On March 22, 2024, the first day of SE training in Serbia, I stood before the students, waiting for the room to quiet so I could deliver the welcome speech on behalf of the Organiser. My mind raced as I rehearsed the words meant to spark curiosity and make everyone feel welcome. At the same time, I felt the weight of my own expectations—to have everything go smoothly—and the fear of what could go wrong. My vision grew hazy, and for a moment, I felt myself drifting away from the intensity of it all. I used some of the tools I learned during my SE™ training in Croatia to become fully present in the here and now.
As the room settled and the hum of conversation faded, 51 students—gathered from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Argentina, Russia, Germany, and Switzerland—focused their attention on the speech to come. Instead of drifting further, I found myself truly seeing them: some faces were curious, others cautious, a few still finding their footing, while others smiled or held serious expressions. Making eye contact with them, I felt a shift—the fear began to dissolve, replaced by the quiet strength of human connection.
This region has endured three major wars in the past century, the most recent in the nineties. Many of us in that room had lived through it, some even on opposing sides as our countries fought one another. The collective weight of suffering, war trauma, unprocessed grief, natural disasters, transgenerational pain from centuries of poverty and insecurity, and deeply ingrained patriarchal structures defined the emotional landscape we shared. Trauma has a way of isolating us, making us feel alone, as we did during those dark times. In that moment, facing the audience, my own trauma resurfaced, and I felt that familiar isolation creeping back in.
But as I sought the thread of connection within the room, I felt a profound embrace, as if the space itself was holding me. Spread out through the room there were 21 assistants, a teacher, and 3 members of my team. Their calm, unwavering eyes rested on me, a silent offering of support and encouragement. Our assistant team hailed from Italy, Belgium/Mexico, Croatia, England, The Netherlands/Chile, Turkey, Romania, the UK, Denmark, Ireland, the Czech Republic, and Serbia. Each of them had left behind their families and daily lives to contribute to building something meaningful here in Serbia and the Balkans. For some, it was their first journey to this part of the world, unfamiliar with the region’s history and the collective trauma and ongoing healing we were navigating, yet they committed to being here for the full three years of training.
In that instant, I realized—we were not alone on this journey. Standing there, about to begin my speech, I thought of the countless emails, Zoom calls, and voice messages exchanged with our Croatian colleagues over the last two years. No matter how many questions we asked, they were always there ready with support, keeping us motivated and ensuring our passion remained intact. These colleagues were not just mentors and supervisors; they had become cherished friends. I also recalled the generous support of our UK colleagues, who provided invaluable advice and documentation, helping us create something uniquely our own while staying within the required framework. Our incredible teacher, a steadfast member of the SE™ faculty, remained a beacon of trust in our ability to succeed. Regular meetings with our two senior assistants, whose grounding presence helped keep us focused, were another source of strength. The sense of security offered by our SEI and EASE colleagues was palpable. Even a simple email from our Slovenian colleagues, opening the door to cooperation, warmed our hearts.
And there it was — the deep sense of belonging to something greater than just this training, a community of dedicated professionals and friends, united in the mission of bringing more healing into the world.
Anchored by this growing SE™ community, by love for the work, and by the memory of our dear friend and colleague Jelena Markovic—who initiated this training in Serbia but passed away before seeing it come to fruition—I finally began my speech: “Dear students and colleagues, welcome to the first SE™ training in Serbia.”
About the author:
Marijana Todorovic has 25 years of experience working in the field of social inclusion and education, focusing on supporting the most vulnerable groups of children, such as Roma children, children with disabilities, underprivileged youth, and refugee/migrant children. Over the past two years, she has concentrated her work on establishing SE™ training in Serbia with her team and working as an SE™ practitioner with clients.