Just a week after attending a presentation by representatives of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) at his law school in Budapest, Balázs Dénes found himself at the HCLU’s offices, looking for ways to participate in their work. He was attracted by the intellectual energy he found there, and, after graduation, split his time working for both the HCLU and a lawyer in private practice.

Lawyer and activist Marija Lukic has been at the forefront of the development of civil society in Serbia, striving through her work to “build a bridge between civil society and state institutions.”  Over the past ten years, Marija has seen how the political landscape in Serbia has changed, creating new opportunities for participation and access by historically excluded and underserved groups.