“When space narrows, solidarity speaks” was the title of this year’s Praćka conference, held on December 15–16 at Prostor, organized by the ACT Project – Civic Initiatives and Helvetas.
The conference was opened by Gorana Radovanović, ACT Project Team Leader at Helvetas. In her opening remarks, she emphasized that working with organizations has shown how vital communication is for building trust, engaging citizens, and motivating communities. She added that in a time of artificial intelligence and countless communication channels, the role of communicators has never been more important. Referring to the story of David and Goliath—which inspired the name Praćka—she noted that with the right tools and the ability to aim at the very center, even the greatest Goliath can be overcome. She encouraged participants to use the conference to acquire their own “slingshots”: practical ideas and communication tools they can take back to their organizations, inspired and ready to act.
Following her address, Dragoslava Barzut from Civic Initiatives welcomed participants and wished them a productive conference, highlighting the importance of transparent communication in the work of the civil society sector, especially in the current social context.
The audience was then addressed by Pavle Pekić, President of the Association of Dramatic Artists of Serbia, who delivered an inspiring speech on finding one’s voice in a society full of challenges.
The program continued with a panel discussion moderated by Minja Bogavac, focusing on creativity in social change. Panelists included Teodara Perić (Urbana Gerila), Ilir Gaši (Creative Producer), Nemanja Marinović (Zoomer), and Ana Mirkailo (BeFem – Feminist Cultural Center).
On the first day, the networking platform Petlja, designed to connect organizations and experts, was presented, followed by a series of engaging workshops. The second day began with a masterclass by Miloš Janković from Katalista on “Data-Driven Communication,” and concluded with additional workshops and hands-on sessions.
