Balša Božović at the first regional trade union academy for young members of the GS UPOIP INDEPENDENCE
As part of the project “The Youth Voice is the Voice of the Future,” organized by the Association for Education and Development from Montenegro, the Youth Development Center from Serbia, the Union Center for Education and Training from North Macedonia, and the Union Educational Center from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus Plus program, the First Regional Trade Union Academy was held. The academy brought together 50 young union activists from 7 countries, including Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (both the Federation and Republika Srpska), Slovenia, Greece, and Turkey. The event took place at the Montenegro Hotel in Čanj from September 15th to September 19th, 2023.
The First Regional Union Academy took place in the context of informal education, which the activists encountered for the first time. Through brief theoretical lectures, but primarily with excellent trainers:
- Balša Bozović, Human Rights and Association, Institute for Youth Development “Kult”
- Aleksandra Knežević, Youth Development Center
- Aleksandra Mirković, UGS NEZAVISNOST, in a panel discussion on labor rights and collective bargaining.
Dynamic work in small groups, knowledge and experience exchange, panel discussions, case study analyses – all of these activities allowed the youth to acquire knowledge about union activism as a distinct category of youth participation. They also gained insights into human rights and freedoms, along with essential skills for further union work, such as communication, presentation, organizational skills, and many
The First Regional Union Academy was focused on the Unions of Public Administration and Judiciary from all 7 countries, with the intention of transforming this concept into a traditional educational activity in the future.