The Roma Decade in AP Vojvodina

Monthly Periodical of The Roma Inclusion Office
The Roma Decade
in AP Vojvodina
No. 49, may 2015
Founder and Publisher of the Periodical:
The Roma Inclusion Office of the Government of AP Vojvodina
Editor in Chief:
Duško Jovanović
Managing Editor:
Aleksandra Mićić
The team:
Dragana Rajić
Aleksandra Mićić
Tijana Čubrilo
Ljiljana Maričić
Graphic design Associate:
Tatjana Bošković
Correspondents:
Ferenc Koso
Coordinators for Roma issues of the AP
Vojvodina
Ivana Koprivica
Photo of the month: Signing a Contracts with Roma NGO's
Translation into Romani:
Nota Bene, Centar za prevođenje i učenje
stranih jezika Novi Sad
Translation into English:
Aleksandra Vranić
Technical Preparation and Printing:
Lola preduzetništvo, Beograd,
www.lolapreduzetnistvo.co.rs
Circulation:
1000 copies
Address:
Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 25, 21000 Novi Sad
Tel: 021/488-17-23
inkluzija.roma@gmail.com
www.inkluzijaroma.vojvodina.gov.rs
CIP - Cataloging in Publication
The Matica Srpska Library, Novi Sad
323.1 (=214.58)(=497.113)
The Decade of Roma in AP Vojvodina:
Monthly Publication of the Roma Inclusion
Office / Editor in Chief Duško Jovanović
-2011, No. 1 - Novi Sad: The Roma Inclusion
Office of the Government of AP Vojvodina,
2011-.30 cm
Monthly. In Serbian, English and Romani
language - In Romani printed in reverse
DEAR
READER,
T
he May issue of our magazine begins with the
texts on the topic of Education. The first text is an
interview with the Director of the Higher Education Technical School of Professional Studies and Roma
students who are employed as associates in teaching at
this institution. The second text is about the support of
the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization to schools
in the field of interculturalism, while the third text is
on the Lectureship for the Romani language, which was
recently established at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade.
One million dinars for projects of Roma NGOs is also
the name of the text from the Provincial Government
rubric.
International Cooperation rubric contains texts on
the Danube Strategy and Duna Romani Luma conference, which was organized in Ulm, aiming to improve
the situation of Roma.
Roma organization RROMA-ROTA from Kikinda, celebrated its ten years of successful work, so we are providing you with our impressions from the celebration.
In the Culture rubric, you can read the text on the
promotion of the book by Jovan Bogdanović, and World
Day for Cultural Diversity, which was marked on May 21.
We would like to remind you that, thanks to the
Research and Education Center and Preschool Teacher
Training College “Mihailo Palov” in Vršac, you can follow our publication in electronic form at www.rec.org/
bilten.
COBISS.SR - ID 261834759
Your editorial board
3
Education
Interview with Dr. Branko Savić, Director of the Higher Education Technical School of Professional Studies in Novi Sad
Photo: HETSP's Archive
Education
“This opportunity came up unexpectedly at the Higher
Education Technical School, and I am doing my best to justify
my recruitment as a graduate student assistant in teaching.
This happened because of my success at my bachelor studies,
where I achieved a grade point average that was high enough
to meet the criteria for this job.
Since I have been studying at the Higher Education Technical School myself, I know what the students deal with. That
is why I communicate with the students easily. I think I am
able to give them useful guidelines for simpler and more efficient studying and achieving better results. I am a graduate
student assistant in the following subjects: Form and Style,
Drawing and Design, Visual Elements, Fundamentals of Photography, Applied Photography and Applied Optics with Digital
Photography.
I see myself at this post in the future, as well. I like working in education very much. I had worked with children even
before I had this job, for our mutual benefit. However, the
students are older and already adults, but the transmission of
knowledge itself is the meaning of life for me.
Graduation at the specialized studies is a goal that I have
set for myself. Good results are achieved by working hard,
and studying diligently. I had such an approach both at my
bachelor and specialized studies. I find it hard to make plans
for the future, because I am convinced that there are many
things that make an impact on the things we want to happen,
which is beyond our influence.”
Mina Karadžić
Dr Branko Savić
EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
 Introduce us to your institution.
- This year, the Higher Education Technical School of Professional Studies celebrates 56 years
of its existence. We have 14 accredited study programs at the
undergraduate and 7 study programs at specialized vocational
studies and we have made a master degree program, which we
plan to apply for accreditation. In
4
this way, we are creating a possibility for our students, and others, to further their education.
As for the other activities,
we have a meeting with the
students, every month or two,
where they talk about their
concerns related to school, the
things they are satisfied or unsatisfied with and the activities
that should be organised in the
school. In this way, we become
more closely connected. Then,
at each subsequent meeting, I
report on the things that have
been done since agreed, and the
reason why some other things
have not been done. This is one
aspect of an open cooperation
with the students, because they
are our primary customers and
they must be satisfied.
Also, we stand for making
connections with the economy,
domestic and foreign enterprises. We enter into agreements
on cooperation, so that our students can have an opportunity
to perform their professional
training at undergraduate and
specialized studies, and we introduce them to different enterprises, thus increasing their
chances of employment.
What comes in the end is
international cooperation. Our
school is affiliated with institutions of similar character, both
within Serbia and with institutions in the region and beyond:
Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, America and other
countries.
 In accordance with the
Law on Protection of National Minorities, the Ministry of Education implements affirmative action
measures for enrollment
of Roma students in high
schools and universities.
What are your thoughts on
this matter?
– Within the quota, 2% of the
budget places are reserved for
the Roma population and people with disabilities, as defined
in the law. I had the opportunity
to see that some students who
had been enrolled through affirmative action measures succeeded to transition to budget
in the second year. This means
that when given an opportunity,
the children are willing to work
and learn.
 Were there any problems
and obstacles so far, for
the Roma students to enroll
during the application of affirmative action measures?
5
- Considering the fact that
the Higher Education Technical School offers 14 programs
of study, and 2% of 189 students
are only four places, we cannot
reserve the places on all 14 programs of study. Instead, we reserve places in a few programs,
at the beginning of the year, so it
can happen that someone chooses a course of study that has no
reserved places that year. We
have not had such problems so
far, since the programs are similar in character. For example,
within the graphic department
there is a possibility to study in
the four study programs, which
are closely related, so after
completing one program, you
can finish another one with a
small margin.
 Some of your colleagues,
who are at the forefront of
Education
higher schools and universities, find it problematic to
implement this legislation
and avoid enrolling Roma
students by applying affirmative action measures,
even with the recommendation of the Ministry. What
do you think about that?
- I have been working here
for the last two years, and from
the first day, I tried to introduce
clear rules in my own work, as
well as in the work of the school.
We have changed a number of
ordinances. I consider it unnecessary to make a problem out of
this; the name itself says that
these are affirmative measures,
which affirm schools and higher
education, as well as people from
those populations, and even the
state itself. I believe that it cannot hurt any institution, so it is
„In 2010, I enrolled in the Higher Education Technical
School, department of Information Technology, through affirmative action measures. I took my studies seriously, and
as early as next school year I met the requirements for the
budget. I graduated in 2014, and I am currently at my specialized studies. There was a vacancy for a graduate student
instructor in teaching. I applied for it, and thanks to my grade
point average at my undergraduate studies, I was recruited.
From the conversations with the director, we learned what
will be expected from us and what our obligations will be. I
hold exercise classes on three subjects: Database Structure,
Security of Information Systems and Computer Networks.
I did not expect to get such an opportunity; I had slowly
began to lose hope that I will find a job, and then this opportunity came up. This job is very dear to me, I am managing
better as time goes by, and I would like to stay at this post
after this period is over. I have an opportunity to work, cooperate with renowned professors and learn something new
every day, which is very important.”
Stevan Gligorin
6
Photo: HETSP's Archive
Education
Stevan Gligorin with the students
unnecessary to make a problem
out of it. There is something
else that is frequently happens,
because problems were created
at some point. For example, in
a situation where no one wants
to identify themselves as members of the national community,
when they drop out of the list,
they subsequently want to. We
had such a situation last year,
but we met the person halfway
and singed her up. This year,
we will prepare different documents and our students will be
told to write it down if they are
members of national minorities.
On the other hand, a problem
occurs when we reserve a place
until September 25, because it
happens that two out of four
places are left unfilled, and
we have no students to enroll.
Therefore, I think that my colleagues do not wish to avoid the
enrollment, but that the process
itself is rather problematic.
 With the application of
these measures, a number of Roma students are
enrolled each year. What
did you learn about these
students?
- I did not notice any difference between those children
and others, in the programs of
study where I taught. I think they
all managed to fit in and work
together very well. That is why
my experiences are positive.
However, I have been a director
for a short period of time, so I
am not able to look at it holistically. Roma students who were
enrolled into our higher school
have completed their studies.
 You have responded positively to the requests of the
Office for Roma Inclusion,
and strongly supported the
inclusion of Roma students
in higher education institutions. In this way, you have
shown a great understanding of the problems of Roma.
Why is that?
- There are two simple rea-
sons. The first is that we are
obliged by the affirmative measures to do so. In addition, why not
give someone a chance to study
when they want to, but cannot
afford it? Why not show a good
example of these people being
able to progress, and thus indicate that there is a solution for
their population, and that they
are no different from us? They
can study and finish schools, and
in the end, as in the case of two
young people in our country, who
are recruited as teachers (Mina
Karadžić and Stevan Gligorin),
they can be employed. We have
now employed 17 specialists to
work on contract for one plus
7
Education
Education
SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS IN THE
FIELD OF INTERCULTURALISM
Photo: HETSP's Archive
Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (EHO) on April 29, 2015 signed Agreements on
donations with ten primary schools, in order to stimulate better relations between
different cultures and nations. This is the third round of the Call; 30 intercultural
actions have been supported so far, and 30 primary schools received funds for the
implementation of their projects.
Mina Karadžić with the students
one year, as allowed by law. I am
particularly pleased for the people from Roma population, because in this way, we have shown
that there is equality among us,
and tomorrow, these people can
tell their children, relatives and
friends to go further, to improve
themselves and learn, because
there is a chance. I think that
is an example of work, schooling and education that is needed
throughout our entire country
and this is one way to move forward.
 You also contributed to
the integration of Roma by
employing your two young
colleagues, who have successfully completed their
studies in this educational
institution. How did that
happen?
- We have enrolled two students from the Roma popula-
8
tion, Mina Karadžić and Stevan
Gligorina, on specialized studies
and gave them an opportunity to
work for us and get free tuition.
They have completed undergraduate studies in this school,
as well, and achieved grade
point average over 8.00, and we
employed them as graduate student instructors. They were offered a chance and they took it.
 What is your recommendation to young people
who are studying, given
that their colleagues are
leaving the country en
masse to find employment?
- Certainly, the most important thing for us is that our people can work and develop, improve themselves, earn money
and start their families here; and
if that is not possible in the near
future, they may go abroad for a
certain period, and then return
and invest into our companies.
After all, we are primarily an institution whose profession is education, and our primary goal is
to give professional knowledge
to our students. If we, as an institution, are giving knowledge
that is useful to the world, it
cannot be to our disadvantage.
It is something to be proud of.
Of course, I would prefer if they
worked here and if jobs were
being created, so in line with
that, we cooperate with commercial enterprises to enable
their employment. Accordingly,
in the period from 2007 to 2010,
30-40% of students remained in
the companies where they had
their professional training. Unfortunately, that number has
been at a standstill for a while,
but we can see a hint of growth.
 Ljiljana Maričić
Signing the contracts
A
t the beginning of the
program, children from
“Milivoj Omorac” Primary School from Iđoš, held a
performance called “You and I
are We”, which emerged in the
second round of the Call. Their
teacher, Ana Kovačević, who is
also the screenwriter, said that
the show’s aim was to show unity
through diversity. “All the children play Serbs, except for one
boy who is presented as Roma,
and is being discriminated. In
the end, the children realize on
their own that these differences
are something that makes them
unique, and that the essence
cannot be seen with the eyes,
but with the heart. That is the
message that runs through the
whole show,” said Kovačević,
and added that she put some
sentences that she heard at
school and on the street into
the text of the play. “By watching the discriminated children,
I tried to summarize what I saw
and bring it into the scene,” said
Kovačević.
Headmaster of the school,
Dobrivoj Martonoši, said that this
project means a lot to them and
that, from this project, they got
a laptop to use in school. “Everyone who works in a school knows
how hard it is to get the resources that are needed for schools.
Children had fun and a nice little
trip. We got an invitation from
Slovenia and we will try and provide funding for travel expenses.
I think it is important, especially
in rural areas, for children to be
given something new, and then
they will repay us, in the way you
have seen, with their effort and
hard work.”
9
Education
Education
School projects that have passed on this Call:
1 “Interculturalism and integration of Roma children
into the school system,” Primary School “Đura Jakšić” in
Srpska Crnja, examines the position of the student-returnees;
2 “Let’s play together,” Primary School “Sveti Sava” in
Šabac, deals with the inclusion of children with disabilities;
3 “ Let’s get to know each other better, with a little
bit of good will,” Primary School “Nata Jeličić” in Drenovac,
deals with the reduction of prejudice against the Roma;
4 “Together into the future”, Primary School “Stojan
Novakovic” in Šabac, promotes the Roma cultural identity;
5 “Explorers of the folk tradition and culture,” Primary
School “Zdravko Gložanski” in Bečej, examines the cultural
diversity and specificities of Serbian, Hungarian and Roma
culture;
6 “Together”, Primary School “Jovan Jovanović Zmaj”
in Subotica, deals with the prevention of marginalization
and segregation of minority groups;
7 “We’ll go on,” Primary School “Milivoj Petrović
Fećko” in Platičevo, deals with the empowerment of Roma
students to continue their education;
8 “Intercultural learning inside and outside of the
classroom,” Primary School “Dositej Obradović” in Putinci,
educates teachers on the application of the methods of intercultural learning;
9 “Sonja’s encyclopedia of interculturalism,” Primary
School “Sonja Marinković” in Novi Sad, trains the students
to identify, use and present various forms and sources of
intercultural relations through preparation of books, exhibitions and films;
J “Gradištanac,” Primary School “Svetozar Marković”
in Bačko Gradište, will support the publishing of four issues
of the school newspaper, dedicated to intercultural relations.
Vladislav Ivičiak, director of
EHO, expressed his satisfaction
with the fact that their organization cooperates with schools.
He said that the EHO organization was created in response to
the need of society. Initially, it
distributed humanitarian aid,
and then, an organization that
was solely humanitarian devel-
10
oped into an organization that
helps marginalized groups. It
develops and spreads the values
it believes in, which is interculturalism. “We see multiculturalism as a great asset, potential
and possibility for progress of
our entire society,” said Ivičiak.
Shortly before signing the
contract, Tanja Stojković, co-
The children from "Milivoj
Omorac" Primary School in Iđoš
ordinator of EHO development,
presented the Project. She said
that the project is called “Social
Inclusion and Improvement of
the lives of the Roma in Serbia,”
and that it is supported by the
Swiss organization HEKS-EPER,
the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the
Swiss Federal Office for Migra-
The Calls were preceded by trainings, called “Introduction to intercultural learning”, organized by EHO with 562
participants from 132 primary schools. This program of
professional development of teachers, educators and professional associates is accredited by the Institute for Improvement of Education.
tion. Also, Stojković said that
the general aim of the project
is to develop professional competences of the teaching staff
in schools, and achieve learning
objectives by introducing intercultural learning and planning
intercultural actions.
Ljiljana Maričić
11
Provincial Government
Education
LECTURESHIP FOR THE ROMANI
LANGUAGE ESTABLISHED AT THE
FACULTY OF PHILOLOGY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE
D
ecision of the Teaching
and Research Council of
the Faculty of Philology
of the University of Belgrade
from April 15, 2015 included the
teaching of the Romani language
in the basic studies of higher
education institutions. Within
the Center for Professional Development and Evaluation, the
Faculty will organize courses
of Romani language, which will
allow graduate teachers to acquire a certificate of knowledge
of the Romani language and
engage in regular classes in elementary and secondary schools
that teach the subject Romani
language with elements of national culture.
In this way, the Romani language has gained equal status
with all other languages of national minorities whose classes
are organized at the Faculty
of Philology in Belgrade. These
decisions have created conditions for the development and
standardization of the Romani
language, preservation of the
cultural identity of the Roma
and better quality of education
of Roma pupils. It is a process
that is in our society unreasonably long overdue and for its
effective exercise in the Roma
community, specialized experts
for Roma language and teachers
12
who will teach it in preschools,
primary and secondary schools
need to be trained. Therefore,
it is necessary, in the immediate
future, starting with the upcoming school year, for the education of Roma pupils and students
in high schools and colleges to
be encouraged by various public
policies, to enable them to acquire the skills and knowledge
needed to work in the classroom
with students of Roma nationality. This will improve the education of Roma children, improve
their achievements in schooling, continuity in education will
be achieved, and finally – it will
create conditions for their full
social inclusion. At the same
time, education of the experts
whose study of the language and
culture of Roma will be theoretically and scientifically verified,
will provide the standardization
and development of language
and the establishment of the
Department for the Romani language.
Introduction of the Romani
language as a subject in basic
studies ended the debate that
lasted over two decades in our
society, related to the recognition and development of the
language and culture of Roma.
However, one should not forget
that it is a process whose success depends on the ability of
the Roma community to take
care of their own language and
culture, and the willingness of
the state and society to support
them.
Starting this procedure at
the Faculty of Philology was
initiated by the experts of the
Center for the Study of Ethnicity
and supported by the Ministry of
Education, Science and Technological Development. Introduction of the Romani language into
the curriculum at the University
of Belgrade has historical and
cultural significance, and the
Scientific Council of the Faculty
of Philology has brought one of
the most important decisions for
the preservation and development of the cultural identity of
the Roma in our country.
www.ercbgd.org.rs
MILLION DINARS
FOR PROJECTS OF ROMA NGO
R
epresentatives of nonprofit organizations and
civic associations, whose
founders and owners are Roma
men and women, have signed
contracts with the Provincial
Secretariat for Economy, Employment and Gender Equality,
for the realization of projects
aimed at empowerment, prevention of discrimination and
improvement of the situation of
Roma population in Serbia, i.e.
in AP Vojvodina. Total amount
of allocated funds is million
dinars, and the 16 projects selected in the Call will be realized in a number of places in the
province. The selected projects
are in accordance with the Provincial Government’s choice to
include the Roma population
into society and raise awareness
about the importance of obtaining an education and professional skills, with the aim of creating
employment opportunities.
On this occasion, the Assistant Secretary for improving
the position of Roma, Slavica
Denić, said that the Secretariat
managed to announce a couple
of very important Calls, in spite
of the limited resources for this
purpose, which significantly improves the situation of the Roma
community, starting from children and the non-governmental
sector, all the way to entrepreneurship.
“Today we are signing agreements with 16 NGOs. This is the
third Call which the Secretariat
of Economy announced for this
purpose. The two previous Calls
supported 31 organizations. Together with today’s winners, this
represents a significant number
of projects from programs that
are designed to improve the position of Roma men and women
in Vojvodina. The Calls aimed at
the non-governmental sector are
important, because in this way
a wider community is included
support programs and activities
that promote implementation
and application of the Strategy
for Improvement of Roma situation in AP Vojvodina, with the
aim of integration of Roma men
and women into the society, and
empowerment of Roma men and
women, leaders of the Roma
and non-profit organizations and
associations of citizens for involvement in decision making,
planning and implementing stra-
Signing the contract
in the process of integration of
Roma,” said the Assistant, adding
that there are three Calls of Secretariat intended for the Roma,
namely local governments: for
education of Roma children and
the purchase of textbooks from
5th to 8th grade, then a Call for
designing the local action plans
for Roma, and a Call for the housing of Roma, that was announced
for the first time this year.
Through these Calls, the
Provincial Secretariat sought to
tegic plans, especially at the local level, as well as to promote
and integrate the principles of
gender equality into the Roma
community. Funds from the Call
also supported the projects of
support for activities related to
training for finding jobs more
easily, acquiring new knowledge
and skills, and promoting entrepreneurship among the Roma.
www.spriv.vojvodina.gov.rs
13
International
cooperation
International
cooperation
opening speech, he presented
the work of the provincial institutions that deal with the
issue of improving the position
of Roma. The results achieved
in Vojvodina were emphasized,
as well as the problems faced
by the Roma population in the
region.
Peter Langer, general coordinator of the Council of
Danube cities and regions, particularly praised the model of
employment of Roma women
through the provision of subsidies for self-employment, conducted by the Office for Roma
Inclusion and the Provincial
Secretariat for Economy, Employment and Gender Equality.
Conference participants
The conference format was
unusual and very interesting to
all participants. Open Space
form has provided the participants with an opportunity to
propose their own topics, that
are important for the integration of Roma, and choose the
ones they will discuss.
In the end of the conference, conclusions had been
reached, which should accelerate the process of poverty reduction, through integration of
institutions and organizations
for joint action, designing and
launching concrete projects
aimed at the Roma population.
Mićić Aleksandra
CONFERENCE DUNA ROMANI LUMA
A
t the end of April, a
conference called Duna
Romani Luma was organized in Ulm, within the Danube
Strategy. The conference was
attended by representatives of
NGOs, representatives of international organizations and the
donors, institutions of the German province of Baden-Württemberg, as well as church
representatives, who were invited to actively participate in
the conference. Presence of
representatives of the Roma
community is of special importance, as they presented their
opinions and ideas in solving
highly complex Roma issue.
Solving problems of the
14
Roma community, which is the
largest minority in the Danube
region, and which has been
marginalized and discriminated, is a major challenge for
the countries of Eastern and
Western Europe, in the process of improving the position
of Roma. Because of the lack
of success in the integration of
the Roma so far, due to their
persisting social exclusion, it is
necessary to gather the examples of good practice and experience, which will be further
developed through long-term
strategic solutions.
The main objective of the
conference was to create ad
hoc programs and projects in
terms of existing policy documents, both at regional and
European level, through joint
efforts and building bridges
between Roma and non-Roma
communities.
On behalf of the Provincial
Government, the conference
was attended by the Assistant
Secretary for Economy, Employment and Gender Equality,
Dr Slavica Denić, in charge of
the sector for improvement of
the situation of Roma and the
representatives of the Office
for Roma Inclusion.
The conference was opened
by Christoph Dahl, Managing
Director of the Baden-Württemberg Foundation. In his
The Workshop
Foto: Internet
15
International
Media
cooperation
DANUBE
STRATEGY
I
n June 2009 the European Commission was given mandate
by the EU Council to create a
joint comprehensive strategy for
the Danubian countries. After extensive preparation and a series
of conferences and meetings, in
which the Republic of Serbia took
an active part with its proposals,
on 8 December 2010 the European Commission adopted the final
document of the Strategy and referred it for adoption to the EU
Council of Ministers.
Along with this document
the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy was
adopted, as well. Finally, on 24
June 2011 the EU Council adopted the conclusion calling all relevant actors to take an active
part in the implementation of
the Strategy, thus formally concluding the Strategy adoption
process. Serbia’s contribution
is evident in the fact that it is
one of the coordinators, for two
areas or the Strategy – science
and transportation (except navigation).
Position of the Republic
of Serbia
In addition to the economic
importance, the Danube is a
great natural, cultural and historical wealth of Serbia. This
16
Media
Pillars and Priority Areas:
• Connecting the Danube Region - to improve mobility and multimodality; to encourage more sustainable energy; to promote
culture and tourism, people to people contacts.
• Protecting the Environment in the Danube Region - to restore
and maintain the quality of waters; to manage environmental
risks; to preserve biodiversity, landscapes and the quality of air
and soils.
• Building Prosperity in the Danube Region - to develop the Knowledge Society through research, education and information
technologies; to support the competitiveness of enterprises,
including cluster development; to invest in people and skills.
• Strenghtening the Danube Region – to improve institutional capacity and cooperation; to work together to promote security
and tackle organised and serious crime
wealth consists of natural beauty
and rarities, the achievements
of different ages, traditions and
cultures. At the central part of
the Danube in Serbia, near Belgrade, different peoples, civilizations and empires had been
clashing and replacing one another for millennia - from the
Neolithic period up to the 1860s,
when Belgrade became a part of
Serbia, once again.
This tells us about its importance throughout history and
its diversity today. Everyone
had left some king of mark, and
Serbia is trying to preserve and
show not only its own cultural
and historical heritage, but also
the marks of other peoples and
civilizations.
In June 2010, one year prior
to the adoption of the Danube
Strategy document by the EU
Council, the Government of the
Republic of Serbia set its own
objectives and priority areas of
major interest. General aim is
utilization of the Danube potentials, as a resource significant for
sustainable development of the
Republic of Serbia.
Priority areas of Serbia in
the Danube Strategy:
1.Development of the
transport and energy
systems, and information and communication
technology (ICT) along
the entire Danube River;
2.Environmental protection
and sustainable use of
natural resources along
the entire Danube River
Basin;
3.Economic development
and strengthening of
regional cooperation and
partnership in the Danube Region;
4.Establishment of a safe
transport system and
affirmation of the rule
of law principles along
the entire Danube watercourse;
5.Creating a knowledgebased economy through
cooperation in the Danube region and the active
role of science in achieving the objectives of the
Strategy.
 www.dunavskastrategija.rs
LANGUAGES OF THE DIGITAL FUTURE
A conference was held in "Studio M" on the theme: "Languages of the digital future
(minority languages in the new media environment)", organized by the Media
Department of the OSCE Mission in Serbia and the Centre for Development of RadioTelevision of Vojvodina. The conference was attended by the authors of media
content in the languages of national minorities, representatives of national councils
of national minorities, representatives of media associations, representatives of
administration and non-governmental organizations, teachers and students of media
schools.
Opening speech
In the opening speech, the
attendees were addressed by
Gordana Janković, Head of Media
Department of the OSCE Mission,
Saša Mirković, State Secretary at
the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, Slaviša Grujić, the Provincial
Secretary for Culture and Public
Information of AP Vojvodina, and
Srđan Mihajlović, Director General of RTV Vojvodina.
Vida Ognjenović, writer and
theater director, talked about
the concept of language, its
abundance in the world and the
desire of almost every language
to become the language of the
universe.
Different media image
State
Secretary,
Saša
Mirković, said that after June
17, the privatization process of
the media is completed, a different media image is expected
to appear, which will round off
the process of the new legal
platform. “The deadline of the
state’s exit from the media is
getting closer, as part of a new
set of media laws, which are ap-
The aim of the
conference was
to analyze the
position, production
and distribution of
media content in
the languages of
national minorities
in the light of the
new media laws,
to hear about the
expectations of the
national councils
and individual
expectations of
members of national
minorities from
the public service
broadcaster, as
well as to turn
good ideas into
recommendations
for the future.
proaching,” said Mirković. “In
addition, there will be a discussion on the transition of public
services into a new way of financing, which will particularly take
into account the specifics of the
Radio-Television Vojvodina that
broadcasts in ten languages of
national minorities. That is why
this conference is the way and
model of not only the exchange
of experiences and knowledge,
but also the way to come to
the best solutions and answers
to current questions through
good conversation,” concluded
Mirković.
Support of the Provincial
Secretariat
In his speech, the Provincial
Secretary for Culture and Public
Information, Slaviša Grujić, said
that the Provincial Secretariat
for Culture and Public Information considers it significant that
the state included public information in the priority actions
for the Republic, the Autonomous Province and local government, by introducing provisions
on public interest. “By introducing and defining the public in-
17
Media
terest, as well as by listing the
media and incentives, the state
has significantly improved its
relation to public information
and the media. Accordingly, we
support the determination of
exceptions from the mandatory
privatization of media. We think
that it is good that the special
importance of public service
and newspaper publishers was
highlighted, whose founders are
national minority councils. However, we believe that we might
face significant difficulties in future, in terms of survival and development of local and regional
media, especially those with the
media content in the languages
of numerically small communities, “said Grujić.
Digitization of television
is a significant change for the
producers of media services,
because in future, all local television will practically become
regional, which will significantly
increase allocations to the provider of the digital signal and
associations of copyright protection. Local, regional media depend on the money that comes
Media
Transition to digital
broadcasting of TV
programs, which officially
started in Vršac, will
allow a better TV signal
coverage in those areas
populated by the minority
communities, who up
to now could not follow
our programs in minority
languages without
interference. Finding new
forms of communication
and new content formats
in minority languages are
crucial for their survival.
Conference participants
“Minority media and minority media contents must receive special treatment in order to respond to all the demands they are facing. Given that most of the minority community has a relatively small number of members, they must have a significant financial support from all levels of
government, because these media cannot be self-sufficient.
Today’s media are in crisis, especially the print media, which is why they are increasingly turning to new media platforms. The media with a limited number of readers are in a particularly difficult situation, and such newspapers include media whose founders are national minority councils.
Therefore, it would be desirable that, in addition to newspapers, newsroom minority papers turn
more and more to audio and audiovisual productions and online editions, in order to rely on their
own income as much as possible, but primarily in order to fulfill its mission, which is to have as
many users of its own services as possible.”
Slaviša Grujić,
the Provincial Secretary for Culture and Public Information
18
from local government budgets.
“Previous practice has shown
that local self-government, after founding the privatization of
the media, never allocates the
same amount of budget funds for
co-financing bidding, as it did as
the founder of the media,” said
Slaviša Grujić.
In accordance to its mission, the media with content in
the languages of minority communities, although financially
dependent on money from the
budget of different levels of
public authority, must try to increase its own income. “In all of
the above, the media in minority languages will have a reliable
partner in the Provincial Secretariat for Culture and Public Information,” concluded the Regional Secretary.
“Greeting the participants
on behalf of the Radio-Television
of Vojvodina, Srđan Mihajlović
said that Radio-Television of
Vojvodina has its own peculi-
arities, broadcasting in ten languages of national minorities,
which makes it a part of the big
European family of regional media. “When we talk about the
media in the languages of national minorities, we are talking about civil rights, accentuating the right to cultivate the
language, culture, customs and
their script, thereby preserving
their national identity, which is
inviolable,” said Mihajlović.
Tijana Čubrilo
19
NGO
NGO
TEN YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL WORK
On Friday, May 15, 2015, in cultural artistic society Edšek, the Roma association
RROMA-ROTA solemnly marked its tenth anniversary. This ceremony was also an
opportunity to hand out letters of appreciation and plaquettes to the associates who
made it possible for this Association to live to see its tenth birthday.
A
t the beginning, the RROMA-ROTA band hosted a
cultural and entertainment program and performed
songs like Gelem, Gelem in a
completely new and remarkable
way. Then, Miroslav Meržan,
representative of the organization, welcomed all the attendees and thanked them for coming. In doing so, he highlighted
the importance of the Provincial
Miroslav Meržan
20
Secretariat for Culture and Public Information in the work of
RROMA-ROTE. “The organization
was founded in 2005 and registered in the Ministry for Human
and Minority Rights, and I would
like to thank all the people who
supported us from the beginning, and later on,” said Meržan.
He also emphasized that he was
very pleased with the accomplishments that have been made
so far, and added that good conditions for work have been created.
Director of the Office
for Roma Inclusion, Duško
Jovanović, commended the cooperation of the Citizens’ Association RROMA-ROTA with the
Office. “We were able to initiate and carry out very important
projects that have provided concrete results, and in that sense,
I can say that this organization
has shown its capacity to be a
serious partner of both local
and provincial institutions, as
well as international organizations. Today, it is evident that
project financing is obligatory,
and this is something that is the
responsibility of not only NGOs
but the entire system and the
state; expert teams are needed
for organizing the projects. In
that sense, I can say that this is
one of, unfortunately, very few
Roma organizations that have
shown interest, knowledge and
capacity in the implementation
of numerous projects, in the
past 10 years,” said Jovanović.
During the celebration of
the organization’s tenth anniversary, results of the most important projects were presented.
More than 40 projects had been
implemented, with the help of
45 assistants: from the Ministry
of Education and Technological
Development, the Ministry of
Youth and Sports, the Ministry of
Health to Provincial secretariats
and municipalities. The donors
and associates they cooperate
with are GROMS PLASS - Narvik/
Norway, Trag Foundation, Praxis
Belgrade, the Office for Roma
Inclusion, EHO - Novi Sad, Police
Department of Kikinda, ADRA
- Germany, NAPOR, MODS, PRE-
VENT - Novi Sad, the municipality of Kikinda and municipality
of Čoka.
After the presentations of
projects, all the associates were
awarded letters of appreciation
and plaquettes, with special
gratitude to the Provincial Secretariat for Culture and Public
Information and the Office for
Roma Inclusion. In addition to
the presentation, awards, cultural programs and cocktails,
plans for the next three years in
the areas of education, housing
and employment have been announced.
 Ljiljana Maričić
21
Culture
Culture
PROMOTION OF THE
BOOK BY JOVAN
BOGDANOVIĆ
Promotion of the book by Jovan Bogdanović JOB, The
Decline of Human Morality, was held on May 5 at the
City Library in Novi Sad. The book was presented by
Borislav Putnik PUB, a journalist, writer and publicist,
who was also the book reviewer. The book was published
this year in Novi Sad. At the beginning of the book
promotion, the attendees had an opportunity to hear
a brief biography of the author, which was followed by
the presentation.
T
his book is a collection of
essays, records and poems, created in the past
five years, and it reflects the author’s thoughts and fears regarding the degradation of human
existence in the world. In his
book, Jovan Bogdanović wrote
about the situation of the Roma
community in such a society and
his struggle and desire to change
and improve this situation.
“I want this speech to raise
awareness of the fact that
the humankind should mutually respect each other,
as much as possible, regardless of skin color or authority. We are all humans,
made of flesh and blood,
and we fight in some ways
to surpass what has been
troubling us for years, in
this material world.”
Jovan Bogdanović
22
Preface
At the request of the author, the preface of his book
was read, and for the purposes
of this article, we will cite only
a few parts that we think best
reflect the essence of the book.
“Fears that the wonderful,
beautiful, human beings throw
to the bottom of the miserable
nothingness, are caused by the
moral decline and triumph of
evil, which is already celebrating its victory over good. Is the
end to come before the end? And
the beginning to disappear when
disaster wishes it? Hunger creates resentment, and anger creates helplessness of the mind.
The moral decline rushes
headlong into the depths of the
abyss, carrying along the sinful
souls for whom there is no salvation, no matter how much they
repented. The powerful crush
the weak; the force creates new
gods that do not exist and have
never existed, so that it can
Book-signing
pluck people away from the true
and only Almighty.
I love all the people in this
world, I fear for them and die
for them, but my people are
the sufferers, the ones who are
colored and always condemned
by one and all, always the victims and executioners; for them,
my heart aches. I know that the
thing that awaits us, a total destruction, will have a devastat-
ing impact on all my compatriots. I know, we will disappear
like no one did before, quietly,
without tears, by the hands of
our destroyers.
Perhaps, if we were born
again, we would have better
luck and life, and be honored
and loved by many. Meanwhile,
the wailing will echo, washed by
black tears wept by the wretched ones. There may not be only
one life, or death. Everything
that was created has changed
its shape and lost its soul. Honor,
love, honesty and faith got lost
in the jaws of immorality, adultery, thievery and atheism. Hypocrisy has become the science,
and theft a specialty.”
From the review
Borislav Putnik stressed
that the book “The Decline of
the Human Morality” by Jovan
Bogdanović, shows his continuous struggle for improvement of
the position of Roma, who live
on the margins of life, deprived
and without any chance to demonstrate their worth. “Therefore, it is necessary to help
Jovan, in order to for his fight
not to turn into a quixotic battle with windmills, because he
needs a real support from those
23
Culture
who still believe there is a way
out of this slimy life. Jovan feels
disparaging attitude towards his
efforts to change the world in
favor of true human relations
and values. The struggle for position of Roma is constant, with
no end in sight. Indeed, the decline of human morality, which
is in the title of his book, is becoming more and more obvious.
This is something that we need
to change.
Culture
The plea on our behalf
In his speech, Dragan Kojić,
Director of the City Library in
Novi Sad, paid special attention
to the book’s title. “This carefully chosen title is a kind of
alarm or an outcry by the servant of God, Jovan Bogdanović,
against today’s value system
that we live in and cope with. In
fact, this book is a plea on behalf of all of us, including myself, to change the value system
At the end of the literary
evening, some optimistic
ideas could be heard.
There may be a way for
all of us to change our
current value system.
Existence of this book,
and the discussion of the
problem it addresses,
is a good start of the
expected change.
of the civilization, to be human
and to appreciate each other,
because these dark premonitions we have heard are indeed
very real and we are facing them
recently, in the new history. Because of all this, I congratulate
Mr. Bogdanović and I would be
glad if this was one of our many
meetings under the roof of our
library.
 Tijana Čubrilo
WORLD DAY FOR
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
FOR DIALOGUE AND
DEVELOPMENT WAS
MARKED
In 2001, the General Assembly of the United Nations
declared May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural
Diversity for Dialogue and Development. By joining the
UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion
of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, countries
around the world have recognized cultural diversity
as the common heritage of humanity. This Convention
is a document that aims to encourage fostering and
creating social conditions that enable different creative
expressions. World Day for Cultural Diversity was
marked around the world, as well as in Serbia, with
series of events.
T
olerance is the key
word for cultural diversity. Accepting ourselves and others as different
forms of the same human species is of crucial importance
for every individual. It should
“All cultures and civilizations contribute to the richness of humanity. Cultural diversity is powerful. Its preservation is an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect
for human dignity. Recognizing this diversity strengthens
mutual respect and builds common ground based on general values. Nobody can abuse or limit human rights by
referencing cultural diversity.”
Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
Book promotion
24
25
Culture
Culture
GRUBB'S RHYTHM IN THE HEARTS
OF PARTICIPANTS AND AUDIENCE
"Aven, Aven" is the name of the song that has become a synonym for the "GRUBB"
foundation. For children, these verses mean happiness and excitement, a support to
feel better at school, an opportunity to gain enormous informal education and take
part in numerous performances, where they have an opportunity to show their talents
and contribute to the fight against discrimination. These verses are also recognized
by numerous educational and cultural institutions, which cooperate with the GRUBB
foundation, and help them achieve progress of their students in a better and easier
way. The audience wiilingly approches the stage where the participants of this
organization proudly present the results of their hard work and learning.
W
be worked on through education, schooling and various other activities, so that children can
become aware of their own being and the world around them, and see the diversities as something valuable, instead as a flaw. Rejecting someone just because they are of another nationality, race, religion or different from us in any other way, is unjust and it can be called a type of
Nazism.
Marking this day is an opportunity for cultural diversity to be promoted, respected and perceived as a good trait, to create conditions for a peaceful life and intercultural dialogue. By
encouraging the development of world cultures we will prevent unification.
hile reporting about this organization, we
mentioned that it deals with school-age
children, that they provide conditions
and support for uninterrupted education and engage the children in music, dance, acting, photog-
raphy, creative writing and sports, which makes
the lives of Roma children from Novi Sad, Belgrade
and Niš much better and happier.
“We want our children to be happy, educated
and successful. Thus, all the activities that we
“Culture appears in time and space in various forms. This diversity is embodied in the
uniqueness of the identity multiplicity of groups and societies which make up the human
species. As a source of exchange of innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is necessary for all humankind, as biodiversity is necessary in nature. In this sense, it is a common
heritage of humanity and it should be recognized for the good of present and future generations.”
Art. 1 of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity
People have always been afraid of the things they do not know or understand. This can also
be applied to intolerance and disrespect for cultural diversity. Therefore, we should strive to
get to know different cultures, in order to understand others and ourselves more easily. By getting to know others, we come to know ourselves.
 Ljiljana Maričić
26
GRUBB in Sremska MItrovica
Photo: GRUBB's Archive
27
Culture
conduct lead towards these goals,” said the coordinator of the GRUBB Center in Novi Sad, Dragana
Dimitrov, for our monthly issue. “We are strengthening their self-esteem and teaching them to be
proud of themselves and their origin. We fight
against discrimination together,” said Dragana.
In conversation with trainees of the GRUBB
Center, we learned that live performances are
one of their strongest motives for participation in
GRUBB’s workshops and activities.
Nadira Morina (18) says that on the stage she is
proud of herself, because she is sure that she and
her friends did their best to prepare themselves,
and that they will make the audience feel strong
emotions, which will help in the fight against discrimination. “I will never forget the day in the
Assembly, after the performance on the “International Roma Day”, when we were approached by a
Show in Niš
28
Culture
man, who wanted to congratulate us on the forumtheater. He told us that his eyes were filled with
tears as he watched us and that he lived through
everything that we acted with his whole soul - we
talked about the problems that Roma people deal
with.”
Grubb’s rhythm on stage
We also talked about the performance with the
Headmistress of the foundation, Dobrila Karaulić,
who mentioned the latest performances, organized on the occasion of the “International Roma
Day.”
The thing she is proud of the most is the participation in the program in the Assembly of AP
Vojvodina, organized by the Office for Roma Inclusion, but she is also proud of the performances in
Novi Sad Department of Student Health Care, in
the Cultural Centre in Sremska Mitrovica, in Belgrade Youth Centre, and GRUBB’s premises in Niš.
Headmistress Karaulić says that she is very
proud of all the children who come to GRUBB
centers. Firstly, because most of them are regular
students, and secondly because they have dared
to show what they want, think and feel, through
music, dance and acting. “Programs with the
Roma participants, which are organized throughout Serbia, should take place more often, because
that is a unique opportunity for all of us to get
to know the rich Roma culture and tradition, and
hear the voice of the Roma minority, which is often neglected,” said the Headmistress.
In Belgrade, at the ceremony at the Youth
Center, GRUBB presented itself with a photo exhibition “My city, my home”, opened by the Head of
the EU Delegation, Michael Davenport. He pointed
Photo: GRUBB's Archive
out that good examples of practice should be valued and followed. In his opinion, GRUBB is one of
those examples.
Milica Petrović, coordinator of the Centre in
Niš, says that the last performance took place in
May, in Niš park, on the occasion of “International
Day of Families”. The previous performance was
organized in GRUBB’s premises in Niš, on the occasion of International Roma Day, where the children
introduced themselves to a numerous audience.
The children from Niš introduced themselves with
a large number of songs, stories and photographs,
and their achievements in the school activities
were highlighted, as well.
“Holidays and important dates are always a
good opportunity to get together and spend quality time together, to exchange our energy and
show what we can do. During our performances,
the audience can enjoy our skits, recitations, stories, speeches about tolerance, dance numbers
and songs that invite the audience to get to know
the Roma, to take a peek into their world with an
open heart, without prejudice,” said the coordinator Petrović.
“I did not expect to see so many people in the
audience,” said Jasmina Memišević (16), one of
the most talented writers, who has been participating in creative writing workshops for the last
three years. “The most emotional moment was
the moment our friends performed the song “We
are Roma”; I shuddered and I realized how proud
we were to have an opportunity to show what we
can do,” said Jasmina.
If the success of non-governmental organizations is measured by duration, attendance and the
level of satisfaction of the target group, GRUBB
Foundation is surely at the top of the scale, due
to the fact that it exists for nearly a decade and
that it supports and makes happy more than 500
children every year. GRUBB meets the criterion of
visibility, considering the numerous performances
throughout Serbia and world-wide.
Our editorial board wishes them every success
in their future work.
D. D.
29
Sport
Sport
NATURALLY GIFTED AT BOXING
Competitor at the "Vojvodina" Boxing Club, Miralem Ahmeti, in the previous season
won the bronze medal at the Championship of Serbia in the competition for the
young, and the gold medal at the Championship of Vojvodina. At the international
competition “Golden Glove of Vojvodina ", which was among the strongest
tournaments in the world, he won the bronze medal and proved to be one of the most
promising young competitors.
Persistence and hard
work
Miralem Ahmeti was born in
1996. He has four younger brothers and he lives in Veternik. He
has been training boxing for four
years and he says he has always
loved it. “Since childhood I wanted to practise boxing. My first
coach was the current Director of
the club, Milan Kozomara; Jovan
Ružić and Milan Reljić also work
with me.” He came to his first
practice because of his brother,
who was already training boxing,
he liked it and continued training. He has been training in the
“Vojvodina” Boxing Club since the
beginning. Miralem emphasizes
the fact that he got used to the
club very well, that he fits in and
feels good there. “They are all
good to me and they behave like
a family.” He is currently in the
middleweight class, up to 75 kg.
This sport is an important
part of Miralem’s life, because
Olympic champion, Slobodan Kačar, told us that Miralem is naturally gifted in boxing and that, therefore, he should be provided with support and
that it would be very bad if the social conditions he comes from put an
end to his further development and progress.
it makes him a better, more
complete and successful person.
“Boxing influences my personality development a lot. I have
chosen sport and I live a sporty
lifestyle,” said Miralem Ahmeti.
They need support
All the necessary equipment
and money for a monthly pass he
receives from the club. This is an
additional financial cost for the
club, so the Director, Milan Kozomora, told us that it would be of
great help if we could solve the
problem of financing Miralem’s
30
There is a lot of work
and effort behind
every result achieved.
That is why Miralem
trains every day from
Monday to Friday.
Trainings last two
hours and each time
they vary: stamina,
strength, sparring and
techniques.
travels and equipment. It would
create a path without obstacles,
which would be an incentive for
his future work and success. He
believes that Miralem deserves
this because of his previous results and hard work, and that
even greater results are yet to
come.
Director of the club invited
all the people who want to train
boxing, to come and test their
skills in this sport, especially
young people.
Tijana Čubrilo
31
Rumunija 1. Jul 2005 - 30. Jun 2006, Bugarska 1. Jul 2006 - 30. Jun 2007, Mađarska 1. Jul 2007 - 30. Jun 2008,
Srbija 1. Jul 2008 - 30. Jun 2009, Slovačka 1. Jul 2009 - 30. Jun 2010, Češka 1. Jul 2010 - 30. Jun 2011,
Makedonija 1. Jul 2011 - 30. Jun 2012, Hrvatska 1. Jul 2012 - 30. Jun 2013, Crna Gora 1. Jul 2013 - 30. Jun 2014.
Jul 2014. - Jun 2015.
MINISTARSTVO ZA LJUDSKA I MANJINSKA PRAVA
DRŽAVNU UPRAVU I LOKALNU SAMOUPRAVU
UPRAVA ZA LJUDSKA I MANJINSKA PRAVA