Bravo Novi Sad: “We are already represented in the local parliament with two councilors”

We are very excited to welcome Bravo Novi Sad to our community of grantees. Check out the work they are doing to build political power for ordinary people in Serbia in this interview.

Can you tell us a bit about how Bravo Novi Sad came to life and some of your accomplishments so far?

We are activists from Liman, Novi Naselj, Telep, from free local communities, from protests against Rio Tinto, GUP and from Šodros. We are the ones who decided to take the initiative for a freer, more humane and greener Novi Sad, and by organizing into a civic movement, we opened up space for people ready to return the city to those to whom it only belongs – the men and women of Novi Sad.

In addition to being recognized by the public as the most agile local organization, since this year we are represented in the local parliament with two councilors.

Bravo Novi Sad is a sort of “umbrella” designed to broaden coalitions and build a sense of collective power. Why was this needed in Serbia and, specifically, in the city of Novi Sad?

It is a kind of political response to what we perceive as a criminogenic government on the one hand and the atrophied opposition on the other. Several local initiatives united, coordinated and a movement was founded.

Communications and working with the media are a key part of your theory of change. Can you explain why?

Dynamic and fast times require dynamic and fast communication with the public. Innovations in communication make up for the lack of other resources such as money, people, etc.

Long term, the idea is not only to build power to influence politics, but to actually support leaders who can run for office at a local level and change the system from within. How are you planning to do this?

For now, we are represented in the local parliament by two councilors. However, we use every opportunity to hone a number of other potential leaders with a special focus on women. We plan to start a capacity building program for our more active members, as well as continuous mapping, recruitment and work with new members. We strongly believe in an organization led by a team, never by one leader.

What are some reasons for hope you see in Serbia when it comes to creating systemic political change?

Apart from the fact that the popularity of the ruling SNS is slowly and slowly declining, organizations and movements similar to ours are being born at the local level throughout Serbia. This kind of pressure from the bottom to the top could be some kind of advantage or game changer in the upcoming political era in Serbia. Maybe the change starts from our streets, our villages and cities.

Are there any learnings from this adventure called Bravo Novi Sad that you think could be useful for other political changemakers?

We are planning strategic planning this month or next and will be happy to share any conclusions, recommendations and guidelines with other nascent movements. For now, the key words are people, credibility and perseverance

And, finally, how will you use the support from Multitudes Foundation?

The support will be used to cover overhead costs, communication costs, internet services, FB advertising, video production, PR services, etc. Trainings are also planned as part of the movement’s capacity building program. Also, we will continue to call for responsibility, offer solutions. A big challenge will be the elections for 47 local communities, which are expected next summer.