2012: "The strenght of experience"

In the wake of all this and Europe’s Year of Active Ageing, the Centre for Democracy Foundation launched the "The strenght of experience – Stop age discrimination and support active aging" project in 2012.

Serbia’s population is one of the oldest in the world. According to Census data from 2011, over 1,200,000 people are over the age of 65, which is 1/6 of the total population. Moreover, the prognosis is that by mid century, the number of people who fall into this age category will reach 1/3. This increase in the number of senior citizens and the decreased natality rate also have an influence on the labour market, on pension funds and on healthcare and social systems. In the wake of all this and Europe’s Year of Active Ageing, the Centre for Democracy Foundation launched the "The strenght of experience – Stop age discrimination and support active aging" project in 2012. 

The project’s objectives were to reduce the widespread negative attitudes and stereotypes toward the elderly and aging; to stop the current trend of laying off workers over the age of 50; and to  as well as to encourage inter-generation dialogue. 

What did we do?

• We have conducted research on the position of elderly workers in the labour market in Serbia. This research was conducted under the name "Elderly workers, some at work; some neither at work, nor retired" written by Srečko and Vojislav Mihailović. Click here to download the document. 
• We organised a conference on overcoming discrimination towards the elderly during the recruitment process and employment, with the inclusion of representatives from all three sectors and international guests. 
• We organised three two-day trainings on the following topic: "Elderly workers", "Active in the third act" and "Intergenerational Dialogue". Over 150 participants attended these trainings and workshops. 
• We launched a national campaign in order to inform the public and bring to life the topic: respecting the elderly and encouraging intergenerational dialogue. Indirectly, we reach out to over one million people in Serbia. 
• We made a short film "The power of experience", which tracked all the activities pertaining to the project and was emitted by local TV stations. Click here to view the film. 
• We organised numerous street campaign in Belgrade, Niš and Kragujevac. These campaigns were an opportunity to talk to the public about the elderly, labour rights, employment of elderly workers and discrimination in the labour market. We gave out several hundred brochures entitled "The power of experience", as well as over 1000 pieces of various promotional materials. 
• The project enabled the Foundation to strengthen cooperation with local institutions in Belgrade, Niš and Kragujevac, as well as with the Serbian Association of Employers, the Municipality of Zvezdara, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and Red Cross Serbia.

The project was implemented in partnership/cooperation with    
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 The project was supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia within the framework of the "Support to Civil Society organisations" which is financed by the European Union. 

Conference "Active aging", the National Bank of Serbia 

Conference "Active aging", the National Bank of Serbia

Training for pensioners "Active in the third act", the Vuk Karadžić Library, Zvezdara 

Training for pensioners "Active in the third act", the Vuk Karadžić Library, Zvezdara 

Training for the unemployed, the Vuk Karadžić Library, Zvezdara 

Presenting the results of the research entitled "Elderly workers, some at work; some neither at work, nor retired", Media Centre Belgrade. Click here to download the publication. 

Street campaigns held in Belgrade, Niš and Kragujevac.