Fell in love in my hometown

More than 500 guests from all of Europe, young people, volunteers, the head of Serbia, more than 100 journalists, youth organisations and organisations for young people passed through the Open Door in the year of OPENS, the year of young people, together! At the unusual ceremony in which the young team participated, the Synagogue of Novi Sad was live through multimedia projections, young actors and musicians.

The event was attended by the representatives of the Republic, Province, the City of Novi Sad, diplomatic corps, institutions and youth organisations from Serbia and Europe. The attendees had the opportunity to hear Vukašin Grozdanović, OPENS Coordinator, Miloš Vučević, the Mayor of Novi Sad and Aleksandar Vučić, the president of the Republic of Serbia.
The president of Serbia mentioned the significance of young people in the policy by stating that young people were those who should be asked for the opinion when talking about future.

“I wish you a lot of energy and I want you to make Novi Sad and our country famous. I have learned today that you are ahead of us and that Serbia you are building is a ahead of us. There is a challenge in front of you, and it does not forgive apologies and excuses. I believe you already know that since the first challenge was for Novi Sad to become European Youth Capital, and you have successfully overcome it. I wish you a lot of luck, happiness and success. Novi Sad is Youth Capital of Serbia as much as it is European Youth Capital”, Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia said.

“None of this we have now was gifted or fell from the sky. This title is the evidence that effort and hard work pay off. We are special when it comes to the investment in future and young people. This is the opportunity to show all of Europe how it is done. The youth and education are a great chance of ours and we know that we cannot miss it. During the next 365 days, we will make the world sure that this is the policy of life around which all of us have gathered”, Miloš Vučević, the Mayor of Novi Sad explained.

For two years, OPENS Team works for young people and with young people. Through different activities of educational, cultural and fun nature, it is devoted to young people. Only during last year, along with the partnership organisations, OPENS executed more than 2000 different activities, while more than 75,000 young people passed through the OPENS programmes. In 2019, we are raising the ladder.

Vukašin Grozdanović, OPENS Coordinator said that Novi Sad wants to show Europe that it takes care about youth policy and that the construction of Youth Centre of 2,000 square metres is planned.
“Through our programmes, our goal is to reach the number of 500,000 young people who will participate in the programmes, and they will be organised not only in Novi Sad and at the territory of Serbia, but in all of Europe. Two hundred programmes which we have implemented and which we will implement in the future should be the foundation of the sustainable youth policy”, Grozdanović explains.
The Synagogue and the official ceremony were followed by the largest party this winter in front of 10,000 young people of Novi Sad at the SPENS. The concerts of world and regional stars lasted until the following day.