Don't be an idiot, get active! + Zajecar Gymnasium (2018)

The idea of ​​organizing school elections is as old as the Zajecar initiative itself, however, the conditions for its realization were acquired only in 2017. The Zajecar initiative, through the Ziman Youth Fund, has been supporting student parliaments in the Timok region for more than 10 years through the "Youth on the Move" program. Over 80 projects have been supported that have enabled young people to engage in their school and community around the challenges they face, as well as gain first-hand knowledge on topics such as democracy, civic activism, human rights, elections and more.

In cooperation with the student parliament of the Zajecar Gymnasium, a whole series of necessary activities was organized. The parliament itself encountered problems in its functioning, primarily with the manner of electing representatives and defining selection criteria. Therefore, elections were organized to encourage students and teachers to participate in the life of the school and the local community, and to improve the work of the parliaments themselves.

The students went through the entire campaign that politicians go through before and during the elections. They had the opportunity to collect signatures for their candidacy, to plan and implement a school campaign, participate in public debates, and in a fun and creative way get acquainted with democratic processes and institutions, and encourage further participation in social life. A large number of participants and "voters" in the school itself, as well as the interest of local media in this event, speak of the success of this initiative, which was a precursor and platform for promotion, popularization and application in other schools and cities, which will soon follow.