Project Proposal

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO NGO COMMUNITY, YOUTH ACTION MOVEMENTS AND POLITICAL PARTIES IN SERBIA

Author and coordinator:: Božo Prelević

Introduction

Public opinion research done within the last 20 months indicate that a majority of citizens express their preference for changes of system as opposed to personal changes exclusively offered so far. At the same time, the same research indicate growth of indecisiveness caused by disappointment with solutions proposed (or never proposed) by now. It also indicates a growing presence of fear caused by repression. Therefore, a program proposed by this project offers a number of activities designed to mobilize citizens to express themselves for new value systems (which are being offered through model law projects developed by LEX expert teams), to encourage their more active participation in decision making process, and, eventually, to encourage their active participation at elections.

Along with intensified repression against youth groups, opposition parties and non-governmental organizations, as well as against independent media, university professors, judges and other regime opposed categories, the need for expert based technical assistance, especially by explication of laws and decrees in vigor, as well as of draft laws that are being announced (the anti-terrorist law, the NGO law, etc.). To provide such organized and coordinated assistance was one of the basic motives for founding the League of Experts – LEX , as a think tank organization in position to provide ad hoc technical assistance in matters regarding actions of the regime. Such assistance proves to be necessary in the context of every day events Serbia is now facing. A great number of LEX members, prominent lawyers, judges, sociologists, psychologists, philosophers, economists, doctors, experts for police work, medical doctors, etc. are already engaged in carrying out elements of this assistance program.

Although Serbian civil society groups have been given necessary training for their organization and action capacity building, an accentuated need still exists for expert advisory technical assistance, especially in those specific situations when prompt and adequate action is required in order to:

Achieve a designed goal, optimally and in the spirit of civil society;
Avoid every violence and possible confrontations;
Minimize repression effects;
Contribute to forming of positive public opinion about civil society action, and especially about the youth action groups;
At the same time contribute to a citizens' motivation and their mobilization to actively participate at elections and thus contribute to establishing of a system of higher legislative, economic and social qualities.

Project Description

This project covers organized and coordinated technical assistance activities which is being provided by experts, members of LEX , to youth action movements, opposition political parties and civil society groups in several fields of expertise:

University professors, former (fired for political reasons) judges and actual judges (members of the Independent Judges Association) provide legal advice assistance. This ad hoc action program is compatible to the legal assistance program performed by the Belgrade Center for Human Rights and the Yugoslav Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights (YUCOM) and provides a possibility to optimally cover necessary action in this field;
University professors, experts in sociology, psychology, philosophy, political sciences, experts for police connected issues, provide legal advice assistance to political parties civil society groups and youth action movements in designing action programs and their targeting towards achieving above mentioned (under a, b, c, d and e) goals and effects;
Renowned medical doctors provide ad hoc assistance to political party, NGO and youth action groups members.

Project Realization

This project is to be carried out in continuity and on ad hoc basis depending on the given circumstances described in the Introduction.

Project Implementor

This project is to be implemented by a non governmental organization League of Experts – LEX (which has 25 various field teams with more than 100 experts) in cooperation with other civil society organizations.

Project Realization Time Framework

This project is to be realized in a period between Jun 2000 and September 2001 (Serbian parliamentary elections are due to be held by October 2001).

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