[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As a final activity of project „Moving borders for volunteering” in Zajecar is in first week of February held two-day conference devoted to volunteering.
On Closing forum were present around 50 volunteers, representatives of volunteer centers, organizers of volunteering (institutions, organizations) from cross-border region of Bulgaria and Serbia.
During this activity, at the begging during official opening, was spoken about importance of volunteering on national and local level as of possibilities how volunteer’s centers that are established throw „Moving borders for volunteering “could contribute to improvement of volunteering firstly on local, and then on national level. At the opening ceremony were spoken: Goran Radisavljevic, project manager and executive director of Timok Youth Center, Nikolay Tsolov, project coordinator and president of Free Youth Center, Darko Staninc, State Secretary at Ministry of Youth and sport of the Republic of Serbia and Milan Stankovic, assistant to the mayor of Zajecar.
In the continuation of the conference the results of the project were presented. Firstly, Ivan Zivkovic, project coordinator, presented what was done during the duration of the project, after which experiences with volunteer exchange in Serbia and Bulgaria were presented. Ivan Topalović also presented the results of research on volunteering in the border region Serbia-Bulgaria, presented through comparative analysis. Consultant Vojislav Prkosovacki presented Common Methodology for social volunteering across border area of Bulgaria and Serbia. Both this documents were developed during the projects and based on them conceived principles of work of volunteer centers.
To the participants of the conference was presented also the possibilities for financing of projects in which could participate volunteer centers from Bulgaria and Serbia, firstly Second call for projects under the Interreg-IPA Cross-border Cooperation Bulgaria-Serbia, and Erasmus+ programs which was presented by Goran Bogunovic form Tempus Foundation.
As a good practice examples, participant of the conference could hear about volunteering on festivals, presented by Marjan Cvetkovic throw development of volunteer service on Nisville Jazz festival in Nis. Also Jelena Milanovic form Youth of JAZAS Kragujevac presented project Volunteerism: rights and responsibilities, while Jovana Dencic form Center Inventiva approached volunteering and working with refugees and migrants.
Also, as an integral part of the conference was organized work in smaller groups, and with presentation of work group conclusions conference was closed. Idea of work in groups was to get an ideas for future development and progress of volunteer centers in cross border region, their networking and potential joint projects.[/vc_column_text][vc_mad_gallery columns=”3″ images=”3685,3684,3683,3682,3681,3680,3679,3678,3676,3675,3674,3673,3672,3671,3670,3669,3668,3667,3666,3665,3664,3663,3662,3661,3660″ title=”Photos from the conference”][vc_column_text]Project Moving borders for volunteering implements Timok Youth Center in partnership with Free Youth Center from Vidin, Bulgaria, and its co-financed by EU through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria–Serbia Programme and Ministry of youth and sport of the Republic of Serbia.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]