International Volunteers Project Pakrac Introduction Initiated by the Anti-War Campaign Croatia, in cooperation with the United Nations Office in Vienna, the Pakrac Reconstruction Project has as its aim the physical and social reconstruction of an area devastated by war. This unique peace-building project is part of a larger UN-sponsored Social Reconstruction Project, the goal of which is to reestablish links between the divided Croatian and Serbian Communities which will allow for the eventual resettlement of displaced persons into their original homes. At present there is no contact between the two sides, and apart from UN personnel, only volunteers cross the ceasefire line. The town of Pakrac, located 140 km east of Zagreb, lies west of the United Nations area. The scene of intense fighting from August to November of 1991, the town is today divided into Serbian and majority Croatian sides, the Serbian side being located within the Republic of Serbian Kraijina(RSK). In July of 1993 the first group of international volunteers arrived in Pakrac to begin The Pakrac Reconstruction Project. Since then over 200 volunteers from nineteen countries have come to live and work with the people of Pakrac as they rebuild their city and their lives. In addition to the over 11,000 hours spent cleaning and repairing buildings, the volunteers have contributed some 6000 hours in social activities such as language classes, sports contests, activities for children and a weekly radio show. Most volunteers come for three weeks but many have stayed on longer or returned to continue their work. After they returned home, former volunteers have arranged shipments of humanitarian aid and of safety equipment for local working brigades. Activities The core of the project is the official local work brigades, organised by the town authorities. Volunteers work side by side with local people every day, and have helped clean and repair some 700 buildings in and around the town. Although such physical work will continue to be the cornerstone of the project, the number and scope of social activities in which volunteers are involved has expanded greatly. Currently these activities include: Alternative Working Brigades: these are arranged by local men in conjunction with the volunteers. Presently we are helping to rebuild homes for another eight families who do not meet the criteria of the official working brigades. Money for many of the building materials is provided by United Nations Office Vienna (UNOV) Community Work: visits to isolated or older people in the community, offering support and minor repair work. Ex-volunteers have provided a small budget for tools and firewood, and as with the Alternative Brigades, UNOV provides some money for materials. Youth Development: volunteers have opened a youth club and offer a variety of workshops and activities designed to respond in positive way to the psychological and social needs of the young people affected by war in Pakrac. The programme has many aspects, is partly funded by UNOV, and run in conjunction with the local secondary school. Education for Peace & Participation Programme: an ongoing programme of training workshops for local teachers and older students on topics such as: nonviolent conflict resolution; communication skills; participative learning; health-AIDS-alcoholism; confidence and trust building; innovations in teaching methodology; democratic school systems; creativity. Womens Group: starting up a women's group was of the first initiatives. It is now a more or less independent group, with a variety of activities including a sewing project, the distribution of humanitarian aid, and establishing a laundry. Children's Activities: these take place twice a week and consist of different kinds of games and workshops. Computers & Email: a computer network has been established at the local secondary school and email used to offer intercontinental classroom links. It is planned to set up a central Email system in Pakrac itself, and to provide computers, modems and email training to many more schools and organisations in the region. English Teaching: both short and long term volunteers are involved in providing English language classes for local youth and adults. Radio Daruvar: each week the volunteers have their own one hour show on the local radio to entertain and explain who are and what we are doing. VIP & Kako Si?: every three weeks the Pakrac office produces "VIP", Volunteer Information Project, an email newsletter aimed at past and prospective volunteers. "Kako Si?" is the bimonthly magazine feedback from readers, donors, ex-volunteers and other projects. Final remarks The division of Pakrac has had a devastating effect on the area. A return to normal everyday life, rebuilding the economy, repairing homes, etc., is crucial to keeping the peace and planting seeds for democracy and respect for human rights. For many citizens in Pakrac, the psychological traumas caused by war and division have created a climate of despair in which there is little hope for future. This attitude makes the work of normalisation even more challenging. This is the project's main aim, to help reestablish hope in the future, and slowly begin to reopen communication between the conflicting parties. Hopefully this will aid the process of reconciliation. The way the project promotes this aim is by its reconstruction work, both on actual buildings as well as the social fabric. The manual work on the building sites is very important in gaining respect, trust and friendship among the people of Pakrac. The volunteers are not only contributing with their physical help and social activities. Volunteers are helping to increase the awareness and understanding of different cultures. The volunteers gain awareness and understanding of the crisis in the former Yugoslavia and skills in community and peace building. It is the project's hope that this information will taken back to the volunteer's home countries in order to be shared with interested parties. The Project's expectations are realistic and the limitations of the local situation are not ignored. However, there are visible signs of progress in the town. Houses are occupied, gardening as well as farming is taking place, several shops, bars and cafes have reopened, and volunteers have played a direct role in much of this. The project is not the sole agent of reconstruction in Pakrac, yet the effect of the volunteers has been positive and profound. The Project welcomes the involvement and assistance of individuals and groups from around the world. Technical, material and finance assistance are needed both by the Project and by local groups in areas such as education, environment and health. More detailed information on the Project and possibilities for cooperation is available from the International Volunteers Project Pakrac, Hrvatski Velikana 11, 1st Floor, 45550 Pakrac, Croatia. Tel/Fax: +385 (0) 348 3435; Email:Pakrac_da@zamir-zg.ztn.zer.de. from the nonviolent.action conference