World Youth Day for Democracy - Freely on Freedom of Expression

On the occasion of marking the World Youth Day for Democracy, the Youth Initiative organized a discussion on the plateau in front of the Faculty of Philosophy titled Freely on Freedom of Expression.

This day is marked on October 18th throughout the World as part of the World Youth Movement for Democracy. The freedom of expression was the main topic of the marking of this years World Youth Day for Democracy. The speakers were Rodoljub abi, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, Branko een (Centre for Investigative Journalism), Ivan Angelovski (Insider B92), Ana Novakovi (BIRN) and ore Krivokapi (SHARE Defense).

Shut Up and Stay Out of It

As a reaction to frequent bans of cultural events in Novi Sad, some one hundred students from

the University of Novi Sad and activists of non-governmental organizations held a protest titled Shut Up and Stay Out of It in the Student Town in Novi Sad.

Human Rights Defenders Next Generation

YIHR organized a training for the new generation of human rights defenders titled Human Rights Defenders - Next Generation.

The trainees were young students of law and social sciences, who had an opportunity to hear a theoretical, but also practical, approach to the protection of human rights from renowned lecturers, human rights activists, and lawyers.

Young Politicians Network

The first meeting, as part of the preparations for the establishing of the network of Youth Political Party Organizations was held in Belgrade and

representatives of the young wings of the Socialist Party of Serbia, Democratic Party of Serbia and Social Democratic Union participated in this meeting.

World Youth Day for Democracy - Freely on Freedom of Expression

Branko een emphasized how important this case is because BIA is part of the apparatus of force, which is traditionally very conservative and puts a lot of resistance when it comes to the delivery of information, and on the other hand, it proves that persistence will lead On the occasion of marking the World Youth to the achievement of objectives, particularDay for Democracy, the Youth Initiative orgaly concerning the issue of information about nized a discussion on the plateau in front of the the topic such as electronic surveillance of Faculty of Philosophy titled Freely on Freedom citizens. However, he reminds the public that of Expression. we still have a situation in which the most important institutions are protected, that the most relevant ministries still decide on their own what information shall be considered secret. Insider journalists agree that the Law on the Free Access to Information of Public Importance is one of the most useful tools for journalists. Ivan Angelovski emphasized that this Law is the most important tool that the Insider journalists have adding that during the last several decades, state institutions have been educated about this Law, and sometimes they forget that the owners of this information are the citizens and not institutions. Ana Novakovi from BIRN has experienced that, if a certain institution wants to conceal certain information, it will state that the reason for dismissing the request is the fact that the request is not argumented precisely enough or it will state that the information requested represents a state or business secret.

Govornici na debati ispred Filozofskog fakulteta This day is marked on October 18th throughout the World as part of the World Youth Movement for Democracy. The freedom of expression was the main topic of the marking of this years World Youth Day for Democracy. The speakers were Rodoljub abi, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, Branko een (Centre for Investigative Journalism), Ivan Angelovski (Insider B92), Ana Novakovi (BIRN) and ore Krivokapi (SHARE Defense).

ore Krivokapi reminded the public that the media regulations are currently pending reform, that it contains a lot of legal uncertainty and that it is questionable how digital and civil online media shall be regulated. The The discussion was opened by the reminder Web has offered us a possibility to consume the of the judgment of the European Court of Hu- right to the freedom of speech in its full capacman Rights in which it was demanded that ity, without mediators. We think that anonymity BIA deliver, upon the request filed by the is good and that every citizen should say what Youth Initiative for Human Rights, informa- they think and what they know, and the freedom tion on the number of people in Serbia who of speech in online space should be as broad as are under electronic surveillance of commu- possible, Krivokapi stated. nication. The judgment confirmed the right to access to information as part of the right to expression.

Shut Up and Stay Out of It

Rodoljub abi commended the persistence As a reaction to frequent bans of cultural events of YIHR, and the significance of insisting in Novi Sad, some one hundred students from on the right of citizens to obtain informathe University of Novi Sad and activists of tion, which they need, from state authorities.

non-governmental organizations held a pro- Silence, lecture pending, Shut Up and Stay Out test titled Shut Up and Stay Out of It in the of It, and If you do not mind, then you are for it. Student Town in Novi Sad. The gathered citizens headed from the Student Town to the Fabrika club, where an open discussion was held. Sanja Kljaji Director of the Campus Fest, Vladimir Kozbai Student Cultural Centre Novi Sad, eljko Staneti Director of the Vojvodina Civil Centre, and Maja Mii, the Director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, opened the discussion. A protest concert was held right after the discussion in which Neozbiljni pesimisti (Silly Pessimists) and Zbogom Brus Li (Good Bye Bruce Lee)bands performed. The action was organized by the Campus Fest, the Novi Sad Cultural Centre, Vojvodina Civil Centre, and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights.

Protest Novi Sad has been facing bans for quite some time not and these bans began already in 2012 when activists of the Social Centre were banned from approaching the abandoned military barracks Archibald Rice and turning it into public space. During October 2013, the students Campus Fest was banned with the explanation that it disrupts the work of the Faculty of Law, even though the activities of the Campus Fest were planned to take place after the classes are over.

Artists from Novi Sad had to take off the exhibition from the Novi Sad Cultural Centre (NSCC) Gallery out of protest against cenOpen discussion - Shut Up and Stay out of It sorship imposed by the NSCC Director, Andrej Fajgelj, who banned one piece because he could not imagine the insulting of citizens on their own expense. He then stated that the picture of the Resurrection shows inappropriate amusement with something holy and that he had decided to protect religious feelings of ordinary YIHR organized a training for the new generation citizens. of human rights defenders titled Human Rights Defenders - Next Generation. The trainees And because of the several months long me- were young students of law and social sciences, dia lynch a window was broken on the Cul- who had an opportunity to hear a theoretical, but ture Exchange premises, which often organiz- also practical, approach to the protection of hues various cultural and educational events. man rights from renowned lecturers, human rights activists, and lawyers. The protest symbolically started at the spot where the banned Campus Fest was sup- The participants had very diverse topics of lecposed to happened, at the University Dorm. tures and debates, from mass human rights The students used tape to circle the Chancellors violations on the territory of the former Yubuilding and they carried banners which stated goslavia, Pride as a method of fight, the case

Human Rights Defenders Next Generation

which YIHR won against BIA before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg or about the cases monitored by YIHR before local courts and violations of the right to a fair trial.

erate as part of political parties and it will deal with the organization of education courses for young politicians in the field of human rights and practical political skills for the purpose of stimulating cross border exchange of knowledge and experiences. Youth wings of political parties from Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia shall participate in the operation of the network. The network will allow for the common interest of the youth from the region to be politically articulated and advocated for. Institutional and infrastructural support for the network is provided by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights.

Opening lecture Upon the completion of research and writing of essays, the best participants were offered to participate in the work of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights research team monitoring trials before basic and higher courts in Serbia and document the course of the proceedings, but also to point to the drawbacks of the judicial system in Serbia in cases in which human rights Around twenty activists from Serbia participated in Zagreb Marathon race and took part in the I violations occurred. Run for RECOM campaign.

I Run for RECOM!

Young Politicians Network

The first meeting, as part of the preparations for the establishing of the network of Youth Political Party Organizations was held in Belgrade and representatives of the young wings of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and Social Democratic Union (SDU) participated in this meeting. Activists on Zagreb Marathon After Sarajevo and Zagreb, activists will take part in Prishtina and Belgrade Marathon in order to draw the attention of policy makers and the general public about the necessity of the rapid establishment of RECOM. Meeting with youth from SPS, SDU and DSS The youth network of political party organizations will be established in early 2014 as a regional network of youth organizations, which op-