University of Arts in Belgrade
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Institutionalization of Participatory Democratic Innovations: Understanding the Roles of Established and Emerging Actors
No full textWhile existing research has increasingly emphasized the need to embed democratic innovations within formal political structures to ensure their sustainability, analytical frameworks are largely rooted in normative democratic theory and often lack tools for understanding the processes of institutionalization of democratic innovations. We draw on the framework developed for analyzing the institutionalization of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), using it as an analogy to better understand the mechanism of these processes, with a specific focus on the roles of the socio-political actors involved. While we acknowledge the structural differences between NHRIs and democratic innovations, we argue that this analogy provides a valuable perspective and theoretical model that could be used for analyzing mechanisms and the roles actors may play in these processes, especially in the context of increasing international support for participatory norms. Ultimately, we contend that successful institutionalization depends on the parallel efforts of state actors, civil society, participation professionals, academics, and international organizations, whose actions may unfold independently yet contribute collectively to the institutionalization of democratic innovations and suggest that the model we propose should be further refined and validated through empirical research
The Russia–Serbia Nexus between Strategic Partnership and Domestic Politics
No full textThis article explores the deepening political, ideological, and strategic ties between Serbia and Russia since 2012 and the way they bolster authoritarian resilience in Serbia and expand Russian influence in the Western Balkans and Europe. It argues that Serbia’s ruling elite, particularly under President Aleksandar Vučić and the pro-Russian Serbian Progressive Party, has leveraged close ties with the Kremlin to consolidate power and resist Western democratic pressures. In return, Russia gains a geopolitical foothold in a key region bordering the European Union (EU) and NATO. The article examines the way in which state-sponsored and pro-regime non-state actors complement official narratives and bilateral deals involving energy and defense by advancing nationalist narratives and promoting a “civilizational” connection, further reinforced by the concepts of the “Russian World” and “Serbian World.” Despite economic dependence on the EU, Serbia’s alignment with Russia signals a pragmatic challenge to Western influence—an asymmetry that risks turning Serbia into a geopolitical outlier, estranged from democratic norms and vulnerable to external manipulation. The study contributes to the literature on hybrid regimes, foreign influence, and authoritarian consolidation, while underscoring the need for a more assertive EU strategy in the Western Balkans
Sensory repression: The indiscriminate use of less-lethal weapons during public assemblies
No full textIn April 2025, the European Court of Human Rights issued an interim measure against Serbia, indicating to the Government that, until further notice, it must prevent any use of sound devices for crowd control by state or non-state actors. The case related to the alleged use of a less-lethal weapon by the Serbian authorities at massive anti-government demonstrations in Belgrade on 15 March 2025, and concerns that it could be used in future. Inspired by this case, the article explores the legal implications of the deployment of a less-lethal weapon against thousands of individuals during a peaceful public assembly. It discusses the international standards of use of less-lethal weapons during public assemblies and advocates for global regulation of their trade. The article delves into the wider issues of the use of force by law enforcement, government accountability, and human rights standards
From Efficiency to Deliberation: Rethinking AI’s Role in Institutionalizing Democratic Innovations
No full textAs AI becomes increasingly embedded in democratic innovation (DI), critical questions arise about how these technologies shape deliberative quality, civic agency, and institutional design. While AI promises to expand and scale deliberative mini‐publics, it also risks undermining the democratic goods that make such processes meaningful, particularly inclusiveness, popular control, considered judgment, and transparency. This article introduces the democracy‐in‐the‐loop (DITL) framework as both a normative and practical approach to integrating AI into democratic settings. Building upon and expanding models like human‐in‐the‐loop and society‐in‐the‐loop, DITL embeds contestation, reflexivity, and participant agency into the operation and governance of AI systems. A key feature of the DITL approach is the intentional use of “meaningful frictions” (disruptions designed to slow down interaction, surface assumptions, and invite critical engagement). We explore the DITL model through the Digital Democracy Lab, a series of four experimental workshops held in 2024 in Brussels, Madrid, Kraków, and Dublin as part of the EU‐funded Knowledge Technologies for Democracy project. Each workshop combined a purpose‐built AI Demonstrator platform with facilitated deliberation to explore how AI can support, rather than supplant, democratic reasoning. Findings suggest that AI‐enabled DIs should focus on flexibility, contestability, and democratic oversight, not merely technical efficiency. Institutionalizing DIs in the age of AI requires more than simply scaling tools; it calls for embedding democratic values into the design, deployment, and evolution of socio‐technical systems
Anti-Gender Mobilizations with an Ethno-Nationalistic Hangover
No full textServing as a comparative frame for the entire volume, the chapter begings by testing the backlash hypothesis, widespread in anti-gender scholarship. It claims that the backlash perspective is misleading, because it assumes that progressive actions necessarily precede and provoke conservative reactions. The post-Yugoslav space in particular presents a critical challenge to the notion that anti-gender mobilizations universally follow the same trajectory. In this context—aside from a few exceptions—the progress cited by the proponents of the backlash position never
fully materialized. Here, anti-gender rhetoric arises not primarily as a response to feminist achievements but as part of a broader process of re-traditionalization, deeply rooted in ethno-nationalist frameworks that predate the global rise of anti-gender campaigns
From Domination to Communion: A Christian Ethics for AI, Animals, and Humanity
No full textThis paper examines the ethical and metaphysical challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), including the prospective emergence of artificial superintelligence (ASI), highlighting how technological systems can replicate patterns of domina- tion and ethical distortion already present in human society. Moving beyond contemporary frameworks that treat AI as a neutral tool or a competitor for dominance, the study proposes an alternative ethical paradigm grounded in Christian theology and Greek philosophy. Central to this framework are the principles of providential care, stewardship, and the recognition of the intrinsic worth and uniqueness of all created beings—human and non-human alike. While AI lacks moral agency, its design and deployment reflect the ethical orientation of human creators, meaning that responsible stew- ardship can enable AI to approximate practices that foster relationality, care, and flourishing. By situating AI within this theological and anthropological horizon, the paper envisions a future in which technology supports the dignity of all life and transforms the threat of domination into a horizon of communion and ethical responsibility
Navigating Institutional (Dis)Trust
No full textThis chapter investigates the complex and dynamic relationship between democratic social movements and institutional trust and distrust. While movements are often grounded in social trust among members, they frequently express critical trust or outright distrust towards institutions. Drawing on qualitative data from 28 focus groups and 14 interviews with 14 grassroots movements across seven European countries, the chapter explores how movements perceive trust and distrust, and whether these attitudes influence their willingness to engage and cooperate with institutional actors. The findings reveal that institutional distrust is widespread but typically framed as a form of critical, democratic vigilance rather than anti-system sentiment. Movements often demand accountability and transparency rather than reject democratic institutions outright. Importantly, institutional cooperation is not solely determined by levels of trust or distrust but also shaped by strategic goals, past experiences, and interpersonal relationships. By situating trust and distrust as practice-oriented phenomena, the chapter contributes to a more nuanced understanding of democratic legitimacy, political engagement, and the strategic orientations of social movements in contemporary Europe
Thematic issue: The understanding of light in the religious traditions of the 14th and 15th century Balkans - Introduction
No full textThis thematic issue, titled ‘The Understanding of Light in the Religious Traditions of the 14th and 15th Century Balkans’, focuses primarily on the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and examines two major mystical traditions: Hesychasm, which originated on Mount Athos and spread into medieval Serbia and Bulgaria, and Bektashi Sufism, which accompanied the Ottoman army and first took root in Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. However, there remains a notable imbalance in research coverage: the Orthodox tradition—deeply embedded within the Byzantine imperial framework—has been far more thoroughly documented, whereas Islam entered the Balkans mainly as the faith of soldiers and conquerors. The Ottoman westward expansion, along with the fall of Byzantium and Serbia, facilitated the migration of Orthodox monasticism to the west, bringing with it a rich cultural and educational legacy. At the same time, this period witnessed the establishment of Islamic schools in the central Balkans and the flourishing of Islamic intellectual and cultural life in these newly incorporated territories
Review of A History of the Desire for Christian Unity, 1-2 Volumes
No full textWhile these volumes are an important resource for tracing the historical development of Orthodox ecumenical thought, they reflect certain historiographical biases, emphasizing institutional and political dimensions over the rich theological and spiritual initiatives that have sustained the movement. They nevertheless provide a valuable testimony to the ongoing efforts of Orthodox theologians and laity to navigate the complex pursuit of Christian unity over the past century
Socialist Self-Management: The Constitutional Vision of Democracy in Yugoslavia
No full textThis chapter examines the Yugoslav vision of self-managing democracy through the lens of its constitutional development. Constitutions, as positive legal documents, codify the structure of a political system and articulate the vision of a desirable social order. Although they never fully correspond to social or material reality, they reveal the foundational principles from which a system and its ruling ideology derive legitimacy. The chapter explores this dimension of the Yugoslav constitutions, situating it within the complex historical and political dynamics in which Yugoslav socialism evolved. At the same time, it highlights the various contradictions that shaped this model and became embedded in the constitutional texts themselves. The aim is to illuminate a radically different conception of democracy, exemplified by a state that sought to construct socialism within the geopolitical context of the Cold War