Nino Žganec, Anneke Touwen, Mirela Despotović, Hay van der Sterren, Ana
Miljenović
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, Department of Social Work, Croatia, nzganec@pravo.hr
ATConsult, Netherlands; anne.touwen@atconsult.antenna.nl
Center for Civil Initiatives, Zagreb, Croatia; mirela@cci.hr
HAN University, Netherlands; Hay.vanderSterren@han.nl
Social Action in Europe : Sustainable Social Development and Economic Challenges
Conference : Brussels 10 - 13 April 2011

• Destruction of:
– Human lives
– Cities
– Sense of community
• Deterioration of:
– Social services quality

• Mitigation of consequences of war
• Orientation to basic needs
• Reduction of professional activities

• The need for restoration of modern social services
• Emphasis on psychosocial approach (social casework, SW with groups)
• Lack of community work
• Changes in education of social workers in
Croatia

• Joint project titled: Community
Development Work in Croatia, education for students and professionals in social work (2009-
2011)
• Three partners: HAN University,
Netherlands, University of Zagreb,
Croatia and Center for Civil Initiatives,
Croatia – Matra project (grant of the
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• The project goal: to stimulate community empowerment and citizen's participation in Croatia by building up professional capacity for community development work

• A) To improve the education in gender-sensitive community development work in the Social Work Study
Centre of the University of Zagreb, through the development of a curriculum community development work for MA studies and extending the curriculum for students at BA level with new theory and methodologies.
• B) To provide further education in community development work to professional social workers and the development of a summer school to provide this education also in the future.
• C) To develop a new practice in community development work in pilot projects, in two Croatian cities - Karlovac and
Petrinja, and through this provide practice experience for students and professionals.

• Significant changes introduced in curriculum of social work education (new literature, new teaching methods, gender sensitivity, transfer of practice and knowledge, new postgraduate program, new summer school)
• New practice in community development work in pilot projects, in two Croatian cities
- Karlovac and Petrinja

•
•
• provided further education in community development for professional social workers and community leaders
- developed new practice in community development work in two pilot projects in two towns in Croatia (Karlovac, Petrinja)
- students and professionals provided with practical experience in two pilots (best practices)

• 10 three-day training in different topics of community development work for CCI staff and professional social workers
• provided training in CD work to community leaders (40 members of working groups)
• CCI staff were trained in leadership training and provided training to womencommunity leaders in both pilot areas (30 women)

• Petrinja
• Aim: To decrease tensions among different cultural groups
• Activities:
• Sport tournaments
• Neighbours´ Day
• Building community center
• Cleaning actions in neighborhood
• Karlovac
• Aim: To improve urban environment of a district
• Activities:
• Rebuilding of basketball terrain
• Youth Assisting Elderly in everyday activities
• Raising funds for kindergarten fence

Petrinja – a future community center
A joint action of citizens, businesses and authorities needs to be in place to complete the building

Completed community center in another town (Gvozd)
......... In order to become a joint gathering facility in a community.

• What are the prerequisites for strenghtening of community work?
• What role has CD as tool in local social policy?
• What is the role of legislation?
• Possible international partnership?
• Differences in CD between “east” and “west”
• Student exchange?
• Importance for social work?