Democracy School

Background and idea

It is not necessary to elaborate in specific the needs of the Montenegrin society for democracy in the real sense of that word, nor the needs for the study of the skills for its acknowledgement and implementation. CCE believes that only in democratic way deep and severe divisions that are exhausting our society for long time already can be overcome. In addition, democratic culture, even though everybody speaks about democracy a lot in last several years, is at a very low level. In order to help the change of this situation the idea to start Democracy School has been born among the associates and activists of the Centre for Civic Education.   

Democracy School is dedicated to understanding of the idea of democracy and the manner of implementation of that idea. Within the School theoretical knowledge is being examined, as well as comparative practice and the skills and manner of implementation of democratic concepts in everyday life, and in particular in the political sphere.

The aim of the School is raising the general level of the democratic culture in Montenegro through:

Establishing of the core of the organised, methodologically and theoretically based educational activity, which would enable at least part of the citizens of Montenegro to gain the needed knowledge on:

• Establishing of the core of the organised, methodologically and theoretically based educational activity, which would enable at least part of the citizens of Montenegro to gain the needed knowledge on:
• the idea of democracy, what it means, and where it comes from
• which are positive and which are negative aspect of democracy
• what is the democracy framework – as the process of fulfillment of human individual rights and freedoms, as the manner of social life and relations in the society, as the form of the government and ruling, as the institutional system
• how is democracy (mis) used
• promoting the principle of the comparative analyses of the concrete experiences of implementation of democracy in Montenegro and other countries in Europe and world
• developing the ability of the critical approach and tolerant, rational and responsible public communication, or participation in formulating and proposing the measures of the public policy and its implementation

Within the previous fourteen generations, the School has been successfully completed by 331 citizens of Montenegro, mainly activists of non-governmental organizations, political parties, journalists, officials of the local self-government and Republican ministries, students and other individuals who have shown interest in connecting their activism with the public scene and giving personal contribution to the development of democracy in Montenegro.

Lecturers in the Democracy School are:

• Professor Radovan Radonjic, PhD, who is the  Moderator of School
• Antonella Balic, representative of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS)
• Professor Ratko Bozovic, PhD, University of Montenegro and University of Belgrade
• Siniša Bjekovic, Executive director, Centre for Human Rights of the University of Montenegro
• Dragan Braunović, former MP within the Parliament of Montenegro and member of the Security and Defence Committee 
• Professor Cedomir Cupic, PhD, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade
• Nada Drobnjak, Head of Gender Equality Office, Government of Montenegro
• Stefan Dehnert, Director of FES Office in FYR Macedonia
• Dragutin Djekovic, MA, Officer for International Programmes, LGIB, London
• Dragan Djuric, MA, Head of the CDP programme, UNDP
• Slavisa Guberinic, Spokesperson, People’s Party (NS)
• Darko Ivanovic, Director
• Nikola Jovanovic, President of the Youth Club of Socialist People’s Party (SNP)
• Srdja Kekovic, Secretary General, Reform Trade Unions of Montenegro
• Milos Konatar, President, Youth Network of the Movement for Changes (PzP)
• Tanja Tankosic Kelly, Trainer/Consultant, Centre for Development of Non-governmental organisations (CRNVO)
• Professor Filip Kovacevic, PhD, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Montenegro
• Vladimir Maric, BBC World Service Trust, Office in Sarajevo, BiH
• Lisa McLean, Director, National Democratic Institute, Office in Montenegro
• Nebojsa Medojevic, President, Movement for Changes
• Tamara Milic, psychologist
• Stevo Muk, President of Managing Board, Institute Alternative
• Professor Veselin Pavicevic, PhD, Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro
• Zoran Pazin, President, Basic Court in Podgorica
• Koca Pavlovic, MP in the Parliament of Montenegro and President of the Committee for Human Rights and Freedoms
• Tea Gorjanc Prelevic, MA, Programme Editor, Human Rights Action
• Professor Milan Popovic, PhD, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Montenegro
• Professor Sasa Popovic, Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro
• Radomir Prelevic, PhD, lawyer, Podgorica
• Professor Serbo Rastoder, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Montenegro
• dr Heinrich Sassenfeld, former Director of the Regional Office of FES
• Nemanja Stankovic, Creative Director of agency „Incognito“
• Ristan Stijepovic, MA, economist Zoran Stoiljkovic, PhD, Faculty of Political Sciences, Univerzitet u Beogradu
• Professor Djuro Susnjic, PhD, University of Montenegro and University of Belgrade
• Daliborka Uljarevic, Executive Director, Centre for Civic Education
• Professor Nebojsa Vucinic, PhD, Law Faculty, University of Montenegro
• Zlatko Vujovic, President of the Managing Board of the Centre for Monitoring
• Vladimir Vukotic, Adviser to the Minister, Ministry of Interior Affairs of Montenegro
• Ana Zec, Legal Adviser, Council of Europe Office in Podgorica
• Aleksandar Sasa Zekovic, Human Rights Violation Researcher

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