News

Promoting social services and social economy initiatives in the Balkans

On Wednesday (18 May), SOLIDAR, together with the Olof Palme International Centre, Arbeiter-Samariter Bund, Volkshilfe, Initiative for Development Cooperation and Education Development Centre, met to discuss the needs of socially excluded groups and impoverished people in the Balkan region, in particular in rural areas.

A possible future initiative could be a common program which promotes social services and social economy initiatives focusing on social inclusion, social cohesion and jobs creation. After the meeting, a field trip was organised to Pozarevac in Serbia to see the results of ASB’s project targeting the Roma population where 21 houses were built for 120 people. This was followed by a visit to EKOBAG, a cooperative established by MPDL employing long-term unemployed elderly women laid off in the textile industry who make trendy bags from recycled materials.