2026-07-09T04:06:05.366Z http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai

ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai:1:9671 2023-12-04T09:07:03Z 1

THE ROLE OF SOFT PROJECTS FOR MANAGING LOCAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2023 ISBN: 978-1-955094-61-0 http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai/record/1/9671 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375672671_The_Role_of_Soft_Projects_for_Managing_Local_Sustainable_Development D. Milojković Although engineers mostly deal with "hard" projects, i.e. projects whose result is a relatively unique tangible product, the importance of soft projects on the sustainable development of the local community should not be neglected. The final result of soft projects is not a material asset but refers to a series of causal or interactive activities that contribute to the establishment, relocation, arrangement, organization, and similar achievements of recognizable characteristics. The future of humanity is uncertain. Will poverty, as a key obstacle to sustainable development, continue to grow in the future? Will a new global economic or health crisis threaten people's lives? Will artificial intelligence replace the human workforce and become a threat to employment? What impacts will the dramatic loss of biodiversity caused by human activity have? Information and knowledge are key to answering these and similar questions. And the next step is to apply current information and modern knowledge in practice. If civilisation continues with existing practices and implements solutions that are acceptable at a given moment but bring damage in the long term, it will be too late to react and save biodiversity. In the period from 2005-2015, which is called the decade of education for sustainable development, key principles for the further development of education were determined. All initiatives came from soft projects supported by international organizations. Changes started first in informal education, while formal education also transformed, as shown by the case study in Serbia, the project "Our schoolyard - the most beautiful school yard". This project was realized in the Zrenjanin High School with the support of the program "What is difficult for us" and in cooperation with the Vojvodina Mountain Movement, within the project "Young people are the law". The goal of this soft project was to transform the schoolyard of Zrenjanin High School into an attractive and functional place for all students, as well as for the birds that inhabit that space. This soft project contributed to local sustainable development in the following aspects: active learning of young people about the importance of nature conservation and the role that each individual has in preserving life on Earth, preserving the physical and mental health of young people, maintaining the balance in the ecosystem, and the partnership of the education sector and local organizations which empowers the community and shows how mutual support can be used to achieve sustainable goals. conferenceObject 971 Proceedings of the Congress