YOI 2005

Volunteers for Serbia Program

Volunteers for Serbia is an America’s Development Foundation (ADF) Program aiming at recruiting qualified professionals from the Serbian Diaspora worldwide and in particular from Chicago, Illinois, which hosts the largest Serbian population outside of Belgrade, to serve as volunteers providing training and technical assistance services to selected organizations and communities in Serbia. ADF is a U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to the international development of democracy with more than 20 years of working experience in over thirty countries worldwide. The Volunteers for Serbia Program promotes cooperation between Serbian individuals and communities to share experiences, transfer knowledge, and support social and economic development in Serbia. The initial work of the Volunteers for Serbia is focused in the Vojvodina region of Serbia, where ADF is currently implementing a very successful community development program.

THE ADF/CRDA PROGRAM IN VOJVODINA

ADF is implementing the Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program - a five-year $40 million activity funded by USAID/Serbia - in the Vojvodina region of Serbia. The ADF/CRDA Program is currently operating in 70 communities located in 12 municipalities, which comprise more than half (57%) of the two million population of Vojvodina. It is a civil society program focusing on community development activities to demonstrate the value of citizen participation, to support grass roots democratic action, and to bring immediate improvement of living conditions in communities throughout Serbia.

The ADF/CRDA program has the following objectives:

* Increased citizen participation, especially that of women and minorities, in community development activities;
* Increased inter-community, especially inter-ethnic, cooperation in community development activities;
* Improved social and economic infrastructure;
* Increased income and job opportunities; and
* Improved environmental conditions and practices.

In each local community, the ADF/CRDA Team helps the community to meet together, identify priority needs, and elect an informal, yet representative, Community Development Group (CDG) that will work with ADF/CRDA and other partners to implement projects that address those needs. The ADF/CRDA Program provides financial and technical support for community projects that respond to local needs and contribute to overall program objectives.

Community projects include four main categories: civic participation, infrastructure reconstruction and development, economic development, and environmental protection and awareness. Examples of these projects are the following: renovation and equipping of kindergartens and schools, hospitals/health clinics, and community centers; construction of recreational areas and sports facilities; repair of water and power supply networks; repair of streets/roads; improvement of environmental awareness and protection; organization of farmer cooperatives and associations; assistance to small and medium size enterprises; and support for multi-ethnic cultural programs and civic forums.

In addition to working at the level of individual communities, the ADF/CRDA Program encourages communication, coordination, and joint action between communities to address and resolve issues that are best resolved through inter-community collaboration. Moreover, the ADF/CRDA program integrates CRDA with municipal project planning, budgeting, management, and implementation processes, so that local governments are involved as CRDA partners. ADF/CRDA activities include assisting municipalities in developing economic development strategies and plans to attract investment and promote public-private partnerships. All of the ADF/CRDA Program activities include training and technical assistance to develop citizen participation and organizational capacities in local communities.

As of August 2003, ADF/CRDA funding and technical assistance has been provided to 405 projects in Vojvodina amounting to $23,704,662. This includes $9,063,358 in USAID funding, $11,199,131 in matching from communities and municipalities and $3,442,173 in cost-share resources from international partners.
The ADF/CRDA Program is managed from a regional office in Novi Sad along with field offices in Backa Topola, Becej, Kikinda, Pancevo, Sombor, Subotica, Vrbas, Vrsac, and Zrenjanin.

For more information about the ADF CRDA Program, please visit www.adf.org.yu

VOLUNTEERS FOR SERBIA

The ADF/CRDA Program is particularly interested in recruiting qualified volunteers from the Serbian-American community with an advanced degree and/or extensive experience in a range of areas of expertise as per the enclosed application form. The Volunteers for Serbia Program has two components:

On-Site Volunteer: volunteers in this category will work directly with communities and organizations in Vojvodina. This entails travel to and work in Serbia for a term of at least of 4 weeks and up to 8 weeks - depending on the nature of the assignment - to provide training and technical assistance services. For selected volunteers traveling to Serbia, ADF provides stipends to cover only the cost of travel, lodging, and meals.

Virtual Volunteer: individual volunteers as well as organizations interested in a mentoring relationship with Serbian communities and organizations will be connected virtually via email and organized chat-rooms to exchange their experiences, share advice, and provide guidance on issues ranging from organizational management to technical information related to particular sectors such as agriculture and economic development.

If interested, please submit via email a completed application form along with your resume. Thank you for your interest in the Volunteers for Serbia Program.

Download Application Form at http://www.adfusa.org/volunteers.htm