The Launching event of the project “Prevent bullying and peer violence in schools”, took place in Belgrade on 28 May 2024.
The event was attended by Ambassadors of member states, including Finland, Norway, Slovakia, and representatives from embassies of Albania, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Slovenia and Ukraine. High officials from institutions in Serbia, including the Ombudsperson, Commissioner for Equality, representatives of Ministry of Education, Institute for Improvement of Education, Institute for Education Quality and Evaluation, Institute for Mental Health, academic community and other members of the diplomatic corps also participated.
"We must combat the violence and be unfaltering in this effort. We have the chance to bring about positive change and foster an environment of respect, empathy, and understanding in our educational institutions by working together and sharing a strong commitment" emphasised Janos Babity, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, in his opening remarks. He also talked about the importance that the project will put on the comprehensive scientific research and data-driven approaches through a national assessment which will be conducted at a national level.
Vesna Atanasova, Head of Unit at the Education Department of the Council of Europe, highlighted that the unique Council of Europe methodology will help all the stakeholders and partners better understand the underlying causes of school violence and, as a result, the project will create evidence-based solutions to address them effectively.
Snezana Vukovic, Head of Department for human and minority rights in education in the Ministry of Education, stressed the importance of the project and continuous efforts in supporting students in adopting socio-emotional skills within a safe school environment.
In addition, the scope, purpose and goals of the project were presented along with the methodology of the upcoming national assessment on students’ wellbeing and peer violence.
The launching event concluded with a strong sense of commitment and collaborative efforts from all attendees promising safer school environment for students across Republic of Serbia.
To learn more about the project, visit the project’s webpage.
This project is implemented by the Council of Europe and funded by Germany. It is implemented in co-operation with the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Republic of Serbia from January 2024 to December 2025.
