Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Jovana Mirjanić, a 22 years old Ecology student from Belgrade, Serbia. Passionate about the environment (obviously), books, theatre, people, languages, travelling. Love photography, ice cream, long walks, swimming, volleyball, cooking for myself and others, gifts, Harry Potter, cute and less cute animals, espresso with milk. I like to think of myself as an open-minded, talkative and hard-working person and a bit of a geek.

Which YEE member organisation do you belong to? What are the main activities of your organisation?

I belong to Young Researchers of Serbia, NGO that is dealing with environmental problems, organising and promoting work camps, integrating young people in voluntary work and activism, etc.

How did you get involved in YEE?

I was elected by my organisation to participate in the training course "Be(e) The Change" and to vote at the Annual Meeting 2016. As soon as we started the program I realized I wanted to be "part of that world", because it was inspiring to see people from different cultures who equally care about the environment.

Could you tell us about your work in the Board last year? What were your main achievements? 

I just want to use this opportunity to say thank you to the office and previous Board. What a year! I think all of us had doubts at the beginning, since 5 out of 6 Board members were new, but I am proud of how we pulled it out. It was a completely new approach to the environmental protection for me, being an ecology student, and I have gained a lot. I’d maybe underline my involvement in project “Uniting Youth for Eco-tourism”, I worked on it from the very beginning and it’s my first time being in a project team.

How do you see the future of YEE?

Bright! As long as we inspire at least one more person, I think we’re good. I don’t think I can say something more concrete, but hopefully we’ll be spreading these eco-friendly vibes for many years to come. I like that YEE is not politically oriented, but since now politics has to do a lot with the environment, maybe it will be necessary. But in our way, of course!

Why did you want to stay in the Board? 

I knew I could stay for one more year and I really wanted to. I felt really supported and I also provided support. Why I run for the same position, well, I knew my competences are most suitable for it and this was simply what I was most interested in. Maybe apart from external relations, but my studies don’t allow it. Also, although I can be really bossy sometimes, chairing was not so appealing this time, because I would like to improve my project management skills more!

What is your main aim as a Board member for 2017-2018?

Huh, this is a hard one because in my mind there’s a lot to do this year (and I still have to sort out my priorities). I would say that the whole Board needs to ensure that YEE keeps the good work from previous years. My aim as a Project Officer would for sure be to work on the projects from the adopted Work Plan as much as I can, since I think that I am better at this kind of work after last year (thank you YEE for that).

 Why do you care about the environment? What does the environment mean to you?

It’s said that we didn’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors, but borrowed it from our children. I know I want to leave it better than I found it. After all, I am part of it and polite enough not to ruin it. And damn, it is so beautiful!