To mark the launch of the project “ Leave a different fingerprint on the world “ IAN organised a press conference on the 6th of November in Belgrade, where the project goal and activities planned for the next two years were presented.

The goal of the project is to offer an adequate programme and ensure supportive environment, structure, social and psychological support aimed at the rehabilitation, change of behaviour patterns and social integration of youth and children with asocial behaviour, juvenile offenders and children and youth in risk of conflict with the law.

The realisation of the project has been supported by the German Foundation Schüler Helfen Leben (SHL).

Speakers at the conference were

• Mr Rüdiger Ratsch-Heitmann , Director of the Schüler Helfen Leben Foundation
• Mr Christoph Eichen , I Secretary Economic Cooperation of the German Embassy
• Mr Ivan Stojilovic, President of International Aid Network
• Ms Snežana Stoškovic , Director of the City Centre for Social Work Belgrade

Children and youth will have a possibility to get engaged in various activities of professional empowerment , included education in ICT field and active job search courses. These trainings have been designed so as to contribute to developing a positive attitude towards education and work among youth, as well as to increase their chances for employment in future and help them achieve economic independence. An integral part of the programme is psychological support that will be available during the entire two-year project. It will include individual and group counselling and therapeutic work with children and youth performed by trained psychologists-therapists with yearlong-experience. Additional support to the re-socialisation of children will be provided through sports activities, educative excursions, creative workshops and other activities within the youth club.

		“We believe that everybody deserves a second chance. Especially children and youth that at a very young age might have already been in conflict with the law. They not only need a helping hand but a positive perspective for and of themselves in society. I think the project of IAN helps with that, as it has been recognised by the German youth as well who selected it to be supported by SHL Foundation this year”, said Rüdiger Ratsch-Heitmann, Director of SHL Foundation.

Through the strategic partnership with the City Centre for Social Work in Belgrade mechanisms have been established for implementation of legislative measures related to diversion orders and alternative sanctions for young offenders.

		„Centre for social work participates in each court procedure lead against for juvenile offenders. In 2011 the Centre registered 2135 children with behaviour problems, out of which 1338 were in conflict with the law. There are less girls than boys among them, girls make about one quarter of the total number. Almost a half of the children with behaviour problems is registered again, and the number of re-offending is higher among the children and youth in conflict with the law“, said Snežana Stoškovic, Director of the City Centre for Social Work Belgrade at today`s conference.

A set of planned services belongs to counselling-social-educative programmes in the field of social care for children, providing assistance to children and youth with behavioural problems in overcoming crises they encounter. „Through this approach a punishment-based model is avoided and an alternative response of the social environment is offered, by which these children and youth are not rejected but empowered and supported in adopting positive behaviour and values“, stressed Ivan Stojilovic, psychologist and IAN President, at the conference. In addition, the project puts emphasis on the importance of prevention since the planned activities are aimed also at preventing more serious conflicts with the law among the juveniles.

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For any further information and/ applications, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Ivan Stojilovic. Email address:

Telephone number: +381 11 3229 732

Address: International Aid Network (IAN)
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11000 Belgrade
Republic of Serbia

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