The youth club “To Be Friends” is a voluntary organization aimed at young people aged 12 to 18, part of the “Violence Prevention” program of the PULSE Foundation.

Founded in 1999, shortly after the establishment of the PULSE Foundation, the Club offers young people a unique opportunity to make personal choices and to develop as individuals with intellect, position, sensitivity, and identity.

Within the space of the Youth Club, an atmosphere of inspiration, creativity, and growth is created, where volunteers can realize their ideas and projects. By providing mentoring support and training, the Club encourages young people to be proactive and engaged in their communities. Through organizing and implementing initiatives, projects, and campaigns that cover important topics such as youth activity, violence prevention, building healthy relationships, mental health, and critical thinking, the Youth Club not only supports the personal development of young people but also motivates them toward civic engagement.

The youth club “To Be Friends” is a platform that emphasizes the importance of volunteering as a significant cause and inspires young people to be responsible and active citizens. Through its activities, the Club aims to build a community of young leaders ready to face the challenges of the modern world.

• Intolerance to violence: To foster intolerance among young people toward violence in human relationships.
• Support for victims of violence: To provide help and support to children and adolescents who have experienced violence.
• Rethinking behavior: To encourage young people to reconsider and change their aggressive and intolerant behavior.
• Awareness: To provide information about the forms and consequences of violence.
• Skill development: To train young people in how to respond to violence and how to stand up against it.
• Civic Engagement: To encourage civic engagement and personal development.
• Volunteering: To promote volunteering among young people.

The Club offers a variety of initiatives aimed at young people and the community, including:

• Youth events and campaigns - Organizing events and campaigns to prevent violence in the community, with an emphasis on the active participation of young people.
• Non-formal training sеssions - Conducting informal trainings focused on violence prevention, implemented IN or OUTSIDE of school with the active participation of young people. The principle of “peers educate peers” (peer-to-peer approach) is applied.
• Development of training programs and projects - Development of innovative training programs and projects, which are implemented and evaluated by the young people themselves.
• Training sessions on recognizing violence - Participation in training sessions on recognizing violence and guiding peers toward the appropriate services and resources.

• Local, national, and international training sessions - Participation in trainings and youth exchanges at local, national, and international levels, aimed at developing young leaders and youth workers.
• Development of interactive games - Development of interactive games aimed at preventing violence and building healthy relationships among young people.
• Publishing of informational materials - Preparation and distribution of informational materials on topics related to violence and the implementation of youth initiatives.
• Podcast “Pernik of the Youth” - Podcast “Pernik of the Youth” implemented with the support of Pernik Municipality and the International Youth Center – Pernik, aiming to connect young people with important topics and initiatives that concern them, and to inspire active participation in public processes.