Shaker High School students from Andrew Krakat’s Civic Engagement and Leadership class and Andrea Stupp’s Foreign Policy class had the unique opportunity to attend a panel discussion with Parliament members from the National Assembly of Serbia. The discussion was part of a program with the Congressional Office for International Leadership, which brings diplomats to Washington D.C. and Albany, NY in partnership with the International Center of the Capital Region. The members of the National Assembly of Serbia visiting SHS, along with their interpreter and two members of the U.S. Embassy Belgrade.
The panel began with Krakat introducing the Executive Director of the International Center of the Capital Region, Holly Planells McKenna. McKenna, who has coordinated foreign diplomat visits to Albany and SHS for the last few years, encouraged students to take advantage of the chance to learn about the National Assembly of Serbia by asking the Parliament members questions. She then handed the panel to the members, allowing each of them to introduce themselves, discuss their background, and how they got into politics. The members provided insights on how the Serbian government and its political parties within the country work, explaining that Serbia requires 40 percent of the election lists to have women on them, in order to allow for more equal representation.
During her introduction, Parliament member Dijana Radovic spoke of wanting to participate in local politics to help spur change for the better. Radovic is part of the Socialist Party of Serbia and in her first term in Parliament. She encouraged students to get involved to have their voices better heard.
“If we cannot say what our needs are, we can’t expect our needs to change,” Radovic said. “People from small communities can bring about change.”
Following Radovic’s insights, Olja Petrovic spoke of her time in the Serbian Progressive Party. As a member of Parliament for three terms, Petrovic reflected on how she has worked to bring positive change to her community and encouraged others to get involved in politics to do the same.
“I always advise people not to be silent observers, but to participate in politics so they can make life better for those around them,” Petrovic said. “Young people may not be very interested in politics in the beginning, but when they find out more about it, it becomes more interesting for them.”
The panel concluded with the members reflecting on their biggest accomplishments while serving in parliament. Students were then invited to meet one-on-one with the Parliament members, to learn more about the Serbian government, ask further questions, and gain any advice for their future career paths.