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As part of the activities aimed at encouraging active youth participation in local processes, the twelfth presentation of the “My Novi Pazar” app was held for a group of young leaders from local communities in Novi Pazar. The meeting provided an opportunity to explain how this digital platform can simplify everyday communication with local authorities and to exchange ideas on how to improve the app.

“My Novi Pazar” is designed as a tool that allows citizens to communicate directly with local institutions, share their suggestions, and follow ongoing projects. The app is user-friendly and gives young people the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives and their communities. During the meeting, concrete suggestions for improving the app’s functionality were discussed, including enhancing its design and adding new features for increased citizen engagement.

This initiative is of great importance as it enables young people to become more active in their communities, exchange ideas through the platform, and act as a bridge between citizens and authorities. Many of the young leaders present expressed satisfaction with this approach, which opens up space for direct participation and gives them the ability to influence the quality of life in their surroundings.

When it comes to local decision-making, mobile applications like “My Novi Pazar” represent an extremely valuable tool. The reason is that they allow for fast and easy communication between citizens and authorities, eliminating the need to wait for meetings or visit municipal offices to express opinions. Through the app, citizens can quickly and easily send suggestions, ask questions, or report issues.

One of the main advantages of mobile applications is that they enable a higher level of transparency. Citizens can follow the development of local projects, see what is currently happening, what has been completed—all in real time. This type of transparency helps build trust between citizens and the authorities.

Furthermore, apps allow for broader citizen involvement, especially among young people who may not have the time or resources to engage through traditional means. By simply using their smartphones, they can take part in decision-making processes, which gives them a sense of empowerment and responsibility toward their community.

Finally, mobile apps make the entire decision-making process faster and more efficient. Decisions that might otherwise take months of administrative work can be implemented more quickly because apps enable easy information sharing and rapid responses to citizen suggestions and requests. This is an important step toward modernizing local governance and creating inclusive communities where citizens—especially the youth—are fully involved in processes that impact their lives.