Civic education is a key mechanism for building a democratic society. If we want free and active citizens, we must teach them from an early age what human rights are, what dialogue means, and how to defend the space of freedom, was the conclusion of the programme Civic Corner of the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) on TV E. The guests of Zvezdana Kovač, Director for Strategy and Communications at the CCE, were Čedomir Čupić, political scientist and professor at the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade, Neđeljko Đurović, high-school teacher in Bar and civic activist, and Rubina Čengić, journalist from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Civic education in Montenegro was mandatory in primary and secondary schools until 2017, when it was reduced to an elective subject with fewer lessons. Civil society organisations – including CCE, Human Rights Action (HRA) and the Centre for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA – are advocating for its reinstatement as a compulsory course. „These events show that society has a serious problem in accepting diversity. Young people must learn about human rights, democracy and empathy,“ he stated. The main challenge, if civic education were to become a compulsory subject again, Đurović sees in “the training of teaching staff who need to show values by their own example, and not only speak about them.”
In Serbia, civic education was introduced in 2001/2002 as a “compulsory elective subject”, and pupils choose between religious instruction and civic education. “Something cannot be both compulsory and elective. Those are vague constructions that deceive the public. Moreover, the subject is marginalised because it does not have serious textbooks and grading,” emphasised Čupić.
In B&H, the situation is even more complex due to the decentralised education system. “We have 14 ministries of education, each with its own policy. The Agency has made common guidelines, but they are applied by very few. Instead of civic education, religious instruction is the most widespread, which already creates divisions among children“, explained Čengić. She particularly warned about initiatives such as the abolition of the subject Democracy in Republika Srpska and the introduction of the subject Virtues. „ A manual appeared promoting medieval values and anti-gender views. If you teach children such ‘virtues’, and not civic rights, you dramatically narrow the space of freedom,” emphasised Čengić.
Professor Čupić reminded that the essence of civic education is the nurturing of universal human values. “There are nine universal values – truth, justice, good, love, beauty, human dignity, freedom, solidarity and equality. When particular values are not in accordance with them, deception and danger arise“, he said, emphasising that religion and spirituality are not problematic in themselves, but their misuse for political purposes. „A sincerely religious person is a treasure because they adhere to universal values. The problem lies with those who use religion to dominate or manipulate people,“ he explained.
Rubina Čengić argued that civic education must also include the rights of minority groups. „We must speak about the rights of women, the rights of the LGBT community, the rights of national minorities. Our societies have become inclined to excluding minorities on any basis, and it is precisely civic education that can put a stop to that“, she said. Professor Čupić agreed, adding that „differences represent the wealth of society, but they must be protected by law and grounded in values“.
Commenting on the recent wave of xenophobia following incidents involving citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan, professor Čupić said it was harmful to Montenegro’s social and political life and to what Montenegrins have always taken pride in – human integrity. “Identifying the act of an individual with an entire nation or state is a brutal form of propaganda. In Montenegro, where human integrity was once held in high regard, it is shocking to see young people instructed to spread hatred. This is clearly the product of political propaganda and powerless elites,” said Čupić, stressing that citizens must clearly say that violence is unacceptable, while institutions must consistently sanction every violent incident.
Neđeljko Đurović assessed that the rise of nationalism and the recent incidents confirm deeper social processes. “European consciousness does not reside in Montenegro, particularly among those who shape the public sphere and who should be promoting European values,” he said, warning against the superficiality of the political establishment and the relativisation of historical facts. „When you relativise values established as civilisational, such as anti-fascism, and attempt to dispute them, you are in fact undermining awareness and opening space for exclusivity and revisionism,” he added.
Referring to research data showing that over 40% of citizens in B&H consider the religion and ethnicity of candidates when choosing political representatives, journalist Čengić commented: „In the Balkans, we still haven’t emerged from the war. We need enemies, so every incident is turned into an inter-ethnic conflict. Politicians manipulate citizens’ fear, and behind all of this lie crime and corruption.“. She also stressed that at the root of the problem is „the lack of civic education and media literacy, due to which citizens without critical knowledge easily fall for manipulation.“
Professor Čupić also commented on the situation in Serbia, emphasising that its importance in the Balkans is often overestimated. “Serbia interferes in the internal affairs of the region – from Montenegro to B&H and Croatia, to conceal its own internal problems… In Serbia, the rule of law is endangered. Laws exist, but they are not respected, and institutions are enslaved by those in power. This leads society to collapse,” assessed Čupić.
The interlocutors agreed that without quality education, there is no development, and that civic education is key for the democratic shaping of society. Professor Čupić cited Japan as an example. „Japan has no natural resources, but through investment in education, it became the third industrial power in the world… 90% of the citizens of Montenegro live in accordance with values, but a minority of extremists muddies the water. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen education, institutions and the rule of law“, he concluded. Rubina Čengić added: „ If we want free and active citizens, we must teach them from an early age human rights, dialogue and how to defend the space of freedom.“
The full programme is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_kCoEcxPMc
The programme is produced through the project “Enhancing education for civic and human rights: education reforms for a stronger democracy”, implemented by the CCE, Human Rights Action (HRA) and the Centre for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA, as part of the programme “Strengthening citizens’ trust in institutions and building resilient communities” led by UNDP, UNICEF and UNESCO, in cooperation with the Government of Montenegro. The project is financed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund. The content of the programme is the sole responsibility of the interlocutors and the author.
Jovana Radulović, programme assistant