At the panel “The Art of Resistance”, organized by the Center for Girls in Niš, Miroslava Nikolić spoke on behalf of the political ecology organization Polekol. Together with activist Marija Srdić from Novi Sad and activists from Karton Revolucija in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Adi Selman and Nedim Musić, she shared experiences about how she started her activism, what motivates her to persist, the obstacles activists face, how they overcome them, and the current struggles they are engaged in, both at the local and regional levels.
Miroslava emphasized that every individual is important for the change we want to see, that empathy is the foundation for building trust within movements, and that the fight for common goods requires both local action and regional connectivity. She reminded the audience that natural resources and social goods must be accessible to everyone, and that this is not just an environmental issue, but also one of human rights, social justice, and democracy.
She particularly highlighted the importance of women’s resistance and the role of women in environmental struggles, illustrating this with examples from her own activist experience in communities facing water shortages, small hydropower projects, mining, deforestation, and similar challenges.
In the spirit of the panel’s message, Miroslava concluded that our struggle is not only a fight for nature, but also for the future we want to build—solidarily, bravely, and justly. At a time when environmental activists are often targeted and natural resources are being commercialized, it is crucial to build bridges between different movements and collectively strengthen resilience.
