The study visit began with a three-day stay in Novi Pazar, where the participants from Croatia and Cyprus took part in the Youth Summit. During the event, they had the opportunity to meet young people from across the Western Balkans and engage in discussions on democracy, human rights, reconciliation, and the European integration of the countries in the region.
The second part of the study visit took place in Belgrade, where the participants visited the Museum of Yugoslavia, the Museum 90, and explored the socialist modernist architecture of New Belgrade, gaining insight into the history of Yugoslavia, its dissolution, and the wars and war crimes that followed.
During their stay in Belgrade, the participants met with Professors Katarina Jovanović and Nataša Janković from the Rebellious University initiative to discuss the ongoing student protests and state repression in Serbia. They also held discussions with Hristina Vojvodić and Milica Sušić from CORE – Platform for Social Development and Innovation, who presented the organization’s work on environmental protection, with a particular focus on the harmful impacts of mining activities in Serbia. In a meeting with Olga Andrić from the Ministry of Space, the participants learned about Belgrade’s urban planning challenges and their close connection to corruption.
Part of the study visit was also dedicated to the promotion of the book Resisting Inter-Ethnic Violence, held at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory. The book, written by Valentina Otmačić from the University of Rijeka, explores how ethnically mixed communities in places such as Tuzla and the Gorski Kotar region managed to avoid ethnic divisions and violence during the wars of the 1990s.
The final day of the study visit featured a workshop on public policy and advocacy in polarized and captured societies, led by Sonja Stojanović Gajić, an experienced researcher and expert in conflict transformation and security issues.
The No More Divided Societies: Strengthening Youth-Led Inter-Ethnic Solidarities project is jointly implemented by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights Croatia, Urban Gorillas (Cyprus), and the University of Rijeka. The project aims to connect actors working to overcome ethnic barriers through cross-border cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and experiences. It is implemented within the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme.
Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) or organization(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
