Interdisciplinary Conference in Dubrovnik Brings Together 800 Experts in Social Welfare

Photo credit: KOKOSS

The 2^nd KOKOSS conference, entitled " Interdisciplinarity as a Resource - Focus on the Individual and Community," took place from the 22^nd to the 25^th of February at the Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik Hotel under the patronage of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The conference was organized by a coordination of five chambers within the social welfare system.

Considering the significance of interdisciplinarity in understanding and action, this year's conference once again emphasized collaboration as a link between different professions: social pedagogy, psychology, educational rehabilitation, social work, and psychotherapy.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, the Head of the Administrative Department for Health, Family, and Veterans of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Đurđica Popović, the Director of the Directorate for Support and Improvement of the Education System, Prof. Momir Karin, the Ombudsperson for Children, Helenca Prinat Dragićević, the Director of the Social Welfare Centre, Tatjana Katkić Stanić, and the State Secretary Marija Pletikosa, who attended the conference as a representative of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.

The conference addressed current societal issues such as peer, family, and elder abuse, working with children and youth to encourage their development in line with individual needs, human and children's rights standards, and supporting diversity and inclusion. It also touched upon the themes of social inclusion and innovation in various fields aimed at increasing the quality of life for all citizens, professional boundaries, and their preservation through professional standards and methods of achievement, preservation, and development of these standards in situations of interdisciplinary collaboration. Discussions also covered the care of the personal and professional well-being of experts, as well as ways to promote and maintain it in changing and uncertain social conditions.

Hotel Lacroma in Dubrovnik was the venue for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and ideas among 800 experts and practitioners in the field of social welfare. Representatives from the academic community and numerous experts from the social welfare, education, health, and judicial systems participated in the lectures. In addition to a rich program with a series of presentations, workshops, poster presentations, and thematic symposiums, participants had the opportunity to enjoy a concert by the Ragusa Vecchia choir, and social events such as the Disco night at the Wine Bar Nocturno within the hotel were organized. Participants also had the opportunity to visit the historic core of Dubrovnik.