December 2002

• DESA contributes in humanitarian event resulting in purchase of medical equipment for prevention of breast cancer.

• Upon invitation, DESA and Office for NGOs representatives meet in London to finalize the VolontEurope workshop/conference in Dubrovnik, in 2003.

• DESA celebrates international Volunteer's Day by all-day promotion of NGOs from Dubrovnik - Neretva County.

• DESA gives traditional Christmas fair, presenting original sweets and products with our local character.

November 2002

• DESA presents its activities and projects to students of Dubrovnik Polytechnics and seeks for  potential volunteers among students' population.

• DESA celebrates the Month of Reading by poetry evening, introducing new book of poems by Sanja Gjivović, accompanied by traditional music and dance from Slano (nearby village).

• DESA organizes humanitarian action that has become tradition: St. Nicholas Day's donations for children of Vukovar (contribution in sweets and mediterranean fruits).

October 2002.

• 4 - 5 Oct, DESA continues work with CERANEO on strenghtening of civil society organizations in  decentralisation of social politics, held in Novi Vinodolski as third workshop in this project
• 11 - 13 Oct, Dubrovnik, DESA's Chapter of Slano presents its activities while attending the University Women of Europe Conference
• 18 - 20 Oct, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina,  DESA participates in International Workshop/Exhibition of old skills - making nad creating of textile items: forgoten knowledge, similarities and differences, motives that are dissapearing. As a part of its workshop in Sarajevo, DESA presented pulling out of silkworm threads, Island of Mljet embroidery, Konavle national costume as well as patchwork items.
• 17.-20 Oct, upon invitation from the Croatian Government - Office for NGOs, DESA participates in 11th European Workshop on Volunteer Action in Lisbon, Portugal.
• On Oct 15, Princess Sayako of Japan has visited Dubrovnik. DESA was a part of that visit.   The Princess has been introduced to our activities as well as to manufacturing of traditional garments out of silk. We are flaterred by this visit and Princess's open admiration of our work.

• September  2002.

   

• 11 Sept, DESA is visited by a delegation of women - wives of the participants of the European comission conference in Dubrovnik
• 14 Sept, DESA participates in the regional meeting of Women's Network Croatia in Split
• 20 Sept, DESA participates in the regional meeting for non-profit organisations in educational activities, organised by Government of Croatia - Office for NGOs in Split
• 20 - 22. Sept, Split, DESA participates in a workshop  «Creating of equal opportunities for women in Croatia» organised by «Stope Nade», Split and Active Learning Centre, Glasgow, UK
• 17 - 25 Sept 2002, DESA participates in a workshop  «Living Environment - The Art of Living», in Gornja Lastva, Montenegro, upon invitation of NGO «Napredak» and Cetinski Bijenale.
• DESA starts its new educational cycle with foreign language courses (English, German, Italian, French), courses in sewing and traditional crafts, and, of course, PC courses
• 27 Sept, DESA participates in STARR Network of World Learning meeeting in Zagreb in order to devise new methods and strategies for economic empowerment of women.
• 28, 29 Sept, Dubrovnik,  DESA participates in Southern Adriatic Transfroniter Cooperation Forum organised by EastWest Institute

July 2002

• DEŠA co-organizes, in co-operation with International Association FENIX, a summer camp for children on the island of Mljet in duration from June 26 to July 07. The summer camp co-ordinator and a professional story-teller, Mrs. Michaela Sauber has managed to organize this activity, with DEŠA's help, for the second time successfully. Children - participants in the summer camp this year were originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Germany. Ten days program was organized around story-telling, relating myths about Ulysses to legends from the island.
• July, 3 - 5, 2002: DEŠA's working seminar "Institutionalization of Civil Society" has offered participation to 10 representatives of NGOs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia. Seminar offered training in values, norms and institutions of civil society as well as its potentials in the processes of political and economic transition in Southeastern Europe. The work of this seminar has been co-sponsored by Ecumenical Women's Solidarity Fund, Omiš, Croatia, OSCE - Croatia and CCFD, Paris, France.

June 2002

• DESA participates in the work of the Round table "Tourism and SME development in the border regions of Croatia, Montenegro and BiH", organized by the EASTWEST INSTITUTE on 3 June 2002 and gives the Power Point presentation of its activities.
• DESA hosts PEACE BOAT students and staff, on its annual visit to Dubrovnik, as a part of peace-promoting cruise.
• DESA participates in the first of the five workshop series on the "Empowerment of civil society organizations", given by CERANEO (Center for development of non-profit organizations) from June 7 - 8, 2002, in Stubièke Toplice.
• DESA participates in the working conference "The Alchemy of Peacebuilding", the third in a row, organized in Cavtat by the PRAXIS PEACE INSTITUTE from San Francisco.
• DESA inititates the opening of the Tourist market (Souvenir Market) in Lazareti, in co-operation with Tourist Board of Dubrovnik and "Sanitat" communal services, in its effort to stimulate women's entrepreneurship in tourism.
• DESA's Patchwork Club exhibits its decorative works in patchwork technique: bedspreads, covers and decorative items in Ranjina Pallace, Old City, from 20 - 24 June, 2002.
• DEŠA participates in the elective convention of European House Dubrovnik

May 2002

• From May 12th - 19th 2002 DESA participated in the Europa Nostra conference concerning the preservation and promotion of European heritage.
• From May 19th - 21st 2002 DESA participated in the "Sustainable Development" workshop which was organized by ECOVAST of Austria and was held on the island of Mljet.

April 2002

• On April 3rd through 7th DESA participated in the "Being a Woman in Europe - dream or nightmare?" conference which was organized by the European House NGO of Graz.
  
• Taking what we have learned from the "Women's entrepreneurship in tourism" seminar, DESA published a manual which will serve as a reference and guide for women who are striving to realize their own entrepreneurial endeavours and enter the modern business world. The guide's mainly focuses on Tourism since it is the most important industry in the economy of our region.
  
• For Earth Day DESA organized a visit to school children on the island of Mljet who participated in various activities to celebrate the day.
  
• On April 28th DESA participated in the Marco Polo Festival held on the island of Korčula.

March 2002

• DESA organized sewing and tailoring courses; foreign language classes in English, French, and German; and a patchwork workshop.
  
• DESA traditionally celebrates The International Day of Women with a women's poety night. This year's celebration was moderated by prof. Marija Nadilo and featured performances by local poets including, Mirjana Klinac, Katija Brautovic and Sanja Divovic. These performances all included accompaniement by the famous Dubrovnik musician Antun Tota Rilovic.
  
• As in past years DESA has organized palm weaving and egg painting workshops featuring century old techniques and traditions. Through these kinds of workshops DESA strives to reinvigorate old traditions while bringing the community together.
  
• In collaberation with the Zagreb based "World Learning Star Network," DESA held a workshop and seminar titled "Women's Entrepreneurship in Tourism." The aim of this event was to encourage women to undergoe their own entrepreneurial endeavors by providing practical advice as well as financial resources.
  
• On March 28, 2002 DESA organized a meeting of its working group (9 individuals including representatives from local government and economic institutions from the city and county of Dubrovnik). At the conclusion of this meeting, the group announced the three projects that will recieve a non-refundable financial stipend to begin their entrepeneurial endeavors.

February 2002

• In collaboration with the Office for social activities of the city of Dubrovnik, DESA organized the "Communication for a Healthy Community" workshop which was held on 2/21/02. This workshop was organized with the cooperation of the Ecumenical peace initiative from Zagreb and the Ecumenical Women Solidarity Fund from Omiš. The goal of this workshop was to develop lines of communication among individuals, NGO's and government institutions that were all in attendance.

January 2002

• DESA issued its annual Newsletter and sent it to all of our friends and donors.