Thirty young people from Serbia and Republic of Srpska, who have been in Germany for almost two weeks as part of a youth exchange, had the unique opportunity to visit the Lower Saxony Parliament in Hannover. This institution, located in a former palace building, today represents the heart of democracy for more than seven million inhabitants. On this occasion, the young people visited the plenary hall and learned about the work of the Parliament.

The delegation was ceremonially received by the President of the Parliament, Hanna Naber, and her deputy, Sabine Tippelt. The youth exchange program, organized by Dr Željko Dragić’s association Building Bridges, included: visit to the Serbian Orthodox Church Hannover and Osnabrück, meetings with the Hannover Liberal Jewish Community and Osnabrück Jewish Community, seminars on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Serbian royal officers camp in Osnabrück, laying a wreath at the monument to the victims, and socializing with German peers.

Special gratitude was extended to Novica Andrić, president of the Serbian Orthodox Church Municipality Osnabrück, who had welcomed the Serbian youth again this time. ‘It is important to preserve Serbianness, because the future remains with the young,’ Andrić said.

An exhibition was officially opened in Langenhagen to mark 25 years of youth exchange. ‘I started such projects when I was still a student. Today, we are the only ones who are building bridges so intensively between Serbia, Republic of Srpska and northern Germany, perhaps even the whole of Germany. Every Serbian child who comes to these kinds of programs is a true ambassador of our culture and tradition,’ said Dr Željko Dragić.

Source and photo: Radio and Television of Serbia – Dr Željko Dragić