On the occasion of August 12, the International Youth Day, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Montenegro published the story "Youth push boundaries: New culture and quality standards of social action".
We convey the story in its entirety:
A third of young people in Montenegro wants to work in the state administration or in an institution, while the percentage of those who are thinking about starting their own business is extremely small (1,9%). Over two thirds of young people did not attend any form of informal education, and as many as 70% of unemployed young people believe that additional education does not help when hiring, because personal contacts are more important than qualifications. Institutions often experience young people as passive, uninterested in the activities organized for them, unwilling to get involved.
On the other hand, young people say that they do not have enough information about the possibilities to participate in activities and decision-making processes. Also, they believe that they do not have the opportunity to get involved in the design of activities and programs that are organized for them, so they are mostly not adapted to their needs or interests. More than half of young people are not interested in getting involved in deciding social issues.
Nevertheless, many young people push the boundaries, create a new culture of faith in their ideas, considering that success is not a safe job or function, but the creation of new value, quality, integrity and commitment to social development.
The team of young people from the Center for Youth Education breaks down stereotypes with their work, patience and enthusiasm and achieves impressive results, believing in a common vision and goals, believing in themselves and in other people. Trust, togetherness, authenticity and enthusiasm are key to the success of this, as they say, "small family", which has reached over 50.000 young people, with more than 100 realized activities and dozens of implemented projects in Montenegro and abroad.
The non-governmental organization Center for Youth Education deals with affirmation and encouragement of activism, informal education, volunteerism and mobility among young people. The results that achieve the outcome are perseverance and sincere motivation, despite the obstacles that necessarily exist when starting something new.
Founder of the Center, Jugoslav Radović, says that the formation of the organization was fueled by a desire for positive change, which persisted regardless of challenging beginnings. "The first projects, for which we managed to provide project financing, happened only a few years after the establishment of the organization, when we actually started to be more active in its development. Of course, that was not enough to finance all the people who were involved, so we were more or less oriented towards volunteering in order to be able to start something at all," he says.
Today, when the majority of young people in Montenegro want a secure job in a state or private company, these young people overcome their fear of risk with dedication to their ideas and dedicated work with people with whom they share the same personal and business values. Believing in the vision, stepping out of the comfort zone and being ready to take risks is not easy to demonstrate on your own example. In the initial stages of the organization's work, Jugoslav had an excellent and secure job in the fast-growing IT industry. However, he quickly realized that with this job he could not fully devote himself to the development of the organization. Instead of giving up the organization, as many advised him, because a job in an IT company is still more promising, Jugoslav did the opposite. He quit his job to devote himself to an idea he believed in. He didn't know what that choice would bring him, but it didn't sway him.
"It was a big risk, but at that moment when you're young you try to do something and challenge yourself. It was not a problem for me to work 10 and 15 hours a day because I believed that something good would happen. I felt I should take the risk. After all, no great idea was created without some risk," says Jugoslav. Comments from the environment, which often chooses safety over risk, did not have much impact. "It never shook me. On the contrary, it helped me because we can't actually get anything from a pat on the back".
The first major project of the Center for Youth Education is European Youth Card (EYCA), which enables young people from Montenegro to use numerous discounts in our country and throughout Europe. Thus, Montenegro became one of the 37 members of the EYCA association. The beginning of work on this project was challenging, because many conditions and procedures had to be fulfilled, partnerships had to be established, trust gained - both from young people and from a large number of different stakeholders and the interested public. From uncertain beginnings, the team has won four international awards for the achieved results - more than 45.000 young people use over 250 discounts in Montenegro and 70000 discounts in Europe.
Ownership of the card opens up other opportunities for young people - access to information and programs for personal and professional development, that's why cultural activities and trips stand out among the most common discounts. Thanks to continuous excellent results and contribution to the development of the European Youth Card Association, Jugoslav was elected vice president of this organization at the last EYCA Assembly in Podgorica.
He strongly supports the realization of the project from the very beginning Ministry of Sports and Youth, with whose support a large number of young people have access to the card. The Ministry expresses its strategic attitude towards this important project through the adopted Development program European youth cards, which is supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Montenegro and of the Joint Fund for Sustainable Development, created for the period 2023-2024. years.
Such results are achieved by continuous and consistent high quality standards that they set for themselves. Ambition in results, quality and ethics in the way they are achieved and the modesty of constant questioning and learning - that's what makes their team successful. They do all this by doing their best and relying on each other. "We support each other and learn different skills, which is our greatest strength. It's really a stimulus when, through the work of my colleagues, I actually create my own and in that way I motivate myself to move on," says the project manager. Jelena Kavarić, highlighting the priceless wealth of this environment.
This attitude is shared by the project manager, Natalija Bošković, which argues that togetherness is the most important feature of a stimulating work environment for young people. "We are all there for each other. We all strive to go one step higher, to always have a goal and a motive to push the boundaries and be better every new day than we were yesterday. In a stimulating environment, there are people who push you to take a step forward, so that the moment you think you can't, you have colleagues to tell you - you can do it. "
In addition to unity, for the success of an organization it is necessary to enable employees to be authentic. According to the brand manager, the prerequisite for this is Amar Mulić, freedom. "For me, freedom is the biggest wind at my back and the biggest motivation for working at the Center, especially since I deal with the creative part. I am always free to follow my creativity and, if it is not my moment to make something, I wait for the right moment".
In order for the Center for Youth Education to be able to offer content to young people, it is necessary for it to function in a youthful way, said the project assistant. Batric Buzic. "The thing that I like the most is the spirit in the organization itself. It is easy to approach a young person if the organization itself exudes that. Everything is adapted and directed towards young people and their needs".
The outstanding results with the EYCA card project encouraged international partners to entrust the Center for Youth Education with the management of Social Impact Award (SIA), the largest European support program for youth social entrepreneurship, so, in addition to realizing their own ideas, they help other creative young people to realize theirs. They quickly justified the trust shown. As a result of diligent work, four out of 33 registered ideas of young people in 2022 were supported, while this year over 150 young people submitted more than 50 creative proposals. The ideas they support are original, sustainable and socially responsible like Play.me, educational games that help society get to know Montenegro better. Realizing the multiple potential and importance of social entrepreneurship both for innovation and for employment, economy and solving social problems, UNDP supported this year's SIA competition.
The project manager, Jelena Kavarić, says that young people who apply for the SIA program are not expected to know everything. It is only important that they be innovative and creative, and everything else is up to the Center - support, mentoring, connecting with other young people and potential collaborators and partners.
Montenegro abounds with creative young people, but there is a belief that social entrepreneurship carries financial insecurity, which prevents them from daring and taking risks. However, adds Jelena, the possibility of long-term employment is one of the biggest, but also insufficiently visible advantages of social entrepreneurship. "In social entrepreneurship, young people choose what they want to do, solve problems in the social community themselves and have a sustainable story that ultimately represents their permanent business."
The team from Center for Youth Education advises young people to find mentors, to work on informal education and on their own motivation. They point out that it is important for young people to recognize what they want to do over time changes, and not yes acquire. The essence, as they state, is to work on what we see that our society lacks, and we would like it to be there. They say that they will continue to support young people to realize their potential, encouraging them to get started and to create, but to keep the spirit of curiosity and authenticity in all of this and, as they say, "not to forget that they are young".
Bonus video:
