26.03.2024.

Minister Vučević attends opening of “Academic Centre for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević attended the opening of the “Academic Centre for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development” in Novi Sad today.

After taking a tour of the new premises, Minister Vučević said that the idea of “Čepom do Osmeha” Association had brought together good people and resulted in the creation of the Academic Centre. When the founders presented this idea to him seven years ago, he was skeptical, but that changed over time, he said.

- As the days passed and new chapters opened, I became convinced that their idea was really great. First of all, they have the energy to gather many good people who think positively - said the minister of defence.

He congratulated everyone for devoting their energy to implementing this idea.

- This is the crown jewel of everything they have done. The concept is clear, the idea is good. On the other hand, I think we have grown apart from nature, but also from each other. When we teach our children to love other children and to respect other people, trust me, they will respect nature as well. That is philanthropy. When we go back to philanthropy, when we return to ourselves, I am certain that we will be much more successful in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. You are the source of new energy and strength - said Minister Vučević and praised the association, the City of Novi Sad and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs for their support and cooperation.

Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nikola Selaković said that his ministry had supported such initiatives before, and that the cooperation would continue. We live in a time where people are severely alienated from nature, he said.

- Associations like this, and many others that will come together under the roof of this Academic Centre, are a great source of motivation and an indicator of what people can do in the field of environmental protection when they come together on a voluntary basis. If volunteers, who act out of pure goodwill, can do it, imagine what real investments in environmental protection can do for our country - said Minister Selaković.

The Mayor of Novi Sad, Milan Đurić, is glad that the City of Novi Sad has helped the Academic Centre to get its own home, where creative ideas will be produced and environmental awareness will be raised.

- What we can see here today started with one small bottle-top and a decision whether to throw it away together with the plastic bottle or put it away and give it to this association. The work they have done so far is incredible - said Đurić and wished the members of the Centre much success in their future work.

According to the founder and president of the "Academic Centre for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development", Vanja Petković, this is a place whose goal will be to provide assistance to citizens and to raise public awareness about the importance of environmental protection.

- We will gather citizens and children together, organize various panels, conferences, dialogues and round tables with the aim of improving the environment. We will employ people with disabilities, giving them the opportunity to help the community - said Vanja Petković.

The president of the Academic Centre presented a neurological wheelchair and a laptop for the blind to two families.

The initiative to establish the "Academic Centre for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development" was the result of years of field work done by the “Čepom do Osmeha” Association. The centre will be responsible for spreading awareness about the importance of environmental protection and ecology, and the need to link civil society organizations, the economy and local, provincial and national decision-makers in a network, employing people from vulnerable groups and highlighting the importance of their inclusion in society.