ReLEAD | Meet our facilitator: Maja Nenadović
In this edition of ‘Meet our facilitator’, Maja Nenadović reflects on the experience that shaped her interest in civic engagement and social cohesion. She discusses why conflict, dialogue and personal agency matter for responsible leadership, and what participants can expect from ReLEAD’s civics and communication modules.
1. What is one personal experience or moment that inspired you to work on strengthening civic skills or community engagement?
“Having experienced war during my childhood (=breakup of Yugoslavia), the importance of civic engagement and social cohesion always remained elevated in my mind as essential factors in maintaining peace, as well as individual and collective well-being.”
2. What’s the most powerful thing participants will learn from your module?
“Conflict is in many ways inevitable – it is a part of life. I hope this module will help participants create a new relationship with conflict – one where it feels less like a threat, and more like an invitation to understanding and address an underlying tension.”
3. Why do civic skills, and programmes like ReLEAD, really matter today?
“High levels of uncertainty, rising polarisation, and the relentless pace of modern life leave little space to pause — and make conflict more likely. Responsible, thoughtful leadership are the answer to this moment. ReLEAD brings together professionals who want to do more than manage – through structured reflection, peer dialogue, and practice-based learning, participants build their personal agency to meet complexity head-on. The challenges we face today — democratic backsliding, social fragmentation, environmental pressures — won’t be solved by expertise alone. They require people who have done the inner work, who know how to slow down when everything speeds up. Who can hold difficult conversations, bridge divides, and take responsibility beyond their immediate role. ReLEAD develops that capacity. And in the world we’re living in, that matters more now than ever.”
