Let's Preserve Cultural Heritage: Volunteers from Italy Cleaned Počitelj, Locals Did Not Join the Action

AdriaticGreeNet (International Network of Non-Governmental and Non-Profit Organizations) based in Monfalcone (Italy) and UNESCO Club from Udine (member of the Italian National Federation of UNESCO Clubs) have been organizing the self-financed project "I Care for..." since 2011, reports the Patria News Agency.

This project includes the implementation of international volunteer camps in several small towns with specific historical, cultural, and natural values in four different countries (BiH, Croatia, Italy, and Serbia). The basic message is that these places are very important for a better understanding of our common European cultural heritage and deserve to be declared UNESCO World Cultural Heritage or are already under UNESCO protection.

All international volunteer camps have received high patronage from the National Commissions of UNESCO of their respective countries, and the "I Care for..." project itself has the patronage of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe.

-Our desire was to provide an opportunity for interested volunteers to get to know these small places (largely unknown to the general public as they are off the "main tourist routes") by holding volunteer camps, and through their work, make a small contribution to preserving the cultural and natural heritage as our common European heritage, in cooperation with local partner associations, civil society organizations, and local residents, and with the support of local authorities, AdriaticGreeNet stated.

The volunteer camp project is completely self-financed thanks to the participation fee paid by each participant in the amount of 250 euros, which covers the costs of accommodation, food, insurance, etc.

Since the beginning of the project in 2011, when Adriatic GreeNet organized the first international volunteer camp in Počitelj, several concrete work activities have been carried out, which also involved the local population.

During the camp in Počitelj, the main tower and stone paths in the old town were cleaned of garbage and unnecessary vegetation, as was the bank of the Neretva River and the neglected promenade in Počitelj.

Unfortunately, this year the residents of Počitelj did not actively participate in the camp's work. Only three of them assisted the volunteers, including Šemsa Gavrankapetanović, an academic painter living in Belgrade.

The volunteers expanded their knowledge of Počitelj and neighboring places, visited Mostar, Blagaj, the monastery in Žitomislići, Stolac, Gabela, Hutovo Blato Nature Park, the Trebižat River, Kravica...

Seven Camps and 93 Volunteers

So far, seven volunteer camps have been organized in Počitelj, with 93 volunteers participating. Two cleaning actions were carried out this year.