December 3rd, 2010.

Group “Let’s…” and organization “IPAK – Youth building a future” invites you on a one-day workshop under the project

“Program for cross-border cooperation for democratic citizenship of youth”

One-Day workshops will be held in Belgrade and Tuzla and their goal is to inform potential participants about the project and training that is planned for February-March 2011.

Gathered participants will learn about the methodology and the topics that will be debated/reflected on the training (democratic principles, pseudo-democracy…)

The project is aimed at young people (18-30 years) and inspired by the life and work of Greek philosopher Socrates. Socrates felt that reasoned, independent and critical thinking is the base of democracy. Therefore, he urged the other speakers to seek arguments for their positions, not to accept them automatically, without individual assessment.

On his way Socrates has gained many enemies, precisely because among other things, he encouraged the youth to critical thinking. In 399 BC, he was brought to court, where he was on trial for "corrupting" the youth.

At the time of Socrates, Athens reached its pinnacle in the field of democracy, and his death caused a crisis.

With this project we ask the question where democracy is today in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, whether “the complete truth" is offered to the youth or they can treat it critically. Also, participants will familiarize with the performance work as a form of public dialogue on important social issues.

Info workshop will be held on December 17th from 11 A.M - 13 P.M.  in the community of New Belgrade (Hall 3).

All interested parties can confirm participation by email to: marijana@hajdeda.org.rs  no later than 13th of December.

The project is being implemented with financial support of the Balkan Trust for Democracy.

November 11th, 2010.

Group "Let’s ..." from Belgrade, as officially appointed Contact point for the European Union Programme "Youth in Action", with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Serbia is continuing its regular activities aimed at capacity building of regional and local offices, youth and youth serving organizations and organizations working with young people from Serbia, to use the opportunities of YiA Programme.

In 2010 and first half of 2011 activities of  Group "Let’s ..." will include

1. A four-month mentorship program for supporting the application process of Serbian promoters in YiA programme This program will consist of training courses and provide individual support in the writing and preparation of projects for the June and the September 2011 deadlines. The target group consists of Employees in the office, youth activists organizations working with youth and youth NGOs from all over Serbia.
2. Three local trainings are aimed to improve knowledge, skills and motivation of employees in the office of youth and activists of youth organizations and associations that work with young people in local communities for development projects in the framework of the YiA. Training will be held in Belgrade, Novi Sad and in southern Serbia (the location will be determined later, depending on identified needs).
3. Seminar on perspectives of the Youth in Action Programme in Serbia. At the seminar we will discuss how to further increase the effectiveness of Serbia in the YiA Programme, good practice of projects implemented in Serbia will be promoted and participants will discuss what recommendations could be given to Contact points in Serbia on which future support systems should be introduced to to increase the quantity and quality of projects.

All activities will be open for applicants from Serbia! To be timely informed about the application procedures and deadlines, sign up for the mailing list to address: www.mladiuakciji.rs and/or regularly Stay Internet by the group "Let's ..." at: www.hajdeda.org.rs.

Parallel with training activities Group „Let’s…“will continue working in the Info-center of YiA Programme. Info-centre is open every day from 10:00 to 16:00 and it is providing information about the Programme, providing support in application process, process of accreditation of EVS etc. In addition, the Group Let's continues with the maintenance of the website www.mladiuakciji.rs and will continue to print promotional materials and distribute it in Serbia.

November 1st, 2010.

Advocacy Initiative for Creation of National Youth Agency in Serbia

At the moment, young people in Serbia cannot fully use benefits that European Union’s "Youth in Action" Programme offers, as one of the preconditions for this to be possible is establishing of the National Youth Agency. As one of the Contact Points for the Programme in Serbia, "Hajde da..." Group has started an advocacy initiative, for creating the National Agency in Serbia.

Within this initiative, there has been held an international conference, on October 12th-13th, 2010, entitled "Treba NAM" (literarily meaning "We Need", but also having an additional meaning: "We Need National Youth Agency" (as in Serbian "NAM" is acronym for National Youth Agency)). The Conference aimed at fostering social dialogue on creating the future NA, presenting examples of NA good practices from some European countries, and coming out with suggestions and recommendations for structuring and functioning of the future NA.
Guest expert-speakers at the Conference were:

• Ms. Tina Saric, Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes (Croatia)
• Mr. Thierry Dufour,National Agency of Belgium  
• Mag. Gerhard  Moßhammer, National Agency of Austria
• Ms. Aleksandra Mitrovic, Ministry of Youth and Sports of Republic of Serbia

Set of recommendations that we drafted during the Conference is soon to be available at "Hajde da..." Group’s official web site.

During November-December 2010, there are going to be held steering meetings with local organizations and institutions interested in the advocacy process and willing to contribute to development of the final set of recommendations for establishing the NA in Serbia. These meetings are to take place in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Nis and Kragujevac.

This project is financially supported by USAID, within their Civil Society Advocacy Initiative Programme, implemented by Institute for Sustainable Communities.

July 2nd, 2010.

Performance RESET (coproduction by Grupa “Hajde da…” and UK “Vuk Karadzic”, choreography Danica Arapović) has received “The award for a particular expressivity in the border areas between theatrical and other arts or creative fields in the widest sense” at the 37. International festival of alternative and new theatre (INFANT).

Performance is part of "Body Frame" project, which tends to connect persons with disabilities and contemporary dance professionals, and to foster development of inclusive theater in Serbia.

Music: Ms. Aleksandra Djokic

Dramaturgy: Ms. Marko Pejovic

Costumes, scenography, lightning designs: Mr. Boris Caksiran

Performers: Ms. Ana Ignjatovic-Zagorac, Mr. Danijel Todorovic, Ms. Jelena  Stojiljkovic, Ms. Jovana Rakic, Mr. Senad Sopnic, Mr. Stojan Simic

Technical support: Mr. Petar Kalinic, Mr. Borislav Stamenkov - Bugi

Photography: Mr. Aleksandar Milosavljevic

July 1st, 2010.

At the moment, young people from Serbia cannot fully exploit all the benefits European Commission's "Youth in Action" Programme offers. One of the main preconditions for changing this current situation is establishing the National Agency (NA) in our country. Therefore, "Hajde da..." Group, as one of the Contact Points for "Youth in Action" Programme, has started an advocacy initiative for establishing the NA in Serbia.

On July 1st, 2010, in premises of Municipality of Novi Beograd, we have organized a consultative meeting with relevant institutions and organizations (Forum for establishing NA in Serbia). This activity, the first one in the row, aimed at gathering together all the institutions and organizations that appeared to be interested in the process, as well as at making consensus on contents of the declaration, which is to be the core document of the lobbying process.

The meeting was attended by 32 participants, representing 26 organizations and institutions. We are planning to have an international conference in October 2010, where we are going to host also officials coming from the NAs from the whole region.

This project is financially supported by USAID, within its Civil Society Advocacy Initiative (CSAI) program, implemented by Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC).

February 2nd, 2010.

HOW TO REACH AND USE FUNDS FROM THE EU’s „YOUTH IN ACTION“ PROGRAMME?

“Hajde da…” Group from Belgrade, as an officially accredited Contact point for EU’s “Youth in Action” Programme (YiA), has launched a new project, with financial support provided by Ministry of Youth and Sports of Republic of Serbia,. It aims to build capacities of regional and local youth offices, as well as youth NGOs and other organizations that work with and for youth, to use opportunities that the YiA offers, in the best possible way.

This project comprises several activities:

- In March, there will be a one-day training course held, at the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ premises, meant for regional and local youth offices’ representatives. The course is named “EU’s ‘Youth in Action’ Fund as a Tool for Implementation of the National Youth Strategy”.

- In April, a mentorship program will get started. The idea is to give support to all possible applicants to the YiA Programme. It will include a training course, as well as individual/ customized guidance, throughout the process of writing the project proposal, preparing project documentation and submitting it for June and/or September deadline, set within the Programme. This mentorship program is to target employees in youth offices, as well as activists in youth NGOs and other organizations that work with and for youth, across Serbia.

- During May, June and July, there will be the four local trainings held, aiming to enhance knowledge and skills, and foster motivation of the employees in youth offices, and activists in youth NGOs and other organizations that work with and for youth on local level, to apply for the YiA funds.

All the activities will be based on an open call principle! In order for you to be up to date about application procedures and deadlines, kindly sign in the mailing list, at: http://www.mladiuakciji.rs/newsletter_singin.php, and/or keep visiting „Hajde da...“ Group’s official web presentation, at: www.hajdeda.org.rs.

Shortly about the EU’s „Youth in Action“ Programme

„Youth in Action“ Programme is one of the EU’s most important mechanisms for supporting implementation of local and international youth projects, non-formal educational activities and youth mobility.

The Programme is to be realised as od 2007 untill 2013, with total allocated budget of 885 million euro. It was created to actual youngsters’ needs on the European level, including Serbia and Balkans. More information on the YiA Programme in Serbia can be found at: www.mladiuakciji.rs.