Global Campus alumnae present at the Council of Europe's Conference on Digital Resilience in Montenegro

The North-South Centre's (NSC) Intercultural Conference , “Digital resilience: youth strategies against racist and xenophobic acts through computer systems,” took place in Kotor, Montenegro, 2024, October 24-25. The first edition of the North-South Centre's conference, a new initiative of the NSC's medium-term strategy, aims to bridge the growing divide between the North and the South.

Organised in partnership with the authorities of Montenegro, the event focused on exploring challenges and opportunities to build digital resilience, with a special focus on the role of youth. Lamija Kovačević and Veronika Vasilić, Global Campus South East Europe (ERMA) alumnae, were selected by the Council of Europe to participate in the conference and discuss the involvement of young people as perpetrators of racist and xenophobic acts on the internet, as well as to understand deeper the existing legal frameworks and to engage in exploration of existing strategies to combat and prevent cybercrime and hate speech online.

The first day, dedicated to youth strategies against racist and xenophobic acts through computer systems, offered keynote speeches about technological horizons and the necessity to approach emerging challenges with a human-centric approach. The first panel discussion, which combined inputs from recent academic work and the experiences of key actors in this area, focused on the consequences of online hate speech. Lamija Kovačević was one of the youth presenters to share Southeast Europe's perspective. She presented her MA research findings under the title "Rethinking Online Hate: Memes, Subtle Exclusion, and Youth Agency." Among the discussants were experts like Mr. Siniša Bjeković, Ombdusman of Montenegro, and one of the ERMA lecturers. The second panel focused on international standards and frameworks countering online xenophobia and racism. The panel presented the standards of the Council of Europe, providing a detailed account of the Budapest Convention and other relevant legal frameworks, along with the work of the African Union. Links between cybercrime and freedom of expression were discussed.

The second day of the conference started with a special presentation given by Dr. Mila Popović, director general of the Directorate for Interculturalism at the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro. Following the presentation, a session explored how young people can aid in the detection and prosecution of hate crimes, showcasing ongoing initiatives aimed at raising awareness of youth cybercrime.

This conference was of special importance because it emphasised the crucial role of youth in solving social problems, especially those connected to cybercrimes. It concluded with key points made at the sessions, paving the way to the Kotor Declaration as the joining platform.

By Veronika Vasilić and Lamija Kovačević
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Lamija Kovačević (ERMA-GC SEE alumna 2023) works as a media researcher/research project coordinator at Mediacentar Sarajevo. Prior to this, she completed an internship at the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024 as a recipient of the Global Campus Internship Award for the best student in the 2022/20223 cohort. To date, she has published interdisciplinary research on the politics of contention, the role of digital media, the presence of marginalized narratives in foreign policy discourse, and more.

Veronika Vasilić (ERMA-GC SEE alumna 2019) is a researcher and a PhD student at the University of Belgrade. She collaborated with different thinktanks and NGOs but also completed an internship at one city municipality in Belgrade. The focus of her work is primarily academic, but she also carried out some projects regarding human rights protection, especially connected to the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons. She published scientific articles as well as public policy papers and analyses.