“Blue Eco-patrol” is officially presented at the event of the Association Office within the Week of Sustainable Development.

Employees of Argonauta association yesterday officially received the plaque of the project “Blue eco-patrol” : an extensive education program for sustainable development in the coastal and island local communities of the Šibenik-Knin County, intended for elementary schools on the manifestation of the Association Office and the Swiss-Croatian Cooperation Program.

Namely, on the occasion of completion of the contract award process financed by the funds of the Swiss-Croatian cooperation program, 53 projects were presented and they discussed on the role of civil society organizations in the development of partnerships for sustainable development of local communities.

Within the framework of the Swiss-Croatian Cooperation Program in June 2018, it has been issued a Call for Proposals for “Empowering Civil Society Organizations for Sustainable Development for the Advancement of Economic and Social Cohesion” in the amount of HRK 31,500,000.00, and the Call “Empowering Croatian-Swiss partnerships for local socio-economic growth and development” worth HRK 12,300,000.00.
This call is intended to improve the contribution of civil society organizations to economic and social cohesion and sustainable development of the local community, as well as to improve economic and social development at local levels in Croatia through cooperation and partnership between Croatian and Swiss institutions, local and regional self-government units and civil society organizations.

In this competition, Argonauta association, in partnership with Murter-Kornati Municipality and LAG 249, realized funds in the amount of 1.280.000,00 Kn for the implementation of the project “Blue eco patrol”, with the aim of providing opportunities for systematic out-of-school education sustainable development for elementary school pupils in the island and coastal areas of the Šibenik-Knin County through which non-formal education and informal learning methods will provide added value to educational programs and participation, active citizenship and social inclusion of young people in the social flows of their local communities from the earliest age. The project officially started on June 01, 2019.

About the projects spoke Helena Beus, Director of the Office for NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, HEE. Mrs Emilija Georgiev Regamey, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation in the Republic of Croatia, Velimir Žunac, State Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds, and also a panel discussion was held by representatives of the best rated projects on the call.

The event is organized under the Sustainable Development Week, held every year from May 30 to June 5, and is celebrated across Europe to promoting and make visible activities, projects and events that promote sustainable development and the Global Sustainable Development Goals.

We look forward to the beginning of our project activities and we thank the Office for Associations and the Swiss-Croatian Cooperation Program on the opportunity to promote sustainable development in our local community.