On 7th and 8th December, LDA Montenegro organized a workshop „My city – youth city“. Fifteen youngsters from Niksic were actively involved in creation of detailed plan for one youth spot in this two – day workshop.
The goal of this workshop was to involve young people in the making of plans for improvement of their local community, as well as encouraging youngsters to creatively express their attitude towards certain obstacles and problems.
In this workshop, participants worked with professional support for the creation of a detailed proposal of the youth spot, addressing all its features.
As Bozina Stesevic, Youth Engagement Worker explained: “Last year we mapped locations which can be developed and upgraded in the terms of the needs of the youth. There was mapped about twenty locations with a different situations and proposals for development. With this year workshop we want to choose one of these locations and to create a detailed plan for their realization. Upon completion of this plan, it will be presented to the local authorities with aim to share to them youth opinions about their needs and ideas, and if they will have planned to work at the site, to take into account the needs of young people.”
The essence of the workshop was to create an atmosphere and space so that youngsters can express their needs and interests for the youth contents in the city as a form of communication with the local authorities.
“Young people should be actively involved in planning processes in their communities, and to have the opportunity to express their vision, their needs, in terms of content and functionality of the city in which they live, and to contribute in this regard," Bozina added.
Marija Erakovic, in front of the Agency for the design and planning of Niksic Municipality, said that young people are a very important link in the planning and also for the space design, out of which great ideas may come.
"I expect good ideas on which something in the future can be realized to the satisfaction of all, young people and the community. For this it is necessary to acquire a sense of belonging to the space around us, and yet preserve the environment”, she concluded.
This workshop was part of project Balkan Regional Platform for Youth Participation and Dialogue, supported by the European Union.