ESC: Waves of Solidarity

The Youth Association "Youth in the EU" is a non-governmental, non-profit youth association founded on October 19, 2008 in Šibenik. The main goal of the Association is to raise the quality of life of young people to the European level by actively encouraging volunteerism and volunteer initiatives. The Association promotes the values ​​of the European Union and active youth activity, initiates projects important for young people and community development, encourages the development and promotion of social entrepreneurship, fights against all types of addiction, provides legal advice and information to young people, and promotes the protection of nature and the environment. The Association operates in premises owned by the City of Šibenik at the address Prilaz tvornici 41 in Šibenik, measuring 53 square meters. The premises are equipped with eight desktop computers and three laptops with accompanying IT equipment (printers, scanners), and adequate office equipment that enables the successful and professional work of the Association. The main activities of the Association according to the Statute of the Association are: Promoting EU values ​​among young people and citizens; participation in creating youth policy at the local and national level, organizing youth meetings among EU member states, providing support to young people and citizens when applying for EU programs; expanding volunteerism, solidarity and communication among young people, organizing and coordinating a volunteer network, engaging volunteers in providing social services to socially vulnerable groups; implementing volunteer center programs; protecting youth health, especially the fight against all types of addiction and violence among young people, developing programs to encourage formal and informal education of young people; encouraging young people to use their free time in an organized and meaningful way; advocating for the establishment and launch of associations and civic initiatives and ensuring the necessary conditions for their work; informing citizens about social/social entrepreneurship and developing programs for social/social entrepreneurship; education on human rights, gender equality and the concept of ensuring equal opportunities for all; advocating for the establishment and launch of associations and civic initiatives and ensuring the necessary conditions for their work. Activities are directed towards all citizens with a special focus on young people and marginalized social groups. The Association's regular activities include cultural and educational programs, seminars, workshops, lectures with an emphasis on informal learning methods, promotion and dissemination of information about EU programs, volunteering and social entrepreneurship, social activism, ecological actions and cooperation with other organizations/networks/centers. The Youth Association "Youth in the EU" is the founder and leader of the first and only Youth Club called "Enter" in the Šibenik-Knin County. Through various activities of the Club such as playing board games, using the Association's literature, free printing for the needs of pupils and students, informing through info points (the Association's premises, the premises of the Polytechnic in Šibenik and the Polytechnic in Knin),official website, official profile on the social network Facebook, numerous lectures and educational workshops ("Information and the rights of youth", "Get involved too", "Violence and addiction are OUT", "To volunteer or not to volunteer is the question now"...), by organizing film and social evenings and good book evenings, we enable young people to use their free time in a quality and educational way. Since 2019, we have also successfully implemented a volunteer partnership as part of the European Solidarity Corps program. Last year alone, through activities carried out as part of a project funded by the European Solidarity Corps program, we hosted 42 volunteers.