Municipality of Prijepolje

Along with the Belgrade municipality of Palilula and the Loznica municipality, Prijepolje was selected for the first round of municipalities for realisation of the project "Capacity Building of Youth Offices and youth groups".

Youth activism, openness of the local self-government, civil sector interested in the youth policy issues and position of the regional center have recommended Prijepolje as a place in which the project ideas were not only welcomed, but also easily implementable.

The project objectives' implementation process encompassed several linked activities in scope of which constructive cooperation with the representatives of local administration, civil sector and youth groups has been achieved, started in December 2007.

The final goal is to create in Prijepolje sufficient and sustainable institutional, but also non-institutional capacities for addressing the needs of youth in a long-term strategic manner, aimed to improve their position in the local community. First steps towards the stated objective include formalisation, opening and empowering of the Youth Office, as well as forming of an initial group of the young that would enrich the programme offer of the Youth Office, thus making it recognisable in the local environment.

In February 2008, Civic Initiatives and municipality of Prijepolje signed the Memorandum on Cooperation that defined further intentions and obligations regarding opening of the Youth Office in Prijepolje. It was agreed the premises of the Office will be located at the Culture Center (premises of the nongovernmental organisation "New Vision"), and the municipality has undertaken to appoint a person within the municipal council whose area of competence would be supplemented by the youth policy, as well as the person that will coordinate operation of the Youth Office.

At the same time the activities focusing on strengthening of the Prijepolje youth groups' capacities were launched. Besides cooperation with the SYLP participants who conducted activities for opening of the Youth Office and Club, a training for the youth position and needs survey was also delivered in Prijepolje. This training gathered wider range of representatives of local formal and informal youth groups, of different age and interests.

The Youth Office of Prijepolje municipality has been officially opened on April 2nd, 2008 when results of the conducted survey have also been presented.