Summary of organization’s strategic orientation
The vision of the Fenomena Association is a society based on solidarity, equality and emancipation from all forms of domination, and a society that protects the environment. Our mission is to encourage positive social change through the promotion of the concept of sustainable development and to reach different target groups and organizations (public and private) at the local and state level, as well as at the regional level.
The general goals are: empowering and supporting survivors of gender-based violence; prevention of violence among young people; improving the policy framework; raising awareness and educating different target groups on issues of sustainable/integral development, gender equality and equal opportunities; strengthening ecological sustainability.
The three basic programs of the Fenomena Association are:
- “ANIT-VIOLENCE CENTER” PROGRAM
- “GENDER MAINSTREAMING” PROGRAM
- “SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP” PROGRAM.
As part of the second program, the Fenomena Association has been working since 2015 on the inclusion of women, young people and citizens in local policies to reduce the risk of disasters.
Summary of the supported project
With this project, Fenomena Association encourages cooperation between local self-government departments in charge of civil protection, high schools and civil society organizations from the territory of the Western Morava Basin, on the topic of improved preparedness for emergency situations and natural disasters in accordance with the Disaster Risk Reduction Law.
High schools and local governments will be included in the research, on the basis of which data and analysis will be provided for a detailed understanding of the existing legal obligations and conditions (capacity) of high schools from the target territory to fulfill legal regulations regarding disaster risk prevention (DRR) practices. Special attention will be given to the necessary and available budgets that are allocated from public budget funds for this purpose with the main question – whether the institutions in charge allocate funds for the implementation of the Law and whether there is an alternative to the public budget. The analysis should also refer to the importance of multisectoral cooperation in terms of improving standards in DRR and the possibility of implementing multisectoral cooperation in one local self-government and/or in a wider geographical area such as the West Morava Basin.
Upon a public call for high schools from the territory of the Zapadna Morava Basin and with the support of external experts, planning documents for the prevention of disaster risks will be drawn up in three secondary schools. In one high school, signaling and evacuation equipment will be provided, as well as an evacuation simulation exercise.
Educational activities (training for trainers, workshops in secondary schools and an educational camp for young people) aim to increase the knowledge and competences of civil society organizations and young people. 20 representatives of CSOs will acquire competences for conducting workshops with young people, while the project envisages further cooperation and support for three CSOs that will hold a set of workshops for 60 young people from at least three secondary schools (20 participants per high school).
After the workshops in high schools, a new public call for participation in the educational camp for young people will be published (in which priority will be given to young people who have successfully completed the workshops in their schools, but also an open possibility for other young people who are motivated to participate in the camp). At the camp, young people will learn public advocacy skills that are not part of the regular education system, but are an important part of education for democratic social life, as well as the skills of implementing a campaign on social networks to promote a culture of safety with a perspective of gender equality and ecology. After selecting the youth team for the implementation of the online campaign in the last three months of the project, this team of young people will, with mentoring support, plan and implement a campaign on the social network that will be strategically selected by the youth team. The content of the campaign will refer to topics that young people learned about during the project – at workshops in schools, at an educational camp, but information from research will also be used, especially video material on evacuation simulation exercises in schools, which is one of the examples of good practices from the project.
Project goal(s)
General goal: Increasing the participation and awareness of CSO, youth, the public and institutions about the reform of the security sector, strengthening resilience and reducing the risk of disasters (DRR) in the Republic of Serbia.
SC 1. Encouraged cooperation of local self-government departments, high schools and civil society organizations (CSOs) in the territory of the West Morava Basin in Serbia and improved preparedness for natural disasters in accordance with the Law on Disaster Risk Reduction.
SC 2. Increased participation of CSO and youth in security sector reform, i.e. disaster risk reduction with a focus on civil protection and rescue, with cross cutting themes of ecology and gender equality.
SC 3. Increased influence of young people on public awareness of the importance of reducing the risk of disasters in the Republic of Serbia, along with the cross cutting themes of ecology and gender equality.
Beneficiaries
The target territory is the Western Morava Basin (central, southern and southwestern Serbia), i.e. 18 local governments, while the expected participation of target groups is from at least 10 local governments – 10 civil society organizations (CSOs), 10 civil protection departments (CPD) and 10 high schools.
10 CSOs will be empowered to have a stronger impact on positive changes in the domains of security and stability in three frameworks: preparedness for emergency situations, gender equality and the impact of climate change. In the continuation of the project, at least three CSOs will contribute to proposals during working meetings with CPD and educate high school-age youth by conducting and organizing civil protection workshops and exercises.
Civil protection departments will be involved in research, working meetings for the preparation of planning documents, simulation exercises, will give statements to the media, and will participate in the final conference of the project together with other stakeholders of the Western Morava Basin.
Of the 10 high schools that will be included in the research, at least three high schools will be chosen to strengthen capacity and resilience to emergency situations (activities of producing planning documents and realization of workshops for students), one in which an evacuation signaling system will be introduced and a demonstration exercise carried out, and at least seven more schools will participate in the project’s final conference and learn about examples of good practice from the project.
Final beneficiaries are young people from the targeted territory of the West Morava Basin – at least 60 students from three involved high schools as beneficiaries of practical workshops organized by CSOs in cooperation with schools and other actors of civil protection (Red Cross, emergency services, fire brigades, Mountain Rescue Service, mountaineering societies and others). From that number, at least 20 students will be participants of civil protection simulation exercises (demonstrative evacuation exercises) in one high school, and at least 20 high school students (most of whom have previously attended workshops in schools) as participants in an educational camp with topics of the project. In the end, at least six of the most motivated high school students will benefit from mentoring support for public advocacy and conducting campaigns on the Internet. Additionally, the youth reached by the peer-to-peer public campaign – at least 100 youth from the target territory who had some online engagement during the campaigns, are defined as final beneficiaries of the project because their engagement shows a contribution to safety and security.
Main activities
- Introductory activities: public invitation to participate in the project sent to secondary schools from the territory of the Western Morava Basin (central, southwestern and southern Serbia) and CSOs, working meetings with the Civil Protection Departments of the cities of the Western Morava Basin, schools and associations.
- Conducting and publishing research on the capacities of secondary schools and civil protection departments in the territory of the Western Morava Basin in Serbia to prevent the risk of disasters in accordance with the Law. Questionnaires will be sent to all secondary schools in the target territory, as well as to local governments. Conclusions and recommendations are part of the informative content of the campaign, which will be led by young people.
- Development of disaster risk assessment and plans for protection and rescue in secondary schools. Marking the place for evacuation and conducting evacuation simulation exercises. Distribution of examples of good practice in establishing an effective natural disaster risk assessment system. Advocacy for budgeting – three sample plans will outline an example of the required budget for signage and annual exercises. Final conference of the project (online).
- Adaptation of the Fenomena’s training program for CSOs and youth – on the basics of DRR, rescue and civil protection, with pervasive themes of ecology and gender equality. Implementation of training for trainers for 20 members of CSOs. Realization of a set of workshops by CSOs with 60 young people from at least three secondary schools in the target territory.
- 5. Public invitation for young people from the target territory and implementation of an educational camp for at least 20 young people. At the camp, young people learn public advocacy skills and implement campaigns on social networks to promote a culture of safety with a perspective of gender equality and ecology. Implementation of a mentoring program for young people. Implementation of the campaign by young people and promotion of examples of good practice on social networks and other electronic and online media.
Related news
