The war in former Yugoslavia has sent hundreds of thousands of people away from home - in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo. Refugees and IDP's reside in most countries of the region even today, more then a decade after the end of the conflict.

Refugees and internally displaced people are among the most disadvantaged groups in the region. While the main conflict has ended, the unresolved status of Kosovo leaves large numbers of people still residing in various camps in those countries, people representing all vulnerable groups mentioned above. The only fact of residing in a camp, out of own community doubles the vulnerability of those people. Those who had income and savings, already found a place to live. Those who did not, the most vulnerable,  still reside in those camps.

Apart from the miserable conditions in most of those camps, the long-term residence and lack of perspective creates an atmosphere of passiveness and despair among the inhabitants. The long-term dependence and  affects various aspects of life - labor skills, educational process of children, realisation of youth, care and safety of older people, social life of all, isolation of Roma and many others. One of the most important human development factors - the freedom of choice, often does not apply here. Probably it cannot. Not in a camp.

We have faced both - we had to work hard to overcome passiveness of IDPs long time staying in camps, tired of displacement, desperate about their future, some even careless of their children's one. And we witnessed how active returnees were in their own communities, rebuilding their homes, services, their own life, supporting each other, united and strong. Independent.

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