Rozalija Skobe is Volunteer of the Year 2010

Among this year's recipients of the plaques of the National Council for the most deserving volunteers of 2010 was also Rozalija Skobe, member of PD Krka Novo mesto and head of the Commission for the Protection of Mountain Nature at the Alpine Association of Slovenia. The plaques were awarded at today's ceremonial event on the occasion of International Volunteer Day and the start of the European Year of Volunteering 2011. The European Year of Volunteering 2011 under the slogan "Be a volunteer, change the world!" was ceremonially opened on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia by the Minister of Public Administration Irma Pavlinič Krebs.



In his welcome address, the President of the National Council of the RS, mag. Blaž Kavčič, emphasized the growing social importance of volunteering, "as it represents a valuable, creative resistance to the negative pressures of globalization on interpersonal relations, social, and also environmental structures." He also highlighted volunteering as one of the fundamental pillars of our society, because "it spreads the noblest aspirations of humanity - efforts for peace, freedom, opportunity, security and justice for all people."



The state also intends to regulate volunteering by law. The President of the NC explained: "Why a law then? We believe that in a period of crisis and numerous problems, when the social climate is not very favorable to volunteer work, volunteering needs to be encouraged with even more attention. With a systematic approach, in our opinion, more targeted work will be possible, and special attention can be paid to projects that will involve young volunteers to an even greater extent than before and also to projects aimed at young people."



Their welcome words to those present, especially to the awarded volunteers and ambassadors of the European Year of Volunteering 2011, were also sent by the President of the state dr. Danilo Türk and the President of the National Assembly of the RS dr. Pavel Gantar.



The event was musically enriched by young volunteer musicians, singers Martina Šraj and Darko Nikolovski, and pianist Simon Skalar.



The plaques of the National Council, which were awarded by mag. Blaž Kavčič and the president of the Union of Social Organizations of Slovenia Janez Matoh, were received by the following most deserving volunteers for 2010: dr. Janez Bešter, dr. Aleksander Doplihar, Bojan Javornik, Anton Koren, Leopold Kremžar, Jožefa Kurent, Žarko Mlekuž, Ignac Pavlin, Dušica Pleterski Rigler, Rozalija Skobe, Rožca Šonc and Branko Vasa.



Upon receiving the plaque, the awardee Rozalija Skobe said:

"I am very happy, grateful, honored and proud. I believe that this is also a great recognition for the Alpine Association of Slovenia and especially for the Commission for the Protection of Mountain Nature of the PZS, because in this way all those of us who have worked in the commission in recent years have proven that we have done good work and that we are on the right path. To the new commission, especially to the new head of the commission, I wish successful work in the coming years."



Rozalija also praised the ceremony itself: "Today's ceremony was exceptionally beautiful. I think that others should see it too, not just those who are already volunteers, because precisely because of its quality, Slovenes would gain many more volunteers than we have now."





Explanation of the plaque for the top volunteer 2010:



Rozalija Skobe, member of PD Krka Novo mesto, has devoted her entire life to nature conservation, especially mountain nature, and volunteering. In this spirit, she taught and educated young people at various primary schools for 36 years. In collaboration with the Secretariat for Environmental Protection and Spatial Planning at the Municipality of Novo mesto, she also organized many clean-up actions, mainly on Gorjanci, involving primary and secondary school students. In 1996, she participated in the project Novo mesto – healthy city. In 1999, the Municipality of Novo mesto awarded her for mentoring young people in the field of research and innovative activities. From 1991 to 1994, she was the president of the initiative and later construction committee for the restoration of the cultural monument of the Gospodična spring on Gorjanci. In 1991, Rozalija was the author and editor of a special edition titled 80 years of the Mountaineering Association (PD) Novo mesto. For many years, she was the head of the nature protection section in PD Novo mesto and the editor of the association's newsletter Planinski utrinki. At the Center Primary School in Novo mesto, she was a mentor of the pioneer organization for many years, and for 10 years she led groups of students in voluntary work for elderly citizens at the Red Cross Novo mesto. For the last 10 years, she has been actively involved in the Commission for the Protection of Mountain Nature PZS, of which seven years as the head of the commission. She has been a mountain warden for 21 years and also a graduate of the first course for mountain nature protection (VGN). She carefully led all eight previous VGN trainings and also lectured at them. She is also the initiator and co-author of this professional program in the field of mountain nature protection for VGN training.

Under her leadership, the KVGN gained prestige in mountaineering associations. She succeeded in connecting nature conservation work in PD and Committees for Mountain Nature Protection at MDOs and KVGN at PZS. During this period, several nature protection sections were established in PDs throughout Slovenia, whose main task is to ensure that all activities in PD are nature-friendly.

In 1997, PZS, based on her successful work or the work of KVGN, obtained the status of an association operating in the public interest in the field of nature conservation.