Association People’s Parliament was founded in 1999 and is one of the oldest NGO’s from southern Serbia region. The organization acts through 4 programs, one of which is Youth Program, serving as a basis for implementation of dozens of local and national youth-serving non-profit projects implemented over the course of more than 18 years. The goal of our Youth program is to build knowledge and skills that help the young lead creative and income-safe life, increase participation of youth, improve cooperation between organizations and institutions gathering or working with young people.
As one of the most experienced and active youth organizations in Serbia, we directly participated in development and adoption of crucial youth policies, such as National Youth Strategy and Law on Youth, Law on volunteering, as well as many other local level youth policies. We almost regularly serve as a resource centre organization for Ministry of youth and sports, helping implementation of the National strategy for youth by supporting local youth activism and initiatives of formal and non-formal youth groups from South Serbia. Up to today, we have organized more than 500 internships, apprenticeships, study visits, lectures, seminars, free consultancy, etc., serving more than 10 thousands young people from Serbia, as well as many different European countries. We are one of the most successful applicants from Serbia within the former Youth in Action programme, with 7 approved grants from 2008 – 2013.
Organization gathers youth volunteer group of approximately 15 youngsters (mostly under 26 years of age) from Leskovac and they annually organize around 10 youth-serving activities in the region of southern Serbia. We also implement our youth work practice through the voluntary service.
In last eight years, within our Youth programme we have implemented numerous activities and projects in order to improve informing of young people and enhance their personal capacities and competences in the field of ICT, media literacy, youth activism, human rights, youth entrepreneurship, etc. We provided different trainings, seminars, youth exchanges and other forms of NFE activities for more than 1.200 youngsters from Serbia and other European countries which resulted in enhancement of their social, digital, civic and language competences. For last 5 years, as a resource center of Ministry of youth and sport of Republic of Serbia, we directly supported (including administrative, financial and mentoring support) around 60 volunteer youth groups in development and implementation of their local youth projects.
The organisations youth work programme is accredited by National Association of Youth Workers (NAPOR Serbia). People’s Parliament is also accredited as a sending, hosting and coordinating organisation for EVS – European Voluntary Service (now Solidarity Corps programme) by Salto SEE Resource centre.