An intensive three-day training significantly contributed to strengthening the capacities of youth organizations and those working with young people to effectively manage projects and thereby have a more tangible impact on improving the position of youth in Montenegro. This was the key message from the training held as part of the project SYNERGY Montenegro – Strengthening Youth Networks and Empowering Resilient Groups and Young People in Montenegro, implemented by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE), in partnership with the German foundation Friedrich Ebert (FES) and the NGO Multimedijal Montenegro, in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, and with financial support from the European Union.
The training, held in Podgorica from 4–6 June, was attended by representatives of organizations whose projects were supported through a recently concluded call: the Youth Network of Montenegro (MMCG), the Science and Technology Hub KNOWLEDGE – EPISTEME, the Youth Activism Network of Montenegro (MOACG), the Business Centre – Business Incubator Nikšić, and the NGO CAZAS.
Participants went through key aspects of EU project management in detail, from planning and narrative financial reporting to communication and visibility, with an additional focus on understanding youth policies, monitoring them, and advocating for active youth participation in shaping these policies.
“Support for our project by the CCE, through the SYNERGY Montenegro program, is significant because it contributes to empowering the role of youth in society, especially at a time when young people are marginally involved in political and social processes. This enables us to educate ourselves, connect with institutions and decision-makers, and work on concrete initiatives by strengthening ties among youth organizations – all of which leads to greater trust and more inclusive public policies, in line with the priorities of the Youth Strategy 2023–2027, particularly in the area of active citizenship and youth information,” said Vladimir Perazić, Secretary General of the Youth Network of Montenegro.
“It is also important to us that the Youth Participatory Academy (OPA) has once again received support, now enriched with a component where young people create peer participation campaigns, promoting engagement among their peers,” he added. “A key part of the project is the educational module Youth and EU Negotiation Chapters, focusing on chapters 23, 24, and 26, those most relevant to youth, so they can be not just informed observers but also advisory and active participants,” Perazić concluded.
Jovana Lončar from CAZAS also emphasized the importance of the support received for the project her organization will implement, as well as the training itself. “Thanks to the support provided through the SYNERGY project, we’ve had the opportunity to further enhance our capacities. This training has enabled our team to better plan, implement, and monitor projects, and also to improve the visibility and transparency of our work. We believe this knowledge will contribute to the sustainability of our initiatives and to strengthening our impact on the community,” she stated.
Anđela Martinović from the NGO Science and Technology Hub KNOWLEDGE – EPISTEME added that the training was particularly useful as this is their first EU-funded project. “We had the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the full dynamics of management, reporting, and communication, which will be of great help in the implementation of our project,” she said.
Ivana Matanović, Programme associate