National youth program

Measure 7. STIMULATION OF VOLUNTEER WORK AMONG YOUTH
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITY:
DURATION OF 
IMPLEMENTATION:
7.1. In tenders for associations’ projects focused on youth, priority should be 
given to projects involving young volunteers.
2009 and ongoing
7.2. To promote volunteering among youth on local, county, and state level 
in co-operation with the existing volunteer centers and youth associations, 
and to inform young people about the opportunities and rights arising from 
the Volunteering Act.
2009 and ongoing
CARRIER:
Ministry of Family, Veterans’ Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity
COLLABORATORS IN THE 
IMPLEMENTATION:
Ministry of Science, Education and Sport
Office for NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia
National Committee for Development of Volunteering
civil society organizations focused on volunteering and/or working 
with youth
FUNDING:
Ministry of Family, Veterans’ Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity
REQUIRED FUNDING:
resources from regular activities of state administration bodies
IMPLEMENTATION 
INDICATORS:
− number/percentage of young volunteers involved in financed 
projects
− number of activities focused on promotion of volunteering

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6. YOUTH CULTURE AND LEISURE TIME
6.1. Situation analysis
Leisure time as a concept arises with the processes of industrialization and rapid technological 
development resulting in mass employment and a reduction of working hours. So, the concept 
of leisure time is looked at in relation to socially obligatory work. The concept in the narrow 
sense describes those activities of an individual that are selected exclusively by his/her free 
will and is often also called ‘‘spare time’’. In the broader dense, leisure time in addition to spare 
time includes so-called semi-leisure time, i.e. the time that is not a part of obligatory social 
work, but the activities undertaken during this time are a result of a certain social obligation 
or necessity (e.g. family obligations, social obligations, additional work, etc.).
Regarding the important role of leisure time in forming of the personality of young 
people, the emphasis here is on those aspects of spare time which may have important 
positive impacts on socialization, personal formation and social recognition of youth. 
Therefore, here we will direct our attention to those forms of leisure time which we my call 
‘‘cultivated leisure time’’ and ‘‘organized leisure time’’. In this, appreciating the general goal 
of stimulating active social youth participation, we pay special attention to those forms 
of organized leisure time in which young people act (pro)actively, through which young 
people organize themselves, i.e. where young people act as independent actors in the 
production of cultural and other contents important for the leisure time domain, and in 
particular those accessible to other young persons as well – i.e. those which are of public, 
or represent the public interest. However, we will not neglect those contents, forms and 
formats which need not be a direct product of a certain youth group, but are directed to 
young people and stimulate their active participation.
We most frequently find such forms of organized leisure time in civil society. Primarily in the 
field of culture and creative (artistic) expressions of youth, in the last few years, civil society 
organizations (by this concept here we want to encompass formalized organizations, 
i.e. associations, but also informal initiatives, i.e. groups) have significantly contributed 
to the recognition of youth and their active inclusion in cultural and wider social life. We 
talk about the most various forms of youth culture (the activities created, organized and 
implemented by youth for youth), but also culture for youth (the activities that are not 
a result only of self-organized youth, but which have youth as the key target group and 
which often stimulate the activities of inclusion of youth) – from youth clubs and clubs for 
youth, wide range of art, cultural and wider social activities, over a range of happenings, 
festivals and individual events of various genres, to permanent programs including most 
various forms. Exactly this area is the area which became the counterbalance, or at least 
a supplement, to a highly commercialized offer of the culture of sheer consumerism, or 
often, particularly in smaller milieus, represents the only space of organized youth leisure 
time. In addition, it is necessary to point out that, due to dynamics of work and manner of 
work organization (these are mainly horizontal, not vertical structures), exactly this sector 
is the one that is able to monitor and respond appropriately to the dynamics of emphasis 
shift in the specific needs and interests of youth, but also to create at the same time new 

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trends and tendencies. This way, this cultural scene may have a significant (positive) impact 
on personal formation and social recognition of youth. In addition, exactly this kind of open 
structure enables inclusion and participation of a large number of young people, i.e. it may 
stimulate youth to transfer from the position of a consumer to the position of a producer. 
Therefore, encouraging various civil society organizations and informal groups must be the 
key priority of the national policy in this area.
We may identify the following as key problems in the field of youth culture and culture for 
youth and youth creative expression:
Cultural and artistic activities produced by youth and/or primarily aimed at youth are on 
the margins of wider public interest. Consequently, the needs of young people in this area 
are on the margins of political interest and remain there in the practice of authorized public 
administration bodies (state as well as local).
Youth in their leisure time are primarily exposed to the influence of media and entertainment 
industry and therefore are treated in society as consumers of commercial products. At the 
same time, public institutions in culture do not offer sufficient variety of adequate contents 
attractive to young people, which may be an alternative to consumerist culture.
Civil sector (civil society organizations and certain informal groups) developed a range 
of programs and individual activities that offer to young people quality and ‘‘cultivated’’ 
spare time, by ensuring contents compatible with interests of young people, which suit 
their cultural patterns and/or even produce new ones and the ones arising from youth self-
organization, in this way influencing directly the personality development and a successful, 
active socialization of young people. However, this sector is subject to negative influences 
in our society which has still not implemented the transition completely, it is unstable 
and not adequately recognized (and therefore supported) by the public sector. Also, it is 
poorly institutionalized and is in an almost permanent crisis of resources. Due to a chronic 
and now almost alarming lack of resources, primarily spatial ones, not only is the further 
development impossible, but also the survival of this entire extremely potent area has 
become doubtful. In addition, there are no adequate stimulation measures for creation and 
recognition of new organizations and initiatives.
Education and professional development of young artists, as well as young cultural 
managers, is completely neglected. Therefore, the existing great enthusiasm and creative 
potential may not be completely utilised, nor may the excellence and competitiveness in 
the European context be achieved. In addition, the impossibility of professional promotion 
and impossibility of achieving education ambitions beyond the scope of formal education 
programs, result in frustration, dissatisfaction and present the actual danger for giving up 
work. In this way, the potential crucial for the development of any, including this, area – 
human capital, is lost.
Although there are certain successful forms of co-operation between organizations 
acting in this area, arisen in the civil society, this co-operation is insufficiently developed,