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Social Innovations as an Opportunity for Further Development of the Jablanica and Pcinja Districts

 -  - Social Innovations as an Opportunity for Further Development of the Jablanica and Pcinja Districts

The Institute for Development and Innovation has recognised social innovations as an opportunity for further development in the Jablanica and Pcinja districts. To achieve these goals, it operates in synergy with national and local authorities, as well as representatives from the non-governmental sector and the economy. All activities over the next four years will take place under the ESIRA project, which is funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe programme, serving as a platform for action in southern Serbia.

Initiatives that have been established and will be pursued in Jablanica and Pcinja include regenerative agriculture and the enhancement of knowledge and skills for women in entrepreneurship.
The target groups for these initiatives are youth, women, and marginalised groups in rural areas.

Conference in Leskovac: An Opportunity to Raise Awareness of Social Innovation Opportunities

To present the ESIRA project to key stakeholders, the media, and the public, a conference was organised on 23rd October 2024, in Leskovac. The conference was opened by Tatjana Macura, the minister without portfolio responsible for gender equality, the prevention of violence against women, and the economic and political empowerment of women. Macura emphasised the importance of innovation in enhancing social policy and stressed that the region’s future lies in the implementation of innovative solutions that integrate the most vulnerable groups of society. Brankica Stamenkovic, the city councillor for education representing the City of Leskovac, also addressed the attendees, expressing her delight that more women are choosing to pursue entrepreneurship.

Nenad Jevtovic, the director of the Institute for Development and Innovation, also spoke at the opening, expressing gratitude for the understanding of the significance of the ESIRA project for the Jablanica and Pcinja districts. He outlined plans for collaboration with organisations from these two districts to jointly participate in international competitions aimed at securing support for the further development of social innovations that will improve the position of marginalised groups.
The measure of success for the ESIRA project will be the number of beneficiaries receiving support from social initiatives.

Panel Discussions Dedicated to Women’s Entrepreneurship and Regenerative Agriculture

Following the official opening of the conference, two-panel discussions were held focusing on the initiatives currently underway in the Jablanica and Pcinja districts as part of the ESIRA project. The panels facilitated the exchange of prior experiences in enhancing women’s skills for entrepreneurship and presented plans for establishing and strengthening regenerative agriculture initiatives in southern Serbia, drawing on knowledge from Vojvodina where it is already being implemented.

Picture: Dejan Stanković and Institute for Development and Innovation