About us
The Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC) is a civil society organisation based in North Mitrovica, established in 2011. The organisation began its work in the specific political, institutional and social environment of the north of Kosovo, with the aim of contributing to the protection of human rights, the improving of the rule of law, the development of democratic culture, and the building of an open, tolerant and peaceful society in Kosovo. Over the course of its work, ACDC has gradually built the profile of an organisation that connects research and analytical work with advocacy, cooperation with institutions, and direct work with citizens and local communities.
The organisation’s headquarters in North Mitrovica and its long-standing work in the municipalities in the north of Kosovo have determined ACDC’s particular focus on the needs and position of the Serb community, the functioning of institutions, the provision of public services, and access to justice in Serb-majority areas in Kosovo. However, the organisation’s work is not limited to the north of Kosovo. ACDC cooperates with institutions at the local and central levels, as well as with organisations and representatives of different communities throughout Kosovo, seeking to make the experiences and position of citizens from non-majority communities more visible in public policies and broader decision-making processes.
The rule of law represents one of the organisation’s most fundamental and recognisable areas of work. ACDC has monitored the reform and functioning of the judiciary in the north of Kosovo, access to justice, the implementation of laws, transparency in the work of institutions, and the exercise of linguistic and other rights of non-majority communities. The organisation’s work has placed particular emphasis on building a functional rule-of-law system in the north of Kosovo and on the integration of judges and prosecutors from the Serb community into the Kosovo judicial system.
An important part of the organisation’s work also concerns relations between citizens and the police and other security institutions. ACDC has created space for direct dialogue between citizens and civil society organisations, on the one hand, and police representatives, on the other, concerning security problems, trust, and the transparency of police work in the north of Kosovo. This work reflects the organisation’s characteristic approach, which consists of establishing cooperation with institutions when such cooperation can contribute to resolving problems, while at the same time maintaining its readiness to point out inadequate conduct, insufficient representation of communities, or failure to respect citizens’ rights.
In addition to the rule of law, over the previous fifteen years ACDC has developed programmes in the areas of human rights, the fight against corruption, electoral processes, civic participation and activism, cooperation between communities, youth work, cultural creativity and, more recently, environmental protection and sustainable development. The organisation conducts research, prepares expert analyses and develops public policy recommendations, while also organising training sessions, public discussions, local initiatives, and other forms of community-based work. In this way, ACDC has gradually developed from a predominantly local organisation into an organisation with the characteristics of a think-and-do tank that produces public policy proposals while, at the same time, working with citizens and institutions on their practical implementation.
Vision of NGO ACDC
ACDC’s vision is an open and inclusive society in Kosovo where everyone enjoys equal rights, institutions are accountable to citizens, diversity is appreciated, and relations among communities are based on cooperation, understanding, and mutual respect, with a responsible approach to the environment.
Mission of NGO ACDC
ACDC works with citizens and institutions in Kosovo, with a particular focus on the north of Kosovo and non-majority communities, to improve the rule of law, active citizenship, dialogue and cooperation between communities, social inclusion, and sustainable development through research, advocacy, education, and local initiatives.