Solar academy 2003

 Vela Straža, island Šolta, 6. july - 3. august 2003. - 50 volunteers from all across Europe have gathered at an international work and educational volunteer camp in Velika Straza on the island of Solta. Young activists, co-ordinated by Green Action, renovated an abandoned military facility that was donated by the Ministry of Defence to Green Action for the next ten years. The abandoned facilities will be converted into a regional centre for education, research, sustainable development and environmental protection, and will operate under the name "Solar Academy". Workshops, training sessions, seminars and also international conferences will be held there.

Young volunteers have so far attended two workcamps, from 06.07-19.07 and 20.07.-03.08, at which they cleared up the doors, roof and windows to prevent further deterioration of the building. By cleaning the building's surroundings they also worked to prevent fires due to dry vegetation. The interior and toilet will also be decorated in the near future.

Work on the renovation will last until spring 2004 when the annual meeting of Friends of the Earth (Europe) (the world's biggest environmental organization) will take place there, as well as two workshops and a conference on tourism organised by the WWF, and many other activities.