Suchergebnisse

Namen dela je predvsem proučiti oblikovanje, delovanje, vlogo in pomen Demosa kot instrumenta in akterja nacionalne emancipacije in demokratične tranzicije na Slovenskem. Pred osrednjim delom analize so opredeljeni ključni pojmi in koncepti: definicija nacionalizma ter glavni teoretični pristopi k nacionalizmu, opredelitev demokracije in demokratizacije. Za celovito razumevanje vloge in pomena posameznih političnih akterjev, kakršen je bil konec osemdesetih in v začetku devetdesetih Demos, je potrebno dobro poznati zgodovinske okoliščine. Najprej sem v poglavju o zgodovinskih mejnikih oblikovanja slovenske nacionalne identitete poskušala dokazati, da pomembni procesi v osemdesetih in devetdesetih letih niso vznikli sami od sebe, ampak imajo dolgo zgodovinsko podlago. V nadaljevanju obravnavam širjenje političnega prostora, obdobje liberalizacije in razcveta civilne družbe ter ključne procese in dogodke na poti v pluralno družbo. Procesi liberalizacije so soustvarjali tudi politično okolje, v katerem je začela nastajati politična opozicija. Konec osemdesetih let, tik pred nastankom Demosa, sta se izoblikovala dva konsistentna in nekompatibilna narodno-politična programa, ki sta simbolizirala politično polarizacijo. Nove, alternativne 'zveze' so se začele povezovati v pričakovanju demokratičnih volitev in soočenja s skupino družbenopolitičnih organizacij z Zvezo komunistov na čelu. Osrednji del disertacije predstavlja obravnava Demosa, akterja demokratizacije. Znotraj tega obdobja namenjam posebno pozornost najvidnejši osebnosti združene demokratične opozicije Jožetu Pučniku, analiziram predvolilne programe, rezultate volitev, ter oblikovanje novih oblastnih organov. V tem kontekstu analiziram tudi njihovo sodelovanje s Predsedstvom republike Slovenije. V nadaljevanju orišem vlogo Demosa v osamosvojitvenih procesih. Demos je v svojih glavnih namerah uspel, kljub temu, da ga niso ustrezno podpirali mediji, ni imel ustrezne zaslombe v gospodarstvu, pa tudi ne v državni upravi in, razen slovenske vojske in do neke mere policije, v represivnih organih oblasti. Kljub temu je uresničil glavne cilje, za uspešno izpeljano tranzicijo oziroma bolj popolno in konsolidirano demokratizacijo pa mu je zmanjkalo tako časa kot politične moči. Proces uvedbe demokracije, kot drugi od Demosovih ciljev, je bil uresničen v institucionalnem smislu, z vzpostavitvijo temeljnih demokratičnih struktur. Istočasno pa je bil Demos ključni dejavnik ne le pri oblikovanju splošnega soglasja o nujnosti osamosvojitve slovenskega naroda, ki se izraža v visokem rezultatu slovenskega plebiscita 23. decembra 1990, ampak je bil tudi glavni akter in instrument nacionalne osamosvojitve, obrambe slovenske samostojnosti v vojni za Slovenijo ter mednarodnega priznanja. ; The purpose of the thesis is primarily to examine the creation, operations, role and importance of Demos – Democratic Opposition of Slovenia as an instrument and actor of national emancipation and democratic transition in Slovenia. Prior to the central part of the analysis key terms and concepts are identified: definition of nationalism and the main theoretical approaches to nationalism, definition of democracy and democratization. For comprehensive understanding of the role and importance of individual political actors, like Demos was in the late eighties and early nineties, we should also be familiar with historical circumstances. At first I tried to stress that the main events and processes in the eighties and nineties had not emerged by themselves but were results of long historical development. Next I discuss broadening of political space, a period of liberalization and flourishing of civil society and also key processes and events on the way to a pluralistic society. The liberalization processes co-created also the political environment, in which the political opposition started to take shape. At the end of the eighties, just before the establishment of Demos, two consistent and incompatible national-political programmes were formed which symbolized the political polarization. New, alternative 'unions' began to link pending democratic elections and confrontations with a group of the so-called socio-political organizations with the Communists Party at the head. The central part of the thesis is the analysis of Demos, the actor of democratization. Within this period I pay particular attention to Jože Pučnik, the most prominent personality of the united democratic opposition, I analyse election programs, results of elections and the creation of new public authorities. In this context, I analyse also their cooperation with the Presidency of the Republic of Slovenia and outline the role of Demos in the independence processes. Demos succeeded in its main intentions, despite the fact that it had not adequate support of the media, no support of the economy nor in the public service and, with the exception of the Slovenian Army and to some extent police forces, the repressive authorities. Despite all these Demos accomplished its main objectives, however, for a successful transition or a more complete and consolidated democratization it ran out of time and political power. The process of introducing democracy was realized in a formal sense, with the establishment of basic democratic structures. At the same time Demos was a key factor in the creation of the general consensus on the necessity of the Slovenian independency which is shown in the high score of the plebiscite on 23rd Dec 1990. Demos was also the key actor and an instrument of the national independence process, the defence of the Slovenian territory in the war for Slovenia as well as in the process of the international recognition of the new Slovenian sovereign state.

Članek poskuša konceptualizirati odnos med individualnim (stro-kovnim) in strukturnim v obdobju razmeroma korenitih sprememb v družbi. Izzivalna in razkrivajoča dialektika takih odnosov je analizirana s kombinacijo avtoetnografskih razmislekov, ob naslonitvi na arhivske dokumente, ki prikazujejo spremembe v delovanju strokovnega sveta v državi, ki je doživela tri temeljne miroljubne prehode in se tudi spopadla z njimi: prehod iz samoupravnega socialističnega gospodarstva v tržno gospodarstvo, prehod iz enopartijskega socialističnega sistema v repre-zentativno liberalno demokracijo in prehod iz republike, ki je bila del zvezne države, v neodvisno državo. Strokovni svet Socialistične republi-ke Slovenije (takrat še del Socialistične republike Jugoslavije), pozneje preimenovan v Strokovni svet Republike Slovenije (takrat že liberalna demokracija s tržnim gospodarstvom in z neodvisno državo), lahko slu-ži kot primer produktivnega prepletanja individualnega (strokovnega) in strukturnega pri oblikovanju in izvajanju preobrazbe izobraževalnega sistema. Kontekstualizirani prikaz in ocena premikov, ki so skupaj pri-pomogli k nastanku neodvisne države in njenega oblikovanja izobraže-valnega sistema, opisuje zapletenost in pomen refleksivnega upravljanja v času tranzicije, ki sama po sebi v ospredje postavlja vrsto pomembnih vprašanj ter vabi in podpira spremembe v izobraževalnem sistemu. Ta-kšne priložnosti država in njeni edukatorji ne bi smeli zamuditi. ; This article attempts to conceptualise the relationship between the indi-vidual (professional) and the structural in a period of relatively radical changes in society. The challenging and revealing dialectic of such rela-tions is analysed through the combination of auto-ethnographic reflec-tions and archival documents showing the changes in the functioning of a council of experts in a country that experienced and coped with three fundamentally peaceful transitions: the transition from a self-managed socialist economy to a market economy, the transition from a one-party socialist system to a representative liberal democracy, and from a re-public that was part of a federal state to an independent state. The Ex-pert Council of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia (then still part of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia), later renamed the Expert Council of the Republic of Slovenia (at that time a liberal democracy with a mar-ket economy and an independent state), can serve as an example of the productive intertwining of individual (expert) and the structural in the formulation and the implementation of the functional transformation of the educational system. The contextualised account and assessment of the shifts that together helped bring about the independent state and its education system formation outlines the complexity and importance of reflexive governance in the times of transition, which, in itself, brings to the fore a number of relevant issues and invites and supports change in the educational system. Such an opportunity should not be missed by the country and its educators.

Šport je z modernizacijo družbe in intenzivnejšo globalizacijo postal visoko organiziran in strukturiran globalni fenomen. Na njegov razvoj so vplivali različni dejavniki, vodenje na globalni ravni pa so prevzele mednarodne športne organizacije, v prvi vrsti Mednarodni olimpijski komite (MOK), okrog katerega se je izoblikoval t. i. reguliran olimpijski sistem. Disciplina Mednarodnih odnosov v primerjavi z ostalimi družbenimi vedami zaostaja pri proučevanju globalnega športa, ki tako ostaja eden manj vidnih in proučevanih vidikov globalnega vladanja. Eden od razlogov za to je tudi odsotnost resne in sistematične teoretske analize. Za zapolnitev te vrzeli je cilj magistrskega dela odgovoriti na vprašanje, kako lahko z uporabo teorij mednarodnih odnosov in analizo olimpijskega sistema z značilnostmi globalnega vladanja razumemo nastanek, obstoj in delovanje globalnega vladanja na področju športa kot enega izmed področij globalnega vladanja. Opredelitev reguliranega olimpijskega sistema kot globalnega vladanja na področju športa omogoča uporabo prevladujočih teorij mednarodnih odnosov (realizma, liberalizma, konstruktivizma, marksističnih teorij) na tem področju. Te v okviru svojih zmožnosti razlagajo in pojasnjujejo delovanje globalnega vladanja na področju športa, skupno pa izpostavijo pomembne elemente in pojave globalnega športnega vladanja. Analiza ponudi razmislek o nadaljnjem teoretičnem raziskovanju tega področja. ; The modernisation of society and intensive globalisation led sport to become a highly organised and structured phenomenon. Its development was influenced by various factors, while management at a global level has been taken over by international sport organisations, primarily by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), around which a regulated Olympic System has developed. In the examination of global sport, as one of the less visible and explored aspects of global governance, the discipline of International Relations falls behind other social sciences. One of the reasons for this is also the absence of a systematic theoretical analysis of this area. In order to fill this gap, this master thesis aims to answer the question: how can the use of the theories of international relations and an analysis of the Olympic System with features of global governance help us understand the emergence, the existence and the functioning of global governance in the field of sport as one of the fields of global governance? The identification of the regulated Olympic System as global governance in the field of sport enables the application of dominant theories of international relations (realism, liberalism, constructivism and Marxist theories) onto this field. The theories, within the limits of their capacities, interpret and explain the functioning of global governance in the field of sport, and, as a set of theories, they highlight the important elements and phenomena of global sport governance. The analysis offers a reflection on the further theoretical exploration of this field.

Dogajanje v času komunistične revolucije bistveno vpliva tako na stanje kot tudi na razumevanje sodobne slovenske družbene situacije. V disertaciji avtorica v luči idejnega nasprotja med krščanstvom in komunizmom ter na podlagi konflikta, ki se je obenem razvil v obdobju revolucije, razišče vzroke in podlage za omenjeni vpliv. Avtorica v delu pokaže na temeljno povezanost sodobnega položaja in komunistične revolucije na Slovenskem. Kot pojmovni okvir ter orodje za razumevanje izbere Girardovo mimetično teorijo in teorijo o grešnem kozlu. Girard namreč kulturo opisuje kot mimetični cikel, kjer posameznik posnema drugega (tako se začne že v samem otroštvu, ko otrok posnema starše in s tem postane družbeno bitje). Posnemanje je gonilo vsake družbe. Poleg tega pa posnemanje lahko omogoči tudi uničenje družbe, kulture. Girard vpelje grešnega kozla kot razrešitev konflikta, kjer imata dva subjekta enako željo in se skupaj obrneta proti grešnemu kozlu, ki zanju predstavlja vzrok mimetične krize, in je njegovo žrtvovanje pogoj za ponovno vzpostavitev družbenega reda in socialne varnosti. Ta teo-retični okvir omogoča tudi raziskovanje preteklih družbenih konfliktov, posebej pa tudi njihovih posledic v sodobnosti, vključno z vidiki spravnih procesov ter tranzicijske pra-vičnosti. Zato ga avtorica plodno uporabi pri omenjenem raziskovanju. Kot dve nasprotujoči idejni podlagi avtorica predstavi krščanstvo in komunizem, ki sta že v svojem idejnem temelju diametralno nasprotni, posebej pa ju prikaže preko Girar-dove teorije. Krščanstvo s krističnim pojmovanjem osebne svobode izstopi iz cikličnosti mehanizma grešnega kozla, komunizem pa prav nasprotno temelji na mimetičnosti. Žrt-vena znamenja v Girardovem pojmovanju, ki opravičijo umor grešnega kozla, temeljijo na dejstvih, ki postanejo sprejemljiva za umor, ne glede na (ne)resničnost le-teh. Implementacija Girardove teorije na slovensko situacijo zajema dva ključna vidika. Prvi vidik je žrtvovanje nasprotnikov komunistične revolucije z žrtvenimi znamenji kolabo-racije, nemirov … Omenjeno žrtvovanje omogoči vzpostavitev totalitarnega komunisti-čnega režima v kraljevini Jugoslaviji in s tem tudi na Slovenskem. Komunizem kot tota-litarni režim ne dopušča alternative, človeka uniformira in osami. Obenem vzpostavi totalni nadzor in teror. Krščanstvo po drugi strani človeka opolnomoči z bogopodobnos-tjo in s tem edinstvenostjo, nedotakljivostjo, nezamenljivostjo ter svobodo. Drugi vidik pa zadeva dejstvo, da konflikt iz časa komunistične revolucije še vedno ni razrešen ter je vladavina prava in vzpostavitev demokratične družbe še vedno nedokon-čan projekt. Kljub demokratični državni ureditvi in propadu komunizma kot dolgoroč-nega družbenopolitičnega in ekonomskega sistema avtorica poudari dva izziva sodobne družbe na Slovenskem. Prvi je prisotnost komunistične ideologije v razmišljanju in delovanju posameznikov, drugi izziv pa je nezadostna uveljavitev tranzicijske pravično-sti. Omenjeni vidiki analize temeljijo najprej že v samem idejnem nasprotju in zasnovi tako komunizma kakor tudi krščanstva. Krščanstvo in komunizem sta v svojem temelju različna. Poseben poudarek je na vidikih dojemanja človeka kot svobodnega in razumskega bitja v obeh idejnih okvirih. Komunizem s komunistično revolucijo nastopi proti človeku, proti človekovemu dostojanstvu in proti človekovi svobodi in s tem krščanstvo postavi v obrambno držo. S tem pa tudi Cerkev, ki je kot ene vidnejših institucij komunistična revolucija ni prevzela in obvladovala, postane braniteljica človekovega življenja in človekovih pravic, obenem pa je postavljena nasproti komunistični revoluciji. Krščanstvo in tudi Cerkev se posluži različnih načinov obrambe in upora, ki niso vselej povsem skladni s krščanskim naukom. Metode obrambe so bile: krščanska drža v odnosu do vojne, do sočloveka, do okupatorja in do revolucionarnih sil, fizična obramba, sodelovanje tako z okupacijskimi kakor tudi revolucionarnimi silami, kulturna, medijska in politična udejstvovanja. Kljub temu je revolucionarno nasilje eskaliralo predvsem v zadnjih letih druge svetovne vojne in prvih letih po revoluciji. Situacije, v katere so bili postavljeni posamezniki na Slovenskem, niso bile enoznačne ali enostavne. Ni šlo zgolj za izbiro med revolucionarno ali protirevolucionarno stranjo, temveč so bile okoliščine zaradi okupacijskih sil bolj zapletene. Ljudem je grozilo neodobravanje, preganjanje ali nasilje z vseh strani. Komunistična partija je monopolizirala odpor proti okupacijskim silam. Že zametki kakršnekoli druge neodvisne organizacije upora so bili lahko kaznovani. Nemalo kristjanov je z namenom domoljubnosti ali nezmožnosti izognitve mobilizaciji postalo del osvobodilnega gibanja, ne glede na ideološko podlago gibanja ali organizacije, ki je gibanje organizirala. Cerkev kljub temu ni bila preveč zaželen partner v uporu, o čemer priča tudi Kardeljevo navodilo: "Duhovne v četah vse postreljajte" (Griesser-Pečar 1996, 109). Ne zgolj navodilo, tudi načrtno degradiranje duhovnikov z zaporom, priporom, deportacijami in usmrtitvami so priča odnosu komunistične partije do cerkvenih dostojanstvenikov. Revolucionarno nasilje je pustilo neslutene posledice ne zgolj v tedanjem obdobju, temveč tudi za sedanji čas, pri čemer pri avtoričinem raziskovanju teh posledic pomembno vlogo igrajo tudi osebne zgodbe, odgovornost na osebni ter družbeni ravni in medgeneracijski prenos travm, ki onemogočajo pravo tranzicijo iz totalitarnega v demokratični sistem. Tranzicija in tranzicijska pravičnost je torej mehanizem, ki si prizadeva v polnosti izpeljati tranzicijo na osebni in družbeni ravni ter vzpostaviti zaupanje v državne institucije, delovanje državnih struktur. Situacija na Slovenskem sicer nakazuje na nekatere pozitivne učinke tranzicijske pravičnosti, kot sta denacionalizacija in odprtje arhivov. Še vedno pa umanjka uveljavitev pravičnosti na osebni ravni, pri čemer so pomemben vidik spravni procesi ter prekinitev medgeneracijskega prenosa travm. Podobno kot na osebni ravni umanjka pravičnost v javni sferi, na primer pluralizacija medijskega prostora, urejene gospodarske pobude, dialog med različnimi družbenimi skupinami, vključno z vstopanjem verskih skupnosti v javno razpravo, vzpostavljanjem zaupanja v državne institucije ipd. Pogled na komunistično revolucijo na Slovenskem skozi prizmo Girardovega grešnega kozla ponudi edinstven okvir, ki poveže razumevanje komunistične revolucije in komu-nističnega sistema s sodobnim položajem slovenske družbe. Po eni strani Girardov mehanizem grešnega kozla lahko razumemo kot dopolnjenega v komunistični revoluciji, po drugi strani pa mehanizem stremi k dopolnitvi v smislu celovite uveljavitve tran-zicijske pravičnosti. ; The events during the communist revolution significantly influence the state and understanding of the contemporary Slovenian social situation. In the dissertation, in the light of the ideological contradiction between Christianity and Communism, and on the basis of the conflict that developed during the revolution, the author explores the causes and grounds for this influence. In this work the author shows the fundamental connection between the contemporary situation and the communist revolution in Slovenia. She chooses Girard's mimetic theory and scapegoat as a conceptual framework and tool for understanding. Girard describes culture as a mimetic cycle, where the individual imitates the other (this starts from the very childhood, when the child imitates his parents and thus becomes a social being). Imitation is the driving force of every company. In addition, imitation can also become a destruction of society, culture. Girard therefore implements the scapegoat as a conflict resolution where the two entities share the same desire and together turn against the scapegoat, which causes them a mimetic crisis and its sacrifice is a condition for restoring social order and social security. This general theoretical framework also makes it possible – to explore past social conflicts, and in particular their consequences in the present, including aspects of reconciliation processes and transitional justice. Therefore, the author fruitfully uses it in the mentioned research. The author embraces Christianity and communism as two opposing ideological bases, which are already diametrically opposed in their conceptual bases, and are especially illuminated by Girard's theory. Christianity, with its cristian notion of personal freedom, stands out from the cyclical nature of the scapegoat, but communism is, on the contrary, based on mimeticism. Victims of character in Girard's conception that justify the murder of a scapegoat are based on facts that become acceptable for murder, regardless of the (un) reality of them. The implementation of Girard's theory on the Slovenian situation thus encompasses two key aspects. The first aspect is the sacrifice of the opponents of the communist revolution with the sacrificial signs of collaboration, riots, … This sacrifice makes it possible to establish a totalitarian communist regime in Yugoslavia, and thus in Slovenia. Communism, as a totalitarian regime, does not allow an alternative, it uniforms and isolates man. At the same time, it establishes total control and terror. Christianity, on the other hand, empowers man with uniqueness, inviolability, irreplaceability and freedom. Another aspect concerns the fact that the conflict from the communist revolution has still not been resolved, and that the rule of law and the establishment of a democratic society are still, in the eyes of many Slovenians, an unfinished project. Despite the democratic state system and the collapse of communism as a long-term socio-political and economic system, the author emphasizes two challenges of contemporary society in Slovenia. The first is the presence of communist ideology in the thinking and action of individuals, and the second challenge is the insufficient implementation of transitional justice. The aforementioned aspects of the analysis are based first of all on the very conceptual contradiction and conception of both communism and Christianity. Christianity and communism are fundamentally different. Particular emphasis is placed on aspects of the perception of man as a free and rational being in both conceptual frameworks. Communism, by communist revolution, stands against man, against human dignity and against human freedom, thereby placing Christianity in a defensive posture. In doing so, the Church, which as one of the most prominent institutions has not been taken over and controlled by the Communist Revolution, becomes a defender of human life and human rights, while at the same time it stands against the Communist Revolution. Christianity, as well as the Church, uses various methods of defense and rebellion that are not always completely in line with Christian teaching. The methods of defense were the Christian stance in relation to war, to fellow human beings, to the occupier and to the revolutionary forces, physical defense, cooperation with both occupation and revolutionary forces, cultural, media and political activities. Nevertheless, revolutionary violence escalated, especially in the last years of World War II and the first years after the revolution. The situations in which individuals in Slovenia were placed were not straightforward or straightforward. It was not merely a choice between a revolutionary or a counter-revolutionary party, but the circumstances were more complex rather than straightforward because of the occupying forces. People were threatened with disapproval, persecution or violence from all sides. The Communist Party monopolized resistance to the occupation forces. The rudiments of any other, independent organization of resistance could have been punished. Quite a few Christians, for the sake of patriotism or inability to evade mobilization, became part of the liberation movement, regardless of the ideological basis of the movement or the organization that organized the movement. The church was not, however, a much-desired partner in the resistance, as evidenced by Kardelj's instruction: "Shoot the priests in the troops." (Griesser-Pečar 1996, 109) Not only the instruction, but also the deliberate degradation of priests through imprisonment, detention, deportation and execution, are witnesses to the Communist Party's attitude towards Church dignitaries. Revolutionary violence has left unprecedented consequences not only in that time but also in the present, with the author's exploration of these consequences also playing a significant role in personal stories, personal and social responsibility, and the intergenerational transmission of traumas that they preclude a real transition from a totalitarian to a democratic system. Transition and transitional justice is thus a mechanism that seeks to fully complete the transition on a personal and social level, and to establish trust in state institutions, the functioning of state structures. Although the situation in Slovenia points to some of the positive effects of transitional justice, such as denationalization, the opening of archives, it still lacks the enforcement of justice on a personal level ; for example, with regard to aspects of media pluralization, orderly economic initiatives, dialogue between different social groups, including the entry of religious communities into public debate, building confidence in state institutions, etc. The view of the communist revolution in Slovenia through the prism of Girard the scapegoat offers a unique framework that connects the understanding of the communist revolution and the communist system with the contemporary position of Slovene society. On the one hand, Girard's mechanism of the scapegoat can be understood as supplemented in the communist revolution, and on the other, the mechanism seeks to supplement in the sense of the full implementation of transitional justice.

Informacijska družba nam danes omogoča enostaven, učinkovit in varen dostop do raznovrstnih informacij, kjerkoli in kadarkoli jih potrebujemo, zato tudi poskusi uvedbe informacijskih rešitev na področje izvrševanja ene od najbolj temeljnih demokratičnih pravic – volitev niso nobena izjema. Implementacija interneta v volilni proces ne prinaša le vprašanj s področja sociološko-politološkega in tehničnega okolja, ampak tudi z vidika legitimnosti takega postopka. V magistrskem delu povzamem razvoj elektronskega poslovanja v javni in državni upravi, pojem elektronskih volitev, poskuse vpeljave elektronskih volitev in dobre prakse v Sloveniji, na Norveškem in v Kanadi ter razložimo postopek glasovanja na prvih uspešno izvedenih internetnih volitvah na svetu – v Estoniji. Analizirani so pomisleki in dileme, kot tudi prednosti, ki jih prinaša vpeljava elektronskih volitev. Uvedba elektronskih volitev med drugim pomeni možnost za zmanjšanje stroškov v volilnem procesu, predvsem pa zaustavitev trenda upadanja volilne udeležbe, ki je pereč problem vseh zahodnih demokracij. Zagotavljanje varnosti, transparentnosti in tajnosti je težava, zaradi katere sta vpeljava in uporaba elektronskih volitev še vedno vprašljivi. Rešitev vidim v tehnologiji veriženja podatkovnih blokov, ki nam zaradi narave svojega sistema omogoča implementacijo elektronskih volitev. Glede na dosedanji tehnološki napredek in pozitivno naravnanost širše javnosti za sprejemanje tehnologije veriženja podatkovnih blokov je mogoče sklepati, da je elektronsko glasovanje le še klik stran od realne uvedbe, vendar v podporo tradicionalnemu načinu glasovanja tako doma kot v tujini. ; Today, the information society provides easy, effective and safe access to various information wherever and whenever we need them ; therefore, attempts to introduce information technology solutions to the field of executing one of the basic democratic rights – elections are no exception. The implementation of internet into the electoral process does not only give rise to socio-political and technical questions, but also from the perspective of legitimacy of such proceedings. In the master's thesis, I summarize the development of e-commerce in the public and state administration, the concept of electronic elections, attempts of the introduction of electronic elections and examples of good practices in Slovenia, Norway and Canada, and explain the voting process at the first internet elections in the world – in Estonia. We analyse the concerns and dilemmas, as well as advantages of the implementation of electronic elections. Among others, the introduction of electronic elections also means a possibility to reduce the costs during the electoral process, but mostly it puts a stop to the downward trend of voting participation, which is a pressing problem of all Western democracies. Ensuring safety, transparency and secrecy is a problem that puts the introduction and execution of electronic election under question. In my opinion, the solution is blockchain technology. The nature of its system enables the implementation of electronic elections. Due to the technological progress so far and positive attitude of the general public in terms of accepting the blockchain technology, we can assume that electronic voting is only a click away from reality, but only to support the traditional way of voting, at home as well as abroad.

Konferenca o razvoju organizacijskih znanosti je konferenca z najdaljšo tradicijo na Univerzi v Mariboru in vsako leto poveže študente, raziskovalce, gospodarstvenike in predstavnike javne uprave, ki delujejo na področju organizacije in managementa. Tema letošnje, že 36. mednarodne konference o razvoju organizacijskih znanosti, je Odgovorna organizacija in se nanaša na širino organizacije v njenem notranjem in zunanjem okolju. Odgovornost do zaposlenih, poslanstva, strategije, procesov, tehnologije, razvoja so samo nekatera izmed področij, ki jim mora organizacija slediti. Identiteta organizacije se izkazuje z njenim vsestransko odgovornim ravnanjem in kaže vrednost navzven pri kupcih ali uporabnikih storitev. V času, ki ga živimo, smo vpeti v preplet tehnološkega in socialnega napredka, ki nenazadnje rezultira v posamezniku in družbi nasploh. Ravnanje organizacije se ravno tako ne veže samo na delovanje v lokalnem okolju temveč zaradi globalnih razsežnosti učinkuje tudi v mednarodnih dimenzijah. S temo konference želimo odpreti polje vprašanj in poiskati odgovore, ki bodo doprinesli k napredku organizacijskih ved. Materialni vplivi, komuniciranje, znanje in poštenje ter nenazadnje ideal odgovornega ravnanja lahko kot pomembni dejavniki obvladujejo pogosto nemirne situacije v in izven okolja naših organizacij. Ker smo časovno in prostorsko vpeti v vzorce, ki mnogokrat ne sledijo več našim preteklim izkušnjam, je naša želja, da s srečanjem na konferenci stopimo v korak s časom in prepoznamo dobre prakse, izoblikujemo nove metode in se seznanimo z aktualnimi trendi, ki jih organizacije vsakodnevno živijo. ; The conference on Organizational Sciences Development is a conference with the longest tradition at the University of Maribor. Each year, the conference brings together students, researchers, businessmen and public administration representatives, who are active in the area of organization and management. The theme of this year's 36th international conference on Organizational Sciences Development is Responsible Organization referring to the wideness of an organization in its internal and external environment. The responsibility of the organization towards its employees, mission, strategy, processes, technology, and development are just a few areas in which the organization needs to follow the principles of responsibility. The identity of the organization is recognized through its versatile responsible activities, showing its value externally to the customers or recipients of the services offered by the organization. The concurrent mixture of technological and social progress influences individuals as well as the society. The impact of the organization is therefore not only local but global, making a mark on the international level. With this conference theme, we are opening new questions and seeking answers which could contribute to the progress of organizational sciences. Material influence, communications, knowledge, fairness, and nevertheless the ideal of responsible behaviour can be seen as influential factors which can contribute to occasional turbulent situations inside and outside our organizations. Since we are all caught up in moulded mind-sets, not following our experiences anymore, our wish was to keep up with the times and identify best practices, form new methods, and become familiar with the contemporary trends in organizations.

Magistrsko delo obravnava temo mobinga na delovnem mestu. Mobing je eden od najresnejših in najhujših oblik nasilja na delovnem mestu. Prisoten je praktično v vseh organizacijah po svetu. Predmet obravnave in cilj naloge je izdelava primerjave mobinga na delovnem mestu v Sloveniji z drugimi članicami Evropske unije. Natančneje smo raziskali in opredelili pojem mobinga, pojavne oblike in razvojne faze mobinga ter vrste mobinga in opisali najpogostejše žrtve ter storilce mobinga. Opredelili smo tudi posledice mobinga za posameznika, sodelavce, organizacijo in družbo ter predstavili načine in ukrepe za preprečevanje le-tega. Preverili in analizirali smo tudi že obstoječe domače in tuje raziskave na temo mobing na delovnem mestu. V Sloveniji ni bilo opravljene večje raziskave na to temo, razen nekaj manjših. V okviru Evropske fundacije Eurofound pa je izvedenih več raziskav, v katere so zajete vse države članice Evropske unije. Za nas so v magistrskem delu raziskave EWCS (Evropske raziskave o delovnih razmerah) ključnega pomena. Dobljeni rezultati nam prikazujejo, da je v Sloveniji mobinga veliko več kot na splošno v Evropski uniji. Najpogostejše žrtve mobinga so mlajše ženske, v Sloveniji celo v večji meri, kot je povprečje Evropske unije. Največ nasilja pa se izvaja na srednji organizacijski ravni. Rezultati tudi kažejo, da je mobing prisoten prav v vseh državah Evropske unije, kar opozarja na resnost tega problema. ; This master's thesis deals with the mobbing at the workplace. Mobbing is one of the most serious and a worst-case of violence at the workplace. It is presented in almost all of the organizations around the world. The subject under discussion and the aim of this assessment is to make a comparison about the mobbing at the workplace in Slovenia with the other members of the European Union. We have defined in details a definition of mobbing, its reflection and the development phases of mobbing and all types of mobbing. We have also described the most frequent victims and persons who have committed mobbing. We have also determined some of the consequences of mobbing for individuals, colleagues, organization and the society. We have presented the methods and actions for prevention of the mobbing. We have checked and analyzed existing home and foreign researches about mobbing at the workplace. There hasn't been made any bigger research about the mobbing in Slovenia, just some smaller ones. In the context of European foundation (Eurofund) there have been conducted several researches, containing all of the members of the European Union. In this master's thesis are the researches of the EWCS (European Working Conditions Surveys) of key importance. The obtained results indicate that mobbing in Slovenia is in general more presented than in the European Union. The most common victims are women ; this is also above the European average. There is the most violence at the medium organizational level. The results also show that mobbing is presented in all of the members of the European Union, which shows the seriousness of the problem.

Politična participacija je ključnega pomena za delovanje in razvoj koncepta demokracije, saj predstavlja orodje, prek katerega lahko državljani izvajajo pritiske na politično elito. To vlogo zavzema poleg konvencionalne tudi nekonvencionalna politična participacija. Osrednji poudarek bo namenjen protestni participaciji, ki se najpogosteje opredeljuje kot ena izmed kompleksnejših oblik kolektivne akcije, skozi katero državljani najvidneje izražajo svoja prepričanja, hkrati pa najbolj jasno odraža nezadovoljstvo državljanov. Osredotočili se bomo na protestno participacijo v obdobju ekonomske krize, ki je leta 2008 zajela države Evropske unije. V okviru empirične analize se tako osredotočamo na dejavnike, ki so v zastavljenem obdobju privedli do izbruha protestne participacije, pri čemer nas zanimajo predvsem različne kombinacije vzročnih poti, ki jih ti dejavniki tvorijo. Ključno raziskovalno vprašanje se nanaša na možne kombinacije pogojev, ki v obdobju ekonomske krize rezultirajo v prisotnosti ali odsotnosti protestov v državah EU. Te kombinacije tvorijo naslednji dejavniki: materialna deprivacija, brezposelnost, razvitost civilne družbe in razvitost demokracije. Empirična analiza temelji na kvalitativni primerjalni analizi (QCA) oziroma bolj specifično na crisp-set QCA. Slednjo se uporablja za obdelavo kompleksnejših binarnih podatkov, pri čemer je cilj poenostavitev teh podatkovnih struktur v preprost in logičen zapis. S pomočjo izbrane metode analize smo prišli do ugotovitve, da do zastavljenega izida ne vodi le en sam pogoj ali ena sama kombinacija pogojev, temveč nastane več raznolikih vzročnih poti, ki lahko rezultirajo tako v odsotnosti kot v prisotnosti izida (protestnih akcij). ; Political participation is crucial for the functioning and development of the concept of democracy, as it represents a communication tool through which citizens can exert pressure on the political elite. Besides the conventional form, unconventional political participation has this role, too. The main focus will be on protest participation, which is most often identified as one of the more complex forms of collective action, through which citizens most visibly express their beliefs ; at the same time it reflects dissatisfaction of citizens most transparently. The highlight will therefore be on protest participation in the period of economic crisis affecting the countries of the European Union since 2008. In the context of the empirical analysis we focus on factors that led to an outbreak of protest participation within the set period. We are particularly interested in the various combinations of causal paths formed by these factors. The key research question therefore refers to the possible combinations of conditions, resulting in the presence or in the absence of protests in EU countries in times of economic crisis. These combinations are formed by the following factors: material deprivation, unemployment, development of civil society and development of democracy. Empirical analysis is based on qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) or more specifically on the crisp-set QCA. The latter is used to process more complex binary data, the aim being to simplify these data structures into a simple and logical notation. By using the selected method of analysis, we came to the conclusion that not only one condition or a single combination of conditions leads to the set outcome. Rather there emerges a variety of causal paths, which can result in both the absence and in the presence of the outcome (protest actions).

Magistrska naloga obravnava pomen neprofitnih organizacij pri izboljšanju kvalitete življenja slepih in slabovidnih ter gluhih in naglušnih. S pomočjo različnih definicij sem umestila neprofitne organizacije v družbeni prostor, predstavila njihov izvor in pomen. Slepi in slabovidni ter gluhi in naglušni se lahko vključujejo v družbo in na trg dela, vendar pri tem zaradi svoje oviranosti potrebujejo pomoč. Posebej sem se osredotočila na dve neprofitni organizaciji, in sicer na Zvezo društev slepih in slabovidnih Slovenije ter Zvezo društev gluhih in naglušnih Slovenije. Obravnavala in opredelila sem programe, ki jih izvajata organizaciji v javnem interesu. V nadaljevanju empirični del vsebuje primerjavo programov med organizacijama. Pri tem sem si zastavila dve raziskovalni vprašanji. Pri prvem vprašanju sem ugotavljala ''Kakšne so podobnosti in razlike med programi?'' Odgovor na to vprašanje sem izoblikovala na osnovi analize vsebine programov. V drugem raziskovalnem vprašanju sem ugotavljala kako storitve, ki jih imajo programi vplivajo na kakovost življenja slepih in slabovidnih ter gluhih in naglušnih. Odgovor na to vprašanje sem pridobila z intervjuji. Zaslediti je kar nekaj skupnih značilnosti med programi, vendar so tudi razlike. Obe organizaciji imata specifične programe glede na prilagojenost ciljnim skupinam. S pomočjo intervjujev z uporabniki programov sem ugotovila, da programi pomembno vplivajo na izboljšanje kvalitete življenja omenjenih ranljivih skupin. V zaključnem delu sem na podlagi analize vsebine programov in izkušenj uporabnikov oblikovala priporočila. ; This master's thesis deals with the importance of non-profit organizations in improving the quality of life of blind and partially sighted people, the deaf and hearing sighted people. Here, non-profit organizations were put into social spaces through various definitions and I will also present the origin and significance of the non-profit sector. The blind and the partially sighted, the deaf and hearing sighted can be involved in society and the labour market, but require help due to their disabilities. I specifically focused on two non-profit organizations, namely, the Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted of Slovenia and the Union of the Deaf and Hearing Sighted of Slovenia. I discussed and defined the programmes, which are implemented by organizations in the public interest. The following master's thesis contains a comparison of the programmes between the organizations. I developed two research questions. The first was defined as, ''What are the common characteristics and differences between the programmes in the organizations?''. I developed the answer to this question based on an analysis of the programme content. For the second research question, I determined how the services and the programs influence the quality of life of the blind and partially sighted, the deaf and the hearing sighted. I came to my conclusions through a number of interviews. There are quite a few common features to follow but there are also certain differences. Both organizations have specific programmes with regards to adjustments in such vulnerable groups. Through interviews with the programme users, the empirical part shows that such programmes influence the improvement of the quality of life of these vulnerable groups. In conclusion, I also made recommendations based on an analysis of the content of the programmes and user experiences.

Eine pluridisziplinäre und interkulturell konzipierte Enzyklopädie der regionalen Kulturgeschichte der Kärntner Slowenen in Österreich mit Beiträgen von über 160 Autoren unterschiedlicher Fachrichtungen und ca. 1000 Schlagwörtern und insgesamt über 2100 konzeptuellen Einträgen aus den Bereichen Geschichte, Rechtsgeschichte, Soziologie, Sprachwissenschaft, Dialektologie, Literaturgeschichte, Ethnologie, Kunstgeschichte, Biographien, Terminologie u.a.m., das ein vernetztes Verständnis der geographischen und kulturhistorischen Räume und gesellschaftlichen Prozesse im Land aus einer innovativen Perspektive ermöglicht ; The Encyclopaedia of Slovenian cultural history in Carinthia (Austria) is conceaved as a pluridisciplinary and intercultural reference work with over 160 authors, some 1000 entries and in total over 2100 conceptual entries covering areas such as history, legal history, sociology, linguistics, dialectology, literature, ethnology, art history, biographic studies, terminology. It provides a cross-linked understanding of the geographical area as well as of the cultural and societal processes in the region from an innovative perspective.

Eine pluridisziplinäre und interkulturell konzipierte Enzyklopädie der regionalen Kulturgeschichte der Kärntner Slowenen in Österreich mit Beiträgen von über 160 Autoren unterschiedlicher Fachrichtungen und ca. 1000 Schlagwörtern und insgesamt über 2100 konzeptuellen Einträgen aus den Bereichen Geschichte, Rechtsgeschichte, Soziologie, Sprachwissenschaft, Dialektologie, Literaturgeschichte, Ethnologie, Kunstgeschichte, Biographien, Terminologie u.a.m., das ein vernetztes Verständnis der geographischen und kulturhistorischen Räume und gesellschaftlichen Prozesse im Land aus einer innovativen Perspektive ermöglicht ; The Encyclopaedia of Slovenian cultural history in Carinthia (Austria) is conceaved as a pluridisciplinary and intercultural reference work with over 160 authors, some 1000 entries and in total over 2100 conceptual entries covering areas such as history, legal history, sociology, linguistics, dialectology, literature, ethnology, art history, biographic studies, terminology. It provides a cross-linked understanding of the geographical area as well as of the cultural and societal processes in the region from an innovative perspective.

Eine pluridisziplinäre und interkulturell konzipierte Enzyklopädie der regionalen Kulturgeschichte der Kärntner Slowenen in Österreich mit Beiträgen von über 160 Autoren unterschiedlicher Fachrichtungen und ca. 1000 Schlagwörtern und insgesamt über 2100 konzeptuellen Einträgen aus den Bereichen Geschichte, Rechtsgeschichte, Soziologie, Sprachwissenschaft, Dialektologie, Literaturgeschichte, Ethnologie, Kunstgeschichte, Biographien, Terminologie u.a.m., das ein vernetztes Verständnis der geographischen und kulturhistorischen Räume und gesellschaftlichen Prozesse im Land aus einer innovativen Perspektive ermöglicht ; The Encyclopaedia of Slovenian cultural history in Carinthia (Austria) is conceaved as a pluridisciplinary and intercultural reference work with over 160 authors, some 1000 entries and in total over 2100 conceptual entries covering areas such as history, legal history, sociology, linguistics, dialectology, literature, ethnology, art history, biographic studies, terminology. It provides a cross-linked understanding of the geographical area as well as of the cultural and societal processes in the region from an innovative perspective.

Ko slišimo za pojem korupcija, takoj pomislimo na zlorabo javne službe za doseganje lastnih koristi. Posamezniki in podjetja podkupujejo administrativne uslužbence, da le-ti uredijo zadeve, ki morajo biti rešene. Gre torej za izsiljevanje rent od gospodarskih udeležencev in posledično od ekonomije same izključno za zasebne koristi politikov in uradnikov. Tovrsten pristop k obravnavanju pojava je v zadnjih letih začrtal popolnoma novo smer analiziranja in merjenja korupcije. Korupcija se predstavi v popolnoma novi podobi, v kateri posamezniki, skupine oziroma podjetja vplivajo na formulacijo zakonov, ali celo spreobračajo že oblikovana pravila igre, da bi si s tem zagotovili pomembne ugodnosti. Korupcija je in vedno bo obstajala v svetu, edina razlika je v tem, da se z razvojem družb spreminja, prevzema bolj prefinjene oblike, zaradi katerih jo je težje odkrivati in preprečevati. Vse bolj razsežne in destruktivne posledice, ki jih ima korupcija na gospodarsko rast in družbeno stabilnost, nujno zahtevajo praktične strategije omejevanja korupcije. Problem korupcije se ne omejuje na določeno regijo, kajti z njenimi grožnjami se ubadajo tako razvite države kot tudi države v razvoju in tranzitne države. V postsocialističnih državah so sočasni procesi razvijanja tržne ekonomije, oblikovanja novih političnih in socialnih institucij ter prerazporejanje družbene lastnine ustvarili rodna tla za pojav korupcije. Zaradi kompleksnosti fenomena in predvsem zaradi vse večjega zavedanja, da vzroki za prevzem države presegajo golo neučinkovitost in šibkost državne uprave, je potrebno za razumevanje in odpravljanje state capture razsvetliti problem širših strukturalnih povezav, kot so interna organizacija političnega sistema, odnosi in zveze med ključnimi državnimi institucijami, interakcije med podjetji in državo ter povezave med državo in civilno družbo. ; When we think about corruption, an image quickly comes to mind of abuse of public office for private gains. Individuals and firms are bribing bureaucrats to »get things done«. Behind this view lies an understanding of the state extracting rents from the economy for the exclusive benefit of politicians and bureaucrats. Such an aprroach has had a powerful impact on the way corruption has been analyzed and measured in recent years. Corruption has taken on a new image – that of individuals, groups, or firms manipulating policy formation and even shaping the emerging rules of the game to their own, very substantional advantage. Corruption has always existed across the world and it will never disappear, the difference is that has become more sophisticated and thus more difficult and costly to detect. With the increasing recognition across the globe of the damaging effects of corruption on economic growth and social stability, the demand for practical strategies to reduce corruption has grown dramatically. The problem is not confined to any particular region, and developed, developing and transition countries alike are confronting these challenges. In postcommunist states the simultaneous processes of developing a market economy, designing new political and social institutions and redistributing social assets have created fertile ground for corruption. With regard to complexity of phenomena and with increasing recognition that the roots of state capture extend far beyond weaknesses in the capacity of government, we need to be aware of factors underlying the persistence of corruption that is broader structural relationships, including the internal organization of the political system, relationships among core state institutions, the interactions between the state and firms, and the relationship between the sate and civil society.

Konflikti so del našega vsakdana, so nujni in neizogibni. V literaturi najdemo različne definicije samega konflikta. Iršič (2010) konflikt pojmuje kot stanje nasprotujočih si teženj v nekem sistemu, tako v posamezniku, kot med osebami znotraj določene skupnosti oziroma prostora, ali med skupinami, ki so del večje skupnosti ali delujejo na področju, kjer se križajo interesi. Kljub negativnemu prizvoku pa ima konflikt tudi številne pozitivne učinke. Medtem, ko so posledice nerazrešenih konfliktov večinoma negativne. Poznamo več vrst konfliktov. Medosebni oziroma interpersonalni konflikti so sestavni del vsake šole in se pojavljajo med vsemi udeleženci v šoli. Ljudje se na konflikte različno odzivamo, prav tako jih na različne načine razrešujemo. V novejši literaturi najdemo tri postopke reševanja konfliktov. Cohen (2012) govori o pogajanju, mediaciji in arbitraži. V sami diplomski nalogi nas je podrobneje zanimala mediacija oziroma vrstniška mediacija, ki je v zborniku Kazen v šoli (2010) opisana kot proces, v katerem sta udeležena vsaj dva učenca/dijaka, med katerima je prišlo do nesoglasja, konflikta, spora. Oba morata biti pripravljena nastalo situacijo razrešiti na miren, strpen, produktiven način, ki lahko pripelje do konkretne, prostovoljne in dogovorno dosežene rešitve. Pri tem jima pomaga tretji, nevtralni vrstnik, ki z različnimi tehnikami, veščinami in znanji učencema/dijakoma v konfliktu pomaga pri razlagi različnih pogledov, izražanju želja in potreb, da bi poiskala najboljšo med možnimi rešitvami. Nevtralni osebi, ki sodeluje v procesu mediacije rečemo mediator. Čeprav vrstniška mediacija temelji na tem, da vrstniki sami razrešujejo medsebojne konflikte, sta še vedno potrebna podpora in nadzor odrasle osebe, v tem primeru koordinatorja. Zanimalo nas je, kako vrstniška mediacija deluje v praksi na izbranih osnovnih šolah ter kako učinkovita je kot strategija reševanja konfliktov med učenci. S pomočjo analize intervjujev smo predstavili pozitivne učinke vrstniške mediacije ter njeno uporabnost in učinkovitost na izbranih osnovnih šolah skozi oči vrstniških mediatorjev. ; Conflicts are a part of our daily routine, necessary and inevitable. Literature states different definitions of conflict. Iršič (2010) regards conflict as a state of contradictory views in a system, in an individual, as well as among people inside a certain community or space, or among groups, which are part of a larger society or work on different fields with cross interests. Despite the hint of negativity, conflict has several beneficial effects. However, the consequences of unsolved conflicts remain negative. Several forms of conflicts are known – mutual or interpersonal conflicts are a basic part of every school and emerge among all attendees. People react differently to conflicts, as well as their solutions. In recent literature three possibilities of conflict solution are mentioned. Cohen (2012) talks about negotiation, mediation and arbitrage. The main focus of our thesis is mediation or peer mediation, described in miscellany Punishment in school (2010) as a process in which at least two pupils, having a conflict, dispute or difference, participate. Both have agreed on solving the situation on a calm, tolerant and productive way, which can lead to a concrete, voluntary and consensus solution. A third, neutral peer, with different techniques, skills and knowledge, helps the pupils in dispute by interpreting different perspectives and expressing wishes or needs, in order to find the best possible solution. A neutral person, involved in the process of mediation is called a mediator. Although peer mediation is based on teenagers solving mutual conflicts on their own, a support of an adult is still needed – in this case a coordinator. Our interest was how peer mediation works in practice on chosen primary schools and how effective it is as a strategy of teenage conflict solving. With interview analysis the positive effects of peer mediation and its applicability and efficacy were presented on chosen primary schools through the perspective of a peer mediator.

Staranje prebivalstva v Sloveniji, Evropski uniji (EU) in v drugih državah po svetu zahteva določene prilagoditve in spremembe v družbi, ki bodo omogočale kakovostno življenje vseh generacij. Namen članka je predstaviti koncept srebrne ekonomije in aktivnega staranja, ki vplivata na javno in individualno porabo treh skupin starejših; tistih, ki so dejavni, tistih, ki so krhkega zdravja in tistih, ki so v stanju odvisnosti. K spremembam demografske slike prispevajo tudi novi vzorci, kot je večje število enočlanskih gospodinjstev, selitve v mesta, ki vodijo v depopulacijo podeželskih območij, beg možganov in tudi v migracijske tokove. Z raziskavo smo ugotavljali stanje aktivnosti starostnikov v pretežno podeželskih občinah Pesnica in Kungota, ki sodita v ruralno območje Podravske regije. Anketirali smo starejše občane in zbrane podatke primerjali s prosto dostopnimi podatki statističnih baz in z rezultati indeksa aktivnega staranja v državah EU. Po indeksu aktivnega staranja se slovenski starostniki, v primerjavi s starostniki v EU, starajo precej neaktivno. Na slovenskih podeželskih območjih, kjer je delež starejših oseb višji kot v mestih, so starostniki sicer aktivni, vendar ne na vseh obravnavanih področjih. Ena izmed vzpodbud za aktivno staranje je srebrna ekonomija, ki hkrati predstavlja tudi odlično priložnost za gospodarski in družbeni razvoj. Z vključevanjem in upoštevanjem starejših generacij, z vzpodbujanjem aktivnega staranja in s pričakovanim razvojem dejavnosti srebrne ekonomije se bo povečal delež aktivnega prebivalstva na podeželju, ki bo vplival na izboljšanje gospodarskih razmer in dvig kakovosti življenja. ; The age structure of a population is changing, in Slovenia as well as in many countries of the EU and other regions of the world. The process of population ageing requires adjustments and social and economic changes that will enable the quality of life for all generations. The article is based on an economic and social analysis of existing resources and on our own research. A critical review of the literature, secondary sources, and websites dedicated to demographic problems, the silver economy, and the quality of life of the elderly was conducted. We conducted a survey of the elderly population of the municipalities of Pesnica and Kungota, which lie in the Podravska statistical region in the Republic of Slovenia. The silver economy enables the social and economic development of individual geographical areas with potential for new markets and economic activities. In this context, it is necessary to ensure access to sustainable long-term care systems for active and healthy ageing. The concept covers lifelong learning, intergenerational cooperation, research and innovation, and institutional change. In 2017, Slovenia with Strategija dolge družbe (Active Ageing Strategy) accepted the conceptual framework of the proposed changes in the areas of: the labor market and education of the elderly; independent, healthy and safe living; involvement and participation in society and the creation of capacities and environments for activity in all stages of life. All these areas coincide with the scheme of an internationally comparable system of active ageing index indicators. The research was used to determine the activity status of 81 older people in the Podravje region, in the predominantly rural municipalities of Kungota and Pesnica. There were no employees among the respondents. The survey involved active pensioners who were mainly engaged in gardening, hobbies and farming. We note that the respondents are quite independent, physically active and in good health. While independence or autonomy of the elderly is not called into question, financial security is a matter of concern, as most respondents receive low monthly incomes. The analysis of the state of activities of the elderly shows the potential for the development of the silver economy, which would help increase the income of the elderly through active policies and projects of all participants at the local and regional level (Quadruple Helix). An important area is capacity and the environment, which enable active ageing. The research showed that some respondents use ICT for educational purposes or they learn to use a computer, while others use ICT to communicate. We did not perceive social exclusion, isolation or loneliness among the respondents. The most common forms of communication are getting together with relatives and friends. The identified characteristics of the rural area in question provide insight into the situation and opportunities in the field of active ageing and at the same time indicate areas where there is potential for the development of the silver economy.