PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS NGO SECTOR IN SERBIA

1. PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS NGO SECTOR IN SERBIA MAY 2009

2. PARTICIPATION

3. Do you belong to any of these groups or organizations, networks, and associations? Multiple answers; Base: Total target population Great majority of the citizens do not belong to any of the groups or organizations, networks, associations.

4. In the past 12 months, have you taken action to address a specific concern or problem in your community? Base: Total target population Describe the main reason why you did not take any action to address a specific concern or problem in your community Each tenth citizen have taken action to address a specific concern or problem in their community, which is even less than in 2006. Like in year 2006, the reasons for not taking any action are different, but most frequently – and somewhat more than in 2006 - citizens just do not believe that it would make difference

5. Multiple answers; Base: those who have taken action to address a specific concern or problem in community in the past 12 months (11% of target population) Please describe the action that you took to address a specific concern or problem in your community? Like in year 2006, most of the citizens took action of signing the petition

6. In the past 12 months, have you worked with others in your village /neighborhood /community to do something for the benefit of the community? Base: Total target population Only 16% of the citizens stated that they worked with others in their communities to do something for the benefit of the community, which is again even slightly less than in 2006

7. If a community project does not benefit you directly, but has benefits for many other people in your community, would you contribute time to the project? If a community project does not benefit you directly, but has benefits for many other people in your community, would you contribute money to the project? Base: Total target population Base: Total target population On the other hand, same as in 2006, more than half of the citizens, at least declaratively, would be ready to contribute money, and almost 60% would contribute time for the benefit of the other people in their community, even if the project would not benefit them directly

8. EMPOWERMENT

9. How much control do you have in making decisions that affect your everyday life? How much control do citizens feel to have in their own lives and in their local communities 51% 38% 33% 23% Do you believe that you have the ability to change things that you don’t like in your local community? Do you feel that you have the power to make important decisions that change the course of your life? 10% 8% 33% 26% 67% 69% 32% 38% In comparison to 2006, people are loosing the feeling of power to change things on all levels, but especially in their personal lives

10. To what extent to you agree with the following statements Great majority of the citizens feel that they don’t have any influence on decisions in their communities, or any ability to make difference

11. To what extent to you agree with the following statements I know I can make a difference in my community I can influence the decisions that are made by the lawmakers in my community I can influence community members to take action on important issues I do not have the ability to change things that I don`t like about my community I am not able to influence the laws that govern my community 2006 2009 2006 2009 2006 2009 2006 2009 2006 2009 In comparison to 2006, the feeling of the lack of power to influence / change things in their communities is somewhat increased, especially with regard to ability to influence community members to take action on important issues

12. To what extent to you agree with the following statements? Most of the citizens do not feel either driven to participate in community activities or motivated to be involved in their community, and just slightly more than each fifth citizen feel personal responsibility to participate in community projects

13. To what extent to you agree with the following statements? I usually do not want to get involved in making decisions that will affect my community I do not feel a personal responsibility to participate in community projects I am motivated to be involved in my community I feel driven to participate in community activities I have the desire to be active in my community 2006 2009 2006 2009 2006 2009 2006 2009 2006 2009 In comparison to 2006, even less people feel driven to participate in community activities

14. Were any of these petitions successful? In the past 12 months, how often have people in your community gotten together to jointly petition government officials or political leaders for something benefiting the community? 18 27 33 46 Majority of the citizens stated that people in their communities did not jointly petition government officials or political leaders for something benefiting their community (even less than in 2006). However, in comparison to 2006, more people reported that petitions were successful (33% in 2006, and 46% in 2009)

15. TRUST

16. How much do you trust the following institutions to work in the best interest of society With exception of Church, and somewhat Police, the trust in institutions to work in the best interest of society is extremely low

17. How responsible should each of the following institutions be for the general welfare of society On the other hand, people expect the institutions to take responsibility for the general welfare of the society, Serbian government and legislature on the first place. NGO are at the end of the list, but still, majority of the citizens, 65%, think that NGO should be responsible for the general welfare of the society

18. How effective are the following institutions at solving problems in our country Extremely small percentage of people find institutions to be effective in solving problems of the country. Best evaluated are Church and Police

19. How much do you trust the following institutions to work in the best interest of society – % answers: “mostly + completely trust” In comparison to 2006, the trust in institutions further decreased, especially in the case of Serbian legislature and Serbian government

20. How responsible should each of the following institutions be for the general welfare of society - % answer “mostly + completely responsible” While in comparison to 2006 the trust in institution decreased, the expectations of the institutions to take responsibility for the society welfare increased, especially in the case of NGO and business community

21. How effective are the following institutions at solving problems in our country - effective ( mostly + completely ) In comparison to 2006, number of people who perceive the institutions as effective have decreased

22. PERCEPTION OF NGO

23. What first comes to your mind when you hear “NGO”? –spontaneous multiple answers % of most frequent associations Positive / neutral associations 34% of the citizens Negative associations 29% of the citizens First associations on NGO are somewhat more positive than negative

24. What first comes to your mind when you hear “NGO”? –spontaneous The first associations on NGO were not basically changed in comparison to 2006 – somewhat more associations on humanitarian work, somewhat less on “spies”

25. What first comes to your mind when you hear Civil Society Organizations? –spontaneous More than half of the citizens do not have any associations on Civil Society Organizations. The associations on “Civil Society Organizations” are more positive / neutral than on “NGO”

26. Do you know what a non-governmental organization (also sometimes called an NGO) is? Somewhat more than half of the citizens stated to know what the NGO is

27. Multiple answers; Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) Can you name some of the NGO - spontaneous Most frequently named NGO (verbatim) More citizens were able to name at least some NGO than in 2006

28. Multiple answers; Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) Can you name some of the NGO leaders - spontaneous Most frequently named NGO leaders Natasa Kandic, Sonja Biserko, and Biljana Kovacevic Vuco are still the best known NGO leaders. Since 2006, the awareness of Sonja Liht have noticeably increased

29. Do you know of any networks/coalitions of several NGOs? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% of target population) Only 4% out of 56% of citizens who know what NGO is (2% in total), stated to be aware of some NGO network

30. Are NGOs in your local community interested in the opinions of people like you? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) 39% 46% 14% 13% Most of the citizens who know what NGO is do not believe that NGO in their local community are interested in the opinions of the average citizens, and this number increased since 2006

31. Are NGOs in Serbia interested in the opinions of people like you? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) 43% 48% 17% 16% Most of the citizens who know what NGO is do not believe that NGO in Serbia are interested in the opinions of the average citizens, and this mistrust have somewhat increased since 2006

32. Do you think that NGOs have influence to the life of our society? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) 14% 15% 52% 49% Similar as in 2006, half of the population think that NGO do not have influence to the life of Serbian society, while only 15% believe that NGO have influence

33. Do you trust NGOs/CSOs can solve your and your family’s problems? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) 53% 19% More than half of the population think that NGO/ CSO cannot solve their problems and problems of their families, while only 19% believe that they can

34. Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56%) Would you say that involvement of NGOs in solving problems from the area is rather useful or rather harmful Most useful Least useful On the average the involvement of NGO in solving the problems is evaluated as more useful than harmful.

35. Would you say that involvement of NGOs in solving problems from the area is rather useful or rather harmful - % answers “mostly and completelyuseful” Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) In comparison to 2006, less people evaluated the involvement of NGO as useful in most of the area, and especially in protection of human rights, poverty reduction, reducing corruption, and improving conditions for people with special needs

36. What has had the most effect on your opinion of NGOs? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) The NGO activities and the behavior of their leaders have had the most effect on opinion on NGO of the people who know what the NGO is– quite similar to 2006

37. In your opinion, to what extent do media cover activities of NGOs? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) In comparison to 2006 more people think that media cover activities of NGO as much as they should

38. How do you get informed about the activities of NGOs? Multiple answers; Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) Most of the people who know what the NGO is, get informed about the NGO activities by watching TV

39. Are you currently in contact with one NGO? Multiple answers; Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) Did you ever have contact with NGO? Most of the citizens (even more than in 2006) reported that they did not have any contact with NGO. Almost half of those who had contact with NGO, are not in the contact any more

40. Would you consider becoming included in activities of an NGO that represents a change you support? Base: those who are not included in activities of an NGO, including those who do not know what NGO is, after they were informed on what the NGO is Majority of the citizens would not consider to become included in activities of an NGO. In comparison to 2006, people with this attitude have increased by 11%.

41. There are different opinions about NGOs in Serbia. Which of the following two is closer to yours? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) In comparison to 2006, the opinion that NGO propagate the interest of international community in Serbia have increased

42. Can you name an NGO campaign which has positively influenced the lives of the citizens of Serbia Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% of target population) Almost 80% out of those who know what the NGO is, were not able to name any NGO campaign which had positively influenced the lives of people

43. Can you name an NGO campaign which has negatively influenced the lives of the citizens of Serbia Multiple answers; Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% of target population) Almost 90% out of those who know what the NGO is, were not able to name any NGO campaign which had negatively influenced the lives of people

44. To what extent the following words and attributes describe NGOs in our country? Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% of target population) Mixed feelings were expressed in the choice of the attributes which best describes NGO

45. To what extent the following words and attributes describe NGOs in our country? - MEANS Base: those who know what a non-governmental organization is (56% in 2009, and 54% in 2006) Basically, the picture of NGO described by the selected attributes did not change since 2006