Ivanović: Volunteering Is the Foundation of a Solidary and Responsible Society

Snežana Ivanović, head of the Directorate for Volunteering and Cooperation with the Civil Sector, opened the final roundtable of the “Volunteer – Make a Change” project, implemented by the NGO Master with the support of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue. Ivanović emphasized that volunteering is the foundation of a solidary and responsible society and that the role of young people in these processes is crucial. “Our task in the institutions is to support the energy coming from the field with a stable system, while young people are not asking us to solve their problems, but to create space for them to show us how those problems can be solved,” Ivanović said. She added that the Ministry is committed to creating a supportive environment for the development of a culture of volunteering in Montenegro: “In addition to the Volunteering Development Strategy 2025–2029, with the Action Plan for 2026–2027, we are also actively working on drafting a new law on volunteering. Our goal is to create a modern regulatory framework and an environment in which every volunteer contribution will be properly valued.” The event provided an opportunity for an open dialogue between representatives of institutions and the civil sector on further improving cooperation, overcoming challenges in the field, and promoting active citizenship more strongly.