About us
Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own (Ne da(vi)mo Beograd) is a local political movement that is gathering large numbers of people interested in improving the living and working conditions of all our citizens; improving, conserving, and lawfully using common and natural resources, building democratic institutions, sustainable urban development, urban and cultural policies and incorporating citizens into the development of their environment. The movement grew out of a series of mass protests against the theft of the Sava Amphitheater and the phantom demolition of buildings on Hercegovacka Street for the purposes of the Belgrade Waterfront project.
Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own starts from the position that citizens’ life issues are key political issues in our society. Do we have a job and if we have one, are we adequately paid for it? When we get sick, is there anyone to treat us? Can we be educated? Is there room for every child in the kindergartens? How long do we wait for the bus and can we get to work in a reasonable amount of time? Are our cultural, historical and natural monuments for the profit of the privileged elite or for all our citizens to enjoy? As well as whether our laws apply equally to all citizens regardless of religious, national, political, economic or sexual affiliation?
In the past four years, the Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own initiative has fought for the public interest of citizens with all available means: protests, actions, prevention of evictions, analysis of strategies, contracts or new laws and regulations, lawsuits and denunciations, conversations in local communities and on the streets, criminal and misdemeanor charges, concerts, exhibitions … Since its inception, the Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own initiative has been under constant pressure from the authoritarian regime, our activists have been monitored, phones tapped, and work obstructed by a large number of court processes.
In March 2018, we decided to open a new front and we ran for the Belgrade City Assembly elections. With the enormous energy that a large number of people invested during the campaign to bring our fight from the streets to the city parliament, we ended the election race for individual political actors in fifth place, winning 3.44% or 28,500 votes. Although this was not enough for us to participate in the work of the city parliament, the great confidence shown by citizens is the foundation for continuing the fight in this field as well.
Nationally, the initiative is part of the Civic Front along with 7 other authentic local movements. This association brings together in the Front similar local movements animated by the ideas of solidarity, equality, social security and tolerance for the removal of authoritarian rule, the democratization of society, the fight against poverty, and the preservation of public and natural assets.
Internationally, the Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own initiative is part of a growing wave of local municipalist movements. The Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own election list was supported by many European movements and over 80 progressive intellectuals across Europe, including Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, Berlin Deputy Mayor Ramona Pop, Yanis Varoufakis of the Diem25 movement, and Ska Keller of the European Greens / European Free political group alliance in the European Parliament. As a result of its international reputation and support, in June 2019, a major international conference, Fearless Cities, was held in Belgrade, bringing together representatives of over 60 local municipal movements from cities across Europe.
In the immediate future the Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own initiative will develop its internal functioning in order to, as best it can, demonstrate by its example the standards of democratic and transparent action it demands of both the state administration and state institutions. Also, the structure of the movement is expanding with the formation of municipal committees that will bring policy closer to citizens and involve them more directly in the work of the initiative and in making decisions about the environment in which they live.
Change comes from below and the battle for OUR CITY continues.
Whose city?
Donate
In order to continue filing numerous lawsuits for fraud and harmful contracts, organizing street actions and protests, as well as other forms of civil and political fight for our city, you can support initiative Ne davimo Beograd:
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email: [email protected]
Thank you!
Contact us at: [email protected]
Check out some texts in English about us, and by our members:
MORAMO coalition third political force in Belgrade
According to the preliminary results of our election control team, the MORAMO coalition won 10.90% of the votes in Belgrade and thus is the third political force in our city with almost 100,000 votes of support
Professor Biljana Stojković is the candidate for president in front of the coalition MORAMO
Ne Davimo Beograd movement and the green-left coalition MORAMO have made the decision to nominate Professor Biljana Stojković as a candidate for the presidency of Serbia in the upcoming presidential elections, in front of the MORAMO coalition.
MORAMO coalition officially submitted their electoral lists for Belgrade and legislative elections
On Monday 21 February, candidate for mayor of Belgrade Dobrica Veselinović, together with Ne Davimo Beograd activists and the MORAMO coalition, came by tramway to the City Electoral Commission and handed over the collected signatures for the city elections in April. They previously submitted signatures for the legislative elections in the Republic Electoral Commission.
Stefan Tasić for The Radicals: Transforming the System: New Hope for Serbia
Ne davimo Beograd has grown into an antipode to established politics and a force with the potential to transform an authoritarian and unjust system. It has developed bottom-up activism as its trademark to answer undemocratic and particular interests-focused politics.
Biographies of Ne Davimo Beograd candidates on the electoral lists
At the fifth Assembly of the movement Ne Davimo Beograd, members voted on the people who will be part of the list of the green-left coalition MORAMO in the upcoming elections.
Team for Belgrade and candidate for mayor, Dobrica Veselinović, introduced at the Assembly of the movement
The movement Ne Davimo Beograd presented Dobrica Veselinović, the candidate for mayor of Belgrade, and a team of people who will, on behalf of the movement, be part of the green-left coalition MORAMO lists in the elections, in a packed hall of the Youth Centre.