“STRENGTHENING INTERGENERATIONAL SOLIDARITY”
The Red Cross of Serbia, in partnership with the Centre for Support and Inclusion Help net, and with the support of the International Visegrad Fund, is implementing the project "Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity". Demographic aging has a significant and far-reaching impact on all aspects of social development, which is why it is important to cultivate intergenerational solidarity, which is characterized by a complex, specific system of relations between people of different generations at the family level and society as a whole. The most significant obstacles to the development of intergenerational solidarity are the negative attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices that exist between generations, and which in the first place lead to discrimination against older persons. Precisely because of these stereotypes, society is deprived of the positive effects of intergenerational solidarity, because young and older, as well as the middle generation, jointly contribute to positive changes in society as well as social cohesion. Solidarity between generations is crucial for a democratic society.
Guided by the view that art can be a bridge between generations, the Centrefor Support and Inclusion Help net takes an innovative approach in encouraging intergenerational activities, through artistic expression. The project "Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity", supported by the International Visegrad Fund, seeks to bring generations together using the creative potential of new media and film art. This project aims to contribute to social cohesion by changing relations between generations, to improve their mutual cooperation and understanding, to raise the level of their digital competencies, as well as to collect data on the impact of creative media on intergenerational solidarity.
Young and older persons have the opportunity to jointly explore the many creative possibilities offered by digital media. More than 50 persons of different generations from Serbia, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic have been trained to use their smartphones to create films. The best shots that were made were edited into the short film "Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity", which aims to break down prejudices related to age and aging, which are based on the patriarchal value system, to point out their negative impact on interpersonal relationships. and a democratic society, as well as to deny the most common stereotypes about youth and older persons.
One of the most important outputs of the project is the web portal "Intergenerational Solidarity", created with the aim of stimulating social activism and encouraging generational diversity by offering new directions for connecting young and older persons. The portal provides insight into the results achieved in this area, as well as expert findings and recommendations for improving intergenerational solidarity in Serbia and the Visegrad Group countries, but also the possibility of involvement in innovative activities organized by Help net to break down the social wall between generations.
The project also conducted a comprehensive media "Campaign for Intergenerational Solidarity" in order to raise awareness of the importance of intergenerational solidarity and social cohesion based on understanding, exchange of experiences and knowledge between generations, common interests and sharing responsibilities.
The data collected within the project, conclusions and recommendations reached will serve all participating countries as a basis for the development of public policies in this area, national strategies and action plans, as a mechanism for promoting intergenerational dialogue and an example of good practice for promoting intergenerational solidarity.
Project partners were selected on the basis of their many years of valuable experience in the protection of human rights, especially the rights of vulnerable groups, the promotion of equality, social protection and social cohesion. The project is being implemented in cooperation with the Red Cross of Serbia, the European Group for Territorial Cooperation TRITIA from Poland, the Center for Social Work Horelica from Slovakia and the association TRIANON from the Czech Republic, in the period from October 2020 to June 2021.