Lokalna akcijska grupa Vallis Colapis

Local Action Group (LAG) Vallis Colapis was founded in 2009. as an effort of rural towns and municipalities in the north west of Karlovac county with an aim of creating more opportunities for rural development. We are mainly located in Ozalj and Karlovac, but we cover a wide area which includes 14 towns and municipalities (Ozalj, Karlovac, Duga Resa, Draganić, Kamanje, Netretić, Ribnik, Žakanje, Lasinja, Pisarovina, Pokupsko, Žumberak, Krašić, Kravarsko). LAG Vallis Colapis aims to indicate benefits of rural areas as a place for living (especially for young people) and to develop its human, entrepreneurship, touristic and economic potentials. Therefore, our aims in field of European Solidarity Corps (ESC) are: creating a safe space and long-term activities for young people to spend their quality free time; developing solidarity activities for youth which will support them in taking initiatives and therefore become key actors in creating new opportunities for themselves and other youth through solidarity principles; contributing to the empowerment of youth NGOs from urban and rural areas; empowering youth coming from rural areas to benefit from current and future societal challenges; supporting young entrepreneurs to express their own creativity and take responsibility for their action; promoting solidarity as a tool for democratic participation; developing new and innovative ideas and implementing them in local communities. Since its foundation LAG works on strengthening local capacities in order to empower local communities through regular activities related to non-formal education, youth information, mobility, culture, social entrepreneurship, industry, tourism, agriculture. Through our projects we include young people in non-formal education workshops, youth exchanges, training courses, capacity building training, public presentations and volunteering programs. Through the variety of activities we cover a wide range of topics: sustainable development, active participation, entrepreneurship, non-formal and informal education, active citizenship, employment and volunteering. Through all of these we promote European values and empower young people for active participation in the local community and their own life. Our members are different stakeholders in the local community like local government (municipality, town), entrepreneurs, family business and hospitality trades. From the beginning we have worked to familiarize them with the importance of quality youth work by involving them in different activities with an aim of empowering both youth and local community - to understand what their strengths and opportunities are. LAG also includes local volunteers in its everyday work who help us create new ideas and often see new perspectives. Most of our volunteers are involved in the organization for long term periods and they regularly work with young people. Within LAG works local Volunteer center Kupa (since 2013), located in Ozalj, which gives support to local NGOs and non-profit organizations in volunteer management - from recognizing organizational needs, recruitment of volunteers, designing activities for the volunteers, communication with the volunteers and conflict management and also inform, advise and support them on volunteering connected issues (including legal obligations and mandatories). Throughout the year we also organise several volunteer actions in local communities and we try to empower volunteers to tackle local issues through values of solidarity, democracy and active citizenship.