This year, NALAS marked 10 December, the Human Rights Day, with the Webinar on Awareness raising approaches on human rights, non-discrimination and inclusion at local level, hosted by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities in Serbia.

Why it is essential that local governments undertake awareness raising activities for vulnerable groups in their community, and what are the general concepts for planning, development and implementation of awareness raising activities on anti-discrimination and social inclusion were among the issues discussed.

Ms. Slavica Biljarska Mircheski presented the best approaches to be used in promoting human rights, non-discrimination and inclusion at local level. Ms. Biljarska Mircheski offered insights of the important role that the municipality plays as a guardian of the public interest in ensuring human rights and non-discrimination, stakeholders mapping, setting smart and attainable objectives. She emphasised that the multisectoral collaboration and partnership is of utmost importance in reaching the set goals.

“Raising awareness is the initial step to encouraging change in the community. Greater awareness leads to better choices which brings better results”, highlighted Ms. Biljarska Mircheski.

Best practices of awareness raising activities relating to the social rights of vulnerable groups were also showcased.

Ms. Ferida Meškovic, project associate at the Youth Centre “Vermont” in Brcko, Bosnia and Herzegovina talked about the activities and goals of the centre that include:

• Strengthen returnees of Brčko District, BiH and potential migrants to EU, belonging to the socially excluded categories in Brcko District areas;
• Enable socially vulnerable groups to take a larger part in the process of achieving their social and human rights;
• Achieve a better and more quality assistance for the marginalized groups in Suljagić Sokak settlement.

Another good practice includes the Municipality of Raska in Serbia. Speaking on behalf of the municipality, Mr. Srdjan Vasiljevic highlighted that “The system has to respond to the needs of one individual who has been put in the centre of the community, because while he or she is the one that needs support today, tomorrow it may be my or your turn.”

The presentations were followed by a panel discussion, where speakers deliberated on the challenges that are faced when working on awareness raising activities.

The audience, including over 118 attendees was actively participating in the discussions.

Mr. Boran Ivanoski from NALAS, shared with the attendees the details of the project “Enhancing local capacities to implement the 2030 Agenda and the Leave No One Behind Principle”, the framework in which this Webinar was organised.

The key message that was echoed repeatedly during the Webinar, which was moderated by Ms. Nikica Kusinikova, is that each and every member of the community needs to be involved at all times and steps when raising awareness about the issues of importance to the community in question.

This webinar is activity of the NALAS project “Enhancing local capacities to implement the 2030 Agenda and the Leave No One Behind Principle”, implemented by the associations of local authorities from the Western Balkans in cooperation with and supported by the regional project on “Social Rights for Vulnerable Groups”. The regional project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Watch the webinar recordings:

Download the materials from the webinar:

 AGENDA Awareness Raising Webinar 10.12.2020

 Awareness Raising_webinar presentation Slavica Biljarska

 Awareness Raising_Municipality of Raska, Serbia

 Awareness Raising_Vermont Brčko, BiH