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Green Horizons Academy: The Good Collective (Belgrade)
The fight for a fairer and greener Europe can be tough, and it is important for the green movement and wider civil society to put wellbeing and solidarity at the centre of everything we fight for. Otherwise, we risk burnout and health issues, as well as reproducing patterns of unequal labour. To learn more, join us in Belgrade for the second Green Horizons Academy, this year around the theme “The Good Collective.”
About the event
Throughout Europe, activists face numerous external pressures every day that threaten to stop their fight. To these pressures, we add a trap into which we as activists often unwittingly fall. We have all witnessed or experienced (self)exploitation, a productivity race to the bottom, unequal distribution of work tasks and power, various forms of discrimination, and even burnout and giving up the fight. That is why GEF, with the support of PolEkol, decided to discuss and work on building a good collective at the Green Horizon Academy! During the three days of the Academy, a series of lectures, workshops and panels will be organised, where we will try to answer some of the following questions:
- What are good activist collectives?
- What do sustainable structures look like?
- How to care for the mental health of activists and prevent burnout?
On the path to a good collective, we have at our disposal knowledge and skills from the sphere of politics, psychology, sociology, and other social sciences. Within the growing green movement, they can help us apply the ideas we advocate for in public policies: the internal values and management of our organizations so that they are as humane and democratic as possible, the working environment as stimulating and supportive as possible, and collectives open to diversity. What does politics of care truly mean?
Programme
Friday, 18 November: Public Programme at Cultural Center GRAD
17:00 – 17:45 – Lecture “Tell me about happiness”
- With Branko Anćić, Institute for Political Ecology, Zagreb
17:45 – 19:00 – Panel discussion “Are we good?”
- With Brajan Brković (civil activist), Isidora Petrović (Ne Davimo Belgrade), Maja Stojanović (Civic Initiative), and Dragan Srećković (organizational development consultant)
Saturday, 19 November: Closed Training at Arka Barka
8:00 – 9:30 – Breakfast
10:00 – 11:00 – Welcome and introduction of participants
11:00 – 13:00 – Workshop: Structures for a Good Collective
- With Marina Škrabalo, Solidarna.HR
13:00 – 14:30 – Lunch
14:30 – 16:00 – Workshop: Put out the fire and save the flame – burnout prevention
- With Doris Rafajlovski, psychotherapist
16:00 – 16:30 – Coffee break
16:30 – 18:00 – Fishbowl discussion: Personal and political – feminization of the work of organizations
- With Lidija Vasiljević and Jelena Memet
19:30 – Dinner
Sunday, 20 November: Closed Training at Arka Barka
10:00 – 11:00 – Let’s take a deep breath – yoga, breathing, anti-stress workshop
- With Nada Milosević
11:15-13:00 – Workshop – Sustainable collective: communication, conflicts and support
- With Aleksandra Živković, environmental activist, professional coach and trainer
13:00 – 14:00 – Impressions and conclusions
14:00 – Lunch
Practicalities
The Good Horizons Academy consists of two parts: a public programme and a private, invite-only training. All activities will take place in Serbo-Croat-Bosnian, with informal translation provided on the spot where needed.
Public Programme
Date and time: Friday, 18 November from 17:00 – 19:00
Location: Cultural center GRAD, Braće Krsmanović 4, Belgrade
Registration: No prior registration needed. You can also follow the event online via Facebook.
Invite-Only Training
The two-day training will take place after the public programme, with workshops, lectures, and experience-sharing sessions. Due to the nature of the topic and limited spots available, a selection of activists and NGO representatives have been invited. Please contact sien.hasker@gef.eu with questions or for more information.
The event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of PolEkol and the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.