Contributed by Irena Milatovic and Vanja Mikulic, Montenegro Nationa VAW Monitors
In February 2006, the NGO Center for youth – “Proactive”, started a new project titled “What to Know in Order to Recognize” in cooperation with the Save the Children UK – Program in Montenegro. The importance of the project is in raising the awareness and knowledge of high-school students on trafficking in children and youth and its consequences.
Since Montenegro, as a country in transition, is confronted with the problem of trafficking in youth, and among the high-school population there is a great lack of knowledge about the issue of trafficking and the ways to recognize it, there is a clear need to start preventive and educative measures.
The group of 20 high-school students (from 2 of Podgorica’s High-Schools: Economic
School “Mirko Vesovic” and Gymnasium “Slobodan Skerovic”) aged 14 – 18, has been formed. Through interactive workshops, students have been introduced to the UN Convention on Children’s Rights as well as with the problem of trafficking in children and youth. Skilled and qualified persons, professional trainers, have been working with the students – representatives of the Center for Social Work Podgorica (Ms Dijana Popovic – Gavranic) and NGO Center for Children’s Rights (Mr. Nikola Volkov). They have organized two workshops on the topic of children’s rights, two on the issue of trafficking, one focus group in order to find out if youth are familiar with the existence of the problem of trafficking in human beings, and with activities/contents to introduce youth to this problem. After this, there is a focus group on youth opinions on the topic "Risk factors
which are forcing children into trafficking." Later on, this group of students, based on the knowledge they gained, have created informative educative material, specifically a brochure titled “What to Know in Order to Recognize”. The main idea for creating and distributing this material is for peer education – students will introduce their classmates to this information, give them adequate help, and if needed, direct them to specialized organizations and institutions which are fighting against trafficking in children and youth.
Informative material has been, since the end of April/beginning of May, distributed in two 2 of Podgorica’s High-Schools: Economic School “Mirko Vesovic” and Gymnasium “Slobodan Skerovic”.
Photos above presents the brochure.
Source: Center for Youth – “Proactive”