“Focusing on youth and supporting them in adequately addressing challenges during their formative years is crucial in a society facing an increase in deviant behaviours that jeopardize the healthy development of young people and their meaningful contribution to the community,” was emphasized during the signing ceremony for agreements with five non-governmental organizations whose projects are supported under the programme HEART: Helping Empowerment and Resilience for Today’s Youth, implemented by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE), in partnership with the Regional Academy for Democracy Development (ADD), with financial support from the European Union and co-financing by the Ministry of Public Administration.
“Supporting youth facing numerous challenges and strengthening their resilience is key to building a healthier, more inclusive, and prosperous society. Through this programme, five NGOs will have the opportunity to implement innovative and targeted projects that not only address youth issues but also empower them to overcome challenges and become active agents of positive change in their communities,” stated Miloš Knežević, Development Coordinator at CCE.
Under this framework, the following projects will be implemented over the next six months: “Empowering and Building Resilience of Youth in Bijelo Polje, Pljevlja, Podgorica, Bar, and Ulcinj” by the Children’s Rights Centre of Montenegro; “Stop Violence, Choose Respect!” by non-governmental foundation Make Good; “Support from the Heart!” by NGO PRIMA; “Look Within Yourself” by the Montenegrin Expert Network for Sustainability and Innovation (CEMOI), and “Unlock the Heart: For a Society Free of Peer Violence” by Alumni Academy of the Faculty of Law, University of Montenegro.
The total amount contracted for these projects is €34,893.00.
“Peer violence, substance abuse, and hate speech are on the rise among young people, while we lack adequate mechanisms to mitigate this trend. This problem can worsen and, hence, it is necessary to act promptly through both intervention and prevention. Ignoring these facts poses a significant risk of undoing progress made in the fight for human rights,” stated Aida Perović, Executive Director of NGO PRIMA, whose project focuses on reducing peer violence and juvenile delinquency among youth in Podgorica, Bar, Danilovgrad, Cetinje, and Zeta.
“Through education, raising awareness of legal rights, and fostering collaboration between institutions, our project aims to reduce the prevalence of peer violence and enhance social responsibility. In the current social context, marked by a significant increase in violence among youth and digital forms of abuse, addressing these issues is crucial for creating a safer and fairer environment for future generations,” explained Nikolina Tomović from the Alumni Academy of the Faculty of Law, University of Montenegro.
“I express my satisfaction and gratitude for the collaboration with CCE, and it means a lot to us, as a young organization, to have received high marks from the evaluation committee. Our project focuses on theatrical expression. Research work, transformed into a documentary drama “Look Within Yourself”, sheds light on some of the causes of peer violence, suggests methods for overcoming it, teaches media and emotional literacy, and emphasizes timeless values. Is the language of theatre a force or just a myth? Does theatre truly hold power, or is it just our perception as practitioners? Does theatre have the strength to become an alternative part of the educational system? We believe that the drama method should be part of the curriculum through the concept of applied theatre — a classroom in the theatre and theatre in the classroom,” said Žana Gardašević Bulatović, President of the Montenegrin Expert Network for Sustainability and Innovation (CEMOI), and highlighting the transparency of the competition and encouraging all organizations with socially significant projects to apply for such opportunities.
Marlena Ivanović, Programme Associate