This question lies at the heart of the initiative “Green Society – Applying the Community Service Measure for Children through Interinstitutional Cooperation,” which aims to pilot a new approach to implementing community service for children by linking it with the principles of green social work.

The initiative is being implemented in the municipalities of Negotino, Demir Kapija, Rosoman, and Kavadarci, where a partnership between local governments, Centers for Social Work, public utility companies, schools, and other relevant institutions will establish a practical model for implementing the community service measure.

Although community service is legally prescribed as an educational measure, it is still rarely applied in practice. This initiative proposes a new approach by piloting the measure as a form of green social work, where activities will not only contribute to the development and resocialization of children but will also generate tangible benefits for the environment and the local community.

Instead of reducing community service to merely fulfilling a legal obligation, the initiative recognizes it as an opportunity for young people to engage in activities such as maintaining and improving green spaces, tree planting, beautifying public areas, environmental clean-up actions, and other initiatives that simultaneously foster responsibility, solidarity, and care for nature.

In this way, green social work gains a practical dimension by connecting social inclusion, education, and the resocialization of children with environmental protection. Rather than being viewed solely as an intervention, social work becomes a driver of local green change and an active contributor to building sustainable communities.

🤝 Through this pilot, a model of interinstitutional cooperation will be tested. If successful, it could serve as an example for other municipalities across the country. The goal is to demonstrate that community service can be much more than a legal measure—it can become an innovative green social work practice that simultaneously contributes to the well-being of children, local communities, and the environment.

📖 Learn more about the launch of the initiative: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1M3qtuhATK/

🌍 The initiative is part of the project “ZZZ – Together for Green Advocacy for Environmental Protection,” supported by the Government of Switzerland through Civica Mobilitas, in partnership with the Center for Youth Activism KRIK, the Center for Social Initiatives “Nadezh”, and the Association of Social Workers of Macedonia.

💚 When social work creates green change, both people and nature benefit.