Students Enhance Communications between Gov’t and Citizens
Too often, governments can seem distant from those they serve. Citizens may voice their opinions at the polls, but there are few mechanisms for continued involvement between elections. To help establish better two-way communication and bridge the gap between the government and the people, the President of Serbia's People's Office was opened in 2004.
Two USAID partners - the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI) - have been working closely with the People's Office since its inception, helping it improve its scope of services to the citizens of Serbia.
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| Young volunteers participate in a training exercise |
Each year, the President's Office selects 60 students from Belgrade University to participate in one of three annual internship cycles. Last year, the Director of the People's Office requested assistance from NDI for the training of volunteers in leadership and constituency relations. With funding from USAID, NDI has since conducted trainings for more than 150 volunteers on topics ranging from time management, negotiations, dealing with challenging people, communication skills, event planning, and crisis management. Various simulations have exposed participants to real-life situations to teach them how to address specific concerns faced by the office in its daily interactions with citizens.
By taking full advantage of the volunteers' capacity, the People's Office has contributed to successfully resolving 13,500 of the more than 16,000 cases of citizens' concerns related to judiciary reform, employment, or health care. In June 2006, with help from IRI, the People's Office launched a "1,000 leaders" program, designed to develop leadership among young people, ages 21-35. Participants take part in educational seminars on strategic planning, write project proposals, and learn the basics of leadership. They are also given the opportunity to work with government institutions and/or private companies on specific projects in agriculture, industry, science, culture, local government, and media. Participants then intern with organizations and companies, both in Serbia and abroad. Through the contribution and development of these young leaders, the program hopes to strengthen Serbia's democratic leadership for decades to come.
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