Suncokret - Centre for Community Development

Suncokret - Centre for Community Development is a Croatian non-governmental, non-profit organization founded as a response to the psychosocial needs of a rural, isolated, economically deprived postwar community facing high unemployment and depopulation. Suncokret undertakes community development work and aims to address negative psychological, social and cultural consequences of the social upheavals in the region, to improve the quality of life for all, but especially for marginalized members of the society, to promote community rebuilding, and support development of a sustainable democratic civil society focusing on volunteerism, altruism, solidarity and sustainability. Reintegration and the improvement of overall quality of life is essential in this area that suffered war and displacement and now faces returning individuals as well as settling of refugees. Our activities assist in the reintegration of the community and ultimately contribute community building and development of inter-ethnic/national understanding, tolerance and reconciliation. Through its current and proposed activities the Community Center is a catalyst for civic and social change though volunteer and solidarity program. Our organization promotes community development in a rural community that has been severely impacted by Covid and the the three devastating earthquakes in December 2020 and aftershocks. We have been running volunteer projects since 2004 and have much experience in recruitment, orientations, introductions, mentoring and volunteer management We have extensive experience in hosting volunteers and organizing international volunteer camps and long standing partnerships with international volunteer organizations, scout groups, youth associations and schools in Belgium and Frane. Prior to Covid we would host between 150-190 volunteers per year. Usually our international volunteer camp season start in March and runs until October with entire school classes from Belgium and France. Independent volunteers and ESC volunteers we host year round. We run a local community center, the local volunteer center, the local eco garden center and provide non formal educational activities that otherwise would not be available in this disadvantaged community. At our local volunteer center we have 2 houses. The big house sleeps 24 persons, has big communal areas and kitchen. The small house has two separate apartments and can house 30 persons in total. We can host 4-6 ESC at the same time At the location there are BBQs, fire pits, and gardens. We aim to develop dialogue and interpersonal tolerance in a multiethnic environment through educational and creative activities and provide informal education of the local population in the post war area. We encourage and empower civil society through education, volunteerism and activism and improve the quality of life by providing education, supporting the civil society and preserving the environment and promote sustainability. We organize international volunteer camps, local community actions and service projects and by provide education, access to information and a variety of activities otherwise not readily available in this postwar area now ravaged by the severe earthquakes. Due to the earthquakes Suncokret now is a partner with Kids Earth Fund Croatia that give us space to accommodate our volunteer, but also with the Red Cross Glina. The village of Vrginmost was affected by the earthquake but the neighboring town of Glina was destroyed. Suncokret has created a volunteer program network where youth from both Vrginmost and Glina volunteer together. We have created partnerships with: Elementary School Gvozd, day care Gvozd, day care Glina, Elementary school Glina, Highschool Glina, Library Glina, retirement home Glina, container settlement for persons that lost their homes in Glina, and various sports clubs. Our aim is to create volunteer programs and solidarity programs to target the issues that persons in the earthquake