The project idea was born during a public debate with the participation of young people from the municipality, discussing their every-day life, problems and possibilities. The discussion showed that there are young people within the community, who are threatened by the use of drugs; the worrying tendency of the more and more young people and children using various drugs, especially these from the Roma community, set the foundation for the project idea.

The initiative was developed by the community centre and encouraged by the municipal administration, the sports clubs, teachers and representatives from institutions, related to these problems and motivated to work for the improvement of the social environment at the local level.

The project was implemented within the Improvement of the Social Environment Programme of the Foundation for Local Government Reform and Charles Steward Mott Foundation.

The project started in the end of November 2005 with an information campaign on the project objectives and activities. In December, the first steps towards the formation of the Youth World club were initiated through a series of meetings and conversations with the school directors on the territory of the Municipality of Peshtera. Students from VII XII grades were invited to take part in the club on a voluntary basis. The first meeting of the Club presented to the participants the main objectives, results and activities, which were to be achieved together by all project supporters and interested institutions. The participants agreed to formulate and present their ideas and recommendations for action during their next meeting and engaged to find information, related to the harmful effect of the drug use, as well as the negative consequences originating from that for the young people. The information gathered was used to create an information leaflet and distributed among all schools in the municipality.

In December the members of the Club prepared and conducted a survey among the young people, through questionnaires. The survey covered 500 students and pupils and aimed to identify the level of knowledge and awareness about the use of drugs. On the next regular meeting of the Youth World Club, the results from the survey were presented and discussed.

In January 2006 the Club members and representatives from the Regional Health-Care Directorate developed a concept and drafted the information leaflet. The school directors and the project team assisted in the process of dissemination of the leaflet to all students on the territory of the municipality.

As a result from effective partnerships and cooperation, in the beginning of December a ski-contest has been organised, with the active involvement of many children from the municipality. Partner in this initiative was the Kupena private company. The massive ski-contest took place at the St. Konstantin camping site. The event was titled Do not kill your dreams! and demonstrated a healthy and pleasant way of life through sport activities. The winners in the contest, together with all the participants in the event, were awarded with various prizes and received messages, which prevented the use of drugs.

Chose a life without drugs! was the follow-up initiative, which was held in the beginning of March and provoked great interest among the population and the young people. The exhibition presented drawing of children between 10 16 years old from all local schools. Each of the drawings had its own creative message against drugs, which mirrored the inside attitudes of the children. The most successful drawings were awarded and the young artists encouraged for their participation.

In early April the District Court Pazardjik registered officially the establishment of a non-governmental organisation titled Citizen Association for Development CREDO . The mission of the youth organisation is to support the sustainability and partnerships among local institutions and work for the capacity building of the local community and participate in the process of formulation and implementation of policies related the young people in the municipality.

The next project activity was the organisation of training, designed for 40 teachers and parents from the community and aimed at early drugs prevention. Expert from the District Health-Care Service presented to the participants the most frequently used and distributed drugs and at the same time provided practical advice on how to recognise addiction signs and what the measures in such cases could be.

Using the method Children teach children , 50 young people were trained and prepared to effectively work with their friends and coevals. Trainers in the initiatives were representatives from the Red Cross Pazardjik; they have shared many practical advice and knowledge during 5 successive training modules in areas like how to stop using drugs; how to resolve conflict situations; how to help a friend who is addicted to drugs. The developed training network, as well as the frequent effective and interesting meetings between the young people and representatives from the Red Cross Organisation stimulated the birth of a wonderful idea: the establishment of Youth Red Cross Organisation in the Municipality of Peshtera.

During the official celebrations on the Day of the Municipality of Peshtera, a massive running cross has been organised, as well as several football matches, with the active participation of young people. These sports events were supported by the Athletics sports club, the Spartak football club and the Municipality. All participants were provided with information materials and leaflets with anti-drugs messages.

The final project event was the open air DJ party organised in May 2006 under the motto Do not kill your dreams! . Many partners and friends took part in the initiative, which happened on the Bulgaria town square in Peshtera, with the involvement of the Youth World club members and Slaveiche folklore dance ensemble and the happy and pleasant atmosphere created by the young people who were able to express their civic position in an unusual way.

• The Youth World club has been established with the support of the experts from the municipal administrations and the local and regional institutions, which will continue its work in the future;
• Access to information has been ensured and awareness raising campaign organised, dealing with the problems of the use of drugs among young people; more than 2 600 students and pupils from the municipalities were involved in this massive information and prevention initiative;
• A students` network has been established;
• More than 50 students were trained and 40 parents and teachers advised on how to prevent drugs addictions;
• A new non-governmental organisation has been registered open initiative of young people and their parents, which will ensure long-term sustainability of the local partnerships between the interested institutions;
• Increased awareness of the local community about the problems and consequences of drugs use and changed public attitudes towards the serious problems of the drug-users.

Contacts:

Zlatka Gemieva

Razvitie community centre

Municipality of Peshtera

Tel.: (0350) 5681

[email protected]