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Description
The proposal of the project "Key to the Future - Intercultural Dialogue" refers to the need to develop intercultural dialogue in the area of local self-government units (Knin, Biskupija, Ervenik) where the Serbian national minority lives with local and immigrant Croatian population. The concept of the project was developed in order to change the negative media image and public perception of the problems of Croats and Serbs. The implementation methodology takes place through the educational process, but in such a way that the project beneficiaries themselves develop "tailor made" plans and the content of the workshops. After the educational process, with applied knowledge and skills and the formation of an informal group of experts, active citizens and volunteers, cultural events will be organized with the aim of encouraging intercultural dialogue. This part of the activity will also have a strong contribution from the target group itself, ie they will independently create and implement it. The publication of articles related to the topics of intercultural dialogue and coexistence of national minorities and the majority population will try to raise public awareness and decision-makers at all levels related to this issue.
Summary of project results
The proposal of the project "Key to the Future - Intercultural Dialogue" refers to the need to develop intercultural dialogue in the area of local self-government units (Knin, Biskupija, Ervenik) where the Serbian national minority lives with local and immigrant Croatian population. The concept of the project was developed in order to change the negative media image and public perception of the problems of Croats and Serbs. The implementation methodology takes place through the educational process, but in such a way that the project beneficiaries themselves develop "tailor made" plans and the content of the workshops. After the educational process, with applied knowledge and skills and the formation of an informal group of experts, active citizens and volunteers, cultural events will be organized with the aim of encouraging intercultural dialogue. This part of the activity will also have a strong contribution from the target group itself, ie they will independently create and implement it. The publication of articles related to the topics of intercultural dialogue and coexistence of national minorities and the majority population will try to raise public awareness and decision-makers at all levels related to this issue.
A total of 5 workshops were held, which improved communication skills that, on the basis of freedom of speech and expression, encourage positive representation of the ethical and/or religious community with respect and acceptance of diversity for at least 25 community representatives from the target area. Through the workshops, community representatives were also empowered through the development of presentation and organizational skills for active participation in intercultural dialogue processes. In addition to the activities planned by the project, a number of informal meetings were held during the implementation and gatherings of representatives of the target group. Meetings or informal gatherings turned out to be an excellent platform for opening topics that could be called sensitive. He is the project manager moderated discussions that sometimes turned into debates among users, volunteers and friends association related to current local events and problematic situations such as inappropriate graffiti in town, listening to folk and "turbo-folk" music in certain local restaurants. Through informal gatherings in the association, the participants of the discussions mastered the skill of listening to the interlocutors, respecting other diametrically opposed opinions on sensitive topics at the level of the local community. Through the evaluation questionnaires, the satisfaction of users with the possibility of open conversation is visible and discussions on current and current local issues in a closed group without judgment and with a dose
humor. Let''s call it a pretentious safe environment for the mostly young people who participated in the the workshop part of the project was an opportunity for them to open up topics about difficulties that their parents also address they come across passively tolerating the right to employment, pensions, housing aggressive behavior of individuals in work teams or in schools. Just forming a team that is carried out the project: project manager, secretary of the association, active members, workshop manager and organizer of cultural events and participants is the biggest achievement of the project because they are gathered around of this project continued to work together on designing and developing partner local projects.
Systematic support was provided to vulnerable groups and they were empowered through the development of new skills, knowledge and methods they use to solve their needs. Through the implementation of educational workshops, they were set up and defined the most common problems or difficulties faced by representatives of vulnerable groups. Analysis carried out before itself implementation of the workshops showed that the users were not informed who exactly to contact regarding the solution everyday difficulties and that there is a certain restraint among the representatives of the national minority and a pre-set assumption (often incorrect) that they cannot exercise this right. Through workshops and learning practical skills when, how and to whom to contact and which way the users are expressed satisfaction and improved self-confidence when it comes to solving everyday legal-administrative, social and other rights. Some of the difficulties mentioned by the representatives of the Serbian national minority were more related to subjective feeling and interpretation of an administrative difficulty in solving a current one administrative problem rather than a real problem. However, problems of this type are also "put on the table" discussed within the work of the group at the workshops. Promoting the mobilization and engagement of citizens was achieved through active involvement in the project activities carried out by the association Živimo Knin through this project. They have developed organizationally certain procedures on the involvement of active citizens in the creation of the workshop plan and program and in assistance when designing and organizing cultural events. The expected effect was more than positive because after the implemented project activities, the users continued to report with initiatives and ideas about organizing new events. The drafting of the rulebook itself work with volunteers and the strategic plan of the association were opportunities to involve project users in active work of the association. The key achievement of this project relates to the achieved strong cooperation with the association for education and science Scientia Populo Knin and the association Fort Design. Excellent representation of both local associations the potential for cooperation on joint projects because the activities we plan to carry out are interconnected, and the human resources gathered within associations are an excellent resource for planned activities.