PartnersGlobal Positive Outcome Story: Rejuvenating Activism: A New Wave of Civic Engagement in Belgrade

In Serbia, “civil society” has long carried a stigma. Decades of political campaigns have vilified civil society organizations and activists, branding them as foreign agents and creating a climate of suspicion. This hostile narrative has left many young people feeling disillusioned and hesitant to engage with civic initiatives.

To address this challenge, PartnersGlobal’s team in Serbia collaborated with the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Belgrade to confront this issue head-on. Together, we launched the New Generation of Civic Activism university course, aimed at engaging new actors, “rejuvenating” the civil society sector, and fostering young leaders. Held at the University of Belgrade from late April to early May 2024, the program sought to inspire a new wave of civic engagement in Serbia.

The program featured interactive sessions with experts, university professors, leaders of civil society organizations, and grassroots activists. This wide range of attitudes, experiences and knowledge provoked students’ interest and stimulated creativity and motivation for them to do something in their communities. In addition to new knowledge and skills, the program’s goal is to encourage young people to become more actively involved in civic initiatives or start their own actions.

Quotes from participants that express the impact of the course: 

“As someone with no prior knowledge of activism, this program revealed a lot of new things to me. I would say that the biggest impression on me was the educational aspect of this program, because it is quite different from the traditional schooling. It was interactive, but what I liked most was that we listened to people who are engaged in activism, as opposed to listening to some dry theory without practical examples and experiences,” said one of the participants.

An international student studying in Belgrade echoed this sentiment. “Since I was a child, I have wanted to contribute to society and do something to make this world a better place. I think activism is one part of the solution. We don’t hear much about civic activism in [my country], and I’m glad that I had this opportunity to participate in a program that deals with it,” they emphasized.