Bojana Selakovic of Gradjanske – we do have a mature civil society. The question remaining is whether we have a strong civil society.
By Denise Nanni and Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik.From South Africa today we are moving to Serbia where we talked to Bojana Selakovic Executive Director of Gradjanske,
a civil initiative whose missing consists of strengthening civil society through education, promotion of
democracy and support of active citizenship. ProMosaik is convinced that true
development must and can only come from the heart of civil society. Would like
to thank Bojana for her time.
Tell
us about the history of your organisation.
us about the history of your organisation.
Our
organization was born in 1996 as a result of constant struggles of anti-war and
independent intellectuals in Serbia who were asking themselves and looking for
a way to ‘mobilize’ society to rebel against the then ruling regime of Slobodan
Milosevic. It was clear that people needed a new way to organize, a new
approach to organizing, new ideas to move them and of course, someone to lead
the way – to show it is possible to be an active citizen in a society whose
fabric has been tearing apart and that change will come from the ones who take
action, who move, who initiate – who do not accept situation as it is.
What are, according to your experience, the
main obstacles to the rising of a strong and mature civil society?
main obstacles to the rising of a strong and mature civil society?
First I would have to say in
this region Serbia has been a forerunner in the sphere of civil society. I
can’t name a country that has seen so many meaningful changes that were
initiated, ran and completed by civil society organizations. That being said,
we do have a
we have a strong civil society. At the moment we are all witnesses of a decline
or maybe better to say a transition within CSOs. Main reason is funding of
course. Possibilities are being narrowed and the ones remaining do not leave
much space for activism – which is the essence of our work but rather shape us
into administrative machines not being able to truly focus on defending public
interest, being watchdogs. To counter this, I see creation of networks, where
we will be able to share the burdens of administration and bureaucracy while
contributing mutually with expertise – at the same time adding to our
negotiation and persuasion potentials.
this region Serbia has been a forerunner in the sphere of civil society. I
can’t name a country that has seen so many meaningful changes that were
initiated, ran and completed by civil society organizations. That being said,
we do have a
we have a strong civil society. At the moment we are all witnesses of a decline
or maybe better to say a transition within CSOs. Main reason is funding of
course. Possibilities are being narrowed and the ones remaining do not leave
much space for activism – which is the essence of our work but rather shape us
into administrative machines not being able to truly focus on defending public
interest, being watchdogs. To counter this, I see creation of networks, where
we will be able to share the burdens of administration and bureaucracy while
contributing mutually with expertise – at the same time adding to our
negotiation and persuasion potentials.
How do you cooperate with local and informal
groups for youngsters?
groups for youngsters?
Significant part of our work
is represented in Resource Centre through which we provide all the possible and
may I say imaginable help services to formal and informal groups, as well as
citizens’ initiatives. We see an amazing number of ideas coming from there and
we feel an obligation to support them. Regarding the youngsters, I have to say
that first of all, Civic Initiatives were the ones who put Civic Education in
formal education system in Serbia. First generation that had Civics from day
one in schools is leaving high schools just this year, I am at the same time
hopeful and sceptical on what impact that will make in the future. That is why
we are still engaged in this field through smaller programs and activities,
trying to make as much as change as we can – with the same idea from our
founding: This situation is not all we can have. We can do better.
is represented in Resource Centre through which we provide all the possible and
may I say imaginable help services to formal and informal groups, as well as
citizens’ initiatives. We see an amazing number of ideas coming from there and
we feel an obligation to support them. Regarding the youngsters, I have to say
that first of all, Civic Initiatives were the ones who put Civic Education in
formal education system in Serbia. First generation that had Civics from day
one in schools is leaving high schools just this year, I am at the same time
hopeful and sceptical on what impact that will make in the future. That is why
we are still engaged in this field through smaller programs and activities,
trying to make as much as change as we can – with the same idea from our
founding: This situation is not all we can have. We can do better.
How civil society has been responsive to your
initiative so far?
initiative so far?
CSOs in Serbia, as I said
before – are experiencing a decline or a transition. Once it ends, we will know
what it was, but we are not giving up. And what is obviously a trend –
organizations are becoming more focused, specialized if you will. And if there
is initiative coming their way, that is in their field of interest – there is a
strong response, there is good cooperation, there is planning of future steps.
Not as a rule, of course but there is interest for engagement.
before – are experiencing a decline or a transition. Once it ends, we will know
what it was, but we are not giving up. And what is obviously a trend –
organizations are becoming more focused, specialized if you will. And if there
is initiative coming their way, that is in their field of interest – there is a
strong response, there is good cooperation, there is planning of future steps.
Not as a rule, of course but there is interest for engagement.
Do you cooperate with any local authorities in
order to improve public policies? If yes, how?
order to improve public policies? If yes, how?
At this point we can not say
that we have firm and established cooperation with local authorities with whom
we’d work on public policies. And tehre are two quite clear reasons for this.
One is that local authorities are highly politicized and seriously lack
capacities and second is that they don’t perceive us as potential allies but
rather as enemies. This is one of the remnants of the past that hasn’t been
tackled systematically – where politeness is still very unknown standard for
people working in public companies or local authorities, they do not understand
why they are there for, for whom.
that we have firm and established cooperation with local authorities with whom
we’d work on public policies. And tehre are two quite clear reasons for this.
One is that local authorities are highly politicized and seriously lack
capacities and second is that they don’t perceive us as potential allies but
rather as enemies. This is one of the remnants of the past that hasn’t been
tackled systematically – where politeness is still very unknown standard for
people working in public companies or local authorities, they do not understand
why they are there for, for whom.
