Eight Billion

🎧 Listen Now This episode captures the most dangerous phase of Serbia's student movement---the moment when peaceful protest evolved into political power, and the regime's response turned brutal. Following Part 1's foundation of how grief became mobilization, Part 2 reveals what happened when students crossed the ultimate threshold: entering politics in a system designed to crush opposition. Through the voices of Katica, Nina and Natalija, we witness the Green Light campaign, mass arrests of over 300 students, and the vision of a future worth fighting for. This is the story of young people who refused to be silenced---and paid the price with their freedom, their safety, and their futures. 🧵 Episode Overview In this continuation of Episode 3, Liza Florida returns to conversation with the same three students ---Katica Stevanovic, Nina Kustudic and Natalija Petrovic---as they navigate the movement's most perilous evolution. What began as mourning and blockades transformed into something the regime feared most: organized political opposition. The students describe their decision to form an electoral list---a move that immediately placed targets on their backs and escalated government repression to unprecedented levels. Through firsthand accounts of June 28th's violence, mass arrests, and ongoing intimidation, these women reveal the true cost of challenging entrenched power. Yet their testimonies also carry profound hope: a vision of Serbia where children can be children, where institutions serve citizens, and where young people stay because they can thrive, not just survive. This episode documents the point where student activism became existential---and where courage became the only path forward. 🔑 Key Topics Covered Breaking the Political Taboo Why students overcame their fear of the word "politics" and decided to build an electoral list.The Green Light Campaign How students gave citizens permission to act---and what followed when the people responded.June 28th: The Turning Point Police brutality escalates as the regime recognizes the true threat of organized student opposition.300+ Arrests in One Week The unprecedented crackdown following the electoral announcement and its impact on students and families.Building Democratic Infrastructure How the student electoral list was algorithmically designed to represent all universities fairly.The Algorithm of Representation A transparent system allocating parliamentary seats based on enrollment numbers across Serbia's higher education institutions.Solidarity as Survival Why "leaving nobody behind" became the movement's core principle during its darkest hour.A Vision Worth Fighting For What kind of Serbia these students are risking everything to create.🧠 Voices from the Frontlines "In Serbia, politics is a curse word. But we realized everything is politics---and we were fighting Goliath with nothing but our voices." "We had protests with hundreds of thousands of people, and it wasn't enough. People kept asking: 'What then?' We needed a concrete solution." "The moment we asked for elections---crickets. Silence. Because he realized we actually have a chance to win." "June 28th was when the police brutality really started. Before that, our relationship was mostly cordial." "We had more than 300 students arrested in a week. That's when we knew the stakes had changed completely." "I have a dream---to live in a country where I don't know the name of any minister, because I'm content with the work they're doing." "This world needs changing. We're headed to a very dark place. But no goal is unachievable if every fight is the fight we pick." "Authoritarian regimes rely on isolation. When stories cross borders, they disrupt the silence." "I want a Serbia where young people don't have to leave, where they can thrive and not just survive." "I want our children to stay children. High schoolers have been protesting way too much." 💡 Political Strategy & Democratic Innovation The Student Electoral List An independent political list composed of experts and policy holders unaffiliated with existing regime or opposition parties. Algorithmic Seat Allocation Transparent formula distributing parliamentary positions based on university enrollment numbers and geographic representation. The Green Light Campaign Strategic messaging empowering citizens to take whatever action they deemed necessary for change. Infrastructure Beyond Blockades Building electoral campaign systems designed to outlast the immediate protest phase. 🤝 Connect with the Students of Serbia The Students of Serbia represent a rising global call for transparency, accountability, and dignity. Follow their movement and ongoing actions through student-led social channels: Katica Stevanvoic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katica-stevanovic-4614442b0/    Nina Kustodic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninakustudic/ 🤝 Connect with Me 📷 Instagram: @lizaflorida | @eightbillionproject 👤 Facebook: Eight Billion Podcast 💼 LinkedIn: Liza Florida 🌐 Website: lizaflorida.com 🙏 Special Thanks To Katica, Nina and Natalija---for their unwavering courage in the face of arrest, intimidation, and violence. To the International Peace Bureau---for partnership and support throughout this series. To the 300+ students arrested for demanding democracy---your sacrifice is not forgotten. To the families who continue supporting their student activists despite the risks. And to our listeners: may this episode remind you that democracy requires more than hope---it requires those brave enough to enter the arena, even when the cost is everything. 🔗 About the Series Women as Agents of Change is a special podcast series hosted by Liza Florida, presented by Eight Billion in collaboration with the International Peace Bureau. Each episode uplifts women and youth shaping a more just, peaceful, and accountable world.