Youth and Democratic Control of Security Sector

Project “Youth’s Local Security Issues and Democratic Control of Security Sector” will provide knowledge building and direct communication of youth, municipal authorities and MPs, and therefore will contribute to the strengthened cooperation between the state and civil society in identifying major (human) security issues affecting the youth at local level. Additionally, it will offer evidence based policy advice to strengthening participation of the youth and their confidence in institutions, especially security sector and its institutions. 

The position and the role of youth are among the priorities of Serbian OSCE Chairmanship. Youth in Serbia, as social group representing around 20% of population, faces wide range of challenges and difficulties in everyday life, from poverty, obsolete educational system, reduced labor market, to discrimination, web (in)security, and exclusion from decision making process. Likewise, local human security issues of the youth are not adequately addressed from decision makers. As a result, social apathy and lack of trust in state institutions are widespread among young women and men in Serbia.

Parliaments have particularly important role in democratic control of security sector giving the fact they are expected to be sensitive to the concerns of voters and to act as a bridge between these concerns and policies designed to respond to them. Considering that Serbia’s electoral system devotes members of the Parliament from a specific local constituency i.e. electoral base, there is a need for MPs to gain insight into local problems directly from interested social groups, and from representatives of nongovernmental sector and local authorities. On the other hand, there is a great interest among youth for security sector, but insufficient knowledge on the principles of security sector functioning, especially on democratic control and oversight. 

The project will include work with new entrants into the political system - high school students and other youth (18 or 18+ years old), and with local NGO activist in three local communities, and it will provide an opportunity for youth and other local stakeholders to communicate their security issues and needs directly with the representatives of legislative power.

The Public Policy Research Centre conducts this project with the support of the Democratization Department of the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

Complete report only in Serbian

Activities:

First workshop in Pozarevac April 4

Second workshop in Cacak April 18

Ozonpress about Centre's Project April 20

Third Wokshop in Zrenjanin April 27.

Results of the first poll amoung youngsters about their security *in Serbian only

Anouncement for the Round table in Cacak May 14 was carried bay OzonPress, Dženarika.net, RTV Galaksija i 032info.net

Reports about the round table in Cacak were carried by Glas zapadne Srbije,  RTV, RTV Galaksija,032info.net, TV Telemark, Tanjug i ?a?anski glas

Press Release from the RT in Cacak May 15 (in Serbian only)

Anouncement for the round table in Zrenjanin 27.05.2015.

Report from the round table in Zrenjanin 29.05.2015

Results of the second survey Serbian only 

Report from the round table in Pozarevac Serbian only. The following media reported about the round table Radio Boom 93 iz Požarevca, Hit Radio, sajt grada Požarevca, TV Duga, TV Viminacijum, eBranicevo

Conference Support of civil society organizations in participation of security sector reform in Nis 8-10.10.2015.

Report from the round table in Zrenjanin 02.11.2015. 

Discussion on the findings of Jelena Radoman in the implementation of the projects in security sector reform area supported by OSCE. 

Within Econews series about Terrorism and Extremism the Centre's researcher Marina Tadic spoke about youth security and youth violence and school bullying (in the third episode from 23:22 to 26:27). The program is available on the website: http://www.kcmedia.rs/nasilni-ekstremizam-i-terorizam.php