CONFERENCE "STRENGTHENING INTERGENERATIONAL SOLIDARITY"
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at the premises of the Red Cross of Serbia, in Belgrade, the final conference was held within the project "Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity" which was implemented in partnership of the Red Cross of Serbia and the Centre for Support and Inclusion Help net as well as the European Group for Territorial Cooperation TRITIA from Poland, the Centre for Social Services Horelica from Slovakia and the organization TRIANON from the Czech Republic, with the support of the International Visegrad Fund.
The project aimed to encourage mutual cooperation, understanding and coexistence of generations by working to change relations between generations using the creative potential of new media and the search for new forms of exchange of knowledge, skills and experiences as well as sharing responsibilities.
The conference was of a hybrid character in the sense that part of the participants were present through the Zoom platform, and part was at the premises of the Red Cross.
The panelists at the conference were:
- Brankica Jankovic, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality;
- Muamer Bacevac, President of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia;
- Attila Pinter, Ambassador of Hungary to Serbia;
- Dr. Dragan Radovanovic, President of the Red Cross of Serbia;
- Gordana Milovanovic, President of the Help Net Centre for Support and Inclusion;
- Natasa Todorovic, psychologist, expert associate of the Red Cross of Serbia and one of the authors of the publication.
- Vladanka Miskin, a representative of older persons who participated in the project, and
- Milos Todorovic from the Red Cross of Serbia, a representative of the youth.
All participants during the conference agreed that we need intergenerational solidarity more than ever and that we will have to think about promoting intergenerational solidarity and understanding it at all levels and in all areas.
Natasa Todorovic, expert associate of the Red Cross of Serbia, presented the results of the research conducted within the project, and the results will be published in a book entitled "Intergenerational solidarity for all generations." The authors are, in addition to Natasa Todorovic, Brankica Jankovic and Milutin Vracevic. The research was conducted online during March 2021. The aim of the research was to investigate the attitudes and values that members of different generations have about other generations, but also the attitudes about intergenerational solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The data shows that 84.20% participants believe that “young persons have something to say and that their opinion is important”, while 67.50% participants believe that older persons have valuable experience and knowledge and that young persons should turn to them for advice.
The view that "older persons are obliged to support their children and grandchildren while they are alive" and the view that "young persons should be financially independent" have already been measured in two previous studies, and the results show some similarities. It turns out 78.10% of respondents disagree with the statement "older persons are obliged to support their children and grandchildren while they are alive". The majority of participants (79%) agree with the view that “young persons should be financially independent” while the answers differ significantly between generations.
Prof. Dr Dragan Radovanovic, President of the Red Cross of Serbia pointed out that the Red Cross of Serbia, as the oldest humanitarian organization in Serbia, continues to promote solidarity in society, humane values and the inclusion of all generations in building a more humane and just society.
