Vojvodina Youth Action Plan Presented

CRNPS

16 February 2006

The Vojvodina Youth Action Plan which offers programmes and policies for solution of problems of education, employment, health, culture and free time was presented in Zrenjanin.

The Action Plan, prepared by the Provincial Secretariat for Sports and Youth, in cooperation with the Vojvodina Youth Council, includes active social participation of the youth, creation of civil society and volunteer work.

Vladimir Kozbasic, the Assistant to the Provincial Secretary of Sports and Youth, emphasized the mobility and information, ecology and social policies as the areas in which possiblities will be sought for youth inclusion over the next couple of years.

With that goal in mind, the first Open Competition for funding of youth action programmes will be announced in Vojvodina after the Action Plan is adopted by the Vojvodina Assembly. Kozbasic announced that the project will include a great public campaign supported, in addition to provincial and local government, by international organizations and foundations.

The implementation agency for the area of central Banat will be the �Mastaliste� Children and Youth Centre from Zrenjanin.

Milica Velimirovic, the Coordinator of the Centre, reported that the �Mastaliste� will sent one member to international programme of consultation on violence against children, to be organized in Monaco this Spring, under the activities of preparation of UN Study on the topic in 2006.

The Conference placed special emphasis on the need for local self-government involvement in the implementation of the project which, in the best interest of the youth, �should not be time limeted and has to be implemented solely by the young people�.