International Youth Day, celebrated on 12 August, was marked by a three-day educational seminar, which brought together 30 young people from Montenegro and the region. This educational camp was organised by the project team of the NGO “Centre for Youth Education,” with long-standing support and partnership from the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, as well as NLB Bank AD Podgorica and Mastercard. The idea of the International EYCA Educo Camp emerged from the desire to commemorate this important youth date and to gather decision-makers, representatives of domestic and international organisations, participants, and keynote speakers who provided attendees with the necessary knowledge and experience on various topics.
Neda Ojdanić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Saša Palibrk, Advisor for Public Information and Communication at Europe House, and Natalija Bošković, Project Manager of the NGO “Centre for Youth Education,” spoke at the ceremonial opening of the camp. They dedicated their speeches to the youth, their needs, and the current issues.
During the panel discussion titled “International Youth Day: Youth, Can We Hear Each Other?”, various topics were raised and discussed regarding youth policy, the position of young people in Montenegro, current issues, the adoption of strategic youth documents, opportunities, implemented programmes, European practices, and recommendations for future steps.
The panel was moderated by Jelena Kavarić (NGO Centre for Youth Education). The panellists this year were Neda Ojdanić (Ministry of Sports and Youth), Saša Palibrk (Europe House), Ajla Jadadić (Youth Services of Montenegro), and Nikitas Papadopoulos (EYCA Youth Panel).
The panel was followed by educational workshops, where young people had the opportunity to engage interactively with speakers such as Selda Jahjagić, Andrej Bubanja, and Anđela Micić (Young European Ambassadors – YEA), who discussed media literacy. Vanja Kljaljević (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) discussed youth entrepreneurship, while Nenad Vujadinović (University of Donja Gorica) talked about the importance of creativity in problem-solving. Marina Vojinović (NLB Bank AD Podgorica) discussed financial literacy, and Jelena Doderović (IDEA) highlighted the significance of digital tools and marketing.
At the end of the educational segment of the event, a knowledge quiz was organised by Lovćen Insurance AD Podgorica, where participants had the opportunity to learn interesting facts about insurance in an interactive and entertaining manner, while also having a chance to win valuable prizes.
The EYCA Educo Camp 2023 brought together participants from various Montenegrin cities and the region, including Podgorica, Budva, Bar, Kotor, Petrovac, Zeta, Berane, Pljevlja, Plav, Bijelo Polje, Nikšić, Cetinje, Zagreb, and Thessaloniki. Over 150 young people submitted their applications for this camp.
The Centre for Youth Education expressed special gratitude to the partners of this event, namely companies that provided product sponsorships, ensuring a fulfilling experience for the camp participants. These included the European Youth Card Association (EYCA), Lovćen Insurance, INA Montenegro, Montenegrin Telekom, Coca-Cola HBC Montenegro, Ledo, IDEA, Neregelia, Lapis Printing House, and Red Bull Montenegro.
The European Youth Card (EYCA) is a socially responsible programme that grants young individuals (ages 13-29) access to the world of information, mobility, informal education, networking at national and European levels, and the use of numerous benefits in Montenegro (through partnerships with over 270 companies) and Europe (over 70,000 companies).The implementation of this project aligns with the goals recognised by the Medium-Term Work Plan of the Government of Montenegro (2022-2024), the Youth Law, the Youth Strategy (2017-2021), and the European Youth Strategy (2019-2027).
The European Youth Card project in Montenegro is carried out by the NGO “Centre for Youth Education” with the support of the Ministry of Sports and Youth.