Early life
Dino was born and raised in Split to two working-class parents, who were always trying to give the best possible opportunities to Dino and his brother, so they put their savings together and purchased a home in Zagreb. Besides his parents, one of the most significant influences on Dino’s life had his grandmother, who taught him that everybody has setbacks and falls short of whatever goals they might set for themselves. That’s part of living and coming to terms with who you are. The question isn’t if you will fail but if you will find the strength to get up on your feet and keep fighting.
Dino grew up with a deep understanding of social and economic inequality from an early age. And yet, today, we are still witnessing the challenges the middle and working class are going through; the violence and hatred towards women, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and people of color, which horrifies us as human beings.
While growing up, Dino wasn’t sure what he would do for the rest of his life. But instead of trying to figure out what he wanted to be, he just started asking himself how he could be useful to the world in a way that felt meaningful to him. This background helped spark his passion for public service and shaped his conviction that change is possible, justice and equality are achievable, and diversity is our strength.
My journey .. so far
After graduating high school, Dino attended the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, where he became more involved with social justice activism. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a narrow specialization in Public Policies, Management and Development, and International Relations and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Political Science.
During his studies, Dino expressed interest in health and environmental policies, sustainable development, and human rights diplomacy through his academic work and research. Those interests led him to passionate engagement with progressive movements, advocating for a more equitable society where public health, education, equal labor opportunities, housing, and a clean environment are defined as human rights.
From the beginning, he stood out as an engaged Teaching Assistant at the University, organizer of various conferences, workshops, and roundtables while acting as a Student Council Representative and Deputy Representative in the Council of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb.
At the same time, Dino gained significant experience as a Research Assistant and Policy Analyst while working for several think tanks, research centers, and NGO offices such as the Institute for International Relations and Development, Center for the Study of Ethnicity, Citizenship and Migration, and Transparency International Croatia.
As an organizer and advocate, Dino has worked with progressive initiatives to lead and manage campaigns supporting women, LGBTQ+, immigrants, workers, and youth empowerment. At the same time, he has advocated for climate action and environmental justice around the country.
As an educator, Dino has been engaged on various platforms encouraging youth to expand their skills in intercultural communication, public speaking and literacy, and social leadership.
In 2015, Dino was appointed as Head of Communications and Project Manager at the European Institute for Intercultural Communication and Protocol Activities in Zagreb. Also, as one of the lecturers, he worked on the education and consultation of organizations and individuals about effective cultural, social, and political integration within the European Union environment.
Encouraged by his mentors, Dino decided to enter the field of international relations, and from 2018 until 2022, he worked in diplomacy. First at the US Embassy in Zagreb in the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, and then at the Embassy of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo.
In 2020, Dino joined the first pan-European think-do tank, 89 Connect & 89 Initiative, which connects professionals from the world of public policy, government, and academia as Coordinator for the Southeast Europe region and Public Affairs and Political Content Advisor.
In 2021, Dino was the youngest co-founder of a new international NGO – Foreign Policy Forum – concentrating on foreign affairs and diplomacy, alongside distinguished diplomats, ministers, journalists, professors, and experts.
Dino was engaged as the Advisor for the EU Environmental and Sustainable Development Policies and Projects for a while, supporting local governments, small and middle-size businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations across different sectors to utilize EU funds.
Currently, Dino is acting as a Consultant for Sustainability, ESG, and Communications at one of the leading companies in Croatia – Hauska & Partner. Supporting organizations in navigating their impacts on society and the environment while creating future-oriented strategies through a corporate responsibility prism.
His experience working with cross-functional, international teams in multicultural environments has taught him the importance of building trusted relationships and inspiring a shared project vision.
Fighting & moving forward
Dino founded this platform to provide pro-bono assistance and support to organizations, communities, citizens’ initiatives, and campaigns that portray progressive movements to advance and advocate for human rights and freedoms, climate action and sustainable development, inclusive democratic governance, women empowerment, and gender equality, LGBTQ+ and migrants rights, social-economic equity, and fight against corruption.
Dino believes that real, structural change is possible, and that with the right leadership focused on building a movement with progressive leaders, bringing hundreds of thousands of youth into politics, most for the first time, we can make a significant difference.
One thing we know for sure is that change is inevitable. Progress is not. Progress depends on our choices today for tomorrow and on whether we meet our challenges and protect our values. We need a world that sees healthcare, education, freedom of expression, jobs, justice, and housing as fundamental human rights. It is about justice. And justice is about making sure that being polite is not the same thing as being quiet. Often, the most righteous thing you can do is shake the table.
In modern, moral society, no one should be too poor to get the care they need or to fear for their safety because of an ineffective system. Therefore, Dino continues to fight for everyday people – making sure that we are championing who we are as people and creating a sustainable future for the next generations.