Dam-daš
The “Dam-daš: volunteers in action” project was our innovative response to the global recession and an action against the crisis. It was held for the first time in 2009 and its goal is to acquire new and develop existing skills in the world of ideas and information. The Poreč City Library has recognized its citizens as important partners who know and want to exchange their knowledge, as well as skills and affinities with other citizens. Thus, series of free courses and workshops were organized during three months in cooperation with library users. This is a common denominator for a number of activities in the field of lifelong learning that have been implemented for the tenth year. It is based on the professional support of the Library as a volunteer organization where citizens play an active role in the process of informal education through a series of workshops on a volunteer basis. Knowledge and skills are transmitted through lectures and workshops aiming at lifelong learning, active leisure time and widening awareness of the benefits that volunteering brings, both for the community and for the individual in the network of volunteers.
All workshop leaders are handed out a volunteer booklet in accordance with the Law on Volunteering to regulate the legal status of all people involved in the organized volunteering.
In 2012, the project was funded by the Foundation for Promoting Partnership and Civil Society Development. Over the years, the Dam-daš project has gathered over 200 workshops and courses attended by over 4000 fellow citizens. The objectives of the project are fulfilled: active participation of citizens, public awareness of the importance of volunteering, communication of citizens and institutions in culture, awareness of the importance of lifelong learning and education, informal education of all participants and creation of a volunteer network.
What is important to point out as a result of this project is its development and propagation; business entities have joined and contributed with their knowledge and experience in getting acquainted with different economic and tourist opportunities. Some workshops have opened a new door to various new cooperations and activities in the area of our City, and some have become a starting point for new ideas and realizations. We can proudly point out that our project has been recognized beyond the borders of our peninsula so professional lecturers from other parts of the country and abroad have joined.
