Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own

Marko Čeperković is organising this fundraiser.

Donation protected

The Ne da(vi)mo Beograd (Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own) Initiative is making its first appearance at the elections for the Assembly of the City of Belgrade. This GoFundMe campaign is a coordinated effort of all of those who live abroad but support the Initiative and want to help it thrive. The Initiative is in need of such help, otherwise, they will not be able to continue to fight for the citizens' sovereignty, a just and fair society, and citizen-friendly policies.

(N.B. My name is Marko Ceperkovic, I live in Paris, and I am a non-member supporter of the Initiative coordinating the GoFundMe campaign. After the fundraiser is over, the funds will be transferred to my bank account and then wire-transferred to the Initiative or used directly for promotional purposes indicated by the Initiative.)

What is the Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own Initiative all about?

The Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own Initiative gathers organizations and individuals interested in urban and cultural policies, sustainable city development, fair and just use of common resources, and the involvement of citizens in decision-making.

We are a group of people of different profiles, occupations, and beliefs, gathered around a common goal: putting an end to the degradation and despoilment of Belgrade on behalf of megalomaniac urban and architectural projects - above all the Belgrade Waterfront project.

We are determined to fight against the appropriation of parts of our city for the private interests of non-transparent actors, for whose accounts, once again, we as the citizens of this state would have to pay vast amounts of money.

It is time to put an end to the constant ignorance of the voices and demands of the citizens. It is time to put an end to the dominance of private, and individual interests that constantly override the public good. We want to end the system in which public resources are used for shady deals between investors and politicians, and in which the citizens always end up as a collateral damage.

This city is our home. But this city must also be a home to all of those yet to come - to our children, and to their children. We, here and now, bear the responsibility for the present, but also for the future - and for everything that we are going to leave behind us. Every decision made today will impact what happens tomorrow, and we believe that decisions made today are not in the interest of the citizens - neither present nor future ones. We need to put an end to this kind of decision-making and we invite all of those who are interested in creating a better home for all of us to join us and help us achieve our goals.

The Initiative is funded by the voluntary contributions of its members, as well as the individuals and organizations that support our work, ideas, and goals.

Why are we running in the local elections?

We want to change the way in which we, as a society, pursue politics. Over the past decades, professional politicians have been turning politics into sludge that no one wants to enter, and any attempt to challenge such politics has been dismissed. Those who dared to raise their voices against the regime have been accused of 'practicing politics' instead of dealing with their neighborhood, students' professional or union issues. We are told that the issues of our city are not ours to resolve. We must put an end to this - this is our city, and its issues are our issues.

We plan to use the Initiative as a platform that would enable democratic dialogue on the form and content of various city policies. Furthermore, we wish to open a dialogue at the level of local communities, blocks and quarters in which we live, in order to define common priorities for policies that must result in better life for all, and not only for some.

Finally, we are candidating this political programme, and approach to politics in general, at the Belgrade elections this March, in order to change things more rapidly and for a larger number of people. In order to be successful, we need your help. As a citizens' initiative, we do not have any other mode of financing other than private donations from our friends, colleagues, neighbors, and supporters.

Therefore, if you share our views about citizens' participation, equality, citizen-friendly policies, a just society, and complete transparency - help us enter the City Assembly and bring our activism to the next level.

How do we act?

Independently - relying solely on the support we receive from those who share the same ideas and goals.

Locally - the Initiative works primarily in Belgrade, but it also brings up harmful national laws and policies, as well as international treaties, since all levels of legislation affect the quality of life of every citizen.

Without a hierarchy - the Initiative is organized as a collective of equal individuals that jointly make decisions and participate in work at their own discretion and interest.

Cooperation and Networking - the Initiative works with movements and individuals from other communities from Serbia, the region, Europe, and all over the world, with the goal of exchanging experiences and fighting for achieving the common goals. Primarily using available legal and institutional means, but also with legitimate resistance and civil disobedience to unjust laws and policies. Fostering the integrity of organization and
operation: the goal is to coordinate the form of actions and goals that the organization is committed to.

Modes of operation:

Initiative Ne da(vi)mo Belgrade strongly believes in the transparency of the process of making a political alternative and is trying to open it to the widest group of people. The funds gathered through this campaign will be transferred to the Initiative and will be used to fund promotional activities.

All documents, financial reports, meeting conclusions, and suggestions for new policies or actions are transparent and will be published on the Initiative's website.

Informing the widest group of people interested in the work of the Initiative is done through a regular weekly online newsletter, while information about meetings and other important events is distributed through a shared email, which can be accessed by sending a message to: [email redacted].

International coverage of our activities: