The Youth Center from Herceg Novi is the first organisation of its kind in southeastern Europe which, as a project beaver, received a donation of the European Commision forYouth Programmes, although it does not work in a country, a member of the EU. This opened a new chapter in the field of nongovernmental organisatios in southeastern Europe.

The first of those projects, under the name “Volunteers On Stage“, was donated by the European Commission in the summer 2006. Four nongovernmental organisations, two of which are from the countries, the members of the EU and two from the countries, the members of the EU (Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro), took part in its realisation. The participants were: the Pupils´ Home “Srećko Kosovel“, the Society for the development of Voluntary work from Novo Mesto, the Society „Triglav“ from Banja Luka, and the Yout Center Herceg Novi as a host.

VOLUNTEERS ON STAGE

During the summer of 2006 a three-days preparatory seminar was held in which the representatives of the mentioned organisations came to an agreement about the course and the contents of the camp in September. Six volunteersfrom each of the countries participiants come, and it was planned that the volunteers and the children from the children`s home „Mladost “ should produce a complete play. The work was organized through several music, drama, seenography and costimography workshops. Therefore, everything that means a real play.

At first, the work was made difficult first at all by language problems. The difficulties resulted from the need to surmount the differences in language, culture and generation gap. With the entusiasm of the particirants and the children, during the camp, everything went off well. The lasting nine days international camp come to a conclusion with the play „The Nightingale And Chinese Emperor“ which was performed in front of the audience of 200 spectators, in the Cultural Center „Bijela“. The spectators were enthusiastic about the performed play, scene costumers and music.

STEP FORWARD

The Youth Center received a donatoin from the European Commision again the following year, for the project „Stepn Forward“. It brought volunteers to the Children`s home again. They were from Trst (Italy) – the Pupil`s Home „Srećko Kosovel“, Novo Mesto (Slovenia)- the Society for the development of voluntary work, Zagreb (Croatia)- „the Blue Phone“, Banja Luka (Bosnia and Hercegovina)- the Society Triglav and the Youth Center as a host. The preparatory seminar was held during the summer. The name of the project „Step Forward“ resulted from the wish to enter the EU together. 27 volunteers and 40 children from the children`s home took part in the project. The volunteers were supposed to organize lectures in the morning on the theme of entering the EU and organize sculpture, art, literature and other workshops with the children in the aftenoon.

All the works completed during the camp were ehxibited on the last day in the camp were ehxibited on the last day in the Art Gallery „Josip Bepo Benković“. The volunteers and children made plenty of art, sculpture and other creative works which were admired by everyone who visited the galery during the following month.

The ehxibition, which was opened by the Mayor Dejan Mandić, was attended by the Slovenian Ambasador Jernej Vidatič, the Bosnian Charged affaires Muharem Zejnulahu, the Secretary of the Croation Ambassy Nebojša Kiring. The works mere spoken about by the historian of art Lazo Seferović. The Youth Center has applied for the open competition this year and We expect to win the donation again and realise another significant project for the common good.