The 15th EMMAUS – International Youth Working Camp in Potočari was opened!

With the presence of volunteers, employees and friends of IFS-EMMAUS, the 15th International Youth Working Camp was officially opened today, with the aim of promoting tolerance, coexistence and equality for all.

Indeed, the camp was opened in a time of slightly different conditions, respecting the safety and protection measures of all participants due to the current epidemiological situation in the country.

At the opening of the camp, volunteers were addressed by a longtime and great friend of IFS-EMMAUS Willem Pronk, founder and director of the Dutch foundation “Stichting Proplan” and Sabina Arnaut Jahić, head of the human resources department at the Association IFS-EMMAUS.This year, the camp will feature 50 volunteers from all over BiH and several countries from the region and Europe.Activities that will be realized during the camp are mostly working activities, and the first of them is the cleaning of the Memorial Center in Potočari after the commemoration of the victims of genocide on the July 11. Of course, there are also educational activities included such as visits to the Memorial Center – History classes, creative and art workshops, international evenings, entertainment activities such as karaoke, movie nights, traditional games, sports tours, excursions and similar activities.

Youth people will also participate in the construction of the Center for Elderly in Potočari as well as in the construction of a Center for Education at the Boarding accommodation School for children in Potočari where the camp is held. They will be involved in distributing meals to people in need through our projects “One meal per day”, help with the house care for mothers of Srebrenica”, and works on IFS-EMMAUS farm on Pale and other activities. The camp in Srebrenica is a unique opportunity for young people to get to know each other and connect and help the local population to build a better future. The opening of the camp was attended by the Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Water Management of Tuzla Canton Mustafa Sakić and our longtime friend Ivica Bašić President of the Association of the Physically Disabled Persons TOMS from Trogir with his associates and other respected friends of the Association.

All participants are required to adhere to the prevention measures in the protection of Covid -19 and use all the means of protection we have provided for this purpose in order to maximize compliance with the precautionary measures prescribed by the competent Civil protection services.

This year’s camp was supported by the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina