Project: Equal Rights in Educational System in Serbia
Duration: August 2014- August 2015
Donor: Matra Embassy Fund- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
About the project: The objectives of the action are to contribute to the advancement of democracy, human rights, social inclusion and a higher level of tolerance in Serbia´s educational system. Recent research undertaken by YUCOM points to a high presence of discriminatory behaviour in the the educational system (especially towards LGBT people), as well as an unatisfactory level of recognition of its existence by students. Since education about human rights and discrimination is crucial for the full development of the human rights range in Serbia, which still remains moderate and selective, it is important to take direct action within the educational system. This approach should also contribute to the overall goal of developing a plural democracy, grounded in the rule of law, with room for dialogue between the government and civil society, and prepare our citizens for the EU accession.
The project aims to promote non-discriminatory, non-violent patterns of behaviour against persons belonging to minority groups, among students of the same age, by building up capacities of the educational system, and local and sectoral CSOs, through active engagement of all target groups.
Key stakeholders for this project are representatives of the Ministry of education, teachers and school administration, high school students, and representatives of local and sectoral CSOs, Furthermore, it also aims at independent bodies, media and the general public.
The action will consist of five groups of activities:
1) Raising awareness on the importance of tolerance and human rights in the educational system via the launching of a social media campaign on facebook and the creation of a TV report, which will be presented to national, local and social media.
2) Training and support to the educational system, which includes active involvement of the target groups through different activities ranging from workshops on human rights for high school students, over training sessions for teachers and school administration, to the publishing of manuals on combating discrimination.for students and teachers.
3) Research on elimination of discrimination in the educational system, which will be conducted through questionnaires for teachers and school administration, and high school students
4) Lobbying and Advocacy, which includes continious campaigning for the adoption of the Bylaw on recognition of types of dicrimination in the educational system, and the organization of five consultative meetings with relevant stakeholders with the goal to formulate policy proposals
5) Final Conference in the Human Rights House in Belgrade to present the project results to stakeholders and the general public
