LIEPÂJA YOUTH CENTRE

On June 16, Liepâja Youth Centre - one of the municipal non-profit organizations - will celebrate its 5 th anniversary. The Centre has been established as a bilateral project on the initiative and with the support of Nynäshamn.

At the beginning the main goals were to increase health status among young people through information about health and health-related issues with a focus on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention, relationships, raising selfesteem, giving psychological support.

During this project there had been organized exchanges of trainers/ facilitators, teachers, youth volunteers, youth workers between the participating organizations from Liepâja, Nynäshamn and London Borough of Brent, which joined the project in 1997.

Also educational summer camps have been organized for young people from Latvia, Sweden and England. Social contacts, learning about cultural differences and a possibility to practice English language gave important contribution for the youth from the Centre.

One very important experience was participation in International Youth Conference in Brussels in 1997. It was a first step for the Centre of going into youth politics. This gave knowledge of youth after-school activities in Europe and gave a possibility to determine common problems and the differences.

The bilateral project between Nynäshamn and Liepâja ended in autumn, 1999. However, Liepâja Youth Centre is still living and developing step by step -trying to take an active role in youth politics in the city. Liepâja Youth Centre, together with a non-governmental organization "Youth School of Democracy", is trying to establish youth organization network for non-governmental youth organizations to offer a bigger range of after-school activities in the city.

Since its opening Youth Centre has been a popular meeting place. Now due to the initiative of young people the centre has increased its activities and now it offers many different topics for lectures and discussions, support for youth in projects and it gives a possibility to join a youth club with discussion groups, workshops, psychological support groups, youth volunteer education, and other activities.

Liepâja Youth Centre and all other youth institutions in Liepaja city are open for an International cooperation and experience exchange.