PROTECTA was established by participants in Student Protests 1996/97 whose aim was to direct energy of youth towards positive social activities at both local and national level.  Though it was officially registered in 1998, PROTECTA began its activities way back in 1997, as an informal group.

The most important developmental achievement of PROTECTA was the establishment of the Information Centre for NGOs in Southern Serbia in January 2000. During Milosevic’s reign, media and NGOs were exposed to huge pressure, so that the PROTECTA Information Centre was disseminating information to NGO activists about topical events, possibilities of cooperation, calls for proposals and activities aimed at creating a vibrant civil society in Serbia. Time after time, PROTECTA activists and managerial staff were arrested and taken for police hearings.

Thanks to expertise of PROTECTA members and their ability to identify real problems in local communities in Southern Serbia, PROTECTA managed to attract a large number of donors. In 2000, PROTECTA implemented three projects with the annual budget of 30,000 Deutschemarks. Ideas and enthusiasm of a number of young people helped PROTECTA grow, develop new projects and get new friends. So the teams of PROTECTA were set up (ovo neka bude link) and they enabled young people to get information and materialise their ideas. Year after year, with the increasing support from donors, PROTECTA has been slowly progressing, both in terms of structure and programme.