Regional Event: The Days of Srđan Aleksić
The Days of Srđan Aleksić is a regional event named after a young man from Trebinje who lost his life in 1993 defending a Bosniak fellow citizen from harassment by the Army of Republika Srpska. The event has been organized since 2010 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, gaining regional status in 2022. It focuses on promoting independent journalism, professionalism, integrity, and fostering a positive social environment rooted in inclusion and respect for diversity. Its aim is to enhance regional cooperation, strengthen press freedom, and uphold human rights.
The central event includes a regional gathering and the presentation of journalism awards to distinguished individuals and media outlets. Awards are presented in three categories.
1. Award for Journalistic Courage and Excellence: Recognizes journalists who demonstrate in-depth, professional, and ethical reporting on issues such as corruption, governmental misconduct, environmental degradation, political manipulation, violence, or taboo subjects that are rarely or unilaterally reported.
2. Award for Contribution to the Community: Honors journalists or teams whose reporting on topics such as reconciliation, inclusion, human rights, gender equality, and the rule of law has delivered tangible benefits to citizens or communities.
3. Media Award: Celebrates media outlets with responsible editorial policies that support their journalists in serving the public interest, protecting human rights, and defending media freedom.
This year, the award ceremony will be held in Novi Sad (at the premises of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina, Sutjeska Street 2 / Entrance 8), giving the event a mobile character. This aims to increase its visibility across the region and enable the awarding organizations to connect media professionals and civil society from the Western Balkans and Croatia. It also seeks to encourage policymakers to respond more swiftly and responsibly to issues affecting communities and the region. By hosting the event in Novi Sad, the tradition begins of holding the regional gathering in a different city each year, aiming to cover the entire Western Balkans over time. This approach helps the organizers reach new regional audiences and strengthen their advocacy positions.
The host of the event is the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina, while the programming and organization of the entire event—including the public call for the Srđan Aleksić Regional Journalism Award, jury selection, promotion of the regional gathering, and awards ceremony—are carried out in cooperation with the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Banja Luka (the award initiator), the Network for Building Peace from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Association for the Promotion of Media Culture, Art, and Tolerance “Lupiga – The World Through Ordinary Eyes” from Croatia, and the Institute for Media of Montenegro.
The regional conference, scheduled for December 14 and 15, will gather nearly 100 participants from the journalism and media sectors, representatives of NGOs and international organizations dedicated to human rights and regional reconciliation, as well as donor representatives. The ceremonial program will include various cultural activities, such as a photo exhibition opening, discussion panels, film screenings, and the awards ceremony.
The event is supported by Smart Balkans, the Kingdom of Norway, the Center for Promotion of Civil Society, the European Fund for the Balkans, Forum ZFD, and CCFD Terre Solidaire.