Yesterday, a round table entitled “Toward the Jubilee: 149 years of the Red Cross of Serbia” marked almost one and a half centuries of the existence of the oldest humanitarian organization in Serbia. 

The speakers at the event included: Secretary General of the Red Cross of Serbia Ljubomir Miladinović, the Head of the Regional delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross Jelena Stijačić, the state secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Mirsad Đerlek, the President of the Red Cross Užice Slobodan Ljubičić, the secretary of the Red Cross Zrenjanin Aleksandra Tanasijević, the secretary of the Red Cross Novi Sad Dr. Dragan Lazić, Slađana Miletić, the secretary of the Red Cross Peć.

Miladinović reminded those present of the very beginnings of the work of the Red Cross of Serbia in 1876 and Dr. Vladan Đorđević, on whose initiative the organization was founded in Serbia. “In such circumstances, during years of inhuman conflicts, doctor Vladan Đorđević wanted to alleviate human suffering, ensure respect for the human personality, protect life and health, and help those who need help,” said Miladinović. He pointed out that the Red Cross of Serbia, founded under the name of the Serbian Society of the Red Cross, was one of the first 15 Red Cross societies in the whole world, and that in a short time since its establishment it had 35 sub-committees and 2000 members, and that the main committee succeeded in getting the government to agree to the Geneva Conventions already at the beginning of April of the same year, 1876. Miladinović mentioned that in the beginning the direction of all those who worked under the Red Cross emblem was to provide help to those participating in war, however, the work did not end when the arms were laid down  and the activities continued even in peacetime conditions, with the Red Cross providing assistance to citizens, to all those affected by natural disasters, poverty, disease and infirmity.

“The Red Cross of Serbia is a humanitarian, independent, voluntary organization that, together with its friends-partners, its employees, a network of volunteers and all the people with a big heart, has been focused on an important task for 149 years: to help and support the vulnerable. This task will remain unchanged in the future," concluded Miladinović.

Stijačić pointed to the long and close cooperation between the Red Cross of Serbia and the International Committee of the Red Cross on numerous programs and tasks – from providing assistance during wars and natural disasters to protecting the rights of vulnerable groups, from internally displaced persons, refugees and migrants, to prisoners of war and families of missing persons. She pointed out that only 13 years after the establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Red Cross of Serbia became part of the global humanitarian movement, recognizing the universal principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and solidarity as key to its action.

“I invite you all to continue to build a more humane world together and to leave the fruits of our work as a legacy for future generations.” 149 years of the existence of a National Society is a great achievement, but it is only one step towards the ultimate goal – that no human being remains forgotten and that solidarity always finds its way to people who need help and support," said Stijačić.

Đerlek highlighted the empathy towards those seeking help promoted by the Red Cross of Serbia as a significant contribution to building a humane society. He emphasized that the Ministry of Health is always open to cooperation with the Red Cross of Serbia, since the network of people that the Red Cross has built throughout the territory of the Republic of Serbia is indispensable, and the coordination of the staff and volunteers is such that no one is left without the necessary help when they need it. According to him, people even in the most remote places, in rural areas, have the opportunity to receive the same kind of support that those who live in larger cities regularly receive. “In cooperation, we take care of people's lives and health, and I am sure that the Red Cross of Serbia will continue with those activities that the state assigned to you by the Law on Red Cross, which is primarily the promotion of voluntary blood donation,” said Đerlek and added that the contribution of the Red Cross in this area is extremely important and that hospitals would not be able to carry out their work without hindrance if it were not for the Red Cross. At the end of the presentation, the State Secretary underlined that the Red Cross is one of the numerous and important links in the chain of the healthcare system of the Republic of Serbia, citing the through numerous educational activities of the National Society that promote healthy lifestyles.

Representatives of organizations in cities and municipalities that celebrated their anniversaries in the past and published monographs on the work of over 100 and 140 years spoke about the history of their organizations: president of the Red Cross Užice Slobodan Ljubičić, secretary of the Red Cross Zrenjanin Aleksandra Tanasijević, secretary of the Red Cross Novi Sad Dr. Dragan Lazić, and Slađana Miletić, secretary of the Red Cross Peć.

At the round table, in addition to numerous partners of the Red Cross of Serbia, volunteers, employees and members of the Management Board of our organization, there were also present the representative of the Social Protection Sector, Milovan Stojić from the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, Mrs. Marija Duduković from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Ivana Bošković and Maja Vasović, representatives of the Commission for Missing Persons of the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

On January 25th, according to the old calendar, or February 6th according to the new one, in 1876, on the initiative of Dr. Vladan Đorđević, a distinguished military doctor, the Serbian Red Cross Society was founded in the Belgrade Municipality Hall.

Metropolitan Mihajlo Jovanović was elected as the first president, and the Administration consisted of several prominent citizens of Serbia at the time.

The first task of the newly founded Society was to take care of the refugees who came because of the Herzegovina uprising. In the year of its establishment, the Serbian Red Cross Society gathered around 2000 members and established 35 sub-committees in the country. In the same year, on March 24, at the initiative of the Serbian Society of the Red Cross, the Principality of Serbia joined the Geneva Conventions. The Principality of Serbia highly valued the Society's efforts in helping people, and the main task of the Red Cross at that time was to help military medical personnel. Prince Milan Obrenović awarded the president of the Red Cross with the Grand Cross of the Takovo Order, and on June 11, 1876, the International Committee of the Red Cross recognized the Serbian Red Cross Society.