Sectors	Regional and territorial cooperation
EU Acquis Chapters	Other issues
EU funds	28 588 €
Implementation period	2013 - 2024
Categories	Civil society;  Gender ;  Climate action ;  Digital (Mouse hover to see significance)

The Project seeks to specifically target the issues of ethnic, religious and national prejudices which inhibit the development of social cohesion in the cross-border area. The Project will create an opportunity for citizens from the border area to meet through creative activities at community level. Planned activities will include inter-active events and will seek to avoid rhetoric but speak through innovative visual and audio stimulus, boldly presenting the wealth of diversity as a vital component of social cohesion. A public call will be issued through existing networks inviting women artists in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina to use visual and creative means to express their understanding of “common values – women and diversity”. The selected works will be exhibited in public spaces in Livno and Omiš. These public spaces will in turn host interactive workshops with members of the communities. Within this creative and secure environment other topics will be raised such as themes of “common values in building social cohesion”, “diversity as a communication tool”, “women’s entrepreneurship”, “eco-tourism in rural cross-border areas”…

The project planned to identify common values and understanding as a basis for future joint cooperation between women in the border area. This result was achieved through the organisation of the Cross-border Conference "Bridging Diversity" which took place from 4-6.4.2014 in Omiš, Croatia. 38 women from grassroots women-led NGOs in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia benefitted from the participation which addressed the following central themes: i) women and grassroots peace processes: mobility and exchange; ii) cross-border cooperation: an opportunity for intercultural dialogue; iii) creative partnerships: a step towards sustainability. 2 cross-border alliances are initiated between Conference participants representing women-led NGOs and two new cross-border project ideas were developed. The ten interactive community workshops and the one cross-border conference, again, addressed the transfer of experience, expertise and vision between women in NGOs. The exchange occurred between participants who were from different states and backgrounds. With view to stimulate the communities in the border area to explore ways in which prejudices and negative assumptions can be addressed, the project activities provided the platform for interactions at the cross-border exhibition, concerts and NGO fair Two concerts were successfully realised with just over 500 people attending. The exhibition of 30 works was realised and was viewed in two venues – Livno and Omiš, and then additionally in Knin, with estimated 1,350 visitors. The project organised an NGO Fair with 17 participating NGOs, represented by 54 women activists from the cross-border area.