A New Era of Volunteering Begins in Serbia: The “Volunteer? Change The Game.” Conference Held In Belgrade
To mark the International Volunteer Day today, EXPO 2027 d.o.o. Belgrade organised the “Volunteer? Change the Game.” conference during which six Memoranda of Understanding were signed with relevant state institutions and organisations, officially launching the first phase of the national volunteer programme for the 2027 Specialised Expo.
The Memoranda were signed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Dr Dejan Vuk Stanković; the Minister of Labour, Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski; the Minister of Sport, Zoran Gajić; and the Assistant Minister of Tourism and Youth, Ivana Antonijević, as well as Prof. Dr Gabrijela Grujić, Director of the Office for Dual Education, and Prof. Dr Dragan Radovanović, President of the Red Cross of Serbia.
On the occasion, Danilo Jerinić, Director of EXPO 2027 d.o.o., stated that this youth programme could be regarded as the largest classroom in Serbia, offering young people an opportunity to develop personal skills, discover new cultures, and gain an experience they would carry with pride throughout their lives.
“EXPO is a project that surpasses anything Serbia has ever organised - 20,000 volunteers, more than 125 participating countries, around four million visitors. This is a great honour, but also a great responsibility,” he emphasised, adding that Serbia aimed to elevate volunteering to the next level and lay the foundations for a lasting programme legacy.
Jerinić reminded the attendees that successful models from Japan and Portugal demonstrated how an Expo volunteer programme could grow into a national strategy:
“Following Expo, Lisbon created a Youth Academy that became a pillar for new generations. This is an inspiration for us. We will work on this in the years to come; but first, we must prepare for EXPO 2027,” Jerinić concluded.
The Minister of Education, Dejan Vuk Stanković, noted that the Memorandum opens new horizons for future cooperation, emphasising that Serbia has many talented and gifted young people.
“EXPO is a space where we will strive to attract young people to contribute as volunteers. This is an opportunity for our education system to showcase its achievements and results,” said Stanković.
The Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski, highlighted the Ministry’s focus on including persons with disabilities in the EXPO 2027 volunteer sector, noting that Serbia has many young people eager to contribute to the society.
“EXPO is an opportunity to show the world who we are and what we stand for,” said Đurđević Stamenkovski.
The Minister of Sport, Zoran Gajić, emphasised the importance of EXPO and mentioned once again that the event would last 90 days.
“The Olympic Games last less than 20 days; the FIFA World Cup lasts less than 30. I call on all former and current athletes, everyone connected with the Ministry of Sport, to respond to this call and be part of history,” said Gajić.
Assistant Minister of Tourism and Youth, Ivana Antonijević, told attendees that “EXPO 2027 did not begin when Serbia was selected as the Host Country; it had begun much earlier, through all the investments in infrastructure and community which we now have the opportunity to showcase.” She added that volunteering provides young people with a powerful form of non-formal education, and that the Expo legacy must remain in the community long after the event concluded.
Prof. Dr Gabrijela Grujić, Director of the Office for Dual Education and the National Qualifications Framework, stated that young people who had gone through the system of dual education had proven to be reliable, disciplined, responsible and innovative - and that they would demonstrate “how Serbia does it” at EXPO 2027.
“Their 92 education programmes are the best proof that education is the backbone of society and a pillar of development,” Dr Grujić said.
Prof. Dr Dragan Radovanović, President of the Red Cross of Serbia, reminded attendees that the Red Cross was the oldest humanitarian and largest volunteer organisation in the country, whose volunteers had been changing lives and communities for a century and a half.
“EXPO 2027 will be a major opportunity to further advance volunteering and promote solidarity among people from all over the world,” Radovanović concluded.
Following the signing ceremony, a panel discussion was held, featuring personal stories shared by the Director of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, Damir Štajner; the President of the Red Cross of Serbia, Prof. Dr Dragan Radovanović; a two-time Olympic taekwondo champion and the Chair of the Athletes’ Commission of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, Milica Đuričić; a journalist and medical doctor Ivana Božović; and a journalist and humanitarian Dea Đurđević. The panellists highlighted the importance of volunteering for personal and professional development, as well as the transformative impact volunteers had on society.
Photographed by: Dragan Kujundžić