THE OLIVES ARE PICKED, THE SURFACES ARE GREEN, AND MURTER IS CLEANER.

15 young Europeans decided to spend their October in Murter. They are currently counting their last days on this beautiful island, and they will leave richer than they came. Not materially richer because they came to Murter as volunteers, but spiritually and experientially richer because they got from Murter the best that a young person can get.

Once upon a time, Karl Marx said that work liberates. He didn’t mean it in the twisted way evil people thought during World War II. He already thought in a way that when a person is in contact with the fruits of his work, when he is part of the process from the very beginning of something to the final result, it makes him richer, more aware and thus becomes much more connected to himself, to the people he is with he also works with the ground he walks on.

And the volunteers who found themselves in Murter through the program of the European Solidarity Forces experienced exactly that during their work actions. So they arranged the paths of Colentum, carried out cleaning operations in the Murter škoj and on the Tisno-Betina section, planted mulberries and laurels near the Murter elementary school, helped an elderly couple from Murter pick olives. In addition, they were informally educated on environmental topics, but also shared their talents, skills and interests with each other.

They also had time for walks, sunsets, dinners, socializing.

After these months, when they look behind them, they can say that they left this part of the world better than they found it. And I can say that rightly because the olive trees are protected, the surfaces are green, and Murter is cleaner.

Every year our Argonauts association hosts a group of young volunteers like this and every year in the fall we feel great satisfaction that we successfully brought another Island Extravaganza project to an end and that we had the opportunity to host and guide these young people through an experience that we know enriches them on all levels .

This year’s adventure is slowly coming to an end, and we are already looking forward to the next one, in 2024, with about 15 new young people who, we hope, will also leave Murter as richer people.