Elvira Hadžibegović, President of Forum MNE, will participate in the NECE Festival in Lisbon from 14 to 16 October 2026. This will be her third time attending the festival, which brings together people and organisations working in civic education across Europe.

This year’s festival focuses on trust. Through discussions, workshops and opportunities to exchange experiences, participants will explore trust in democracy, trust in civil society and civic education, and trust in people. These questions are closely connected to Forum MNE’s work in youth work and non-formal education, which supports young people to take an active role in their communities.

Elvira’s participation is also part of Forum MNE’s work within the European Civic Education Collaborative Network (ECEC Network). The network brings together organisations from different European countries to work towards a shared vision of civic education and to identify transformative experiences that put this vision into practice.

Showcasing transformative practices in civil society is an important part of this work. The ECEC Network highlights educational experiences that seek personal transformation and, as a consequence, social transformation. Among the experiences featured from Montenegro is Forum MNE’s Service Learning for More Inclusive Communities. Through community-based service learning, young people work with mentors and local partners to develop initiatives that respond to needs in their communities, while strengthening their empathy, resilience and civic responsibility.

The network also features the “Barbara Prammer” Democracy Workshops as an experience from Montenegro. Through interactive learning, the workshops introduce children to democratic processes, human rights and active citizenship. Together, these experiences show how civic education can connect learning with participation and give children and young people opportunities to contribute to their communities.

The NECE Festival will allow Elvira to continue exchanging ideas with colleagues from across Europe, share experiences from Montenegro and explore how civic education can strengthen trust and cooperation.

Learn more about the NECE Festival 2026 programme and the ECEC Network.