The Summer 2008 marked the seventh edition of this 10 days intensive program; it attracted 50 students from across Eastern Europe to Kragujevac, Serbia, on July 5 - 14, 2008. The Youth Organizing Institute wants to encourage and empower active agents of democracy in the extended balkan region - the so called region of transformation.

Under the leadership of experienced local and international community organizers, participants will spend one week developing the personal knowledge and skills necessary for them to view their environments critically and be responsibly active for democratic values - work against racism and exclusion - enabling them to build civil society in their communities and support each other across the communities in a network of decisively dynamic young people.

The program represents an initiative between the Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center and the University of Bologna, Faculty of Law.

The Youth Organizing Institute is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions and the Central European Initiative, based in Trieste (Italy).