing) with youth from the targeted countries inorder to obtain in-depth information of the topicapproached in the quantitative approach. Withinthe focus groups, the aim is to identify values,motivation and attitudes of youth with differentsocial status. For this it will be useful to form, in

each country 10 focus groups, each with 8-10participants. Project resultsThe research results will be made public,brought to the attention of non-governmentalorganizations, international organizations, pub-lic authorities, and should serve as starting pointfor NGOs, international organizations andauthorities in establishing their course of actionin order to initiate solving the identified prob-lems. As a result of the research, there will beelaborated a strategy of action for each of thecountries where the research has been conduct-ed. Moreover, there will be elaborated a com-mon strategy of action for the youth from theSEE Europe, aiming to improve participation inthe decision-making processes that influenceyouth lives.The project is financed by the Citizens� Pactfor South Eastern Europe. For further information on the project,please check the web-page: http://www.civitas.ro/YRP/index.htmlInterethnica magazineThe aim of �Interetnica� magazine is to raiseawareness on the need of the open and non-prej-udiced communication among the national andethnical groups in Romania. This can beachieved by knowing and acknowledging thevalues and ideals of the other ethnic groups, and

by developing the capacity to accept the othernext to you, by acknowledging their needs andrespecting their rights. The most important co-workers to the publica-tion are organizations of the Albanian,Armenian, Croatian, Italian, Hungarian,Romany and Ukrainian minorities. Young peo-ple interested in the issue of interthnical rela-tions have joined in and actively colaborated tothe magazine. �Interetnica� has been issued starting with1998. The initial format was that of newspaper.Beginning with May 2000, we have adopted theformat of magazine. Beginning with 2001, themagazine is published within the project withthe same name, in collaboration with RomanoSuno Association of Rroma Students. Duringthis last year, the magazine has been bilingual,with articles written in Romanian by Rroma stu-dents and their translation into Romani. The magazine is issued monthly, in a smallnumber of copies (1000 copies / issue), there-fore the target group of the publication isformed of youth organizations, universities,respectively students from Cluj-Napoca. Inaddition, a small number of copies is distributednationally to institutions and organizations andpersonalities. For further details, please check the web-page: www.civitas.ro

Foundation Civitas from Romania

Moscowschool ofhumanrights(NGO)PrinciplesMoscow School of human rights is a non-governmental organization; is a non-commercial institution of vocationaleducation; dosen�t support any politicalparties, movements and campaigns; rec-

ognizes ideological and world outlookdiversity.PurposesWorking out a strategy and curricula ofcivic, human rights, democracy, peace,law, and political education; developmentof educational and methodical-scientificliterature, audio-visual and computerfacilities in the field of civics, humanrights and democracy; training andretraining secondary anh high schoolteachers, leaders of human rights move-ment, state employees; improvement oflegal and political culture of the students;performing functions of an informationalcentre of the problems of civic education,education in the sphere of child�s rights,human rights, peace, democracy; sum-ming-up and distributing foreign anddomestic experience in this sphere.Activity: seminars, sessionsIn the course of the last few years ourspecialists took part in organizing andarranging of more than 15 Internationalseminars and sessions of training teach-ers to teach human rights, democracy.These seminars were organized with par-ticipation of the Council of Europe,UNESCO, Amnesty International,Canadian Fund og Human Rights andother organizations. About 8,000 teach-ers have been trained at these seminarsans sessions.

ECOLE No406 - Pouchkine, St. Petersburg

25

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

SERBIAOUR MISSION �People�s Parliament aims at inspiring andhelping positive social changeswhich have as their final effect the estab-lishment of democratic, sustainable, devel-oped and progressive society.�HISTORYThe local Television Leskovac viewers werepuzzled by the appearance of the televisiontechnician at half time of the basketballgame on July 1, 1999. He addressed hisSouth Serbia fellow-townsmen and in afive-minute speech he expressed his dis-agreement with the unreasonable politics ofthe local and state government of that peri-

od. On that occasion, he called on his fel-low-townsmen to gather together in thedowntown square four days later on July 5.This started the most massive anti-regimecivil protest at that time. Nearly 80 000 peo-ple from South Serbia took part in the 44-day protests in Leskovac.After this massive civil protest had finished,at the middle of August that year, People�sParliament was constituted as a non-profit,non-partisan and non-government organi-zation by the organizers and leaders of thisprotest.GOALS People�s Parliament directs its activities

towards the building of:Democracy and civil societyThe system of respect of human and civilrightsBetter position of women within society Better position of the youth within society.International relationships and ethnic toler-anceEconomic and social developmentMedia impartiality and information flow PROGRAMS- People�s Parliament realizes its activitiesthrough seven programs:- Program for the development of the civilsociety and democracy

- Program for the support of the local self-government development- Cross-border cooperation program Youth program- Economic development center- Female�s sector- Volunteers� center.Youth program of PeoplesParliament

�Youth program aims at establishing a soci-ety in which young people actively partici-pate in building the society and in makingdecisions that influence their lives�

First few words about our NGO

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

Goals:Building knowledge and skills that help theyoung lead safe and creative lifeIncreasing active participation of the youngin the life of the community and social-polit-ical processes,Improving the cooperation between organi-zations and associations that bring theyoung together.Youth projects in 2002Multiethnic YouthParliamentProject Period: November 2001 �

November 2002.Beneficiaries: Young leaders originatingfrom different nationalities, religion andcommunities from all over Serbia; non-governmental organizations, governments,institutions and individuals interested inmultiethnic issues.Brief description: project tends to gatherand acquaint young people with the rootissues surrounding tensions between differ-ent nationalities, as well as history, legaland political position, level of social andeconomic development and religion of thebiggest nationalities in Serbia (Serbs,Albanians, Roma, Bulgarian, Hungariansand Bosnjak/Muslims). The topics addressed in the MYP are:Human rights and democracy, Economicun-development and conflict, The role ofthe media/information in conflict, Local gov-ernments in multicultural and democraticsociety, Culture and identity, Education forpeace and The role of NGOs in conflict pre-vention and resolution.Multiethnic Youth Parliament is a place fordiscussion, information dissemination andcultural exchange embodied in four and ahalf-days Training Program, informationalsix-languages web site and E-mailDiscussion Group.�Protect yourself � trickAIDS�

Project Period: January 06 to January 12,2002.

Beneficiaries: 500 young people havedirectly participated in campaign activities. Brief description: The young volunteers ofPeople�s Parliament have conducted acampaign with the aim to educate andinform youth in Leskovac about AIDS (howis transferred, how its not transferred, howcan you protection from it) and to popular-ize the usage of condoms as a way of pro-tection from HIV virus. The seven day cam-paign have consisted out of:Media campaign on several local TV andradio stations (commercials and jingles)and poster and flayer distribution. Campaign activities embodied in two-dayactivities in center of the town.

First day young volunteers have conducteda performance in a downtown square called�Panels who speaks� and a stand organ-ized for distributing the promotional materi-al and condoms.Second day we have organized a rock con-cert called ��Protect yourself �trick AIDS� inwhich three young rock groups have per-formed and, at the concert, called youngpeople to use condoms as a protectionfrom HIV virus. Also great number of con-doms and promotional material has beendistributed at the concert.Srdjan Mitrovic

26

SLOVAKIAYOUTH DECLARATION

As young people of a changing Europe, we declare our readiness tocontribute actively to the discuissions concerning the future of acommon Europe. As citizens and future leaders we accept ourresponsibility to participate in the re-construction of our continent.With the collapse of communism and the beginning of the unifica-tion process, Europe faces new possibilities and challenges. Wemust therefore renew ourjoint commitment to realize the full pro-tection of human dignity, which, though a fundamental value ofEuropean civilization, has been and continues to be violated by dif-ferent ideologies.We call upon the governments andcitizens of Europe to reffirm therecognition-expressed in the Universal Decleration of HumanRights and the European Convention on Human Rights-of theinherent dignity and inalienable rights of all, including the invio-lable right to life, as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace inEurope.

Irrespective of cultural, religious or ethnic differences, as youngpeople from a variety of European countries, we unite in affirmingthe following statements:

� Our shared European identity is based upon a recognition of thefundamental dignity of the human person, whish is possessed by alland must always be respected, from conception until natural death.This intrinic dignity is the basis of all human rights and must neverbe violated in any way.� Society must ensure that the unique human potential of each per-son is able to develop in authentic freedom by encouraging the con-ditions in which freedom and citizenship can be exercised, whileliving in solidarity and awareness of the inviolable dignity of one-self and of all.� We envision a European culture in which the family is the funda-mental unit, where men and women have the opportunity to learnto live in solidarity, and where genuine freedom is first nurtured anddeveloped. The family is the cornerstone of a free and just societyin which the person is placed at the center.We commit ourselves to participate in the construction of Europe asa free association of peoples, respecting their common heritage asa civilisation, committed to the protection of fundamental humanrights, and to the creation of a renewed europe of values.UKRAINE

IntroductionNowadays it's become a habit to talk about prob-lems: economic, political, social, existential -they surround us� The problems of young peo-ple top the list: unemployment, social passivenessand apathy, lack of possibilities for personaldevelopment and education, widespread negativetrends - alcohol and drugs abuse, prostitution,hooliganism. In the compact settlements of for-merly deported people this situation is additional-ly complicated by resettlement problems: lack ofcommunal infrastructure, unfinished houses,absence of social facilities. Unresolved socio-economic problems contribute to deterioration ofthe socio-economic climate and escalation ofinter-ethnic tension. Young people remain hope-less and the future seems dark and unclear. Thisleads to aggression and self-destruction.Where is the solution? Youth - is not a problem, youth - is a resource! -this is the motto of the Association. In order toprovide young people with an opportunity for

self-actualization and participation in the commu-nity life, Youth Centers are being established indifferent regions of Crimea. Youth Center means:- active participation in community development - access to information, education and communi-cation - possibilities for personal development throughinterest clubs and activities- possibilities for employment and economicdevelopment - young people working for young people Youth Center is a step to future success!!Areas of activity:- Community development and culture- Information - Education - Organized leisure A lot of work was done create the Youth Centers.Now these are established and active organiza-tions. But the youth organizations decided not to

limit themselves to this achievement and decidedto climb one step higher in their development.For this purpose they have united into anAssociation. Association does not have any political affiliation and servesthe interests of youth with different ethnic back-grounds and social groups. Out goal is personaland social development of young people. Webelieve, that the wealth of Crimea is in its cultur-al diversity, and we work for revival and popular-ization of ethnic cultures. All different, all equalRussian and Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians andArmenians, Bulgarians and Germans, Greeks andKaraims - we all live in Crimea, we are youngand we want to grow. Nothing will change,unless we do it. Working together to increasesocial, political and economic role of youth wecontribute to the harmonization of inter-ethnicrelations on the peninsula.

Association of Community Youth Centers

Youth forPeace and Development

27

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002Together, for Peace and Development in Crimea!Objectives:- Increasing access to information - Increasing civic responsibility - Cultural development and interethnic tolerance - Economic developmentFunctions:- Overall coordination and joint activity- Representing the Centers on republican, nation-al and international levels- Training and information dissemination- Technical and methodical support to existingand establishing centers- Mobilization of technical, human and financialresources Currently implemented projects- Mobile consulting Group

- Resource Center- Supporting Enterprise - Internet provider serv-ice Member organizations:- YO "Arslan", Bakchisaray region- YO "We", Belogorsk region - YC "Yany Nefez", mkr.7 of Bakchisaray- "MirCenter" Institute of Culture of Peace,Tavrian National University - "PhabClub", Kievskiy district of Simferopol - YC "Melevshe", Simferopol Our partners:- Crimea Integration and Development Programme- Republican Committee on Family and Youth - Republican Committee on Nationalities andDeported- Bakchisaray, Belogorsk, Simferopol and SudakRegional State Administrations Looking forward to cooperation!»YOUTH INTEGRATIONTHROUGH HISTORY ANDCULTURE«UNDP/Crimea Integration and Development Programme con-ducts a youth summer camp in Mangup every year in the frame-work of the project «YOUTH INTEGRATION THROUGH HIS-TORY AND CULTURE». The activists of youth/cultural NGOs,who are interested in the Crimean history, ethnography andinterethnic relations, were invited to take part in Mangup camp.The Republican Committee on Nationalities and Migration ofthe Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Association of NationalCommunities and the Mangup Archeological Expedition of TavrianNational University (TNU) are the project partners.The camp�s objectives were to provide training on interethnictolerance and conflict prevention skills, giving the representativesof different youth/culture NGOs the opportunity to establish con-tacts, regulate relations, determine the role of youth in the processof interethnic integration in Crimea, work out the joint plan ofactions and prepare the concrete projects.The camp was a combination of leisure and learning: the youthhad a chance to participate in the seminars, the archeological digstogether with the TNU expedition; and in a wide cultural pro-gramme, including ethnic clothing, cuisine and elements of private

life. In the evening, by the campfire one could hear folk songs andlegends in Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar, Armenian,Bulgarian, and German. The participants shared the stories aboutthe history and customs of their nations, taught one another nation-al dances and some polite words in their native languages.Professional psychologists from the Odessa Mediation Group were

invited to be the trainers. Also the members of Historical andEthnographical Departments, and psychologists of the TNU carriedout some of the training. One of the days spent in the camp wasentirely devoted to the role game �Ostron�, in which the partici-pants, who were separated into two completely different relativeethnical groups, had to find a common language to speak, learnabout the opposite culture as much as possible, and establish thepeaceful principles of existence. The game appeared to be much

more serious and difficult than it could seem in the beginning, butnevertheless the common compromise was found by the evening.The youth also had a chance to communicate with the govern-ment representatives of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Oneof their discussions was about the perspectives of interethnic rela-tions on the Crimean peninsula. This action was widely illustratedby the mass media. Young people shared their impressions willing-ly. One of the basic conclusions is that such activities help to designa kind of a society, in which people learn to perceive each other notonly by way of the historically formed ethno stereotypes, but aspersonalities, who can paint, sing, dance, tell an interesting legendor just to listen carefully to their interlocutor.One of the camp�s objectives was the animated cartoon effect.All the participants will go home, return to their surroundings offriends and perhaps make their own contribution based on theirown impression received while staying in the camp.This event has already been conducted for the past three years.In the future, the Association of Community Youth Centres �YouthFor Peace and Development� plans to make it a tradition. It is like-ly that the leaders of youth organizations from other countries willbe also invited, and the Mangup camp will have an internationalstatus.Mangup-kale � is a picturesque plateau in the mountain partof the southwestern Crimea, which territory is full of historicaland architectural monuments. This plateau has lately become areserve area, where regular archeological digs are carried out.UNITED KINGDOMWWelcome to OurMulticulturalEuropean DanceWorkshopWe frequently preform a variety of Welsh Dances atDance Festivals throughout Wales.We would like to show you how to learn a Welsh Dancecalled lawr y Canol. This is a very simple Welsh Dance.Here are the teaching notes for this dance.Rydym ni fel Ysgol un cymryd rhan mewn sawl gwyldawns trwy Gymru gyfan.Wnewn ni ddangos i chi sut i ddawnsio «Lawr yCanol». Mae�n ddawns syml iawn.Form a square set of four couples.Couple number 1 walk forward eight steps to go

between couple 3.Turn out and skip around the set back to place.All hold hands and circle to the left for eight.Circle right for eight.Link right arm with your partner and turn for eight.Link left arm with your partner and turn for eight.Back to back with your partner.Hold two hands with your partner and skip aroud foreight.

Repeat with couple 2 leading, then couple 3, then cou-ple 4.Mrs. Campbell brought some shawls and aprons fromPortugal for use. We have some Portuguese music, but wedo not know any Portuguese dances. We would be gratefulif you could help us learn a dance for our repertoire.Year 3 have worked with Noami, a Spanish student.She has taught us about Spanish customs and culture. Wehave learned a traditional Spanish dance. Over recent years we have performed in a local theatreas part of a Schools Dance Performance.One of the first dances we learnt was an African TribalDance. The children now in the club have asked to betaught this dance.The costumes are very colourful and the music verylively! We have already done a Caribbean Dance toCalypso Music. The video shows the part of the dance thechildren particularly enjoyed.

Currently, we are working on a dance that combinesour European and African Heritage.Rachel E. Campbell, HeadteacherCoordinator of the European Club- Montstuart Primary School � Cardiff, U.K.

POEMS AGAINST RACISMA united Europe For a world withoutfear - free from racial prejudiceMountstuart School�s staff and pupils have exchanged curriculum stud-ies, letters and visits with schools in Italy, Portugal, Sweden, France andHolland through the �Comenius Project� and the Euro Club Project coordi-nated by Portugal.Through these contacts everyone has played a part in trying to forgepositive relationship with European pupils and to eliminate racism.These poems were written by pupils aged from 5-11 years. They areunabridged and reflect their desire to see �A Europe without Racism�.

Betty Campbell M.B.E.Headteacher 1973/1999.Friends play together. We are all different.Friend help each other.We are all different.Friend talk together.We are all different.Does it matterIf we're all different.Some are blackSome are white.Some belive in differentthings.IT DOES NOT MATTER

By Issac Campbell - Age 8

Live together and care for eachotherDon't be racist to each otherDon't kill peopleLove each other.Have joy and have happinessBe helpful to each otherShare what you haveDon't call people namesDon't bully each otherHave a friendship between youDon't have no more warsHave peaceDon't fightBe kindHave loveBy Delisha Georges - Aged 9

Newspaper about youth contribution in local community January, 2002

28

Jiggi PromotionsJiggi Promotion�s is a group of young peopleaged 14-21 from the Butetown/Grangetown area.Jiggi Promotion�s was founded by Butetown localteenager Marcus Simpson. Joggi Promotion�s isone of Cardiff�s main under 18s disco providers,attracting 800 young people to their events. Jiggiis so unique because their performers are all localyoung people. Jiggi provides DJ�s, singer�s,dancers, publicity team and consultation service.Jiggi has a large core following with the youth ofButetown. The reason why Jiggi was commis-sioned to do the consultation is because theyknow how to approach, reach and gain the sup-port of the young people of Butetown andGrangetown.

•The work of the Butetown/GrangetownRegeneration ForumThe Butetown/Grangetown RegenerationForum has met regularly since May 1998. TheForum offers an opportunity for local residents,community groups, voluntary, statutory and pri-vate sector organisations as well as WardMembers and Local Authority Officers to meetup and discuss issues arising out of the regenera-tion action plan and to agree priorities for thearea.The Forum is one of the keys to ensuring thatthere is a co-ordinated partnership approach toimplementation of the action plan. As well as theForum there are a number of sub-groups up andrunning that are looking at specific issues con-cerned with the regeneration of Butetown andGrangetown. The sub-groups are mainly con-cerned with the practical work of designing andimplementing solutions to specific issues identi-fied by the local community.The Youth Sub-Group was originally set up inJuly �98. The sub-group has drafted the followingworking objectives;•To determine the level of service provisionfor young people in Butetown and Grangetown inrelation to health, leisure, training and emplov-ment.•To identify the needs for youth provision.•To identify and implement solutions to thoseneeds.ConslusionsThere are concerns that many children starthanging round on the streets and getting in totrouble from the age of 11. All the attention is seton age 14+ all the time I think is time to provide

young people age 14- with facilities at an earlystage to prevent them from hanging on the streetwhile we still got a chance.While concluding this consultation report it isworth reminding ourselves that the children oftoday are the adults of tomorrow we need to makethem feel important.The reason for the consultation is to find outwhat young people want to see in their area whichwill keep them off the streets. The main activitiesyoung people wanted to see was Sport and music.There are many sports and music activities in thearea but they�re not catering for the young peo-ples needs.There are acres of waste land surroundingButetown and Grangetown which are used forhomes and retail. It is time for the area to benefitfrom the local land area. There is room for parks,football pitch�s and no body does any thing aboutit. All the development in the area are made withtourists in mind not thr local community. In thepast Butetown and Grangetown have beendeprived of youth activities for local young peo-ple, this leads them forced to go searching foractivities in their own way like causing trouble onthe street. Play is important to young people it isan essential part of their growing up process. Weneed to provide as many playing opportunities aspossible. In Butetown and Grangetown 70% ofthe play centres are run by small budget voluntaryorganisations lacking resources. The councilneeds to get more involved.The problems of trouble and vandalism is notcreated by children. It is created by adults for notproviding sufficient facilities to keep them off thestreet. Children will play where ever they are,they will seek excitement and challenges or evenrisk so we should provide this in a safe environ-ment, e.g. Adventure play grounds.Recommendations from Jiggi and the YouthSub Group.•The accessibility is not good for children to get

their local youth club. The council needs to useall their available powers to ensure that childrenfrom the Butetown and Grangetown area aregiven every opportunity to excess play activitiesnear where they live.•Butetown and Grangetown lacks local workers.It is time we accept that parents are the mostimportant influence on young people. JiggiPromotions recommends that the council createsoppottunities to involve parents in the manage-ment of local facilities.•It needs to be recognised that are a number ofdeprived families living in Butetown andGrangetown, it would benefit the community ifsome local activities supervised and unsupervisedwere free for them to access.•All organisations who provide youth provisionin Butetown and Grangetown need to spend abouta week monitoring their activities. They can mon-itor their activities asking users and non userswhat they like about the activities they use andwhy they use them. If it doesn�t suit the needs ofyoung people then appropriate action should be

undertaken.• Most youth provision in Butetown andGrangetown is provided by voluntary organisa-tions with little input from the council. The coun-cil needs to get more involved funding moreorganisations in the Butetown and Grangetownarea.•The document shows that street games are stillvery popular. At the moment young people playstreet games in roads and gardens. It would be agood idea to make parks suitable for street games.•Chalky Whites Youth Centre in Butetown needsfunding to stay open.•Young people need More information on localyouth activities.•Funding needs to be identified for youth provi-sion in the Butetown and Grangetown area.

Grangetown School Recommendations:•The majority of youth do not go to youth clubsbut hang around on the street: We recommendthat the youth club should be run by a youth adultthat is from the same area, who has worked withthe youth and knows what the people want.Butetown school recommendations:•The amount of young people that hang aroundon the street is almost double that of Grangetown.•Another thing we noticed is that the majority ofButetown people use outside areas to play. Werecommend that using the information that hasbeen collected something that they actually wantshould be built for the young people.•The majority of youth do not like school. It isthese people that we noticed also thought thattheir behaviour could be improved. As inGrangetown there should be something that moti-vates the young people and actually makes themwant to go to school not just because they havetoo.Youth Clubs are very important for young people.Young people want to do something interesting, tomake new friendships, but they don�t have placefor it, so they are hanging round on the streetsand going to night clubs.Streets could be very dangerous for children play-ing and we must protect them from getting hurt.Adults have to help young people but young peo-ple also have to help each other, like JiggiPromotion�s ( group of young people ) who wantto attract young people and support them in theirinterestings. As the most of youth like sport andmusic, Jiggi provides DJ�s, singers, dancers, pub-licity team which is excellent step for attractingthem.

Young people allways want something new so wemustn�t stop asking them what they want tochange or add because they are different year byyear.Youth Clubs want to implement life of youth andencourage them on their way to future andbecause of that we have to support their spread-ing all around the world.FEAR

The editor Bo`ica Sedli}The associate editors Izidor Krajnovi}The journalists Marina Gari}, Zorica Gari},Iva Sedli}, Anamarija �imovi}, VlatkaVidakovi}, Anita Kljai}, Zlato Sal~inovi}Translations to English by Jelena Jelini},Ramzija Doli}Layout and design by Danko Eror

Printed in MMV '94 d.o.o. Zagreb CroatiaPublished by Europe House Slavonski BrodA. Barca 30, Croatiatel./fax: +385 35 265-189E-mail: europski-klub@sb.tel.hr Copies 5000The newspaper is published by financial supportOSCE Mission to the Republic of Croatia,Coordination Centre in Sisak & The OlofPalmer - International Centre Sweden

Impresum

by Daniel Mrgan