OPENS is an association of local youth organizations whose mission, in collaboration with its partners, is to demonstrate that there are many doors that can be opened for the transfer of energy, knowledge, experience, and information, and that it is possible to strengthen the capacities of young people.
OPENS is a resource center dedicated to empowering young people and those who work with them, as well as youth organizations and organizations for young people. It educates the community and creates youth policy. It raises the capacities of young people, youth associations, and for young people through program activities, and it sensitizes the public and private sectors to youth issues.
In the process of transforming youth policy, OPENS advocates the establishment of multi-year program funding and the formation of institutions at the local level, established by republican and local authorities in collaboration with civil society organizations, in accordance with the model proposed by OPENS.
Through our programs and activities, we hope to reach as many young people as possible. We want to demonstrate that we are an adequate social actor as a credible youth organization, that we propose and participate in the creation of youth policy based on the needs of young people. Why? Because young people have the ability to shape the society in which they wish to live.
We encourage young people to take an active role in society. For years, we have been painting the city OPENS colors and opening doors for young people to meet their needs through various mechanisms, programs, advocacy, and work. Through the four stated general goals, OPENS creates and manages the entire communication, either directly or indirectly:
1.1 Development of a more favorable and functional legal framework for a long-term youth policy.
1.2. Creating a platform for more effective dialogue among youth policymakers.
1.3. Development of a long-term infrastructure for the implementation of youth policy (“Space for youth”)
2.1. Raising decision-makers’ awareness of the importance of involving young people and their participation in social changes/processes.
2.2. Promotion of values that are important to young people.
2.3. Improved intersectoral cooperation in service delivery and youth support.
3.1. Acquisition of knowledge and skills (competence) for the provision of high-quality, long-term services to youth.
3.2. Increasing youth and youth organization networking and sustainability through technical assistance, mentoring, and financial assistance.
4.1. Improving young people’s access to information.
4.2. Young people’s knowledge, skills, and values development.
4.3. Assistance with young people’s personal and social development.
4.4. Enhancement of content for young people’s quality free time.
As the federation of associations, OPENS was founded in 2016. After the first candidacy of Novi Sad (the city entered the top five cities but did not get the title of European Youth Capital for the year of 2018) and the loss of the title in favour of Cascais, youth organisations and organisations for young people in Novi Sad gathered and decided to once again support the city’s candidacy for the Youth Capital, but under different conditions. The city was the holder of the title, but it also belonged to the youth sector. Six organisations from Novi Sad – Students’
Association of the University of Novi Sad – Students’ Association of the Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, Jazas Novi Sad Youth, Youth Work Centre, BalkanIDEA Novi Sad, Environmental Protection Engineers, Kulturanova – became the founders of OPENS Association which submits the annual reports to the General Meeting even today. The mentioned organisations have become the founders based on the criterion passed by Informal Forum of Youth Organisations of Novi Sad.
Along with the OPENS team, the founders strived to create and build the space and environment in which young people had the support and could have make their ideas come true, to actively join the community in which they live, to learn, have fun in a quality manner, work, express their creativity. Therefore, in 2019, the founders, along with OPENS but each in their own field of action, wanted Novi Sad to send the world the image of the city in which young people have the place they want and which belongs to them.
OPENS is an association of local youth organizations whose mission, in collaboration with its partners, is to demonstrate that there are many doors that can be opened for the transfer of energy, knowledge, experience, and information, and that it is possible to strengthen the capacities of young people.
OPENS is a resource center dedicated to empowering young people and those who work with them, as well as youth organizations and organizations for young people. It educates the community and creates youth policy. It raises the capacities of young people, youth associations, and for young people through program activities, and it sensitizes the public and private sectors to youth issues.
In the process of transforming youth policy, OPENS advocates the establishment of multi-year program funding and the formation of institutions at the local level, established by republican and local authorities in collaboration with civil society organizations, in accordance with the model proposed by OPENS.
Through our programs and activities, we hope to reach as many young people as possible. We want to demonstrate that we are an adequate social actor as a credible youth organization, that we propose and participate in the creation of youth policy based on the needs of young people. Why? Because young people have the ability to shape the society in which they wish to live.
We encourage young people to take an active role in society. For years, we have been painting the city OPENS colors and opening doors for young people to meet their needs through various mechanisms, programs, advocacy, and work. Through the four stated general goals, OPENS creates and manages the entire communication, either directly or indirectly:
1.1 Development of a more favorable and functional legal framework for a long-term youth policy.
1.2. Creating a platform for more effective dialogue among youth policymakers.
1.3. Development of a long-term infrastructure for the implementation of youth policy (“Space for youth”)
2.1. Raising decision-makers’ awareness of the importance of involving young people and their participation in social changes/processes.
2.2. Promotion of values that are important to young people.
2.3. Improved intersectoral cooperation in service delivery and youth support.
3.1. Acquisition of knowledge and skills (competence) for the provision of high-quality, long-term services to youth.
3.2. Increasing youth and youth organization networking and sustainability through technical assistance, mentoring, and financial assistance.
4.1. Improving young people’s access to information.
4.2. Young people’s knowledge, skills, and values development.
4.3. Assistance with young people’s personal and social development.
4.4. Enhancement of content for young people’s quality free time.
As the federation of associations, OPENS was founded in 2016. After the first candidacy of Novi Sad (the city entered the top five cities but did not get the title of European Youth Capital for the year of 2018) and the loss of the title in favour of Cascais, youth organisations and organisations for young people in Novi Sad gathered and decided to once again support the city’s candidacy for the Youth Capital, but under different conditions. The city was the holder of the title, but it also belonged to the youth sector. Six organisations from Novi Sad – Students’
Association of the University of Novi Sad – Students’ Association of the Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, Jazas Novi Sad Youth, Youth Work Centre, BalkanIDEA Novi Sad, Environmental Protection Engineers, Kulturanova – became the founders of OPENS Association which submits the annual reports to the General Meeting even today. The mentioned organisations have become the founders based on the criterion passed by Informal Forum of Youth Organisations of Novi Sad.
Along with the OPENS team, the founders strived to create and build the space and environment in which young people had the support and could have make their ideas come true, to actively join the community in which they live, to learn, have fun in a quality manner, work, express their creativity. Therefore, in 2019, the founders, along with OPENS but each in their own field of action, wanted Novi Sad to send the world the image of the city in which young people have the place they want and which belongs to them.
