On World Children’s Day, the Network of Organizations for Children of Serbia (MODS) is publishing the report “High School Students in Protest in Serbia: Their Perspective”, developed in cooperation with a group of high school students and child rights experts, as part of the preparations for a meeting with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.
The report aims to shed light on the experiences, views, and perspectives of young people who, during a period of heightened social and political crisis in Serbia, actively participated in peaceful civic protests in support of democratic values and the rule of law.
The voices of high school students have often been met with condemnation, disapproval, disregard, or dismissal by political authorities and sections of the media. Despite this, children and young people have demonstrated a high level of social awareness, the ability to recognise the root causes of problems in their communities, and a readiness to engage in a responsible and non-violent struggle for a better society. It is for this reason that the largest part of the report is dedicated to their personal testimonies and reflections on their participation in the protests.
The second part of the document provides a brief overview of the rights of children human rights defenders, as well as documented violations of these rights, based on testimonies from high school students and other relevant sources. This section of the report serves as a basis for calling on the competent authorities to be held accountable through United Nations human rights mechanisms, with the goal of improving the situation and protection of children’s rights in Serbia.
The full report can be downloaded at the following link.