This project aims to offer a framework which will provide for a policy making forum through connecting citizens with people in politics and with other policy makers. Its aim is to promote innovative ways of communicating and debating policies with the wider public and to provide an independent and innovative debate on the future of politics and concrete public policies in Serbia. It intends to contribute to the improved image of politics in Serbian society through: motivating the political parties to adjust their programs and activities to major citizens’ concerns, encouraging citizens to increase their participation in the political process and policy making, and promoting the political culture by establishing channels of communication between policy makers and citizens. The project, thus, targets political parties, their leadership and policy makers, as well as the citizens of Serbia.

The idea for the project came from a widespread opinion among the democratically oriented and active politicians, scholars and NGOs representatives that there is a lack of strategic political debate in Serbian society - debate which would involve all major actors in the society in defining and promoting the main social values and in searching for the best policies in the various areas in which the reforms are being undertaken. The negative image of politics in Serbian society is a consequence of political parties’ activities which do not correspond to major citizens’ concerns, while citizens have insufficient knowledge and opportunities to actively participate in the political process in order to be able to improve the quality of their life. 

Accordingly, there is a need to create a forum and to provide a framework in which policy makers will be able to discuss their strategic ideas and programs in a manner which secures open and democratic dialogue, and discussion based on expert opinions and on citizens’ concerns. Citizens’ concerns are of the utmost importance as very often political parties seem to conduct their policies in a kind of "virtual reality", i.e. communicating with one another exclusively through media instead of really communicating with the citizens and the broader public by addressing their needs and concerns.

The project goal will be accomplished by two core project activities:

1. Organization of public debates of the Democratic Political Forum. The main idea while organizing a public debate is to motivate political parties’ representatives to focus on particular topic, to formulate their standpoints, to challenge the standpoints of others, to become aware of various experts’ opinions relevant for each topic, and the last, but not the least, to hear the citizens’ concerns. The aim of the public debates is to strengthen the capacity of political parties to develop policies based on real engagement with the electorate. The expert opinion is necessary in order to ensure that policies are up to date with latest developments and practice, particularly in the EU.
2. Creation of the Democratic Political Forum web portal. The website will not only serve as a channel for communicating the content and the conclusions of the public debates, but it will also include articles from people who do not participate in the Democratic Political Forum public debates (politicians, public servants, experts, NGO activists, scholars, students, citizens…). It will be organized as an interactive channel so that citizens will be able to comment on the content of the public debates, and to share their ideas and experiences.
3. Other project activities will include publishing of an E-Bulletin, booklets, newspaper articles etc.