Statement of MODS

The Annual Assembly Meeting of the Network of Organisations for Children of Serbia (MODS) was held in Kragujevac from 3 to 5 November 2017. The meeting was chaired by Radomir Jevtić, President of NGO Korak napred (A Step Forward) from Kruševac.

In the working session, the participants discussed the 2016 Network Activity Report, presented by Director Saša Stefanović, Steering Committee Report, presented by President of Steering Committee Jasmina Miković and Supervisory Board Report, presented by President of Supervisory Board Olgica Beba Bajić. After a brief discussion, the participants adopted unanimously all the presented reports.

It was followed by the election of new members of the Steering Committee and decision-making regarding the admission of new members to the Network. The elected members of the Steering Committee are former President Jasmina Miković (Praxis), Iva Eraković (Children’s Friends of Serbia), Kenan Rašitović (Youth Forum for Roma Education), Tatjana Lazor-Obradović (Know How Center), Dragana Soćanin (AgroInvest Foundation Serbia), Marija Petrović (Child Rights Centre), Gordana Plemić (Parent), Vesna Mraković-Jokanović (SOS Children’s Village Serbia) and Mladen Milutinović (Open Club).

The new members of the Supervisory Board are Radomir Jevtić (A Step Forward), Ana Jovanović (Center for Creative Development Knjaževac) and Aleksandra Jović (UNICEF).

MODS received a record number of membership applications - 17. The applying organisations had the opportunity to present themselves briefly to the Assembly, after which they became new members of MODS by the decision of the Assembly.

•  Center for Education of Roma and Ethnic Communities (Belgrade)

• Edulink (Aranđelovac)
• City Association for Helping People with Autism (Subotica)
• Koba Yagi (Belgrade)
• Equestrian Club Aranđelovac
• Mindful Center (Novi Sad)
• MisturaFINA (Belgrade)
• Okular (Ćićevac)
• Family Assistance (Belgrade)
• Family Philharmonic Orchestra (Niš) 
• Friends of Belgrade Children
• Roma Center for Child Rights (Belgrade)
• Roma Heart (Belgrade)
• Youth Style (Ruma)
• Youth Association Ćuprija
• Association of Women with Disabilities “Victoria” (Majdanpek)

In the continuation of Assembly Meeting, Network Director Saša Stefanović presented to the attending members an overview of the implemented activities and achieved results in 2017. Some of the noteworthy results achieved by MODS in 2017 were its identification as an important actor at the national level, MODS representative in the Children’s Rights Council, and active participation in public discussions on educational laws.

MODS also worked, in cooperation with SCTM, on improving the work of Inter-sectoral Commissions, while for the second year in a row, at the proposal of the Network, the rights of the child were included in the expose of the Prime Minister of Serbia.

The Assembly Meeting was also recognised as an opportunity to open a discussion on the possibilities for further improvement of the Network’s work. A special part of the meeting was dedicated to presenting the activities aimed at raising the capacities of MODS members in accordance with the assessed support needs of member organisations. The attendees had an opportunity to give their comments and suggestions within the working groups that discussed the role of MODS in advocacy activities at the local and national level and support to members, the inclusion of children and the creation of a sustainable mechanism for their participation.