Belgrade Open School organized the eleventh Move.Link.Engage. conference, titled "Are we on the same train?". The event took place on October 24th and 25th, bringing together over 200 participants and hosting 15 panelists. The event was organized with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in Belgrade, and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, as part of the "EU Resource Center for Civil Society in Serbia" and "Civil Society Advancing Serbia’s EU Accession Process – Europe ASAP" projects.

For many years, conference has gathered experts from the civil, public, and business sectors, as well as representatives of national, regional, and EU institutions. During the opening remarks of the conference, keynote speakers  included Miroslav Gačević, Acting Assistant Minister for European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, Plamena Halačeva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, and An-Charlotte Malm, Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden.

"According to our research, over 60 percent of Serbian citizens believe that the reform process is extremely important for us as a society", said Miroslav Gačević. He added that citizens value the European Union as the ultimate destination, but also the journey itself, through which the whole society undergoes transformation.

Plamena Halačeva stated that the European Union firmly believes that without an empowered civil society and media, a healthy democracy is not possible. She emphasized it is important that citizens know they can influence public policy decisions affecting their lives. Halačeva added there is no successful reform and respect for European standards without the participation and inclusive cooperation of all actors.

The conference also addressed the effective engagement of citizens, civil society organizations, and other interested parties in decision-making processes, as well as media freedom.

"Media serve as a strong and important bridge between citizens and politicians and need to further enhance this dialogue. When citizens, media, politicians, and civil society collaborate, democracies flourish", highlighted An-Charlotte Malm.

Milorad Bjeletić, Executive Director of the Belgrade Open School, emphasized that the conference has long served as an open forum to spark discussions on the ways in which the EU integration process changes and improves our society.

Following the opening remarks, the annual "Change Makers" awards were presented, followed by the awarding of diplomas to the 31st generation of students from the Future Studies program of the Belgrade Open School.

The second day of the conference featured three panels. The panel titled "The symbiosis of media and civil society" focused on how the interaction between these two groups of actors influences public opinion and decision-making processes, with guest speakers Jelena Vasić, Project Manager at KRIK, Milica Šarić, Director of CINS and Tamara Filipović Stevanović, General Secretary at IJAS.

The panel "How to achieve more effective public participation in decision-making processes" discussed the importance of effectively involving citizens, organizations, and other interested parties in decision-making. Panelists included Mirjana Jovanović, Program Manager at Belgrade Open School, Tanja Petrović, Executive Director at Young Researchers of Serbia, Marija Simić Savić, Program Director at the Association for Promotion and Ecological Marketing of Natural Values Ekomar and Ms. Sabina Ivanović, Head of the Department for Strategic Planning in Environmental Protection at the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The conference concluded with the panel "The other side of the activist medal: Do winners stand alone?". This panel provided a space for exchanging experiences and perspectives, showcasing both successful projects and challenges within the EU Resource Center for Civil Society in Serbia. Speakers included Maja Popović, Community Engagement Coordinator, EU Resource Center for Civil Society in Serbia, BOS, Mitar Nikolić from the Braničevo Initiative, Nebojša Miljanović from the Informal Group Block 19a, Dragana Maricki Milinković from the Informal Group Green Mitrovica and Jelena Pajović van Reenen from EU TACSO 3.