The First International Meeting of EUism-Europe (Europe is a State of Mind) is currently being held in Herceg Novi, Montenegro.

This is a 2-year Network of Towns project, for which the Qala Local Council receives funding of €149,000 through the Europe of Citizens programme.

On Saturday, the participating delegations took part in a seminar for the exchange of good practices on the subject of volunteering as an expression of democratic participation.

The proceedings were opened by Dr. Tamara Vujovic, who passed on greetings from the mayor of Herceg Novi Dr. Stevan Katic.

He introduced the seminar topics from the point of view of the history of the negotiations undertaken by Montenegro for the accession to the European Union, and by the mayor of Qala, Paul Buttigieg, EUism leader, who expressed the commitment of his Local Council in the project and outlined the main activities foreseen by EUism.

Dr. Simonida Kordic, director of the Office for International Cooperation of Herceg Novi, and local coordinator of the International Meeting, offered a picture of the experience of the municipality of Herceg Novi in European collaboration and integration and of their commitment inside the project.Ms Valerie Meilaq, Councillor of the Qala Local Council, presented a report of the preliminary meeting held in Qala to present the EUism project and to collect recommendations and suggestions at local level on the needs and good practices for volunteering.

Subsequently, the first part of the seminar saw the presentation of voluntary initiatives which represent excellence at the local level, involving volunteers and representatives of the local community in the activities.

The presentations were made by: Ms Zorica Drakulic, expert volunteer and aid-worker, promoter of numerous projects for the support of civil society, Ms Dragica Spaic of the NGO “Kolo srpskih sestara Herceg Novi” for the support to people in difficulty or with the need for medical support, and finally Milica and Dragiša Boca, promoters of a voluntary waste collection campaign recognised and supported by the “Budi primjer, ukljuci se” initiative of the European Union.

This was then followed by the presentation of the good civil volunteering and solidarity practices by the international delegations of: Canale Monterano (Italy), Yeri (Cyprus), Arnót (Hungary) and by the Sojovem youth association (Portugal).

The European Union’s initiatives in support of international youth volunteering European Volunteering Service and European Solidarity Corps were also presented.

Later in the day the delegations joined the students of the “Ivan Goran Kovaci?” high school to simulate a political debate on the theme “Does the European Union need its own Donald Trump?”

The innovative methodologies used for the debate, based on a wide shared use of ITCs, have allowed to create a positive and constructive atmosphere to debate fundamental issues for EU citizens: the Union’s legislative and decision-making process, the integration and enlargement process of the European Union, the participation of civil society in building a Europe of Citizens.

The work will continue today – Sunday and will involve the international delegates and the citizens of Herceg Novi in activities for the discovery of the history and traditions of Montenegro and for the discussion and analysis of the results of today’s seminar.

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