Organized by the GOOD Initiative, the conference “Civic Education in a Super-Election Year” was held on Monday, 3 June 2024, at the Ribnjak Youth Center.
As part of the panel discussion titled “Civic Education: Ever? If Ever, When?”, the Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter participated alongside the Deputy Mayor of the City of Zagreb, Danijela Dolenec; representatives of the GOOD Initiative, Lucija Dumančić Jovanović and Lana Jurman; and Ana Šutalo Barić, a teacher of the subject Politics and Economy. At the beginning of the panel, results of several studies on the topic of civic education by Marija Bajkuša, Nikola Baketa, and Monika Pažur were presented.
Speaking about the recommendations from the Ombudswoman’s Annual Report aimed at more effectively protecting human rights and addressing numerous systemic issues faced by citizens—particularly those focusing on the need for timely civic education in the protection of human rights and prevention of hate speech—Ombudswoman Šimonović Einwalter emphasized the need to introduce civic education as a mandatory subject in both primary and secondary schools.
She also pointed out that, through the institution’s daily work, existing shortcomings are unfortunately evident as a result of a democratic deficit, which primarily refers to the fact that citizens are insufficiently aware of their rights, how to exercise them, and whom to turn to for their protection.
She added that it is nearly impossible to change citizens’ existing attitudes through occasional campaigns, which is why systematic and effective education in the field of civic education is necessary—from an early age and throughout all stages of education.
The GOOD Initiative comprises numerous civil society organizations engaged in non-formal education and human rights, with the aim of systematically and effectively integrating education for human rights and democratic citizenship into the formal education system.