President's Message

M:.W:. Vladimir Markovic,
Grand Master of the Liberal Grand Lodge of Serbia and
President of the A.A.C.E.E. (2025-2027)

Today, as in other decisive moments in the history of the world, freemasons, especially those who belong to the liberal Masonic direction, due to the universality of their values and the strength of their ethical principles, have a role of special importance in Europe and the world.

Freedom, equal rights and opportunities for all people, regardless of origin, class, skin color, gender, religion, - democratic and legal state systems that respect human rights and rule according to valid laws, have been questioned again through the accumulation of new challenges and problems of the modern era.

Bad economic policies of many countries, de-industrialization of Europe, over-indebtedness of national economies, environmental pollution, global climate change, migration, global pandemic, corruption at state levels, armed conflicts - all these promote critical imbalances that put humanity at risk and facilitate the germination of anti-democratic ideas that seem like easy solutions to the problems we all face, as well as globalization, which despite also having positive elements, currently only increases the consequences of the pandemic and war on a planetary scale, and seriously affects everyone.

No human being is protected or immune to the harmful effects of the times in which we live. It is time for Freemasonry to contribute without delay to reversing the course of ever increasing destruction and degradation of humanity. This primarily refers to the preservation of the positive traditions and cultures of our societies, human dignity, economic stability and justice, as well as the preservation of our planet as an eco-system that is the support and basis of all life on Earth.

It is urgently necessary to initiate appropriate actions in order to bring citizens closer to the holders of power, promoting active and responsible citizenship. Elected representatives, both from the ruling groups and from the opposition, as well as all other public office holders, must raise the level of responsibility in their field of activity so that their work is not devalued by illegalities or abuses. The possibility of transparency in the work of public officials should not hinder, but promote good governance.

The well-being of citizens must always be the ultimate goal of every governing structure and the procedures they propose and implement. The forms of national representation must be enriched, improved in all their grandeur, so that the citizens feel them as their own, respecting and being proud of the Republic. Therefore, a legislative framework of high quality, technical rigor and clarity is always needed, so as not to create the feeling that laws and their implementation protect only powerful people and organizations with a lot of financial and economic resources.

Liberal freemasons note and warn about the low level of human development, social and economic well-being that keep Serbia away from European standards, emphasizing inequalities among citizens in terms of access to healthcare and housing, as well as the need for quality education available to all.

As freemasons, who have always advocated for the improvement of society in order to improve the living conditions of all, we must appeal that, individually and collectively, socially and professionally, we participate in the promotion of sustainable development and the strengthening of rights and democratic institutions at all levels of citizenship in the country.

Emerging youth need a country that has a political agenda that opens their horizons and commits to inclusive and creative solutions that lead them to improve, in an environment of freedom and responsibility, their intellectual, social and cultural capacities. This is continuous work for all of us, with the support of all authorities (local, regional and national), but mainly involving civil society associations - among others the Grand Lodge of Freemasons.

For Freemasons, generational solidarity is imperative not only with the younger generation, but it is very important with the inclusion of the elderly and retired, thus preventing them from feeling abandoned and allowing their energy, wisdom and life experience to be passed on to younger generations.

Freemasons are very concerned about demagogic extremism, often nationalist and populist, which is returning to the political and social scene of Europe and Serbia, and taking advantage of citizens fatigue in relation to current forms of political leadership and their alienation in terms of participation, they promote hate speech, fear, arrogance, while using democratic rules to gain power, with an agenda that ultimately destroys the values of human dignity of freedom, equality and fraternity.

We, as freemasons, are on the front line of the fight against these extremist and totalitarian ideologies which, to a greater or lesser extent, are manifested in various democratic countries, but also, unfortunately, among us. The defense of democratic values has as its cornerstone the defense of freedom of thought. It is especially important to state and underline the importance of public media: only free and responsible journalism, media served by qualified and responsible professionals, who do not give in to sensationalism or personal interests and groups, who investigate the facts, will help other social forces in the fight against these extremisms. .

As a consequence of the advancement of science and technology, there have been a large number of innovations that change the practices used in the social and economic environment.

Today, everything seems to be in a transitory phase or at an evolutionary turning point, changes are happening at such a speed that imbalances are created that appear in the form of crisis in society, economy, environment and human relations with difficult and harmful results. These results take the form of war, poverty and increased crime, which drive people unable to cope with major changes to despair and cause clashes between nations and international terrorism.

At the same time, the information technology revolution is helping different people from different countries to communicate more easily with each other and this is encouraging the creation of better understanding. Even the international mass media, despite the unfavorable influences, help in accepting and consolidating national traditions, and lead to the creation of progressive international institutions and models that eventually prepare the dawn of a new civilization and culture.

These are just some of the social issues that liberal Freemasonry should focus on. At the same time, there are issues of Masonic work, self-building and cooperation to which we must pay special attention.

Freemasonry today can be relevant to ourselves and to the society in which we live only to the extent that the actions of Freemasons are relevant. In other words, we as freemasons (and the social community) can get from freemasonry only as much (work) as we put in, no less and no more. The situation today in the large Masonic jurisdictions of the Anglo-American dogmatic direction, where membership is in constant decline, proves that cannot live on the glory of its predecessors and that the lack of relevance in modern society is directly proportional to the number and work of its members.

For these reasons, liberal Freemasons have a great responsibility to demonstrate and prove the expediency and universality of Masonic principles and teachings through their work. Constant presence at the works of the Lodge, constant education, not only in masonic symbolism, but also in all fields of human knowledge, especially in the sphere of ethics and morality, a pro-active attitude towards the social problems we are surrounded by and the will to make a practical contribution to solving them, are the key conditions for the successful operation of a real and complete Masonic lodge.

Nurturing and adherence to the values of freemasonry  - democracy and equality, human rights and dignity, tolerance and solidarity, freedom of conscience, environmental protection, and brotherhood, will always be the compass and square of our masonic authenticity and values. .

Despite the fact that Freemasonry represents a storehouse of ideals that is not affected by time or current popularity, it is always progressive and faces the challenge of important changes taking place in modern reality - classic is modernity that lasts .

As Freemasons, we must never forget the weight of the responsibility we bear in preserving and nurturing the moral values of our society, which are the basis and foundation of any prosperous and healthy community.