Municipality

Novi Sad

Community

Cluster Vojvodina

Title

Building Capacity of Exit Music Festival

Problem

The youth of Serbia have been exposed to nationalistic and xenophobic campaigns in the last decade and isolated by the embargo. Hope and confidence need to be restored in the youth of Serbia and bolster their relationships and contacts with others in the region.

Solution

Support building the capacity of the Exit Music Festival, which is a music extravaganza held in Novi Sad attracting Serbia's youth and other youth from throughout South Eastern Europe. At the music festival, hold seminars and workshops on environment, youth issues citizen participation and other topics to mobilize youth involvement, motivation, and activism. Develop capacity of Exit Music Festival organization to carry out youth program activities on ongoing basis throughout the year.

Impact

The Exit Music Festival was a huge success attracting 150,000 youth from Serbia and throughout the region. The festival organized by Serbia's youth brought positive recognition to Novi Sad and Vojvodina as a welcoming venue for such activities. In addition to enriching the cultural and social life of youth in Serbia and their relationships with others in South Eastern Europe, the Festival successfully promoted tolerance, democracy, multiculturalism, human rights, and protection of the environment. Also, the capacity of the Exit Music Festival organization was enhanced to carry out youth activities on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Beneficiaries

50,000

USAID Funds

75,418

Community and Other Contribution

$316,001