Over the past five years, through everything we’ve done – from answering emails and phone calls to organizing meetups, panels, and conferences – we’ve continuously asked ourselves how to keep building a community of people connected to Serbia, no matter where they live. And we realized the answer is simple: we need to sit down and talk to them.
That’s how TP Café was born (short for Tačka povratka Café, or Returning Point Café). It’s an informal meetup between Returning Point and the Serbian diaspora across Europe, created out of a real need to meet face to face, to hear people’s stories, questions, and plans. We gather over coffee for open conversations about everything that “return” and staying connected to Serbia can mean. Because nothing can replace a one-on-one conversation.
The first TP Café was held in Vienna, two months ago, as a quiet pilot and sincere attempt to see whether people feel the need to talk – about returning, about ties with Serbia, and about ideas that connect them with those who stayed. And it turned out: they do. The informal, open, and direct format created the perfect space for real conversations and connection-building between the diaspora and Serbia.
Soon after, we hosted TP Café in Belgrade for the first time, during the Ana Popović Shoes and Friends pop-up event. Once again, it became clear: the most important questions don’t get asked on conference panels; they happen in small, open circles among people who are ready to listen and share.
What made us especially happy was how many new connections were formed. Some participants met for the first time and were already exchanging ideas and contacts by the end of the event. That’s when we knew this shouldn’t remain a one-off initiative, but something that grows with the community.
That’s why, in the coming weeks, we’re continuing with TP Café meetups – In the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic:
📍 Rotterdam – June 27th
📍 Amsterdam – June 28th & 29th
📍 Zurich – July 4th & 5th
📍 Prague – July 4th & 5th
Each city, each meetup, each cup of coffee is a new opportunity to hear stories about why people left, why they stay connected, why they want to return, and all the ways they want to contribute. It’s also a chance for us to share the experience and knowledge we’ve gathered over the past five years working with returnees and the diaspora – on paperwork, schools, employment, dual citizenship, diploma recognition, and all those little things that mean a lot in practice.
It’s also a space to talk about collaboration: for everyone who isn’t necessarily planning to return, but wants to stay connected, to contribute, to launch a project, or support others.
TP Café is for anyone who wants to remain part of the story – no matter where they’re telling it from.
If you live in one of these cities or know someone who might find TP Café meaningful, reach out to us.
The coffee will be there. So will we. And the rest we’ll create together.
