Smederevo is one of the most polluted cities in Serbia, yet for years, citizens’ concerns about air quality went unanswered. In response, the association Pro.Tok21 launched the Red Badges initiative to raise public awareness about air pollution and its impact on everyday life. With support from CRTA’s Citizens Have Power program, a collaboration was established between Pro.Tok21 and Loud Crowd to transform civic concern into concrete action. The initiative aimed to install a publicly visible pollution traffic light that displays real-time air quality data, empowering citizens with accessible and reliable information.

Despite a petition signed by more than 4,000 citizens, local authorities failed to act. Rather than stopping there, the initiative shifted strategy. Through a series of mentoring sessions on crowdfunding and campaign management, a grassroots fundraising campaign was developed and launched. The result was a strong demonstration of citizen engagement and collective power: 480,000 dinars were raised, fully covering the cost of purchasing, installing, and connecting pollution traffic lights in Smederevo. This initiative shows how targeted support, civic mobilization, and transparency tools can overcome institutional inertia—turning citizen demand into visible, lasting public infrastructure and strengthening local accountability.