Re:habitus Rising: How the Volunteer Centre of Vojvodina Is Taking Root Beyond the City
After twenty years of grassroots organizing, the Volunteer Centre of Vojvodina (VCV) finds itself at a moment of quiet transformation.
Founded in 2005, VCV has spent two decades building bridges between cultures, communities, and generations. Through volunteer camps, peace education, and youth empowerment, the organization became a steady presence in Novi Sad’s activist landscape. But as the world shifted, so did the rhythm of the work. The pandemic, the pressures of urban life, and a growing desire for deeper sustainability led the collective to ask: What does the next chapter look like?
That question became urgent on November 1, 2024, when a tragedy in Novi Sad triggered massive protests and a wave of public grief and resistance. Young students, artists, and everyday citizens took to the streets, demanding justice and structural change. Their energy was raw, determined, and deeply personal. But it also revealed something quieter: a generation of changemakers slowly burning out. The emotional toll of constant mobilization, combined with the lack of safe, restorative spaces, made it clear that activism needs more than momentum, and sustainable solutions are lacking on a societal level.
As a means of long-term support, the VCV collective began drawing inspiration from this moment. Not to organize it, but to respond to it. What emerged was a vision for a space that could hold both action and rest—a place to retreat, recharge, and reconnect with the values that sustain social transformation.
Almost a Year in Review
In late 2024, the first step was taken: a satellite office opened in Subotica, marking the beginning of a slow decentralization process. It wasn’t just a logistical move. It was a way to reimagine activism not as something anchored to city centers, but as something that could thrive in quieter, more regenerative spaces.
Then, in the summer of 2025 the collective acquired 1.5 hectares of land at the edge of a forest in Donji Tavankut, a village near Subotica ( just in time for VCV’s 20th anniversary).
The soil was sandy and depleted. But it was ours. It became the ground for our first workcamp held on and around the land, titled “Rebellious Folks of the Restless Plain.” honoring the spirit of those who had long moved between cities, causes, and communities without a permanent base.
Just a short walk from the land stands the Monument to the Victims of the Second World War, nestled in the forest of Donji Tavankut. Locals often refer to the area around it as “the restless plain”—a landscape marked by memory, resistance, and quiet resilience. The workcamp became a way to connect with that layered history while also looking forward: clearing invasive species, uncovering a hidden trash site, and preparing the land for future use. It was a way to better understand the rhythms of the local community, to sow seeds of connection, and to begin imagining what a lasting place of assembly could look like.
It will be a place that would outlive a single gathering and offer continuity for those who still move intuitively, but need somewhere to return.
A New Habitus – the Vision
Re:habitus is more than a homestead. It’s a living experiment in peacebuilding, sustainability, and community care. It’s a place where natural building, permaculture, and emotional literacy are daily practices. The land is home to deer, rabbits, and wild boars. Electricity and water are available, but only one building is permitted. The rest will be shaped by hand, slowly, with intention.
The vision will unfold across four dimensions:
- Peace with oneself: through retreat, presence, and healing in nature.
- Peace with others: through micro-community living and long-term volunteer engagement.
- Peace with the community: through local collaborations—forest care, public infrastructure, and knowledge-sharing with village artisans.
- Peace with nature: through vegetarian principles, non-exploitative animal care, and regenerative agriculture.
From Moba to Assembly
This land wasn’t stumbled upon. One of the members, along with many supporters and friends, had already begun developing a welcoming and inclusive community. One that is rooted in grassroots values, mutual aid, and quiet resilience. The land came as a natural extension of that work.
For a collective that has long operated with nomadic intuition, Re:habitus represents something new: a place of assembly that lasts longer than a moba. It’s not a retreat from movement, but a grounding point for it. A space where people can return, reconnect, and rebuild.
A Birthday with Roots
As December 2025 approaches, the Volunteer Centre of Vojvodina isn’t just celebrating 20 years of activism. They’re planting the seeds for the next 20. Re:habitus is their gift to the future—a space that invites reflection, regeneration, and radical hospitality.
📌 Sidebar: What Re:habitus Offers and Needs
What We’re Building
- A regenerative homestead for peacebuilding, healing, and learning
- A decentralized base for future programs and partnerships
- A space for long-term volunteers, youth inclusion, and community rituals
What We Need
- Support for construction and soil regeneration
- Volunteers for physical labor and program development
- Partners for knowledge exchange and sustainable trade
- Co-dreamers who believe in slow growth and shared care
What We Offer
- 20 years of experience in grassroots organizing and youth empowerment
- Skilled facilitators in sustainability, emotional literacy, and community building
- A space that welcomes presence, not performance
