In 2002, the School of Democratic Leadership (SDL) was established as an initiative for different decision-makers and launchers of initiatives and reforms in society, whose activities and decisions have got an impact on a big number of people, as. The aim of the initiative was to let these individuals become familiar with different topics and to let them acquire values, being necessary to improve the efficiency and quality of their work.

The intention of the organisers was to help the decision-makers in using facts better, forming opinion independently and understanding the basic values of the ideas behind European integrations. The ideas of reform, a successful work among political parties and European integrations are three basic motives behind the organising of this school, along with the wish to contribute to the development of a new political elite without which democratic reforms and a positive transformation of the Montenegrin society cannot happen. The promotion of a joint envisaging of limits and the possibilities of a transitional process in Montenegro, a qualitive organisation of parties and our spot in a new and expanded Europe – space arranged for the life of all inhabitants, all together constitute a joint mission of the SDL, the Nansen Dialogue Centre (NDC), partners of the SDL and those political party representatives who have attended an SDL course.

The NDC is the organiser of the SDL courses, being composed of five panels, each with the duration of three to five days and organised in cooperation with different international organisations and foundations in Montenegro (among others NDI, FOSI, OSCE, Council of Europe). The participants gain knowledge in a number of fields and themes such as:
– Political Organisation and Leadership Skills
– Europe – Ideas and Institutions
– Dialogue and Communication Conflict Resolution
– Good Governance and Anti-Corruption
– Principles of Independent Judiciary Systems
– Gender Equality
– The Role of a Parliament
– Decentralisation

Target group of the School were decision and policy makers of higher level from all parliamentary parties and civil society in Montenegro, while indirect beneficiary of these seminars i.e. project would be community, more precisely citizens, trough future decisions, influence and initiatives of seminars’ participants and their political parties.

The SDL arose from the Democratic Leadership Programme of Council of Europe, attended by activists of NDC Montenegro. Since the first generation in 2002, the target group has been youth activists of political parties. The first three generations of SDL counted more than 100 active members of political parties of Montenegro. Today these members are still active and occupy important positions within their parties.

Through the fourth generation of SDL from 2006 focus has shifted to politicians of a higher level og hierachy: Among 25 members of this generation are chairpersons, spokespersons, MPs, chairpersons of municipal boards, members of head boards and other high party officials.

Involvement in SDL is voluntary and free of charge, whereas the only responsibility of the participants is a regular attendance of seminars.