August 11, 2010.

11. August 2010.

MLADGRAD 2010

Today, the MLADGRAD award was for the first time given to local self-governments and the media for their contribution to the improvement of the position of the young in local community.

The award was given by the Civic Initiatives, as well as by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry for Public Administration and Local Self-Government. The award was given as part of marking the International Youth Day and the beginning of the year of the youth according to the UN calendar.

As part of the event, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government received the recommendations for improving the institutional framework for participation of the young in local community. The aim of giving the MLADGRAD award is the giving of public recognition to local self-governments that made a visible progress in providing general care of the young in local self-governments and that encouraged all local self-governments to put an extra effort into improvement of the position of the young.

The awards were given in the following three categories:
1. For an overall contribution of local self-governments to the improved position of young people in local community
2. For local self-governments that provided public space for youth initiatives
3. For contribution of the media to the improved position of the young in the local community

Because of the improved position of young people, the municipality of Bujanovac was given an award for contribution of the local self-government and the media to promotion of the position of the young in that local community.

Also given were special awards to youth groups that had contributed with their activities to a better reporting of the media about the young. These awards were awarded to the performers of the „You and I are We“teenage pop show from Bujanovac and to the „Organization for Creative Rallying“from Belgrade.

The award – giving ceremony took place at the Cvijeta Zuzoric Art Pavilion in Kalemegdan Park. The ceremony was attended by a great number of mayors and other representatives of local self-governments from all parts of Serbia. Also present at the ceremony were representatives of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the UNICEF, the Delegation of the EU to Serbia, the USAID, the ISC, as well as representatives of the ministries and the youth organization. The attendees of the event were addressed by Tanja Azanjac from the Civic Initiatives, Snezana Samardzic Markovic, Minister of Youth and Sports, Dusko Radakovic, State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and Miljenko Dereta, President of the Civic Initiatives and of the award-giving jury.