2001 Activities

December 2001

• DESA with help from the local community, organized its traditional humanitarian action to cheer up children from Vukovar with more then 5 tons of sweet products
• DESA organized a press conference "Srebrenica and Vukovar-paradigms of suffer". In this press conference, guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina's' branch of "Association of endangered nations" and from "Association of Vukovars' mothers"
  
• International volunteer day was celebrated thanks to the city of Dubrovnik and DESA, in a pleasant atmosphere with a number of volunteers from a different associations in Dubrovnik region
  
• Perfect Christmass presents included DESA's products like foods made from old traditional recipies and handcrafted embroidery and patchwork pieces.
• Together with the "Croatian humanitarian network" DESA presented itself in Zagreb on traditional "Days of associations"
  
• 12.12.2001. elective conference took place
  
• DESA organized a patchwork workshop for friends from "Otvoreno Sveuciliste IvanicGrad"

November 2001

• DESA likes to help young unknown poets, so it organized a poetry night where two young poets presented their poetry-Sanja Divanovic, member of DESA's branch in Slano and Stanko Krnic
  
• DESA, in cooperation with an "Association for private entrepreneurship development in Dalmatia", organized two seminars for private enterpreneurs
  
• DESA starts 2002 with a big project "Woman economic strength using local resources", which is sent to the Goverement of Croatia, Office for Associations, Zagreb.

October 2001

• DESA participated on Days of volunteers of Zagreb county in InvanicGrad, embroidery from Konalve region and patchwork workshops were presented, all participants were entertained by DESA's female singing group Mljecke
  
• European House from Klagenfurt, Austria visited DESA
  
• Representatives from Europa Nostra visited DESA
  
• Peace organization from Japan, Peace Boat, visited Dubrovnik and DESA
  
• DESA participated in a conference regarding the return of refugees in Fojnica, BIH, in organization of Ecovast

September 2001

• DESA exhibits women's handcrafs at the Zagreb Autumn Fair, in cooperation with the Croatian Humanitarian Network.
• DESA organizes a visit to the Bay of Kotor, St. Stefan, Budva and Tivat and meets Montenegrian Women Association representatives along with Europe House Tivat members. Future common activities discussed and agreed upon.
• DESA participates in the seminar "Expansion of the EU and the Croatian Perspectives", hosted by Europe House Klagenfurt, from September 12 - 16.
• Father Klaus Schmidt from Idstein, Germany re-visited DESA and delivered a donation on behalf of his parish.
• On September 17, DESA initiated autumn/winter educational cycle, with specially designed projects for unemployed women. The courses welcomed 350 new participants.
  

August 2001

• DESA hosted Marie Dugrain, a volunteer from France, on the reccomendation of the CCFD, DESA's french partner. During her three week stay Marie worked with women and children.
• DESA was re-visited by its long-time friend and honoured member Magdalene Hoffman from Husum, Germany.

July 2001

• DESA participated in the "Mediterranean Women's Forum" conference, held in Dubrovnik from July 01 - 03, and hosted 50 women-participants from Mediterranean countries, presenting them with DESA's educational centre activities. On this occassion DESA was visited by the director of the UNESCO program for promotion of the quality of women's life in the Mediterranean, Mrs. Vassyla Tamzali.
• DESA organized an art exhibition of Dan Stefan, an acknowledged French woman-painter, in cooperation with the French Cultural Institute from Zagreb and French - Croatian Friendship Society from Dubrovnik, from July 11 - 28.
• Mrs Gerhild Frasch, DESA's honoured member and over many years the executive secretary of "Evangelische Frauenarbeit", women's organization from Germany, visited DESA and praised to development of DESA's activities

June 2001

• To celebrate World Ecological Day, on the fifth of June, DESA held a series of presentations and events.
• DESA invited lecturers on various ecological subjects, invited members and the public on an expedition to Lokrum. The week culminated with an event featuring the women's singing group Mljecke and the Trio Galerija.
• DESA participated in a retreat for children from Sarajevo in cooperation with the organization Phoenix.
• DESA hosted several visiting groups: World Learning Program from Washington and a group of women from Haifa, Israel.

May 2001

• DESA launches its new project on Occupational Training: Skills for the Modern Economy for women from the Dubrovnik region. The project included free workshops for the unemployed, classes in computers, languages and craft revitalization.
• DESA organized and participated in a seminar with CCFD- DESA's most important French partner in Dubrovnik from May 10-14. The seminar involved thirty representatives from around Central and Eastern Europe, discussing activities and areas of development.
• DESA organized a communication workshop for professional women from Dubrovnik, sponsored by Ecumenical Women's Fund of Solidarity from Geneva. The workshop's coordinator was Tamara Mihelic from Zagreb.

April 2001

• DESA organized an Easter workshop of palm weaving and egg painting.
• DESA invited women from an organization "Kirchen Kreis" from Husum, Germany.
• DESA organized a free ten day conversational workshop of English language, for her members and all interested people from the local community with the help of a friend and honorary member from America, Joy Crouch. Joy designed this project with American friends Mary Wilmack and Bobby Bertram.

March 2001

• By the beginning of the month, all new educational courses were announced.
• DESA celebrated International Women's Day with a visit from the guitarist Mario Golubovic and the women's singing group Mljecke and also with a music group called Atlantis.
• DESA participated in a public forum organized by the GONG, an organization of citizens observing the electoral process.
• DESA established a branch office in Slano with 20 members.

February 2001

• DESA organizes a party for members of the Mljet island club, with a performance by DESA's own singing group, Mljecke.
• DESA participates in a seminar "Law and Financial Business of NGO's," organized by the Academy Modern in Zagreb.
• DESA participates in the seminar including young people in the work of NGOs, organized by the Europe House Dubrovnik.
• On St. Valentines Day, DESA organized an evening of love poetry with a local poet, Luko Paljetak, as the distinguished guest.
• Participants who finished the course of Italian and English, as well as sewing and weaving, received diplomas.

January 2001

• DESA organizes a New Years event with a lottery.
• DESA offers help to Croatian Brotherhood of Bokelj Navy 809, regarding their social events.
• DESA continually organizes computer courses.
• On January 23, 2001, DESA held its annual conference for the year 2000.