CHF Director Zdeslav Milas visited the participants and leaders of the Eco Heritage Task Force and discussed with young people their experiences, ties with Croatia and possibilities of return.
This year, for the first time, the Croatian Heritage Foundation is implementing its Eco Heritage Task Force in Lika-Senj County, in Gospić, where CHF Director Zdeslav Milas visited the participants and program leaders. The program has run since 1992, and more than a thousand young emigrants from around the world have participated, many of them returning to Croatia. On this occasion, he attended a culinary and language workshop and spoke with participants about their experiences, motivation, and ties to Croatia.
The program is intended for young people of Croatian descent from the diaspora aged 18 to 32. This year’s edition brought together 25 participants from Latin America, the United States, and Western Europe, who spent the program’s 14 days learning the Croatian language and getting to know the natural and cultural heritage and everyday life of their ancestors’ homeland.
Another key goal, in addition to getting to know Croatia, is organizing an ecological work camp where young people clear and clean sites, contributing to the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. At the same time, the program aims to encourage young Croats from the diaspora and their descendants to seriously consider the possibility of living, working and returning to Croatia.
That is why the fact that three returnees are participating in the program this year is particularly encouraging, while two more participants decided to stay to live in Croatia. One participant arrived with a one-way ticket, confirming that for many, the Eco Heritage Task Force is the first step toward a permanent return to their homeland.
Sara Marđetko, Senior Advisor in the CHF’s Program Unit, leads the program; Tomislav Jelić leads the culinary component, bringing participants closer to the richness of traditional Croatian cuisine through his workshops. Viktorija Vidović leads the language workshop; Jurica Žibek oversees social media and technical support, and Danijel Kapac assists participants.
Director Zdeslav Milas’s visit was an opportunity to discuss the further development of the program that successfully connects the preservation of Croatian heritage, sustainability and strengthening the ties of young people from the diaspora with their homeland.
Text and photo: CHF
