Ethics
At Danes je nov dan, we understand democracy as a never-ending process and inclusive debate and political participation as the creation of space for community empowerment. Our measure of a successful society is – pleasure.
Mission
To develop new ways of democratic functioning and control over power and capital, while nurturing the commons and strengthening communities.
Our Approach
Danes je nov dan works at the intersection of digital technologies and democratic processes to build a more inclusive and equitable collective future.
We focus our knowledge and skills on upholding democratic standards and the rule of law. We strive to increase political participation and involve the public in decision-making processes. We design new ways of democratic functioning and control of authorities and capital.
We pursue our goals primarily through the development of innovative digital tools and applications, recognising both the importance and the dangers of exponential technological progress. We therefore place particular emphasis on creating a fair and free digital environment.
We emphasise caution and responsibility in the development and use of artificial intelligence. We advocate for the use of open source software solutions. We strive for a digitally and media literate society and an empowered civil society to protect human rights in the digital space.
Our work is enriched by our involvement in local and international networks of civil society organisations and our intensive cooperation with the domestic NGO sector. We help build a strong civil society as a foundation for a better future. In our endeavour to improve the public perception of NGOs, we promote their openness and engagement with the public through our own example and public campaigns.
Danes je nov dan Institute creates an inclusive, supportive, friendly and fair working environment and focuses on the development and well-being of its employees. The organisation operates with formal legal governance and transparency, and its funding is stable and as independent as possible from external sources.
Our Values
| The right to a good life and a solidary society | Economic development as a measure of social success and income as a measure of individual success must be replaced by joie de vivre. Everyone has a right to a future, which is why we must strengthen high-quality public healthcare and free public education, and guarantee decent housing and a secure old age for all. |
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| The right to the commons | Our collective power exceeds the sum of our individual powers, so we must protect and democratically manage the commons, transparently and for the benefit of all. We will not allow the privatisation or destruction of natural resources and public spaces. |
| The right to good political governance | Politics must serve the common interest. The political arena and decision-making mechanisms must be open and transparent, with political discourse being substantive and inclusive. |
| The right to nature and the rights of nature | Nature is the subject of protection. The interests of the natural environment are common interests. Both humans and animals have the right to dignity, a safe environment and care. Development and economic growth are not acceptable excuses for irresponsible environmental practices; we must replace them with responsible and humble economic policies. |
| The right to a human-friendly economy | We want to create an environment in which companies thrive that are friendly to people and nature and socially responsible. Everyone has the right to a fulfilling job and a decent life. The state should support companies that provide a safe, supportive and open working environment, actively contribute to building a broader community of solidarity, pay employees a fair wage and consistently respect workers' rights.. |
| The right to inclusion | As a society, we must take special care to ensure that the constitutional right to equality is realised. We must reject divisions based on personal circumstances and firmly oppose policies of exclusion that deny arbitrary social groups a dignified life and push them to the margins of society. |
Journey to Today
Danes je nov dan (DJND) was created as an informal civil society initiative at the beginning of the anti-government protests in Ljubljana in 2012. It was a reaction to criticism that the protests lacked substance. At that time, we launched the online platform Predlogi (Proposals), where we collected concrete proposals for improving social life in various areas. We provided a space for discussion both online and by organising events in physical spaces.
Founded as a private institution, Danes je nov dan, Inštitut za druga vprašanja, has been active since 2013.
The first significant success of the Institute was the success of Parlameter in the Google Digital News Initiative (DNI) funding competition in 2016. Parlameter is still one of the largest and most important projects of the Institute, operating in four countries (Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Ukraine) and in numerous municipalities. Parlameter was honoured with the Brumen Biennial Award in the Digital Products and Services category, the Diggit Grand Prize for Innovation in Digital Communication and the Diggit Gold Award.
People took to the streets again in 2018. Danes je nov dan co-organised the Brez strahu (Fearless) protests against the politics of hatred that characterised the pre-election period. This was followed by a period of endangered democracy, which reached its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, DJND was involved in numerous critical projects, cycling protests, active participation in the Glas ljudstva (People's Voice) initiative and finally the promotion of political participation in the 2022 super election year.
In 2019, Danes je nov dan co-founded the international fundacije Consul, which focuses on open source software for the implementation of digital participatory budgeting. Since then, we have worked with municipalities and civil society to successfully introduce participatory budgeting at the local level and integrate it into the national political landscape.
Since 2019, Danes je nov dan has had the status of a public interest organisation in the field of the information society.
We are one of the four non-governmental organisations that co-founded Pravno mrežo za varstvo demokracije (Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy) in 2021. The mission of this network is to protect an open, free and solidary democratic society through the rule of law. In the same year, representatives of Pravna mreža were nominated for the Slovenka leta (Slovenian Woman of the Year) award, and in 2022 the initiative received the European Citizen's Prize from the European Parliament.
In 2021, we also co-founded the Najemniški SOS (Tenants' SOS) initiative. Within its framework, we advocate for a fairer housing policy based on the conviction that access to housing is one of the fundamental human rights.
In 2022, the Dutch Embassy in Slovenia presented us with the Tulip Award for our efforts in developing digital solutions for political participation, transparency and accountability. In 2023, we received the Transparency Ambassador Award from the Slovenian Information Commissioner.
In 2023, we organised the first three-day Digital Sovereignty Conference, or DISCO, which attracted a broad international audience of experts and activists. The conference on digital sovereignty proved to be a significant and influential event in the region from its very first edition.
In the last ten years of our activity, our projects have been funded by grants, foundations and programmes such as Google DNI, NED, ACF, Erasmus+ and others. We also fund our activities by participating in the digital product development market, working primarily with non-governmental organisations and municipalities.