Mission

Development and creation of cultural and tourist potentials through the promotion of civilian activism and self-realization, with the aim to improve the living conditions and to create healthy surrounding for the young people.

Objectives

• Development of the urban culture
• Improvement of the local art scene
• Promotion of civilian activism and self-realization
• Development of sustainable and cultural tourism
• Sustainable development of the local and wider community

Organization structure

• Assembly as the highest instance
• Assembly's organs
• President
• Director

Organization Description

URUK is a relatively young organization (it has started with its activities in February, 2004, and it has been registered since July 2005), however, it is made of experienced individuals that have been making impact to the cultural and NGO life of Banja Luka and wider area through their work in other organizations and projects from the previous periods until today. The primarily reason for the foundation of URUK is the lack of adequate framework for initiating the urban culture mechanism and cooperation with similar organizations in Europe that we have had contacts before. Thanks to the mentioned contribution of individuals from URUK, the organization has gained trust and support of independent and urban artists, activists and organizations in Banja Luka and the wider area.

Officially, we have 54 members, but the number of associates and friends that work together with us is much higher.

The proof of that is the fact that URUK is currently the responsible and activities carrier organization of the international network for the unlimited cultural exchange WIRED ( www.wired-culture.org , which is made of abt. 25 cultural organizations form the Balkans and Denmark), with all the financial and reporting responsibilities entrusted to URUK by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DMFA), i.e. their Neighborhood program, which is the main financer of the Networks' activities. In addition, URUK is the carrier of two biggest projects that will be realized by the Network in this year.

The first project is the foundation of the umbrella culture organization on the level of the Balkans – BRC, which will be founded by 2 5 organizations from the Balkans, with the central office most probably in Banja Luka (in relation to that the City Administration gave their support in principle for solving the issue of office space for BRC).

The second project is the youth's peace music festival NEOFEST '06 that will be held in Banja Luka , in June 2006. Three days at three stages, different artists from different countries will create atractive program which will together with NGO Square, send strong and loud massage of peace to Balkan and all world.

Presently, the major music project of URUK is also in the realization process, the project of developing a music product called SOPOT (etymology – Old Slavic Language). The project is currently in the phase of the material preparation that will be recorded in Lion , France , in April; thanks to cooperation with the renowned music house Jarring Effects (http://jarringeffects.free.fr) that has been working since 2003. The significance of this project is that it will also represent a pioneering presentation of our music scene in the area of the EU, since that would be the first completely domestic product, produced and published in the EU.

In addition, besides the above-mentioned, URUK has been participating in the following projects:

• Reorganization of Banja Luka Youth Council (Savjet omladine Banja Luke – SOBL)
• Development of the youth policy for BL in cooperation with OSRS,
• Organization of the program for the summer of culture in BL, in cooperation with the City Administration and PROTOK organization.
• Initiation of exhibitions and educational workshops in cooperation with PROTOK organization.
• Training sessions for financial management of the umbrella organizations with NCG,
• Impact Indicators and Performance Strategy Interventions Trainings with NCG,
• Participation in the work and development of the joint platform of seven NGO networks from the area of the Balkans – Twinning Platform, with the main office in Sarajevo
• Cooperation with Digital Culture on the preparation of Trenchtown Festival in Subotica ,
• Preparation of the Balkan Rock Council General Assembly
• Educational workshops for the sound engineering in cooperation with ALTERART FROM Travnik,
• Promotion of own graphic design studio – Centar Studio.

Realized Activities:

•  Mobile festival BMF 2004 (9 cities of the Balkans)

•  Next Stop Project at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark (second largest in Europe )

•  Express Festival 2005 (7 cities of the Balkans) and participation at Exit Festival 2005

•  Music projects – Slavenski and Dzabukosanegras – 2004 and 2005

•  Reflex – Wired Network Assembly – 2004 and 2005

•  DJ School for girls – 2005

•  Banja Luka City Guide 2005 publication

•  Culture and Tourism Manifestation as Development Factor 2005 publication

•  Banja Luka – Extreme Sports 2004 publication (in cooperation with MIBL, MTTRS)

•  Banja Luka and Vrbas publication (in cooperation with MIBL, MITTRS)

•  Banja Luka Nature 2005 publication (In cooperation with MIBL and IOCC)

•  Kozara Ethno 2005 publication (in cooperation with TOBL and KUD Piskavica)

•  National Park Kozara 2005 publication (in cooperation with TOBL an NP Kozara)

•  Seminar for Capacity Building 2005

•  Forming of the joint sustainability platform (Twinning Platform) with the representatives of six other youth networks in South-East Europe .

•  Network Management Seminar Sarajevo 2005

•  Financial managment training Sarajevo Januar 2006

•  Training for using of impact indicators Bitola March 2006

•  Balkan Rock Council board meeting, April 2006

•  Premeeting of NEOFEST, April 2006

•  General Assambly of Balkan Rock Council, April 2006

•  Wired Reflex Project, April 2006

Action Plan oF the Organization for 2006

• The foundation of the umbrella culture organization on the level of the Balkans – BRC , which will be founded by 28 organizations from the Balkans, with the central office most probably in Banja Luka (in relation to that the City Administration gave their support in principle for solving the issue of office space for BRC). Goal: positioning of Banja Luka as the regional cultural centre.
• The youth's peace music festival NEOFEST '06 that will be held in Banja Luka , in June 2006. Goal: establishing the annual music festival for the youth that would have international and peace-promoting character .
• Hosting of EYFA Cultural Caravan in Banja Luka Goal: To bring new values in city cultural life together with new knowledge in cooperation with leading Europian youth cultural organizations
• Project of developing a music product called SOPOT (“source” in Old Slavic Language), by combining modern music trends and Balkans ethno heritage. Goal: to produce a music brand of a good quality that would be competitive at the European cultural market.
• Reorganization of Banja Luka Youth Council (Savjet omladine Banja Luke – SOBL). Goal: forming of functional youth council in accordance to the Law on Youth Organizations, and development of framework for the efficient work of the youth organization.
• Development of the youth policy for BL in cooperation with OSRS. Goal: development of a functional document that would enable improved working conditions for youth organizations in BL in accordance to the Law on Youth Organizations.
• Organization of the program for the summer of culture in BL, in cooperation with the City Administration and PROTOK organization. Goal: connecting culture organizations and institutions during the organization of city's cultural events what would largely satisfy cultural needs of the citizens.
• Initiation of exhibitions and educational workshops in cooperation with PROTOK organization. Goal: development and improvement of cultural resources
• Training sessions for financial management of the umbrella organizations with NCG. Goal: development of the organization's capacities.
• Participation in the work and development of the joint platform of seven NGO networks from the area of the Balkans – Twinning Platform , with the main office in Sarajevo . Goal: development of “The Network of Networks”, which would represent the joint platform for cooperation and establishing contacts with strategic donators at the international level.
• Development of own graphic design studio – Centar Studio. Goal: independent running of the promotion activities by creating recognizable visual identity of both the organizations and individual projects, and the scene as the whole.