Minister without portfolio in charge of relations with the diaspora, Đorđe Milićević, stated yesterday that 15 local governments had won the competition for organizing summer camp programs, including the city of Kraljevo, where the camp would host more than 300 Serbian children from 10 countries.

‘Kraljevo is a city of sports in every sense, especially in terms of sports infrastructure. Sports are also education, culture, upbringing and fair play, everything that our children need, and in addition, they will build bridges of friendship among themselves. They will have workshops dedicated to the symbols of our people, which are our language, Cyrillic script, culture, history, tradition and identity,’ Milićević said.

The Minister notes that such camps are now a tradition, considering that they are being organized for the fifth year in a row. ‘Last year, we had 5,000 children in these camps. This year, there are fewer camps, but we will have slightly more children. We want them to get to know the interior of Serbia, our natural blessings, because we know that they will love Serbia more that way,’ said Milićević.

He expressed his belief that these children would complete their education in the countries where they currently live, and that it was important to maintain two-way communication. ‘So that when they decide on their professional path, they can use their knowledge and experience right here in Serbia. That is why we must be ready to drive them and to initiate such programs that concern the youth, who represent a serious part of Serbia’s future,’ said Milićević.

Summer camps are programs implemented by the Serbian Government together with local governments throughout Serbia, with the aim of helping young people of Serbian origin living abroad to better understand Serbia, its language, culture and traditions. The camps will be held in late July and early August throughout Serbia, and the themes will be divided into three groups – eco-camp, sports camp and gathering of cultural and artistic societies.

Source and photo: Politika