The Republic of Serbia Government’s Council for Improving Intergenerational Cooperation and Solidarity had its second session on 21 May 2018. The Chairperson of the Council is Prof Dr Slavica DjukicDejanovic, Minister without portfolio responsible for demographics and population policy. Ms. Natasa Todorovic, Health and Care Programme Manager in the Red Cross of Serbia is also a permanent member of the Council.

At the session, the Rulebook for the work of the Council was adopted, as was its annual plan. A suggestion was accepted to make connections between the work of this Council and the Government Council for the Children’s Rights as well as the Government’s Council on Ageing in order to improve the cohesion in the society and the overall solidarity. This will contribute to effectiveness of public policy and the measures related to building a “Society for all ages” – a goal of the Republic of Serbia.

Important suggestions made at the session was for the Council to commission creation of an electronic database to coordinate and monitor projects that encourage and improve intergenerational solidarity, to create a website as well as to work on the recommendations to municipal administrations to establish and implement programmes focusing on intergenerational cooperation and solidarity.

Also on the agenda of the session was the presentation of the Taking Action on Social Inclusion of Older People (TASIOP) project supported by European Union, Austrian Development Agency and Austrian Red Cross. The project is coordinated by the Red Cross of Serbia and it is implemented in five countries in the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia). Natasa Todorovic presented the 12 micro projects implemented in Serbia with Red Cross of Serbia support within the framework of TASIOP project. These projects ale small grassroots civil society initiatives with intergenerational solidarity components. The activities in these projects promote the importance of intergenerational cooperation in local community as well as contribute to improved social inclusion of people of all ages through supporting equality and knowledge transfer. Civil society organisations implementing these micro projects with Red Cross of Serbia support are: Amity, Association Bread of Life, Centre for Reintegration and Activism Belgrade, Centre for Support and Inclusion Help Net, Philanthropy – thecharitable foundation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Cluster for Revitalisation of Traditional Crafts Re: Crafts, Luznice handcrafts ZEC, ISP Network – Association of Social Researchers, Third Age Movement Serbia, Association Papa, URB „Rumunka“ And Viktorija.

The final item on the agenda was presentation of the survey on intergenerational cooperation done by the office of the Minister without portfolio responsible for demographics and population policy in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, the Republic of Serbia Pension and Disability Insurance Fund and the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. The survey covered representatives of several ministries, members of parliament, heads of public companies and judges of the Constitutional Court. The multiple choice poll shows that 60% of the respondents think that words “support” and “backing” are best descriptions for intergenerational solidarity, whereas 50% think that concept like “exchange of knowledge and experience” best describes it.