Young People Didn’t Just Ask for Change – They Proposed It
20, May 2025Over several days of collaborative work, mentors who guided participants in developing public policy recommendations left the process not just impressed—but inspired.
They came to share knowledge. They left convinced they had learned something themselves.
Here are some of their reflections, drawn from a variety of topics.
What the Participants Observed:
On Waste and Social Justice – Nataša Stanojević & Ivana Vlašković
“Young people quickly realized that waste is not just an environmental issue—it’s a social one.
When they linked Reuse Centers with support for vulnerable groups, we knew they grasped the
complexity.”
On Energy and Community – Aleksa Prelić & Aleksandra Lazić
“Imagine 19-year-olds talking about energy cooperatives and system decentralization. They
didn’t wait for top-down solutions—they designed theirs from the ground up, with local
communities in mind.”
On Urban Planning – Kristina Miloradović & Dora Ćiković
“In one discussion, they tackled illegal construction; in another, smart cities. And they managed
to connect it all into one political message: cities must work for people, not against them.”
On Mobility and Public Health – Nina Zubac & Viktor Buchovski
“No one needed to explain what it's like to walk a broken sidewalk. But they turned that
experience into policy: with data, proposed measures, and a powerful message;Every step
matters.
On Plastics and Local Initiatives – Filip Grbić & Mila Mladenova
“It’s easy to say: ban plastic. But these young people went further—proposing subsidies, linking
small businesses, and thinking through how implementation would look in their own
hometowns.”
From data-based proposals to socially conscious solutions, their work reflected a deep understanding of both systemic challenges and community needs.
More importantly:
- they demonstrated a readiness to lead—not someday, but now.
- they were thoughtful, precise, collaborative—and bold.
- they are already imagining more sustainable, inclusive, and just futures—and they are asking us to listen.
The best we can do is keep the space open—and stay out of their way.
