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Final report to SIDA on the activities and development of the:

Centre for Ethnic Relations and Minority Protection (CERMP) A project of the Forum for Ethnic Relations (FER) Belgrade

in partnership with MERGE (Centre for Migration, Ethnic Relations and Globalisation, Umeå University)

1996-99

Carl-Ulrik Schierup and Marika Sivertsson Stockholm in April, 2000

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1 Introduction A Centre for Ethnic Relations and Minority Protection, CERMP, has been established in Belgrade by Forum for Ethnic Relations, FER, in cooperation with SIDA, starting 1996. The aim of the centre is to promote research on and to contribute to the improvement of ethnic relations and minority protection in Yugoslavia in particular and in South Eastern Europe in general. For this purpose FER has established extended networks, including representatives for science and voluntary organisations throughout eastern and western Europe, including the whole territory of former Yugoslavia. The formation and development of CERMP was made one of the network’s most important projects in consolidating its work. The formation of CERMP in Belgrade has been followed by efforts to initiate and support the work and development of “sister-centres”, particularly in other parts of former Yugoslavia (Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro). Continuous communication and cooperation have been undertaken with members of FER also in Croatia and Slovenia. On the background of the escalation of violence in former Yugoslavia creating and spreading understanding of how to deal with conflicts between ethnic groups was the primary idea behind the formation of the centre. Related to this aim one of the major efforts of the centre has been continuous action to improve Serbian-Albanian relations in order to avoid full-scale war in Kosovo. Those efforts were for a long time not without success. The centre succeeded in opening dialogue between Serbian and Albanian moderate intellectuals and politicians. In the long run, however, the lack of international support for these moderate actors led instead to the escalation of the crisis. The past year, marked by all the difficulties following NATO-bombings, has, however, proven the efforts of the centre important and needed. But it has also brought to light that the centre, in order to fully make use of its capabilities, should add more tasks to its original program. With the establishment of CERMP, an organisational structure for the implementation of projects on ethnic relations and minority protection was created. It consists of the consolidation of management, a clear project profile, and a circle of research collaborators. NATO’s intervention in Kosovo and the bombings of Yugoslavia meant economic collapse and also a marked radicalisation of the political climate in Yugoslavia as a whole and in particular in Kosovo on which the centre had targeted much of its effort to generate processes of dialogue and reconciliation. This meant a setback for several of the important ongoing activities of the centre and caused a certain reorientation of its work. It is now, however, aiming at reconsolidating its work, among other through concentrating on its core activity, which is the production and dissemination of reliable knowledge on ethnic relations and minority protection based on high quality research. This is what makes it unique in present day

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Yugoslavia, not to speak about the whole Balkan area where it enjoys a high degree of respect among a wide range of stakeholders. The initial target groups of CERMP have been the intellectual and political elites, in particular the leaders of minority groups. The aim is to improve research on ethnic relations and nation-building, with the intention to make available high quality information and improve knowledge on these pertinent issues. The work of the centre has come to play an increasing role as a resource base for NGOs and oppositional organisations in Yugoslavia, providing “grassroots movements” with essential high quality research based knowledge. CERMP is unique in this respect as the only body in Yugoslavia which has the capacity to produce this type of knowledge in a situation marked by the general deterioration of institutions for research and information. The centre’s many publications have made invaluable contributions to research and debates in the international scientific community and improved the potential for launching activities targeted at democratisation and at preventing and solving conflicts. This increasingly important task for the centre, to make available objective and critical information on ethnic relations and minority protection to the general public, and in particular to NGOs and oppositional movements exposed to strong pressure, has not weakened the research activities, which continue to constitute the central activity of the centre. An important function of its research projects continues to be to connect and stimulate a valuable cooperation among academics in different parts of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and across the territory of the whole of former Yugoslavia. A strong effort to maintain and develop research local networks in this area (former Yugoslavia) and connect them with wider scholarly networks of academics and researchers in the wider region of South-Eastern Europe (including Bulgaria, Albania, Roumania, Hungary and Greece is of invaluable importance. This is particularly so in a situation where the isolation of local academics is one of the most serious problems impeding the production and dissemination of high quality knowledge within this important field (ethnic relations and minority protection including essential issues such as nationalism, regional, cross national and multiethnic cooperation and social reconstruction). The centre has, however, an established reputation way beyond the Balkans due to its continuous and successful efforts to develop wider international networks to researchers and NGOs across the whole of Europe (East and West) and North America. This extended and continuous cooperation of the centre with academics in Europe and the United States guarantees a high quality multifaceted research and collecting of data in times when facts are most often distorted for political reasons, and it gives the centre a credibility which is crucial for efforts in the region directed at conflict solving and democratisation. The extension and strengthening of the FER–INERSE (International Network on Ethnic Relations in South-Eastern Europe) networks is the basis on which these activities are developed. The present report attempts to put the work of the centre into the complex context of the social and political situation in contemporary

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Yugoslav society. The question of the social relevance of the work of the centre is addressed. We discuss whether its programme has been and is carried out efficiently according to the proposed plan and consider its perspectives seen in relation to the changing circumstances in the FRY. We take a closer look at some obstacles and opportunities ahead. In an appendix we provide a comprehensive overview of the activities of the centre as they have been developed during the project period 1996-99. Changes in the wider socio-political environment which have been of importance for the overall work of the centre will be accounted for, and a concluding statement will be made concerning the direction of the future efforts of CERMP. The material we have used are the yearly reports and other documents concerning the work of the centre supplemented with observations made during several visits to Belgrade, visits to partner institutions and individual co-operators of CERMP in Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Italy. We have also taken an active role in the summer-school set up by the Centre in cooperation with FER and international centres of learning (University of Pittsburg, University of Bologna, University of Umeå). During November- December 1999 a longer stay in Belgrade provided for a concluding in depth following up of the development and activities of the centre. During this concluding visit the work at the centre was followed closely on the spot and its present state and future perspectives investigated. We have discussed a current reorientation and development of the of activities of the centre as related to the economic, political and social situation in FRY and South Eastern Europe at length with the director of CERMP and FER, dr Dusan Janjic. We also attended round tables, promotions, meetings with collaborators of the centre and meetings with other NGOs working in Yugoslavia and in neighbouring countries during this time, which provided additional facets for assessing the present direction, function and perspectives of the centre.

2 Organisational background

2.1 FER FER, the Forum for Ethnic Relations, was initiated in Belgrade and registered in 1989 as one of the first NGOs in the country. This was a period when the possibilities for democratisation seemed more promising than during the years to come, even though the ethno- nationalist sentiments dominated the political scene. FER gathered 110 prominent scientists and experts primarily from the territory of SFRY but also from Europe and the USA. Over the years it has established itself as a respected and important network for research and civic mobilisation concerned with ethnic relations,

5 democratisation-, conflict prevention- and reconciliation activities. Its work was partly interrupted by the wars on the territory of the SFRY. Apart from the difficulties in communication and travelling, the changed circumstances in individual members’ lives became for some time an obstacle for continued cooperation. One way of resuming this cooperation was to start centres in different parts of the SFRY, of which the Centre for Ethnic Relations and Minority Protection (CERMP) in Belgrade is one. In Yugoslavia, FER is now operating under the full name of FER/CERMP, which is a part of the International Network for Ethnic Relations in Southeast Europe (INERSE), with it’s headquarter in Skopje, Macedonia. INERSE, which was founded in 1998, comprises all of the founder-members of FER and organisations that FER has created on its own or in cooperation with similar organisations, such as Bologna-based International Network on Europe and the Balkans, and PER (Project on Ethnic Relations, Princeton, USA) and its offices in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. The network enables a strong cooperation among organisations in the region in support of human and minority rights, and is also providing the members with much needed international contacts.

2.2 CERMP FER/CERMP is the only NGO in Yugoslavia specialising in the problems of ethnic relations and minority protection.This is noteworthy, since the solving of issues concerning relations between ethnic groups and the protection of minorities is at the heart of the problems haunting the region; this is also the reason for the important role of the centre as a mediator and creator of opportunities for dialogue on those issues. CERMP functions as a resource for scientific and democratisation purposes, providing data and knowledge. It initiates and participates in projects aiming at improved interethnic relations and democratisation, and is in the process of establishing close cooperation with similar centres in the whole area of former Yugoslavia and in neighbouring countries. The centre is a research, publishing, educational and training point primarily for FER, but also in the service of other NGOs. It has three pillars: Research, Provision of expert services, and Public activities. In March 1996 application for support the description of FER activities in connection with establishing CERMP, and the activities of the centre, was written as follows:

2.2.1 FER activities initiated for the establishment of CERMP with the following objectives  Collection, processing, keeping and exchange of information (statistical, legal, scientific research, theoretical and other) of importance for the study of development in interethnic relations and ethnic conflicts as well as nation building, nationalism and

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minorities (ethnic as well as other – religious, cultural, refugees, etc) in the FRY and in Europe.  Development of scientific and theoretical studies and knowledge of problems of nation building, interethnic relations and conflicts, as well as minority issues, through research work and, based on the results achieved, organisation of scientific discussions, publishing activities, etc.  Support targeted at the training of young scientific researchers to deal with these issues. Encouraging, supporting, and maintaining international scientific research-cooperation, exchange and establishment of contacts with similar institutions.  Development, on the basis of scientific research results, of expert services for the provision of assistance to institutions concerned with problems of interethnic relations and minorities. Basic activities of the centre were to be targeted at the following:  Scientific research through long term and short term projects.  Organisation of academic conferences, seminars, round tables, workshops, etc.  Organisation, in cooperation with appropriate scientific- educational institutions, of summer schools and other forms of dissemination of information on the research results of the centre.  Organisation of fact-finding and monitoring groups and missions: provision of expert services to institutions such as: the state and its bodies (from local community to the national and federal level); scientific research institutions; educational institutions; non- governmental organisations and foundations; mass media; political parties; banks and other financial organisations, enterprises and other economic entities; international organisations, etc.  International cooperation and establishment of links with appropriate associations and institutions concerned with issues within the sphere of the scientific research activity of the centre such as: the International Network Europe and the Balkans, Bologna, Italy; Project on Ethnic Relations, Princeton, USA; Ethnic Studies Network; Open Society Institute, etc.  Establishment, maintenance and up-dating of documentation in the sphere of inter-ethnic relations, conflicts, protection of minorities, etc; publishing activity related to the work of the centre (bulletins, books and leaflets; monographs and collections of papers; video tapes and the like).

As mentioned, the Centre for Ethnic Relations and Minority Protection is one of the centres through which FER is working. The efforts of FER in this direction was in 1996 stated to be the following:

 FER represents one of the rare networks in the territory of the former Yugoslavia which has preserved the possibilities for cooperation of scientists and experts from all states of the territory

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of the former Yugoslavia as well as from neighbouring countries, Europe and the USA; cooperation of representatives of political and non-governmental organisations of the ”majority” and minorities, as well as among various NGOs and groups both from the FRY and other countries.  In a situation characterised by the absence of organised scientific work in the field of ethnic relations and minority protection as well as the absence of appropriately educated and trained people, such as prevails in Yugoslavia and most post-communist societies, scientific research and publishing activity of FER and a wide cooperation achieved in this field have had a remarkable influence, not only due to scientific development, but also through the development of democratic public opinion, especially within the intellectual elite.  The establishment of CERMP was also seen as essential concerning its activities targeted at stabilisation and promotion of results in scientific research and publishing work as well as for FER activities which should expand to include the training of experts and democratically oriented members of the intellectual and political elite so as to accelerate the democratisation of ethnic relations and minority policy.

The activity of FER/CERMP for the period 1996-1999 was directed towards the following projects: I) Establishment of CERMP and training of its associates. II) Launching and carrying through “Ethnicity, Nationalism, Ethnic conflicts and the Position of Minorities in the Transformation of Post-Communist Societies: the Case of Yugoslavia”, a Long- term multi-disciplinary research, publishing and training project. III) Launching and carrying through “New Migrations, Change of Ethnic Structure and Position of Refugees”. A Long-term Multidisciplinary research and training project. IV) Expansion of the FER network, renewal of cooperation in the territory of the former Yugoslavia and the establishment of international scientific and expert cooperation in the democratisation of national and minority policy (training programme). 3 Social and political changes of importance for the centre

3.1 Enhanced importance of NGOs

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During the year 1996, which was the first year of activities of the centre, the possibilities for implementing projects seemed promising. The Serbian economy went through positive changes thanks to the ending of the war in Bosnia, the partial lifting of sanctions and the Avramovic stabilisation programme, which brought down inflation. Towards the end of 1997 and especially during the second part of 1998 inflation increased, and so did the economic impact of sanctions. During 1998 the cost of the armed conflict in Kosovo started to increasingly burden the Serbian economy, and finally, the NATO bombings in 1999 completely destroyed it. In 1999 only a limited part of the public economy is working, while the black economy thrives. Needs of people remain unmet, there are simply no financial resources, not for public services and salaries, and not for private use. No new investments or capital enters Serbia, which makes all activities usually connected with a normal society extraordinary difficult; planning and preparing activities such as research, meetings, publishing, etc is almost impossible, and the activities that anyhow takes place do so in an improvised manner. The year of 1996, though, was for the part of CERMP a year of fulfilled intentions. CERMPs activities in Kosovo, including joint research projects and conflict-solving efforts, continued according to plan. The staff and the collaborators of the centre were concentrating on assigned tasks, and the funding proved sufficient for planned activities, even though projects that were not included in budget, such as a magazine and a newsletter, was cancelled. In the winter of 1996, the opposition coalition Zajedno came to power in 24 municipalities in Serbia. The regime did not accept the results, and three months of massive street protests followed. The regime gave in, but before the newly elected local governments could start working a new law transferred the power over important task such as electricity, water, street cleaning, and reparation of roads to the republican level, and also established republican supervision over renting of offices for business and land for construction works. This centralisation left the new local governments without instruments for satisfying the high expections of people who had fought for their ascendance to power. At the national level, the disputes among different parts of the opposition started soon after the success of Zajedno. The coalition did not survive officially more than six months. In reality it was finished already soon after the success of the demonstrations. This was the beginning of a process that during the years of CERMPs existence have changed the oppositional scene in Serbia. In the beginning of the period, it was the political parties who carried the hopes for change. A few years later, the NGOs and the local dissatisfaction in ”oppositional” towns as well as in former SPS-strongholds are the main actors in the democratic movement. During the years past, there were all the time strong expectations directed at anti-Milosevic forces to unify, at the same times as powerful factors – such as international support and competition for getting close to the main providers of financial resources - were pushing towards fragmentation. As a result, the credibility of the leading figures in the opposition has been severely damaged. Still, the same individuals are occupying the political scene. One of the reasons is the difficulties encountered in finding a political alternative. This leads to a monopolisation

9 of opposition which in itself creates terms for activity on the political scene that blocks the creation of a much needed alternative. However, those parties have not had the ability to retain the connections to the citizens with anti-Milosevic sentiments. One reason for this, is that they are strongly centralised, and not able to be flexible in their reaction on local initiatives. This became accentuated during the NATO-bombings, which brought destruction to central electronic media, motorways, railways, bridges and so on, and made the local communities the focus of political and economic life in Serbia. During the months april – september 1999 it was difficult to move around Serbia, and peoples lives turned inwards, to the local level. For the NGOs in Serbia, the NATO-bombings, causing an enormous pressure on organisations and individuals, was the final blow in a process of fragmentation that had been going on for some years. Some of the most important individuals in opposition had left the country. About 200 prominent intellectuals and activists left because of the bombings or because they feared attacks from the regime. At the same time, some of the existing NGOs, among them CERMP, found common interests. They gathered in a network named Yugoslav Action Group, YAG. Those NGOs and the independent trade union Nezavisnost met March 26 to discuss cooperation. The reason was NATO-bombings, but also the martial law imposed by the regime. Meetings were prohibited, so this gathering itself was illegal. From the beginning, the YAG gathered 17 NGOs. After the bombings it grew to 67. On April 6 it started to issue statements against Milosevic, it was the first voice of protest that was heard inside Serbia. The statements were issued to medias such as BBC, RFE/RL, and newspapers in the region, primarily Montenegro and Macedonia. Because of the masses of refugees coming to Macedonia, those newspapers were considered as being the most important. A website was opened, and the international network of individuals and organisations interested in the Balkans were spreading the statements from the group. From the Serbian diaspora came strong support. The domestic opposition was hampered due to martial law, but through Deutsche Welle, RFE/RL and others the information reached the public. The NGOs were acting illegaly, and some of the individual activists were arrested. The longest term in prison was three months. The publicity in itself was a protection; acting in public was a necessity for the safety of individuals and organisations. However, after the bombings an asymmetric competition started between the NGOs. The NGOs whose leaders who went abroad became the stronger ones, they had been able to speak out powerfully against Milosevic and equally powerfully for NATO, which gave them a good reputation abroad and a better base for competition for funding. For example, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia received 500 000 ECU for ”reestablishing the work of the committe in exile”. The now richer organisations established a near to monopoly, since they could afford to arrange conferences and issue newsletters. The uneven support to voluntary

10 organisations have had the consequence of creating new conflicts and new tensions in an already fragmented oppositional sphere. A common opinion among less fortunate individuals in opposition is that the current state of fragmentation is the result of international manipulation of the domestic political scene. The strong and unconditioned Swedish support to CERMP, however, has allowed the centre to stay out of conflicts between NGOs. This also gives the centre the ability to function as a vehicle for over-bridging tensions and fragmentation. As for December 1999, CERMP continues to uphold good relations will all parts of the Serbian opposition, and also continues to encourage networking among oppositional forces. During the bombings, CERMP got involved in encouraging networking of NGOs. It committed efforts to the preparation of new projects. The involvement in the YAG made the centre in charge of a committee for Kosovo, with contacts to international NGOs and the international community, that is, governmental organisations. CERMP also established a Civic House in Pristina and in Novi Pazar, drafted a project on the permanent conference of Balkan NGOs for Peace and Cooperation, was involved in Amnesty activities, organised round tables and provided expert service for organising Civic Parliaments in the General Peoples Movement. In all of those tasks the centre continued to work according to the profile – it became a think tank for the benefit of the NGOs. The most important of those efforts is the involvement of CERMP in the General Peoples Movement, which consists of the newly emerged local oppositional reactions against the regime and NGOs and professional organisations working on the national level. The ambition is to increasingly involve minority parties in the movement. The GPM is a grassroots project aiming at decentralisation, and as such it has a program appealing to minorities, that is, to 31 percent of the Serbian population. CERMP, as the only NGO specialising in minority protection and ethnic relations, is crucial for making this kind of cooperation a reality given the general suspicion and lack of communication and cooperation among ethnic groups in Yugoslavia. The activities of the centre mentioned above took place at the same time as it lacked financial resources to make proper and long-sighted plans. The director argues that the situation is paradoxical: ”We are now all over the place”, he says, but at the same time expresses deep concern for the future, stating that this situation cannot last for long. At present the centre is thriving on the basis of the research conducted during more favourable circumstances. But at the same time there is now felt a need to take new scientific initiatives; the main and long sighted raison d’ètre of the centre.

3.2 Research and publishing Due to sanctions, the universities in Serbia have during most of the 1990s suffered from exclusion from the international community. In 1993-1994 there were no translations of published international

11 research, and in Serbia there was a general lack of research and publishing. Thanks to donors, particularly Soros Foundation, resources were later provided for independent research and translations into the Serbian language. Although this aid to research has been important, there still remains the problem of lack of long- term funding in a sphere where the most important activities takes place on a long-term basis. This limits the abilities to embark on larger research projects. It increases the insecurity of domestic scientists and endangers the access to high-quality research. Exclusion of critical scientists from the universities has been attempted by inducing new measures based on achievement. During a limited period, a scientist has to publish work equalling ten points. A scientific article is 0,5 points. In CERMPs publications, sometimes the Institution for Social Sciences is a co-publisher. This is for the reason of providing points for the researchers from the institute involved in the publication. The institute does not participate in any way, financial or other. The possibilities to publish are small for those scientists. There has been no regular independent scientific magazine inside Yugoslavia in which they could publish, and their research often remain unpublished. The universities in Serbia have not functioned at all during the last three years due to the impact of sanctions, political turbulence and lack of resources. The quality of the educational system has deteriorated to a disastrous extent, and research is at present non- existing, except for the branches close to government. In spring 1998 a new law passed parliament, which gave the regime complete power over all faculties. Special targets were the faculties of law, philosophy, and electronics. Pro-democratic professors were fired, and more independent institutions were deprived of resources for research. The Institute for Social Sciences has been marginalised since 1989, and the law itself did not change much for this institution. Salaries and telefones are still paid for in 1999, although salaries are four months late. The idea of CERMP is to engage domestic and foreign scientists in joint projects, and the more recent difficulties of the universities make those projects and the publication of results even more urgent. The need for credible data, informed analysis, and participation of independent researchers in the public sphere has never been more acute. At the same time, the increased regime control over research in Serbia has a negative impact on the work of the centre. Publication of books is now difficult; high quality research will be printed only in 500 copies, and even those will prove impossible to sell in Yugoslavia. They are instead distributed to the centre’s visitors, most often foreigners. The interested domestic reader has left the country either permanent or temporary, or cannot afford to buy books. It is anyhow important that publication continues, and even increases. Without support for publication, there is the risk that the present conditions in Yugoslavia will be completely defined by external actors. The voices of scientists and intellectuals who have stayed in the country to work for its democratisation would be silenced. Crucial knowledge and experience risk being wasted. If anything these problems call for an increased effort at PR in

12 connection with the release of books. This also points to the importance of getting started with the planned magazine Ethnicity and the newsletter Ethnic Relations. Both projects planned according to the budget of 1996, but abandoned because of too high actual costs and lack of resources. The need to stimulate and financially support scientific publication and advance the accessibility of research results should be regarded as a matter that equals the extensive Swedish support to independent media in Serbia in dignity. The quality of parts of the Serbian journalistic output is surprisingly high, given the circumstances. The support for independent media has created opportunities to employ journalists in the country, with the effect that they stay. They are working in their proper proffessions, and they help to raise the standard of information and the public debate. This is one of the essential prerequisites for a democratisation process. This support for independent media must be seen on the background of the fact that the Serbian regime, as other regimes in the area, has exploited and instrumentalised its widespread control over the country’s mass media to a maximum in order to stay in power. However, the obvious conclusion that this strategy should, foremost, be counteracted on the same arena (that of the media), has its limits. In fact it may well prove to be an ad hoc and short-term strategy in supporting democratisation processes, unless it is coupled with the ambition to promote independent research. Supporting independent journalism, but without any backing from qualified and independent research, may well carries the risk of a “banalisation” in the representation of complex social problems. This actual complexity is too demanding to simply be handed over to the market on which the output of the mass media is formed. Independent, high quality, informative and critically investigating journalism, of which there is an acute need - not least in a country exposed to authoritarian rule - cannot survive on its own. The risk is that analysis is left for banality and sensationalism, constructive criticism for a repetition of slogans. Critical commentators have pointed out that this is, in fact, about to become the truth concerning independent Serbian media, a process starting, in particular, in connection with the armed conflict over Kosovo. If this is the case, it must be perceived as a signal of warning. It shows the vulnerability of an idea of democratisation that puts to much faith in the role of mass media as protector of democracy and human rights. If the media shall perform this role, an enhancement of the status of research in relation to journalism, and good relations and exchange of information between journalists and scientists are necessary. This can happen only on the basis of publication of books, reports and magazines. In order to effective disseminate such publications, publishing must be surrounded by professional PR, which of course demands adequate financial backing. Another argument for supporting increased publishing activity, is the fact that publishing is a necessary prerequisite and incentive for academics in Serbia to stay in their profession. This is one of the most acute problems that CERMP faces in its work. This is connected with the new (politically instigated) achievement system,

13 mentioned above. At the same time the fees that the centre, giving its present financial standing, can offer its academic collaborators tend to be too modest to motivate well educated persons in the country not to look for other opportunities, like the more well paid (even though less skilled) jobs provided by international organisations and more well-financed NGOs. 4 CERMP: set-up and adjustments Management and staff CERMP has an office, which includes two rooms and a conference room for fourteen persons. The office has three working places, and this is perceived as enough. The reason is that there are no full time employed persons at the centre. If the ambition to employing more people is fullfilled, the available office space will no longer be sufficient. CERMP organises monthly meetings between the director and the project leaders and keeps up permanent contact with project leaders in the field. This is one of his major tasks. However, the function of the director has changed markedly. Previously the director was was titled coordinator. But at a meeting in Pec in february 1998 the function of a director instead of a coordinator was established. According to Serbian law “coordinator” has been designated a political function, while the function of “director” is not. Being headed by a “coordinator”, CERMP could be identified as a political organisation and deleted from the NGO register. The regime has many possibilities to punish critical organisations, through the Law on Universities, the Law on Information etc. CERMP tries to eliminate those risks by adhering strictly to the laws and by adapting its set-up. The original task of the co-ordinator was to coordinate different entities included in the FER network, and to co-ordinate the centre’s (CERMP) activities with those of members of FER in Former Yugoslavia. After the Pec meeting, the director got executive functions, that is, became occupied with the implementation of projects and coordination of people involved in the projects. The planned international board was not established due to lack of resources. But contact with persons who were meant to take part in this board was upheld. This implies that an informal board is in fact at work. It is considered important, however, to create a formal international board in the near future. There are several reasons for this: - FER is an international organisation, and the setting up of an international board is crucial in order to save the international character of the work of CERMP; - an international board will provide an essential advisory function;

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- international embeddedness provides additional motivation for domestic expertise to engage with, work for and remain attached to CERMP, in spite of the isolation they experience in contemporary Serbian society; - the setting up of an international board underpins the domestic position of the centre in an unstable and insecure political environment and will make it easier to rally international support for CERMP in the case of indictments from the regime. From 1997, CERMP had to face several serious challenges to its work. With a deepening economic crisis followed rising taxes, which meant that fees for the staff had to be set at a lower rate. At the same time local partners and collaborators of the centre – as everybody else in Serbia - felt the need to secure whatever source of livelihood they could retrieve for themselves and their families. A search for better paid employment made, in particular, translators and statisticians quit their work in CERMP, and they had to be replaced with less qualified persons. Also, the inability to budget for a fulltime-employed secretary meant inefficient use of working hours. The centre went on to cope by reducing salaries for the staff and through managing with a smaller number of persons. Eight persons were on the staff of the centre in 1997, but only four in 1998 and 1999. The research projects could anyhow continue as planned, the director of the Centre, dr Dusan Janjic maintains, although tasks often had to be delegated to new persons. The centre muddled through quite successfully in this way. The director describes, however, the involvement of new persons in carrying out planned projects as a risk and as time consuming, as these new collaborators would need time before they could be properly trained and taking effectively part in the work. As long as the centre is not able to pay properly for its staff, and raise proper fees for the services of its collaborators, these problems will remain, he maintains.

4.1 Communication CERMP has one telephone line and a telephone central which makes it possible to connect to fourteen telephones and a fax. In 1998 the centre got an Internet connection. This is used primarily for e-mail, which has made it easier to be in regular contact with individuals and organisations, and it has also help the extension of the contact network. It is now easy to distribute press releases and the like to a wide range of organisations. The centre is also involved in two web-conferences: ”Ten years after”, which is a discussion about changes in post-communist societies, and ”Minorities in the Balkans”. A company is at present constructing a website, and this company will also be responsible for updates in the future. During 1999, CERMP has been represented on the website of the YAG, with the result that the public, and especially postgraduate students, have

15 tried to reach the centre, asking for books and more information. The website under construction will extend the possibilities of the centre to be to the service of researchers, organisations and the interested public without having direct contact with individuals and organisations; activities which, at present, are very time consuming. In 1999, a mobile telephone was purchased. This also helped to facilitate contacts with, in particular, collaborators abroad. The director is available on the mobile telephone close to a 24-hour basis, which means that office hours will no longer influence the work of the centre. Differences in time no longer matter when it comes to international contacts. At home it makes contact with NGOs easier, because representatives of the NGOs usually work after office hours. During the NATO-bombings it was, for a period, the only way to stay in contact with the CERMP associates, as the government cut off the centre’s telephone connection and because of lack of electricity. Travelling to meetings has become a big problem, since meetings increasingly take place in other cities than Belgrade. This has happened for two reasons: more organisations are interested in working with CERMP, and CERMP develops new projects involving people living elsewhere than Belgrade. So far, travelling has been managed by bus, train, or private cars. But the geographical change of gravity in the centre’s activities and the relocation of meetings were not foreseen, and not taken in consideration when the budget was made. The bus/train alternative is in fact inefficient, due to a pronounced need for flexibility. Timetables are constantly changing, locations as well. A “private car is the same as the private car of somebody else going in the right direction”, which does not leave more space for flexibility. The decentralisation of meetings is likely to continue, however, since leaders of minority groups consider not coming to Belgrade as a political act; given a growing symbolic “distance” between minorities at the local level and Belgrade as the centre of power. This growing symbolic distance became, in particular, visible from1997. The onset of the armed conflict in Kosovo in 1998 and the destruction of the communication system during the NATO-bombings have accentuated the problem of distance, physically as well as symbolically. In order to tackle these problems, there is a strongly perceived need for having permanent access to a car in the service of the Centre. It would lower transportation costs markedly and mean a more efficient time allocation. Increased contacts with Montengro the last two years, because of the summer school and the start of projects in Montenegro, have been according to plan and the expenses have been covered from the budget. This is also the case with the increasing number of meetings targeted at the establishment or consolidation of links with academics, NGOs and other stakeholders in the former Yugoslav republics starting in 1997, as well as with concern to the marked increase in international exchange during 1998 and 1999. These activities have held a marked priority concerning the allocation of scarce resources.

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4.2 Briefings CERMP regularly organises meetings, where data and documents are presented. The main aim is to inform target groups about findings and projects which could be of their interest. At the same time, this is a security strategy. Thanks to those meetings it has been possible to establish contact particularly with diplomats, which is useful when trying to avoid attacks from the regime. The strategy is considered as successful, and it will be continued. It is coupled with the open announcement of the fact that CERMP is financed from abroad. This is a risk, since allegations of spionage is a commonly used strategy of the regime to discredit democratic organisations, which creates an atmosphere of suspicion and insecurity. The reason for the centre to continue openly speaking of foreign support, is that this is supposed to make the regime unwilling to attack the organisation unless it deems that such attacks are important enough to risk internationalisation of the question. International backing, in short, makes the cost of action against CERMP too high. The lack of a newsletter is deeply felt. It means that small, but nevertheless important, steps in the progress of the centre’s work remain unknown. Also, the meetings in which the director spends most of his time would become more efficient if information on the centre’s activities could be more easily spread, since he would not have to spend time on basic information. Donors, NGOs and others would be informed on a regular basis, and at the time for the contact they would have relevant expectations for the outcome of the meeting. It is a faster way to reach agreement on cooperation. Also, it is possible to use a newsletter to build a database. As is the case with the website, the newsletter is important for specialists and the general public. For communication with individuals involved in projects, telephone, e-mail and meetings are more important. As for public activities, the amount of round tables have been higher than expected from the beginning, although round tables were considered necessary in some projects. The director found that this is a flexible way to respond to new issues, and also that round tables attract attention and participants. The most efficient discussions are achieved when a round table consists of between 20 and 30 persons. The list of topics can be wide, and it can also be changed. Issues treated are connected to research or to the political agenda. Particularly, CERMP found round tables a good way to react when the violence started in Kosovo. The centre did not plan activities around xenophobia and racism, but the reaction to the murder of Romi minority people was anyway to arrange a public round table (belongs to the so-called “special activities” of the centre.

4.3 Funding SIDA has provided around 70 percent of the funding for CERMP, the remaining part has been covered by foundations and funds, and by

17 sponsors from domestic enterprises and international companies working in Serbia. 1996 the Open Society Fund in Belgrade was the main donor after SIDA, which was the case also in 1997. From 1998 it’s role decrease, because others raised the amount of their donations and the Open Society Fund did not. The reason given by the director of CERMP is that the Open Society is not used to support this kind of institutions. They are working on the basis of small and ad hoc grants, and they do not manage to engage in long-term support. From the second part of 1998 international donations started to become more irregular basis, because of broken relations of the international community with Serbia. During 1999 no financial resources was transferred to the centre from March onwards. Grants agreed upon at the beginning of that year were even cancelled. CERMP was increasingly left to sponsorship from companies and private savings. This also meant that the activities of the centre had to be carried out in an increasingly improvised manner. The possibilities to pay experts or to prepare meetings in a proper way were severely jeopardised in a social and political environment exposed to escalating tensions and conflicts. In general donors have not tried to influence the work of the centre. One reason for this could be that the programs are close to the intentions of the donors. CERMP’s ambition to steer clear from external influence has excluded direct cooperation with the United States, since the experience of fundraising in the US is that only parts of projects are promised support, or that support gets linked with pronounced interference and politically targeted conditions from the donors. In a couple of cases CERMP has declined to accept funding for those reasons, in order to retain its identity and integrity as an independent NGO. In almost all cases when CERMP has applied for funding it has been successful. Projects will at that moment be well prepared and the presumed funding agencies well informed. In spite of this, the budget has never covered more than 70 percent of the activities. CERMP has managed by cooperation with other NGOs, for example in printing, and by lowering fees and using private resources. The end of financing periods are always troublesome. SIDA has coverered approximately 70 percent of the total financing during 1996-99. The Knowhow foundation is the major donor after SIDA, covering approximately 12 percent. Companies follow closely, and a minor donor remains the Open Society Fund. The Westminster Foundation and the British Council are other donors, and international organisations like the Project on Ethnic Relations are partners. The director is of the opinion that international organisations have a marked lack of knowledge on the financial situation for the NGOs in Serbia. ”They believe we are financed, but we are not. The problem is that donors started to speak loudly about the need for aiding Serbian NGOs at the same time as they actually withdrew existing support. We have no resources.” The last two years have equalled one year of funding in the beginning. At the same time contacts have expanded, due to circumstances, Internet and mobile

18 phone contact. Because of the need to secure the survival of the centre, the search for funding has been going on constantly. Looking back at the activities during this period, we find, all in all gives a brighter picture, however, of the accomplishments than the following statement of the director would indicate: ”The last two years I have cared about nothing than finances. Before it was easier, but now I am spending time only looking for funding, preparing projects, discussing with people”. This search for funding is to have been, during the past year, surrounded by many more obstacles than previously, in particular since NGO offices moved out of the country during the bombings. “Finding out, who is in charge of what, where people are located, what telephone numbers are working”, and the like, is seen to have consumed a tremendous amount of time. The lack of funding is the main reason for current changes concerning the function of the director. During the first two years, it mainly included the drafting of projects and general managing of their implementation. Since the end of 1998 the director has been forced to involve heavily in all matters of concern for CERMP, from concrete details connected with the carrying out of projects to details concerning the publications of books. Before the end of 1998, the project leaders organised the day-to-day work of the teams and cared about terms, while the director would hold the overall responsibility and regularly be consulted by the project leaders. But because of the failure to raise funds to properly reward the efforts of project leaders the director had increasingly to take on all functions. Also, an always present problem of getting access to domestic sources of financing have become exacerbated. Potential domestic funding agencies or individuals have, facing a radicalised political climate, become increasingly afraid of becoming associated with non-governmental organisations (regime reprisals). But also the international funding proved instable. To this comes that, during conditions of martial law, individuals and potential domestic donors are becoming increasingly afraid of cooperating with organisations financed from abroad.

4.4 Special activities The decreased influence of the political parties in Serbia is, in addition to what has been mentioned above, also due to their failure to offer relevant alternatives. The opposition has failed to build a platform of constructive criticism, and cannot answer the important questions concerning future democratic reform. One of the aims of CERMP is to be to the service of democratising governance. In Serbia, such efforts must, looked at realistically, be directed at future governments. It is imperative that a future change in power is followed by the adoption of constitutional changes, and that those changes are targeted at enhanced participation of citizens in political life at all levels of decision-making. The present constitutional framework of Serbia represents the basis for the establishment of a non-democratic regime. The elaboration of minority laws is also at the heart of problems not seriously debated

19 by the political parties. CERMP researchers have concluded that one of the reasons for the escalation of ethnic conflicts all the way to armed conflicts lies in the absence of a democratic institutional framework, along with the unresolved question of the status of national communities. This was the reason for the development of a project not previously planned. In September 1998, a project called ”The innovation of Institutional Engineering in the Field of Protection of Human Rights, Protection of Minorities and Personal Security in Serbia and FR Yugoslavia” was initiated. The project will include the analysis of existing institutions, and proposals for changes in the institutions of Serbia and FR Yugoslavia, their harmonisation with democratic changes in Montengro and the prevailing international norms in the field. Grants were obtained, and agreements on plan, methodology and the setting up of an expert team were made in the beginning of 1999. In March, the team received instruction concerning the work on the project implementation. Even during the NATO-bombings individual research was carried out, and in November 23, contributions were prepared and discussed at a team meeting in Novi Sad. According to the plan, the drafting of principles of the constitutional declaration will be followed by an expert round table, that is, discussions in professional associations and NGOs of Serbia such as the Bar of Serbia, the Association of Lawyers of Serbia, the Yugoslav association for Constitutional Law, the Centre for the Promotion of Law Studies, the Yugoslav Committee for Human Rights and FER/CERMP. In the second half of 1999, discussions were held with representatives of individual national communities: Slovak, Romanian, Vlach-Romanian, Bosnjak-Moslem, and Czech. The topic of discussions, that will continue, are: ”What is the view of national communities of their status and what institutions do they want for protection of their rights and freedoms?”. Those discussions are a step in the process of connecting minorities to the democratisation of Serbia, as well as necessary to obtain information needed for preparation of drafts. This participation of minorities is essential in order to prevent the eruption of ethnic and armed conflicts in connection with the status of national communities, and is also in accordance with the profile of CERMP.

4.5 Projects planned for the application period

4.5.1 Ethnicity, Nationalism, Ethnic Conflicts and the Position of Minorities in the Transformation of Post-Communist Societies: the Case of Yugoslavia.

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At the outset of its work, Kosovo was a strong focus of interest for CERMP. An elaborate research program, including a public opinion survey, was launched, and combined with efforts at setting up conditions for a continuous Serbian-Albanian dialogue and a reconciliation process. The public opinion survey was completed in spite of increasing tensions and the need to withdraw collaborators of the project. A corroborative study was planned, but it had to be cancelled. Because of lack of funding, the results have not yet been published, but in December 1999 an agreement was made with the Serbian review ”Serbian Political Thought” to publish the public opinion research, two years after it finished, and in the same review the project ”Anatomy of the Kosovo Crises” will be published (both in the Serbian language). The efforts at dialogue were interrupted when full-scale war became a fact and dialogue was no longer an option. For CERMP, this means a redirection of efforts in Kosovo. The organising of fact-finding missions, formerly a substantial part of the work of CERMP in Kosovo, is now largely made impossible. One important reason is the strongly pronounced political radicalisation among the Kosovo- Albanians, but even among the remaining Serbs, which has jeopardised FER/CERMP’s well-established position as a respected neutral partner in Kosovo. This problem is exacerbated due to legal rules for the engagement of NGOs in Kosovo, which effectively blocks the work of NGOs from Serbia; a situation which is de facto underpinned by the current praxis of international organisations in the area, like UNMIK and OSCE. This means that the involvement of CERMP, which is among the organisations with the most outstanding knowledge and competence relating to this area (and since long with strong links to the Albanian community in the region) can now, at best, carry out work indirectly, that is through international organisations. The centre’s future work relating to Kosovo is planned to be directed towards social reconstruction and reconciliation, and, in consequence of the problems described above, in cooperation with international partners. For this purpose contacts and cooperation have been established with specialised bodies like the Swedish FRN (Forskningsrådsnämnden) and the Israelian Peres Institute. CERMP will not itself be an actor in the negotiating process, but it will do research on processes of negotiation and reconciliation. Generally there is no room for direct involvement in Kosovo for NGOs from Serbia. But what is possible, and highly desirable at present, is to be able to continue doing research and, for the benefit of both sides, to re-establish the formerly so strong links with the (Albanian) scientific community in Kosovo. The sub-project on minorities in the ethnic structure of the FR of Yugoslavia has been delayed because of the increasing difficulties to organise large research projects in the area. The project includes data collection on all minorities on the territory, and it is the only effort made so far to create a knowledge- basis, which is much needed for future research on ethnic relations in Yugoslavia. This project is delayed because of the insecurity in the Serbian society, and the so

21 called “brain-drain”. It has, for example, been difficult to find replacements when a collaborator has left the country or for other reasons has not been able to continue working. Work on the monographs are, however, in most cases close to being completed, and the data collected have contributed to the databasis in order to be accessible for other research on those topics. The project will continue during the forthcoming period.

4.5.2 New Migrations, Change of the Ethnic Structure, and the Position of Refugees This project was planned and its implementation commensed on the background of the changing ethnic composition in Vojvodina, and the risk for increased tension in the area in the future. It consists of two major parts: a public opinion survey and stimulating the involvement of highly educated refugees in research. Its primary aim was to provide relevant information on the refugees, most of them coming from Croatia and Bosnia. The public opinion survey is completed, but the attempt at involving Serbian refugees in Vojvodina in CERMP program was cancelled after the first refugee research training laboratory. This project was intended to be Yugoslav-Hungarian. Financing was promised by the Open Society Fund, the Lazlo Teleki Foundation in Budapest, and the Civic Centre for Conflict Resolution. The Open Society Fund and the Lazlo Teleki Foundation failed to provide the financial resources. The research on the changed ethnic composition of Vojvodina will continue within the framework of another project. But the support for the inclusion of young refugees in the scientific work has been called off. Preparations were in fact made, including training and invitation for the planned summer school, but because of lack of finances there were no possibilities to continue this part of the work. CERMP director maintains that, in general, difficulties have been experienced in creating interest of funding agencies in any matters that involve issues of Serbian refugees, which is also explanation the centre has encountered as to the lack of interest in funding this particular project. Lately new initiatives have been taken facing the change in government in Croatia. Discussions have been initiated and are currently in process with Croatian colleagues and at the highest level with the new Croatian government concerning the starting up of new projects exploring the preconditions for an intensification of the return and resettlement of Serbian refugees having fled Croatia during the war of 1991-95. As to the database on democratisation and ethnic minorities in the FRY, this is now fully developed. It will be used by CERMP, but the responsibilities for updates will in the future be at the Centre for Political Analysis and Strategy (CPAS). During the next six month- period, the database will be accessible through the website presently under construction.

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4.5.3 Expansion of the FER network, renewal of cooperation in the territory of the former Yugoslavia and the establishment of international scientific and professional cooperation for the democratisation of national and minority policy. As will be clear even from a quick look at the reports on the activities under this headline, the preparation of projects has included an increasing amount of international contacts and regional cooperation. In spite of the hardships during the last two years, including the isolation of the Serbian society from the international community, the participation at round tables and meetings has been intense. Also, CERMP has provided support for centres working on the territory of the Former Yugoslavia. In 1996 branches were established in Novi Sad, Pristina and Podgorica. During the period 1998-1999 support was provided for Center for Dialogue in Sarajevo and Center for Social and Economic Reconstruction in Republika Srpska. The Center for Dialogue and Tolerance in Montenegro was founded in 1999, with the aim of contributing to the creation of a democratic civil society, which is the precondition for stabilisation of the democratisation processes in Montenegro.

4.5.4 Workshops and training programs. In addition to research, the workshops and training programmes organised by CERMP have been highly estimated by attending scientists and students. Workshops intended to increase knowledge on crucial issues of ethnic relations, minority protection and nation building have had participation by domestic as well as international scientists, and they have also contributed to an increased cooperation on research on those topics. The ISID Summer school, which had to be cancelled due to the war, reached a high standard and prepared students for research and participation in public activities. The Summer school and the activities surrounding it have profoundly influenced the public scene in Montenegro, and the attention given those activities has made the summer school a well known and much appreciated event in Montenegro itself. Those activities will continue, also through the Center for Dialogue and Tolerance, which basically will build on the spreading of knowledge on and awarness of the importance of tolerant ethnic relations. The Summer school have had a role in preparing the grounds for those kinds of activities in Montenegro. It has grown into an important framework for informal international communication, and it will continue to cooperate with NGOs and the authorities in Montenegro in order to improve democratic institutions. As for the training of minority leaders, the preparations have been made for future networks of young minority leaders in Serbia and Montenegro by means of round tables, panel discussions and courses. The involvement of CERMP in the future will be a mutual cooperation, where initiatives from the network such as round tables and training courses will be provided with expert services from

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CERMP. CERMP will also continously keep those minority leaders informed on matters of importance to their activities. As in all other instances, the research activities of the centre are at the basis of this project, not the least the project on minorities in the ethnic structure of the FR Yugoslavia. For more information on activities connected with the many projects carried out by CERMP, see Appendix I.

4.6 Self-perception of the performance of the centre Some of the projects planned from the beginning were actually based on methods that, under the prevailing circumstances, proved to be far too costly. That is, according to our discussions with the director, for example surveys on public opinion, for which large financial resources are needed. This kind of work proved impossible to sustain in the long run due to lack of funding, and in particular the inability to pay the high salaries for needed experts. Therefore CERMP has now realised that it will be bound to rely on the results of stronger existing public opinion research institutes, although this is not unproblematic, both due to the themes dealt with and due to the quality of the surveys and the reliability of the data. A number of projects are, however, regarded as having been very successful and their results important for making proposals for concrete problem solving. During its existence the centre has opened up a number important issues. “We have chosen essential topics and appropriate methods, and also appropriate methods for influencing public opinion”, the director maintains. According to the director’s own overall assessment one of the successful examples of the centre’s work is the activities in Montenegro, which started after the findings of the research project ”Puls of Yugoslavia” in 1996. The results demonstrated a very clear picture of the current and future development in Montenegro, and activities were planned in accordance with the research results. The newly founded Centre for Dialogue and Tolerance in Podgorica is a major achievement in this respect.

4.7 The function and future orientation of the centre A rebuilding of the FER network and the progress of research have, together with better possibilities for communication such as the mobile telephone, e-mail and the YAG website, made it possible for CERMP to step into more direct contact with a widening circle of individuals and organisations. The increase in the number of meetings and communications has progressed gradually since CERMP started its work in 1996. In part, this has been foreseen and been included in the budget and a delegation of responsibilities has taken place, although a necessary division of burdens has been increasingly less practicable for the reasons described above. This

24 has placed a heavy burden of organisation and information on the director of CERMP. At the same time, the credibility of the centre, and the need and wish for its services, has increased dramatically during the past two years, in Yugoslavia as well as internationally. The accumulated knowledge on ethnic relations available through the centre, and the fact that CERMP has concentrated on contacts with minorities and protection of their rights, makes it an indispensable partner in all issues concerning minorities in Yugoslavia. For minority-leaders, the centre stands out as non-biased stance, and its activities of mediation concerning ethno-national conflicts have in a number of cases opened up for essential dialogue. What might involve difficulties during the time ahead is, however, the return to a more normal situation, marked by delegation of responsibilities and an adequate division of the work-load. Even though the strategies of the centre during the last years have increased the opportunities for influencing public opinion, those opportunities might remain unexplored unless the work of the centre could be professionally organised on the basis of renewed long-term funding. The dual function of CERMP - that of carrying out high quality and reliable research on ethnic relations and minority protection and that of taking active part in efforts to support democratisation processes - has been experienced as difficult to sustain in the future. However, a wish to continue with both tasks has resulted in efforts to reorganise them within the framework of two separate units. According to this new scheme FER is currently setting up a second Belgrade-based centre: the Centre for Political Analysis and Strategy (CPAS). CPAS will concentrate on outward directed activities, as for example training and services to NGOs, to international organisations and to governments. CPAS be in charge of the database. The director of FER (Dusan Janjic) is currently negotiating terms with the private American Foundations like the Mott Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation and has also approached English and Dutch foundations with the purpose of financing this new centre. CERMP, in turn, will be able to fully concentrate on its research on ethnic relations and minority protection; its original core activity, and where the resources of the centre are most efficiently put to use. The exception will be the involvement in GPM, which will remain the concern of CERMP. The two Belgrade based centres of FER - CERMP and CPAS - will continue to cooperate closely. Results of the research on ethnic relations and minority protection, within the framework of CERMP, will, among other, be channelled to stakeholders and a broader public through the vehicle of the close link to CPAS. Following this strategy CERMP is at present reorganising its activities. This reorganisation and the plans for the work of the centre have been outlined in a comprehensive plan for its activities during the coming four years (2000-03). In concordance with the conclusion of the present report a strengthening of research activities is projected

25 together with a professionalisation of project management within the framework of CERMP. The comprehensive proposal for CERMP’s programme during 2001-03 will, in the nearest future, be presented to SIDA as a basis for discussions as to a possible further long-term financing of the consolidation of CERMP and of its further development. 5 Conclusion CERMP, the Centre for Ethnic Relations and Minority Protection in Belgrade, was established with the following purposes in mind: - to conduct research on topics that are crucial for solving complex issues related to ethnic relations and minority protection and to improve the overall scientific knowledge on the same topics; - on the basis of its research activities to engage in mediation for reconciliation between ethnic, religious and cultural groups in Yugoslavia and the Balkans; - to provide expert services and training programs for the members of FER and other NGOs working with democratisation. The research and the extension of the FER network is the basis for all other activities of CERMP. In conclusion it is important to emphasise that the planned projects within CERMP programme for 1996-99 have been implemented under increasingly difficult circumstances. Parts of some projects have not been possible to carry out. This is, however, a testimony for the actual need for incremental support for the centre’s efforts to create a basis for minority protection and democratisation in Yugoslavia, as the basic reasons for interruption of those projects are to be found in problems which CERMP are working to remedy. The most obvious example is the centre’s impressive and for a long time quite successful efforts to generate and sustain a productive interethnic (Serbian-Albanian) dialogue on and within Kosovo, closely linked with its research endeavour to find a peaceful solution to the future status and development of this contested region; efforts that were abruptly discontinued due to the recent war. At present it is impossible for Serbian-based institutions to work directly in Kosovo. There will still be a need for independent research in this area, and CERMP possesses essential knowledge and experience relating to this particular area of the Balkans. In general efforts to enhance knowledge on all the ethnic minorities in Yugoslavia have suffered from the lack of competent domestic scientists interested in the topic; a state resulting from the absence of long-term independent research, the disastrous situation at the universities and the exodus of experts from Yugoslavia, as indeed from the whole region of former Yugoslavia. Finally, projects intended

26 to encourage and educate young people to take part in future research on the crucial topic of ethnic relations and minority protection have been successful when implemented (in particular in the form of the ambitious international summer-schools held in different parts of Yugoslavia), but during the past year called off due to the war. Likewise, the problem of young people in university education leaving the country is taking its toll. CERMP will continue its efforts to include in its projects the talented students it has supported through various activities such as summer schools, but the competition from international organisations operating in Yugoslavia, that wish to include for the young and well educated persons in their staff, is difficult to challenge. This situation is likely to remain for quite some time. However, in we find that CERMP has proved that its basic strategies are strong enough to enable it to consolidate and further develop its important mission in spite of an intense competition for resources and staff from other non-governmental– international as well as internationally financed domestic - organisations working in Serbia. Planned projects have in most cases been concluded or are close to conclusion. Apart from this CERMP has also become a major resource centre for democratic movements in Serbia at times when most critical voices have been silenced in fear of retaliation from the regime. This has been recognised by most NGOs working seriously with democratisation issues in Yugoslavia and also in neighbouring countries. This can be measured by the many NGOs and other stakeholders, local or international, which – in particular during the last two years - have turned to CERMP for cooperation, advice and services. The importance of the consolidation and further development of CERMP must be judged on the background of the almost total lack of reliable research based knowledge in the field of ethnic relations and minority protection that marks contemporary Yugoslavia as well as most other parts of present day Balkans. Here CERMP plays an invaluable role, which – given its huge network, its impressive international record and reputation - reaches far beyond the borders of present Yugoslavia. In evaluating the present and potential future importance of the centre we shall also point to its role in a number of important projects aiming at democratisation and improvement of human rights. CERMP has achieved a position as a focal point in the field of ethnic relations and democratisation, which connects so called grassroot-movements with professional organisations and scientific knowledge. The experience so far points to the importance of developing an increased professionalisation of the work of the centre. In order to increase efficiency, small steps could make a large difference. The centre needs more telephone lines, a car would lower transportation costs and increase possibilities for working all over Yugoslavia. The launching and development of a newsletter and the website are essential for informing the public and potential partners. For the purpose of making the research of the centre known in wider circles, and to create possibilities for domestic scientists to publish, the

27 setting up of a magazine should be included in its development plans, as well as other projects targeted at at publishing and PR. It is also necessary to reduce the vulnerability of CERMP, given the pronounced lack of political-legal security in Serbian society. Important steps for the present consolidation and future development of the centre could be the following: - creating conditions for employing staff fulltime and to provide higher fees for collaborators such as project-leaders; - securing more office space and work-stations. - It is also imperative to find funding and ways of transferring financial resources to the centre, which are not affected by broken international relations with Serbia. The insecurity of international funding has endangered the survival of the centre during the last year, and means must be found to overcome this kind of situation in the future. The experiences CERMP during the past project period, is that plans and financing could be constructed on a basis that allows more flexibility. The instability of the Yugoslav society discourages long- term planning. Ambitions to fulfil plans and honour strict schedules during times of increased economic and political pressure can turn out to be costly. Therefore flexibility in planning and work should be increased, allowing the centre to reschedule and to devote energy to what is possible given the conditions, rather than what has been planned and agreed on during circumstances which have already radically changed. This could free resources to take up matters of acute important, without too high costs. Concerning the rapidly changing situation during the last two years, the ambitions to complete planned projects, have in several cases meant that results may only be published later, when finances may become available. The prevailing situation, however, calls for immediate publishing of research directly related to latent or overt conflicts threatening the peace and stability in the region. Considering the abscence of research and publishing in this field of science in Serbia and Yugoslavia, CERMP-publications are an indispensable contribution to the creation of a well-informed public debate. A higher degree of flexibility would also enable the centre to follow up research results quicker, through a continuous planning and implementation of new corroborative projects. All in all, experiences made during the first four years of CERMP’s existence have contributed to an awareness of its strengths, weaknesses and actual potential. Given the great measure of insecurity involved in conducting research in a society like present day Serbia, some changes should be made in the orientation of the centre and the planning of its work in order to increase efficiency and to reduce the risks for interruption of projects in the future.

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6 Appendix I Activities of CERMP during its first period, 1996-99, year by year

6.1 REPORT OF ACTIVITIES DURING 1996

6.1.1 Establishment of the centre and training of its associates

 Equipment and personnel Three offices and one conference room leased at 50 percent of the rate through an agreement with the Institute of Social Sciences at the Belgrade University. Offices painted at the expense of CERMP. Access to the library of ISS part of the agreement. Purchase of office furniture, personal computers, internal telephone exchange, office supplies, subscription of specialised magazines, Encyclopedia Britannica etc. In addition to coordinator Dr Dusan Janjic five persons worked at the centre. Three should continue for the next two years: Ljiljana Nikolic in charge of publishing activities, Vesna Vidojevic in charge of educational and training programmes, Jelena Gajic, secretary. The personnel received special training for the use of PC.

 Training of CERMP associates a) CERMP workshop: lectures delivered by Mihalyi Vajda, Tamas Gaspar Miklos, Robert Hayden, Milica Bakic Hayden, Miranda Vickers, and Mikhail Gorshkov. b) Visits abroad: Central European University, Budapest. Dijana Vukomanovic and Zoran Radojcic received a weeks training covering the topics of nationalism and ethnic conflicts and the creation and use of a statistical database. American University in Bulgaria, Sofia: Jelena Djuric participated in ISECAD summer programme ”Identity and Community”, focusing on topical issues from the Balkan region. International Network Europe and the Balkans, University of Bologna. Five students from FRY participated in a two week

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seminar on ”Post-Communist Transition and European Integration Processes.”

6.1.2 Research, Publishing and Training Projects: Ethnicity, Nationalism, Ethnic conflicts and the Position of Minorities in the Transformation of Post-Communist Societies: the Case of Yugoslavia (Long-term multi-disciplinary research, publishing and training project). This macro-project was to be realised through the following sub-projects:  The Anatomy of the Kosovo Crisis and Perspectives for the Development of Serbian-Albanian Relations in Kosovo, Serbia and the Region. The researchteam formed includes: Dr Dusan Janjic (project leader), Dr Milica Bakic Hayden, University of Chicago, Jadranka Jelincic, Denisa Kostovic, University of Cambridge, Shkelzen Maliqi, Pristina, MSc Nada Raduski, Miranda Vickers, London University. Brief descriptions of individual chapters prepared. Preparation for public opinion survey was based on the work of a special expert team including: Antun Berishaj, Dr Srdjan Bogosavljevic, Dr Vladimir Goati, Dr Stjepan Gredelj, Dr Dusan Janjic, Dr Shemsi Krasniqi, Srecko Mihailovic, Zdenka Milvojevic, Dr Ratko Neskovic, Nada Raduski, Gjergi Rrapi, Laszlo Vegel and Nait Vrenezi. A Serbian-Albanian workshop was established, which should provide the organisational framework for the implementation of the project. The workshop represented the first form of institutional cooperation between Kosovo-Albanian scientists and scientists from other parts of Yugoslavia. It was headed by Dr Gjergj Rrapi and Antun Berishaj from Pristina, Dr Dusan Janjic, Belgrade, and Laszlo Vegel, Novi Sad. A continuous Serbian-Albanian dialogue was mediated by FER and taking place in talks between the representatives of Kosovo Albanian parliamentary parties and prominent public persons on the one hand and Serbian political and public persons on the other continued within this project. A round table on ”Democratic Processes and Ethnic Relations in Yugoslavia” held in June 1995 in Belgrade was planned to be followed by a meeting in New York, which had to be cancelled due to the volatile political circumstances. CERMP was supposed to act as mediator among participants from Kosovo and Serbia and ensure their presence as well as formulate a thematic framework and propose a method of work of the conference.

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Visit to Kosovo and talks with representatives of the Albanian intellectual and political elite. A CERMP working group consisting of Dr Dusan Janjic, Dr James Pettifer, Dr Miranda Vickers and Mirjana Nenadic visited Pristina and Prizren september 20-22. Preparations for New York meeting, the project on the Anatomy on the Kosovo crisis and talks about the current situation of Serbian-Albanian relations with representatives of the Democratic Alliance, Veton Suroi and Mahmut Bakali.

 Minorities in the ethnic structure of the FR of Yugoslavia (Long- term multi-disciplinary research, publishing and training project. Albanians in the FR of Yugoslavia. Behlul Beqaj developed a concept and started collecting and processing the statistical data and relevant documentation for the development of monograph on Albanians. Jews in South-Slavic countries. Contract signed with authors Milica and Srecko Mihajlovic for a monograph. Concept developed and necessary data and background material collected. Aromanians (Tzintzars) in Yugoslavia. Author Dr Djurdjica Petrovic completed the research work and made the first version of a monograph. Slovaks in Yugoslavia. Contract signed with author Dr Djurdjica Petrovic, who collected and processed statistical, historical and other documents. Romanies in Yugoslavia. Elaboration of monograph agreed with Dr Aleksandra Mitrovic. Bulgarians in Yugoslavia. Dragan Kolev developed the concept a monograph and started collecting and processing relevant data. April 18 –19 CERMP organized a panel discussion and partook in a round table in Dimitrovgrad, a multi-ethnic town close to the Serbian-Bulgarian border where tensions had been reported between the majority Bulgarian and the minority Serbian population. The exchange of views on the issue was the first of the kind, which provided the representatives of all ethnic groups from Serbia and Bulgaria an opportunity to discuss ethnic issues in a direct discussion.

 Minorities in the FR of Yugoslavia (legal, sociological and political aspects of minority policy and protection of minorities in the FR of Yugoslavia).

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During 1996 author Dr Dusan Janjic completed the collection and processing of statistical and other data and drafted the first version of the monograph.

 Minority identity in Post-Communism Author Laszlo Vegel completed first version of text (650 pages).

 International conference on democratisation, ethnic conflicts and minority protection in the Post-Communist societies of the Central-Eastern Europe and the Balkans: the cases of Bulgaria, Hungary and Yugoslavia Coorganised by the Forum for Ethnic Relations, Institute of Social Sciences, Belgrade and Institute for Central European Studies, Budapest, a conference dedicated to democratisation in East Central Europe and the Balkans was held in Belgrade on April 20 1996. Prominent scientists from Bulgaria, Hungary and the FR of Yugoslavia discussed political institutions in the Post- Communist states and ethnic conflicts and minorities protection.

6.1.3 New Migrations, Change of Ethnic Structure and the Position of Refugees (Long-term multidisciplinary research and training project)

Within the project the following subprojects were prepared:

 Public opinion survey on ethnic relations in Vojvodina (Causes and influences of new migrations on the change of ethnic structure and relations in Vojvodina) A researchteam formed consisting of: Dr Srdjan Bogosaljevic, Dr Vladimir Ilic, Dr Dusan Janjic, Dr Kartag Odry Agnes, Janos Kis, Dr Eva Kovacs, Srecko Mihajlovic, MSc Gordana Mijalkovic, MSc Nada Raduski, MSc Laszlo Vegel, Dijana Vukomanovic, MSc Dr Vladimir Vuletic. An administrative research point established in Novi Sad in cooperation with Hungarian language magazine, Csaladi Kor (Family Circle). Questionnaire and sample plan developed. The project developed in cooperation with the Institute for Central European Studies, Laszlo Teleki Foundation. In spite of good cooperation, the fieldwork had to be

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postponed because of problems to provide funds on the part of the Institute. It was agreed to look for an alternative co-organiser. The delay was also due to local and federal elections and political instability in Serbia which would have impaired the readiness of citizens to participate in the survey.

 Refugee Research-Training Laboratory During June ten highly educated young refugees who are interested in scientific research formed a Research- Training Laboratory. The first venture of this laboratory was to prepare an empirical reseach carried out as a part of the programme of this year’s summer school in Palic.

 Summer School FER/CERMP and the Fund for Open Society organised a Summer School on Ethnic Relations at lake Palic from August 26 to September 2 1996. The school was part of a training programme for FER projects ”The causes and influences of new migrations on the change of ethnic structure and relations in Vojvodina” and a Refugee Research Laboratory. The principal goal was to train students to be interviewers and to make a pilot test of the questionnaire. The specific objective of the school was to teach the 26 students from different ethnic and refugee groups to better understand each other and improve their mutual cooperation.

 Data base on democratisation and ethnic minorities in the FRY (Long-term multi-disciplinary research) A number of tasks accomplished by the research team (Leader Dr Srdjan Bogosavljevic, data base specialist Zoran Radojicic, statistician and graphic presentation manager Dragan Vukmirovic, consultant Dr Miladin Kovacevic and Dr Dusan Janjic): a) definition of the body of data needed for the research b) elaboration of the model of facilities and links for the experimental data base c) development of the experimental data base with demographic data on the population on settlement level (data for 7393 settlements including demographic events and national composition)

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d) Start of introducing the estimates in place of the lacking data for settlements in Kosovo and Metohija (in the first stage only the official data from the population census, although these do not include the Albanian population) e) Development of a model of geographical information system enabling a review of data from the data base on cartograms.

6.1.4 Expansion of the FER network, the renewal of cooperation in the territory of the former Yugoslavia and the establishment of international scientific and professional cooperation in the democratisation of national and minority policy (training programme)

 Expansion and reinforcement of the FER network Organisation of branches in Podgorica, Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Pristina, Kosovo. A number of trips and conclusions of arrangements were made.

a) Montenegro Visit September 6–15 by a CERMP group (Dr Dusan Janjic, Jelena Djuric, Mirjana Nenadic and Mirjana Saletic). Decision on establishing permanent educational and research programme on the situation of protection of individual and collective rights and freedoms in Montenegro in cooperation with the Institute of Social and Economic Research of the Economic Faculty in Podgorica. Agreement that coordination of work in Montengro should be carried out by Srdjan Darmanovic.

b) Croatia Talks with Prof. Zarko Puhovski, from the Philosophical Faculty in Zagreb were planned in order to discuss intensification of activities of FER members from Croatia. However, as he could not obtain an entry visa for Montengro, on Montenegrin-Croatian border, Dr Puhovski had to go back to Zagreb.

 Reconstruction of the FER network and cooperation in the territory of the SFRY

a) Visit to Zagreb

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September 2-5, Dr Dusan Janjic and Mirjana Saletic. Talks with Croatian FER members and agreement on publishing of book Ethnic Conflict Management. Agreement on participation of FER members in international discussion co-organised by Serbian Democratic Forum January 1997.

b) Preparations for visits to Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina During November and December 1996, a visit was agreed to meet representatives of authorities, political parties, and the Albanian community for talks on the situation with respect to ethnic relations, minority protection in Macedonia and the prospects of Macedonian-Albanian relations. Preparations included guest visits of four CERMP associates during February 1997 in order to deliver lectures at the Centre for Legal Studies in Sarajevo on the subject of basic principles of democratic minority protection.

c) Visit to London December 9-12 Dr Dusan Janjic reached agreement on cooperation with Jadranka Porter, head of East Europe Section of the Conservative Party. The section prepared to cooperate in the organisation of three seminars for minorities elites to be held in the summer-autumn of 1997, including provision of lecturers and financial support. Agreement also reached on cooperation in implementing the FER/CERMP programme with the School of Slavonic Studies, University of London, and further cooperation with the European Institute of the Oxford University.

 Regional cooperation and linking November 7-10, Dr Dusan Janjic, Laszlo Vegel, and Dijana Vukomanovic visited Centre for Security and Defense Studies, Budapest. Dusan Janjic and associates delivered a lecture on the main objectives of FER and CERMP as well as possible changes in the FRY after the federal and local elections and their influence on ethnic relations, especially minority protection.

 International scientific cooperation a) Miranda Vickers, London University, visited CERMP September 11-26, conducting numerous interviews with FER members and other prominent persons in Belgrade, Pristina, and Novi Sad, for the project on the Anatomy of the Kosovo Crisis. b) Mikhail Gorshkov, Director of the Russian Independent Institute, visited Belgrade September 27-October 1. Common

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projects on the organisation of the Russian-Yugoslav round table on democratisation and ethnic relations was discussed. The round table will take place in June 1997 in Montenegro (Kotor) with the participation of 10 observers from Europe and the USA each. c) Italian students in CERMP. Within the contexts of its cooperation with the Bologna University and the International Network Europe and the Balkans CERMP was visited by Regina de Dominics and Catherine Dickenage, both of whom worked on theses on ethnic questions and the problem of borders.

6.1.5 Special activities a) For tolerance FER/CERMP in cooperation with the Association of Jewish Communities initiated an action entitled For Tolerance which should be pursued throughout 1997. The first activity was the translation of a Council for Europe Joint Action (July 15, 1996). In addition a poster was printed for wide distribution and use in all the related activities. In relation to the publishing of the document a round table was organised at CERMP on November 13, 1996 to discuss the action against xenophobia, racism, chauvinism and anti-Semitism. It was agreed that the text of the document and the entire action should be made known to the FRY public and authorities who should be requested to initiate the passing of legislation on tolerance and freedoms and rights on minority communities and their members.

b) Public presentation of FER and CERMP work Various promotional activities such as leaflet on FER and CERMP, other material and talks with journalists. In order to inform the general public on the establishment of CERMP, a public promotion and a cocktail party were organised on November 13 to mark the start of CERMP, the Action for Tolerance and the publishing of the book Ethnicity in Post- Communism.

6.2 1997 Report on the activities during 1997

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6.2.1 Establishment of CERMP and training of its associates

 Equipment and personnel Purchase of a new printer and a telephone set. In addition to coordinator Dr Dusan Janjic, following associates worked for CERMP against a fee: Education and training Vesna Vidojevic PR officer Radmila Obucina Secretaries Jelena Gajic Stana Arsenovic Tanja Hadzic Marketing advisor Dragan Berkuljan Accounting services Mirjana Goati Owing to these people, it was possible to coordinate the activities of about a hundred external associates, inform the public about the work of CERMP and take care of the books and administration of the centre.

 Training of CERMP associates a) CERMP Workshop Lectures delivered by Mihajlo Mihajlov and Natan Lerner. Students of the American University in Bulgaria were addressed by professor Paul Shoup, University of Virginia, USA, and Dr Dusan Janjic who spoke on the possible scenarios for the outcome of the conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Discussion organised on the Serbian-Albanian dialogue and the status of minorities in the FRY with Dr Martin Lutz, OHR ambassador and chairman of the working group for minorities, seated in Brussels. Visit by seven students from the Princeton University, USA. They discussed democratisation and ethnic relations in Serbia with CERMP associates Dr Srdan Bogosavljevic, Dr Vladimir Goati, Dr Dusan Janjic, and MSc Nada Raduski.

b) Visits abroad 1) Participation by Dr Milan Vukomanovic in the International Conference on the Role of the Churches in the Renewing Societies held in Budapest March 2-5. The conference ended

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in the adoption of the document called the Budapest Recommendations specifying some aspects of the relations between churches and states which might be of relevance for post-communist societies in transition 2) Milan Vukomanovic presented a paper on the Role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Protection of Minorities and Small Religious Communities in the FRY at an international conference held in Niska Banja May 29-31. 3) Four students (CERMP associates Marija Djolai, Breda Petrovic, Veselin Krstic, Slobodan Orlic) took part in Summer School on Post-Communist Transition and European Integration Processes in Cervia, Italy, August 31 – September 14. Dr Dusan Janjic participated in the round table organized at the end of the Summer School.

Research, publishing and training projects

6.2.2 Ethnicity, Nationalism, Ethnic conflicts and the Position of Minorities in the Transformation of Post-Communist Societies: the Case of Yugoslavia (Long-term multi-disciplinary research, publishing and training project).  The Anatomy of the Kosovo crisis and the perspectives for the development of Serbian Albanian relations on Kosovo within Serbia and within the Region Implementation of the project included the following activities: Draft prepared by the research team for the collection of papers entitled The Anatomy of the Kosovo Crisis. Copies of the texts made, meeting of the team scheduled for March 1998. Publishing planned for summer 1998. Public opinion survey in Kosovo and Metohija carried out in the second half of June in cooperation with the Institute for Philosophy and Sociology in Pristina. This was the first survey for seven years made in cooperation between Serbian and Albanian scientists on a sample including both Serbs and Albanians. The research team in 1997 included Dr Dusan Janjic (leader) Dr Derd Rapi, Srecko Mihajlovic, Ramush Mavrici and Dr Srdan Bogosavljevic (author of the sample). On the basis of the survey a preliminary report was presented at two press conferences in Pristina and Belgrade to inform about the findings of the survey. Work on final reports under way. The survey and the book will be used in 1998 in a series of round tables, i.e. training programmes for journalists, young political leaders of both communities, and people who deal with the Kosovo problems within the federal and republican administrations. The activities have been postponed for the spring 1998 due to lack of finance.

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Serbian-Albanian workshop including following activities: 1) Promotion of the book Kosovo-Kosova, Confirmation or Coexistence, ed by Ger Dujizings, Dusan Janjic and Shkelzen Maliqi (February 28 1997 in Belgrade and March 1 in Pristina). 2) Training of young political activists in understanding, reconciliation and conflict management in cooperation with The Transnational Foundation (TFF), Sweden. The course was held May 29–June 1 in Kotor. The cooperation was not to the satisfaction of CERMP, but the course was useful and the experience acquired will help to avoid mistakes in the future. 3) Dr Dusan Janjic participated in the work of a round table on European Action Council for Peace in the Balkans, Vienna, April 18-20, and also in the OSCEs Meeting on Kosovo, Durmstein, Austria, September 5-7. On the occasion, experts from influential institutions were informed about FER and CERMP activities concerning the Serbian-Albanian dialogue, and especially with the special status project (see below). 4) Special status for Kosovo and Metohija. CERMP acting in cooperation with an international board of advisors should develop a text explaining the model of the special status and draft the appropriate instruments for its implementation (draft of a political agreement between the authorities and the Albanian political leadership; appropriate international agreements etc). On the basis of a jointly developed model the Advisory Board preparing to hold a discussion to identify the specific proposal. The proposed model would be published in the Albanian, English and Serbian languages and would be considered by the European Action Council for Peace in the Balkans, as well as other NGOs which gather political, intellectual and economic leaders of the Serbian, Albanian and international communities. 5) Serbian-Albanian dialogue. CERMP was actively engaged in mediating between political leaders of leading parliamentary parties in Serbia and the Albanian leadership. This mediation resulted in the New York Round Table of representatives of political parties: Toward Peaceful Accomodation in Kosovo, New York City, April 7-9 1997. The meeting elicited large attention from the domestic and international public and resulted in the adoption of the following documents: Jointly Agreed Positions and Concluding Statement, which represent a contribution to the relaxation of the atmosphere and easier start up of the Serbian- Albanian dialogue. 6) Visits to Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania. In Kosovo January 25-27 Dr Dusan Janjic met vice-presidents of the LDK, F Agani, H Hyseni, Mahmut Dasali and president of the Parliamentary Party Dr A Demaqi and took part of the work of the All-Serbian convention organised by the Serbian Resistance

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Movement and the Serbian Orthodox Church (Raca-Prizren eparchy). During visits to Macedonia in February and October Dr Dusan Janjic met the Macedonian President Dr Kiro Gligorov, president of the Macedonian parliament Dr Tito Petrovski, minister of justice Dr Djordjem Spasov, minister of the interior Dr Cokroviski, representative of the Parliamentary Party of the Albanians Abdurahiman Haliti, president of the Liberal Democratic Party Dr Stojan Andov and sercretary general of the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia and discussed ethnic relations in Macedonia, especially Macedonian-Albanian relations. During a visit to Tirana, Albania, Dr Dusan Janjic discussed the prospects for the resolution of the Serbian-Albanian conflict with Dr Paskal Milo, current foreign minister of Albania, who collaborated on the project of Serbian-Albanian relations, i.e. the collection of papers Conflict or Dialogue (published in 1993). It was agreed that CERMP should translate and publish P Milo´s book on Albanian-Yugoslav relations during 1998.

 Ethnic composition of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the position of Minorities This project included the following activities: Jews in South Slavic Countries, draft developed by authors Milica and Srecko Mihajlovic, to be published spring 1998. Tzintzars in Yugoslavia, text completed by Dr Djurdjica Petrovic, to be published spring 1998. The Romanies in Yugoslavia, development of a study was agreed with Dr Dragoljub Ackovic. Financial support provided for the printing of the programme of the Congress party of the Romanies.

 Minorities in FR Yugoslavia (Legal, sociological, and political aspects of the minority policy and protection in the FR of Yugoslavia)

Documentation and background material collected, author Dr Dusan Janjic. Publication planned for 1998. The work also resulted in the document ”Some Indicators of the Position of Minorities in the FRY.”

 Minority identity in post-communism Draft version of study completed. Author Laszlo Vegel.

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6.2.3 Training programmes Summer school on ethnic relations, Kotor, Montenegro, June 22 – July 5 1997. The experience showed that it would be extremely beneficial for the school to continue especially if possibilities for inviting students from abroad, and in particular from other successor states to Ex-Yugoslavia, could materialise. Training of minority leaders in FR Yugoslavia. Implementation of the project started in the course of 1997 by round table discussions on the tradition and practical aspects of the legal regulation of the rights of minorities in the region of Vojvodina. The round table was organised with the collaboration of the Society for the Culture of the Hungarians in Yugoslavia, on september 26 in Subotica and December 27 in Novi Sad.

6.2.4 Expansion of the FER network, renewal of cooperation in the territory of former Yugoslavia and the establishment of international scientific and professional cooperation for the democratisation of national and minority policy

 Expansion and reinforcement of the FER network Montenegro: During 1997 a project on democratic transition in Montenegro was developed and a public opinion survey was carried out on a sample of 1200 respondents. The intention was to complete a report on the research in 1998 to be used to organise a seminar for NGO activists in the sphere of human and minority rights protection.

 Reconstruction of the FER network and cooperation in the territory of the Former Yugoslavia Preparations for the FER assembly to be held in February 1998 in Pecs, Hungary. The meeting should discuss how to renew and continue public activity of FER on the entire territory of the Former Yugoslavia. Preparations included two visits to Croatia: One visit January 17-19 of Dusan Janjic to take part in the international conference The Rise of Nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe. Kinds, Consequences, Countermeasures, organised by the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe, Washington DC, and Serb Democratic Forum in Trakoscane. Dr Janjic also delivered a lecture on Kosovo in the European House in Zagreb.

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In december Dr Janjic met with FER members from Croatia and the BH Federation in Zagreb and Dubrovnik.

 Regional cooperation and linking a) Arranged conference on The Contribution of Religious Communities to Peace and Elimination of Consequences of War on the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia, Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia, September 1997. b) Visit to the Russian Independent Institute, Moscow, May 23-24 1997. During this visit Dr Dusan Janjic agreed on the details for the preparation of the Yugoslav-Russian round table and also took part in the International Conference on the Role of the State in the Development of Society: Russian and International Experience. c) Visit to Bulgaria June 5-7 1997. Preparations for cooperation with numerous NGO activists in Bulgaria. Cooperation agreed with the Foundation for Democracy in Sofia and the American University in Bulgaria, which should include exchange of young associates and students for the courses and the summer school dealing with ethnic relations.

 International scientific cooperation a) Yugoslav-Russian round table discussion on democratisation of ethnic relations, Kotor, Montenegro, June 28 –29 1997. Most participants concluded that both Russia and the FRY are still facing a lot of uncertainty and that they, especially Yugoslavia, are not going to be stable communities for the next ten years. b) Lecture at the George Washington University and Cooperation with the London University. November 19 Dr Dusan Janjic delivered a lecture on Serbian-Albanian Struggles over Kosovo at the Eliott school of International Relations. On this occasion he also presented the work of FER, CERMP and especially the project on Special Status. During his visit to Washington DC he had talks on the possibilities for cooperation with the NDI, IRI, NED and Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe. Dr Dusan Janjic and CERMP associate Veton Suroi, Pristina, participated in a panel discussion on Kosovo at an UNDEP consultation in New York November 26-28, City College, and presented the project on Special Status. During his visit to London, November 13-17 and November 30 – December 3, Dr Dusan Janjic had a series of meetings with Dr Miranda Vickers, a CERMP associate on the Anatomy of Kosovo Crisis project. During these visits the literature relevant for the work on CERMP projects, especially the one on Minorities in the FRY, was treated and xeroxed.

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6.2.5 Special activities a) For tolerance. CERMP started its activity against chauvinism, xenophobia, racism and anti-semitism, which in 1997 assumed the forms of special actions by organising a discussion (November 13 1996): Joint Action Against Xenophobia, Chauvinism, Anti- Semitism and Racism. A Charter for the establishment of a network of Non- Governmental Organisations was prepared for publication. A meeting to consider the draft of the Charter was held on May 5 1997 where the Charter was supported by several NGOs.

b) Public presentation of FER and CERMP work An important activity of the centre was to present its work through the organisation of press conferences to which other NGOs, representatives of diplomatic offices and international professional organisations were invited. Among other the following press conferences were organised: April 14: Conference regarding the action for tolerance April 15: Conference on the results of the New York round table April 23: Conference on the activities of the Forum project of Serbian-Albanian dialogue and the findings of the Kosovo Forum held in Vienna July 5: Conference informing on the Summer School and Yugoslav-Russian round table in Kotor July 29: Conference on the project: Anatomy of the Kosovo Crisis presenting the initial results of the public opinion survey in Kosovo (Dusan Janjic and Srecko Mihajlovic) December 24: Conference presenting Forum’s/CERMP’s activities in 1997

 Cooperation with the European Movement In cooperation with the European Movement in Serbia a series of activities were organised in order to inform the NGOs and their activists, primarily young people, about the work and objectives of FER and CERMP. These activities proved particularly important for inclusion of young activists in CERMP training programmes.

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6.3 REPORT ON ACTIVITIES DURING THE PERIOD JANUARY 1998 – NOVEMBER 1999.

6.3.1 Establishment of the centre and training of its associates

 Equipment and personnel a) Establishment and operation of CERMP office. Working hours from 10.00 to 18.00 every working day. Only the secretary, mrs Breda Petrovic, is employed full time. She was engaged in April 1998. Director, programme director, PR officer and bookkeeper are working part-time. b) Equipment. CERMP bought two PCs, a double telephone set and a cellular telephone.

 CERMP workshop Five well attended lectures were organised, four in Belgrade and one in Podgorica, which gained considerable attention in the press. a) Lectures were delivered by Dr Paul Shoup, Virginia University, Dr Vladimir Goati, Institute of Social Sciences, Belgrade, Dr Dusan Janjic, CERMP, Dr Milica Bakic-Hayden, University of Pittsburgh, Dr Robert Hayden, University of Pittsburgh, Dr Ivan Colovic, Ethnographic Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Dr Maria Todorova, Chicago University, and Mihailo Mihailov, George Washington University. b) On the occasion of the publication of the translation into the Serbian language of the book ”National Identity” by Anthony D Smith, a debate on the topic was arranged on May 25 1999. Introductory speeches were delivered by Dr:s Ivan Colovic, Dusan Janjic and Dusan Icevic. The debate was organised during the circumstances of war and prohibition of gatherings, and represented an encouragement to democratic intellectuals to publicly state their view of non-acceptance of war and criticism of ethno-nationalism.

 Visits abroad a) Visit to Sweden November 23-24 1998. Dr Dusan Janjic, Miodrag Vukovic, special adviser to the president of Montengro Milo Djukanovic, and Ranko Vukovic, director of the Centre for Dialogue and Tolerance, visited Stockholm. The purpose was to inform about CERMP program until 1998, and to present the project ”Support for the Building of Democratic Institutions for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Montenegro”. Intensive and succesful exchange of opinions at

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meetings at SIDA, Olof Palme International Centrum, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and FRN, was made. SIDA committed itself to consider the granting of financial support for the project Support for Democratic Institutions for Protecting Human Rights and Freedoms in Montenegro, targeted in particular at the new Centre for Dialogue and Tolerance in Podgorica, initiated by FER/CERMP. b) Working visit to London January 24-28 1999. Dr Dusan Janjic, Miodrag Vukovic, adviser to the president of Montenegro, and Ranko Vukovic, head of the Centre for Dialogue and Tolerance had several meetings: DIFID and FCO, where the Kosovo crisis and the crisis in the relations between Serbia and Montenegro was discussed. Cooperation and financial aid to the project Support for Democratic Institutions for Protecting Human Rights and Freedoms in Montengero was agreed upon. Talks with Dr Miranda Wickers, author of the book Kosovo Between Serbs and Albanians, on cooperation on Serbian translation. Participation in Two panel discussions. c) Working visit to Romanian NGOs, Bucharest, February 26-27 1999. Dr Dusan Janjic and CERMP secretary Breda Petrovic had meetings with the Romanian Cultural Foundation, the Romanian Institute for Human Rights, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Romania, and the Romanian Parliament. Information exchanged on experiences in the work of Romanian organisations and CERMP, a public presentation held at a press conference on ethnic relations and status of minorities in Serbia and Montenegro, and on the activities of CERMP. Agreement on Yugoslav-Romanian workshop and round table on democratisation and the position of minorities in Yugoslavia and Romania respectively.

6.3.2 Research, publishing and training projects Ethnicity, Nationalism, Ethnic Conflicts and the Position of Minorities in the Transformation of Post-Communist Societies: the Case of Yugoslavia (Long-term multidisciplinary research, publishing and training project)

 The Anatomy of the Kosovo Crisis and the Perspectives for the Development of Serbian-Albanian Relations in Kosovo, Serbia and the Region. Implementation of the project included the following activities: a) The Anatomy of the Kosovo Crisis. Round table, July 1998. Research team presented papers as the basis for discussion, following a discussion of which papers will be revised and published as a book.

45 b) International round table on the Anatomy of the Kosovo crisis July 26 1998 in Zabljak, Montenegro, for discussion of the results of the studies made within the research project ”Anatomy of the Kosovo Crisis” and ”Research on Public Opinion in Kosovo”. Eminent international experts on the Balkans and Serbian- Albanian relations participated. The aims of the round table were to gain an insight into the main features and trends of everyday life in Kosovo and political relations between Serbs and Albanians, to ascertain the possibilities and proposals for political solutions to the crisis and the question of Kosovo’s future status, and to support democratic initiatives and advocates of dialogue. With respect to political solutions, participants discussed the possibility of temporary solutions or a so-called ”special status” for Kosovo. c) “Kosovo: New and Old Problems”. Round table August 29 1999, arranged by CERMP in cooperation with Belgrade Circle, Yugoslav Lawyers Committe for Human Rights, Forum for Surviving Community, and Good Action Society. The aims of the round table discussion were to examine the Serbian public opinion, especially whether their most active representatives (regime, political parties, NGOs, church authorities, the unions, experts intellectuals and journalists) consider themselves responsible for the situation in Kosovo today and what they intend to do in order to maintain a peaceful environment in the province and in FRY in the future. Other aimrs were to help NOGs define their approach to the Kosovo-issue, to inform the Serbian public on basic aims of the international presence in Kosovo and their role in the province, and try to give concrete suggestions for defining and reaching lasting peace and restoring democratic institutions.

 Ethnic Composition of FR Yugoslavia and the Position of Minorities Authors Milica and Srecko Mihajlovic finshed the text for the study of Jews in South Slavic countries and preparations for publication in December 1999 made. In comparison with planned activities within the framework of the project, it may be stated that the plan had not been fulfilled. Research, data collection and their processing had been carried out as planned. However, preparation of reports and their publication had been delayed. The reasons were inability to uphold regular contacts and coordination of work concerning the Albanian part of the team during 1998-1999 owing to the war in Kosovo and insufficient financial resources. It is considered necessary to accord priority to the topic during the forthcoming period of CERMP’s work and to finish what has been started.

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 Minorities in FR Yugoslavia During 1998 and 1999 author Dusan Janjic completed the draft. Due to lack of finances, the book has not been published.

 Minority Identity in Post-Communism Laszlo Vegel completed the text. The book will be published when necessary funds are obtained.

6.3.3 Training programmes

a) International Summer School on Interethnic, Intercultural and Inter-confessional Dialogue (ISID). The second ISID Summer School was held in Zabljak, Montenegro, from July 25 to august 7 1998. The subject was ”Myth, Legend, Religion and Ethnicity”. Coorganisers was the Budo Tomovic Youth Centre in Podgorica. 33 students under the age of 30 participated, including post-graduate students, journalists and activists of NGOs who deal with ethnic relations and multiculturalism in South East Europe. A number of complementary activities were organised around ISID: i) On the first day of the summer school an international round table was held on the Anatomy of the Kosovo crisis. ii) July 29 Milica Bakic-Hayden, Maria Todorova and Ivan Colovic delivered lectures at the Budo Tomovic Youth Centre in Podgorica. iii) August 1 representatives of the Society for the Quality of Life from Belgrade presented the program and goals of this NGO. iv) Activists of the Yugoslav League for Peace gave a presentation of their activities. The 1998 summer school was judged as being the better one compared with the school of 1997. The students and lecturers came from a greater number of countries. The quality of academic and educational work was higher and the organisation of the school was better. It can be said that the 1998 ISID represented an important political and social event in Montenegro. The ISID activities in 1997 and 1998 have prepared the Montenegrin public for more intensive international NGO cooperation and many similar projects, which will take place in Montenegro as a result of the process of democratisation and reform. Due to NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia, the 1999 ISID was not held, while the topic ”Multiculturalism and Citizenship” should be dealt with in 2000.

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b) Training of minority leaders in FR Yugoslavia. The course which took place in Belgrade January 16-18 1998 on the status and organisation of minority communities in the post-communist era: the example of the FRY and Serbia, completed the part of the project relating to young leaders of minority communities in Vojvodina and central Serbia. A delay in implementation had the consequences of cancelling two of the courses planned for young leaders from Kosovo and Montenegro. There was also a merger of two formerly planned courses in Vojvodina and Niska Banja. The course in Belgrade was attended by young leaders of the Bulgarian, Jewish, Hungarian, Moslem, Romanian, Romany and Slovak minority communities, as well as representatives of the minority political or NGO organisations for the protection of human rights from Serbia AEEGEE – Novi Sad, AEGEE – Belgrade, the Congress Party of Romaines, the Society of Romanians in Yugoslavia, the Party of Democratic Action, the Democratic Community of Hungarians of Vojvodina, the Alliance of Jewish Communities in Yugoslavia, the Fund for Humanitarian Law, the Helsinki Committee for Protection of Human Rights. The training included Yugoslav law, international legal standards of minority protection, and relevant documents of political parties of national minorities; to promote a political culture of dialogue and cooperation and train young people to negotiate with representatives of the authorities, especially in conflict situations; to create a network of trainees and stimulate cooperation between minorities in the protection of their rights.

6.3.4 Expansion of the FER Network, renewal of the cooperation in the territory of former Yugoslavia and the establishment of international scientific and professional co-operation in the democratisation of national and minority policies

 Expansion and reinforcement of the FER Network Montenegro:

Foundation of the Centre for Dialogue and Tolerance (CDT) In August the first proposals for founding the centre were made and preliminary discussions were held with representatives of the Montenegrin government, NGOs and foundations, which operate in Montenegro and FR Yugoslavia. Montengrin President Milo Djukanovic, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Dragisa Burzan, who is responsible for supporting NGOs, and Minister responsible for minorities Ljuidj Junchaj expressed willingness to support the creation of the CDT.

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Support for the building of democratic institutions for the protection of human rights and freedoms in Montenegro Discussions held in July with Milo Djukanovic, Dr Dragisa Burzan, Presidential Advisor and MP Dr Miodrag Vukovic and activists of influential NGOs. Five projects were developed from these discussions which were agreed during August and September with all parties concerned about their realisation.

 Reconstruction of the FER Network and cooperation in the territory of former Yugoslavia Assistance provided in preparation of project, provision of funds, and planning of work of the Centre for Dialogue in Sarajevo, headed by Dr Ibrahim Bakic. Support was also provided to the team of Dr Aleksa Milojevic to establish a Centre for Social and Economic reconstruction in Republika Srpska.

 Regional cooperation and linking International roundtable on nation state building, democratisation and national identity in post-communist societies in South East Europe and the Balkans. The round table was held in Pecs, Hungary, February 20-22, 1998 and was attended by members of FER from the former Yugoslav republics. Decision reached to create the network INERSE, International Network for Ethnic Relations in Southeast Europe.  International scientific cooperation a) The fourth session of the Working Group on Minorities of the Commission on Human Rights of the Sub-Comission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, OUN, Geneva, 25-29 May 1998. CERMP Director Dr Dusan Janjic took part, and talked about the work of CERMP and particularly its efforts to improve the status of Albanians in Kosovo. b) International Roundtable on European Expansion Towards Central and Southeastern Europe and the problem of adjustment, ISTAME – Andreas Papandreou, Athens 28-29 May 1998. Dr Dusan Janjic represented CERMP views on the causes and consequences of the Serbian-Albanian conflict, and concentrated particularly on the need for international (OSCE) mediation and the institution of a special status for Kosovo. c) Twentieth Century European Narratives: Tradition and Innovation, ISSEI, Haifa University, 16-21, August 1998. Dr Dusan Janjic partook. Contacts taken with representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Universities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, and the Simon Peres institute for International

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Relations and Diplomacy on their participation in CERMP 1999 workshop. d) Summer School on Post-Communist transition and European Integration Processes. CERMP represented by five young students from Montenegro, Vojvodina, and Serbia in Cervia, Italy, August 31 to September 13. e) Swedish Council for Planning and Coordination of Research (FRN) Round Table on Prospects of Scholarly Research and Supprot to the Negotiating Process. Possible Solutions of Ethnic – Political Conflict: Kosovo Case. Preparations for round table discussion, November 1998, to be held in Montenegro during the spring of 1999. (Because of NATO strikes on FR Yugoslavia the planned round table was cancelled shortly before it should have taken place in the Spring of 1999). f) International conference on Kosovo, Lecce, Italy, November 12 –14, 1998. Dr Dusan Janjic presented results of the research carried out by CERMP on the situation in Kosovo and on Serbian-Albanian relations. g) Democracy and Policy Forum in Kosovo, November 15-16 1998, Skopje. Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC and Kosovo Action for Civic Initiative (KACI) organised the Forums discussion in which participated democratically minded political and civic activists from Kosovo, Serbia, and Montenegro, with Amercian observers. h) Recent Developments in the Kosovo Region: Strategies and Options for a Peaceful Solution, January 22,1999, Athens. Experts and diplomats from Europe and the USA took part in the deliberations of the conference, which was considered as having considerable success. Dr Dusan Janjic presented a model of ”special status” that had been developed wihtin the framework of CERMP project ”Anatomy of the Kosovo Crisis”. i) Round table discussion on Conflict Prevention and Conflict Management, Athens, February 13, 1999. Institute of Strategic and Development Studies Andreas Papandreou (ISTAME) organised. Dr Dusan Janjic and Dr Predrag Simic exposed, on behalf of CERMP, how they view causes and consequences of the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo crisis in particular, and chances of its being transformed into armed conflict. They advocated more active preventive political and diplomatic actions of the international community along the lines of exerting pressure on the conflicting parties aimed at accepting the interim ”special status” solution. j) International Conference Montenegro, the Eastern Adriatic Region and Europe: A Mainspring for Peace, Stability and Democracy, Kings College, February 18 1999 London. The Conference was organised by the Department of War Studies, Kings College, London, and Foreign Policy Association, Montenegro. Politicians and analysts from Montenegro, Serbia

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and the UK took part. On behalf of CERMP Dr Dusan Janjic spoke about relations between Montenegro and Serbia and about experiences in carrying out projects in cooperation with democratic parties and NGOs of Montenegro. k) Collaborative project on Rebuilding Fractured Communities, March 3-5, 1999, New York. In the framework of the Collaborative project of United Nations Development Programme and the Colin Centre for Policy Studies, City College of New York, a Consultative Design Workshop on Rebuilding Fractured Communities was organised. 15 researchers from Bosnia, Burundi, Cambodia, Croatia, Guatemala, Kenya, Kosovo, Liberia, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Africa, and Dr Dusan Janjic, Serbia, participated in the workshop. CERMPs contribution to the project will be a study of the Origin, Causes and Consequences of the Serbian-Albanian Conflict. l) The Challenges of Pluriculturality in Europe, April 8-10, 199, Zagreb. Unable to take a direct part in the proceedings of this conference, due to the war situation in FR Yugoslavia, but given the intention to maintain cooperation even under such circumstances, Dr Dusan Janjic elucidated the CEMRP views in his paper ”Balkanization and Cultural Plurality”. m) Visit of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly to Belgrade June 23-24 1999. At the request of the HCA International Secretariat from Prague, CERMP organised meetings of the HCA delegation with representatives of NGOs and opposition parties. The visit was of particular relevance for CERMP and other NGOs in Serbia, because it was the first delegation of an international NGO that visited Serbia under the exceptionally difficult circumstances resulting from war, bombardment and the application of restrictive rules of an emergency situation. Agreement was also reached on cooperation between HCA and CERMP in carrying out the project ”Lets break the ‘Walls’. Society without walls. FRY: Dialogue and Cooperation”. The establishment of a Civic House Novi Pazar and Civic House Pristina should take place within this project. n) Future of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the Context of the Post-War Reconstruction, July 21-22 1999, Bratislava. The meeting was co-organised by the East-West Institute and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Participants were representatives of the democratic and pro-reform forces in Serbia and representatives of international organisations. The main topic of the discussion was to prepare for the inclusion of Yugoslavia into programmes for foreign assistance through evaluating the damage caused by the war and the cost of rebuilding. Dr Dusan Janjic participated. o) Prague Meeting on the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, August 30-31, 1999. As one of the outcomes of CERMP and HCA cooperation, HCA organised in cooperation with the Czech Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the President of the

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Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, a meeting of the leaders of the HCA, prominent personalities of the civil society of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Serbia, with Dr Martin Palaus, HCA vice president and political director in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Dr Jan Kavan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic. The subject was that of possibilities for NGOs to participate in the implementation of the Stability Pact. On that occasion, the Prague Statement on the Implementation of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe was adopted. p) The Fifth Summer School on Post-Communist Transition and European Integration Processes, September 1-15, 1999, Cervia, Italy. Among 60 young men and women from Central and Eastern Europe, four participants from Serbia, young people who were involved in the previous CERMPs training programmes, also took part in the School’s work.

6.3.5 Special Activities  The innovation of Institutional Engineering in the Field of Protection of Human Rights, Protection of Minorities and Personal Security in Serbia and FR Yugoslavia This project was not included in the plans for the work of CERMP, but came later to be considered as relevant and needed. It was initiated in september 1998. The project was based on the work of FER members launched by the elaboration of the 1995 draft of a democratic constitution of Serbia and the elaboration in 1993 of a proposal for a law on the rights and freedoms of minorities and their members. It is designed to take account of the work of other governmental and non-governmental bodies for the improvement of institutional engineering. The project would embrace an analysis of existing institutions and proposals for changes in the institutions of Serbia and FR Yugoslavia, their harmonisation with democratic changes in Montenegro and the prevailing international norms in this field. The following activities were carried out in the context of the project: a) Discussion on the topic of the military and the police in present-day ethnic conflicts, November 1998. b) Within the framework of activities for the project implementation, CERMP was engaged in the working out of theses for the constitutional law on freedoms and rights of national communities and their members. The purpose of the activity is to contribute to:

52 c) Scientific and expert discussion on the topic ”Democratic Constitution of Serbia” November 8 1998. The most prominent experts dealing with issues of the constitutional and democratic order of Serbia took part in the discussion. During the discussion it was emphasized that the present constitutional framework does not match the problems encountered in present FRY and that it represents the basis for the consolidation of a non-democratic regime. d) In the period December 1998-February 1999, the project Reconstruction of institutional engineering for the protection of human rights and national communities in Serbia was elaborated and the activity of providing additional funds started. In March a KHF grant (DEM 46 000) was obtained for covering a part of the implementation. The same month an expert team was constituted, composed of Dr Marijana Pajvancic, team coordinator, Slobodan Beljanski, Law Faculty, Novi Sad, Dr Dragoljub Popovic, Law Faculty, Belgrade, Dr Zorica Radovic, Institute for European Studies, Dr Slobodan Vucetic, the Constitutional Court of Serbia, and Dr Dusan Janjic, CERMP. During April-October 1999, individual work was continued on the preparation of theses for individual fields of constitutional principles of Serbia. e) November 23 1999 contributions were prepared and discussed at the team meeting in Novi Sad. The themes were the following: Finding institutional solutions for efficient protection of human rights and rights of national communities Preparation of the text of theses as well as the formulation of relevant constitutional principles of the protection of human rights and national communities Initiating and encouraging public debate, along with the strengthening of awareness of the necessity of and possibilities for civic legislative initiative and parliamentary activities aimed at establishing a democratic constitutional and legal system of the protection of human rights and freedoms, protection of the rights of national communities and regulation of their status Active participation of citizens and organisations of civil society in a process of regulation of the status of national communities and in preventing the eruption of ethnic and armed conflicts in connection wiht the status of antional communities Facilitation and acceleration of a process of the establishemnt of a modern, democratic institutional system that will ensure to Serbia stability, development and integration into the community of democratic states of Europe, and above all in the OSCE

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In the second half of 1999 talks were organised with eminent representatives of individual national communities. The basic topic of these discussions were the view of national communities of their status and what institutions they see as essential for the protection of their rights and freedoms. f) Round table on Interethnic Relations in Vojvodina, Vienna, Austria, September 23-25 1999. Project on Ethnic Relations, Princeton, USA, organised discussion on the initiative of CERMP. CERMP cooperated closely with PER in the drafting of the programme and the list of participants. The participants were leading democratic political personalities from Serbia, representatives of the most influential Serbian democratic political parties, parties of Vojvodina Hungarians, Romanians, Croats, and experts. The debate manifested the necessity of working out a model of the law on minorities. This is a task in which CERMP is actively engaged in and to which the centre has provided concrete proposals. g) Status of Moslems – Bosnjaks and Sandjak. For the first time in ten years the question of the status of Bosnjaks and Sandjak was discussed in public. The discussion was held within the framework of the work of CERMP on the elaboration of theses for the constitutional law on rights and freedoms of national communities and their members, in the Civic Forum of Novi Pazar.

6.3.6 Creating the network of Yugoslav action of nongovernmental organisations and the UBTU ”Independence” During the NATO bombing, CERMP was active in associating NGOs with the UBTU ”Independence” in the Yugoslav action. Within the network, CERMP is in charge of the work on the committee on Kosovo and participates actively in the development of the following: a) The General Peoples Movement (Serbian associations for democracy and security in Southeastern Europe). The associated movements have two basic common features: democratic orientation and grassroots actions aimed at creating a strong local civil self-government; a clear and consistent anti-Milosevic determination. The project of establishing the network of GPM is scheduled for 25 months. It includes the establishment of offices and communications, regulation of the legal status and legal protection of the members and the organisation, devising programs for public political action, and training of the members in order to achieve the GPM objectives. b) Standing Conference of Nongovernmental Organisations of the Balkans. The objective is to establish a network of NGOs. This network pursues the following major targets: a) the establishment of comprehensive civic monitoring of the

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Stability Pact, b) to advance support and protect the rights and free development of minorities on the basis of the so-called “Mosaic of the Balkans” concept, c) the formation of a broad and joint responsibility for the purpose of which annual meetings with government representatives and the Balkan NGOs are to be held focusing on the pressing issues of the region. c) Establishing a Network for Dialogue and Confidence-Building in Kosovo evolving around the so-called “Civic House Prishtina”. d) The establishment of “Civic House Novi Pazar” (a “civic house” represents an institution of civil society acting through a number of subprojects, workshops and clubs). e) Round table on Amnesty, July 19, 1999. Within the framework of the Yugoslav action and in cooperation with the Yugoslav committee of human rights lawyers (YUCOM), CERMP organised an expert and political debate on amnesty. This debate initiated a public campaign for passing a law on amnesty that would be applicable to all those that did not respond to a military order to take part in the war in Kosovo or deserted the army as well as Albanians who were condemned for political actions.

6.3.7 CERMP promotions  Press conferences On January 18 a conference attended by numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps was held by Dr Dusan Janjic. Information on the completion of the CBC project . A concept on ”special status” of Kosovo, suggested by the expert team of CERMP project Anatomy of Kosovo Crisis, was also presented. On the situation in Kosovo and the organisation of a Yugoslav– Israeli round-table. The public was informed at a press conference held by Dr Dusan Janjic on December 23 1998. On the occasion of the publication of the book The Montenegrin Nation, a press conference was held on February 3 1999, with the author Dr Dusan Icevic, Dr Dusan Janjic and Milan Matic. Despite the existing restrictive emergency situation at the time, CERMP organised a press conference on June 1 1999, with the participation of representatives of the diplomatic corps, the subject of the conference being: The role of NGOs in wartime conditions; objectives and activities of the YA coordination; intitiative for the establishment of the standing conference of NGOs of the Balkans.

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 Radio and TV interviews Among the many radio and TV stations reporting on the activities of CERMP was Radio Free Europe, BBC World Service, VOA, Israeli TV, Montengrin TV, Studio B Radio and TV, Radio B 92, Kragujevac TV, Pancevo TV, and the Jasenice Radio and TV network from Slovenia.

 Press releases CERMP issued press releases on the most important developments in the field of ethnic relations and minority protection. The following statements attracted particular attention: a) Open letter from Dr Dusan Janjic to President Milosevic on April 28 1998. b) Press release of May 22 on the meeting of the UN Working Group for Minorities, held in Geneva on May 25 – 29. c) Press release issued June 15 1998 appealing to the authorities and the general public to take actions to prevent the spread of chauvinism, xenophobia and racism in FR Yugoslavia, which was a response to the distribution of racist and anti-Semitic leaflets in Belgrade during that month. d) In connection with the visit to Romania and meetings with representatives of Romanian NGOs, an announcement to the public was issued on February 11 1999. e) March 30 and May 8 1999 public communication was issued condemning the murder of Dr Fehmi Agani, one of the founders of FER and one of the most eminent democratically oriented Albanian leaders from Kosovo. f) June 16 1999 a communication to the public pointed to the consequences of ethnic cleansing of Albanians and displacing of Serbs from Kosovo. g) CERMP, in cooperation with the Forum for sustainable community and development and the Yugoslav committee of lawyers for human rights, presented to the public, on August 9 1999, at Prishtina and Belgrade, Appeal to stop chaos, protect human rights and establish the rule of law and democratic institutions in Kosovo. h) In cooperation with the Civic Forum of Novi Pazar, CERMP issued a statement on Sandzak on September 10 1999.

 Other activities The books Serbia Between the Past and the Future and Ethnicity in Post-Communism were distributed to 850 eminent academics, research institutions, NGOs, international organisations and influential foreign

56 politicians and diplomats who deals with problems of ethnic relations in South-eastern Europe. On the occasion of the publication of the book The Montenegrin Nation, a series of promotional activities were arranged, including a promotion in Podgorica March 23 1999.

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7 Appendix II: List of publications by CERMP or on the basis of CERMP activities The publication of independent research in Serbia is currently almost non-existing. This is valid, not least, in the field covered by the research activities and information services of the Centre for Ethnic Relations and Minority Protection. CERMP’s publishing activities provide the international scientific community with rare sources of knowledge on much debated issues, and the domestic readers with equally rare sources of knowledge creating more qualified preconditions for public debate in Yugoslavia. Particularly the books ”Serbia between the Past and the Future”, and ”Ethnicity in Post- Communism”, have been widely read and appreciated at home and abroad. Unfortunately, CERMP has, due to financial reasons, not yet been able to publish several of its important results. The data collected and processed are available for research through the database, but publishing is urgently needed.

7.1 Books Published in 1996: Stefano Bianchini and Dusan Janjic (eds): Ethnicity in Post- Communism, International network Europe and the Balkans, Institute of Social Sciences and Forum for Ethnic Relations, Beograd B Jaksic (ed): Ka Jeziku Mira (Towards a Language of Peace), Forum za etnicke odnose (Forum for Ethnic Relations), Beograd Published in 1997: Dusan Janjic (ed) second edition(first published in Serbian and English, 1995): Serbia Between the Past and the Future, Forum for Ethnic Relations, Beograd B Jaksic (ed): Borders – The Challenge of Interculturality, Forum za etnicke odnose (Forum for Ethnic Relations), Beograd (CERMP provided financial assistance for the publishing of this collection of papers) Dusan Sidjanski: Federalistcka Buducnost Evrope (Federalist Future of Europé), Prosveta, Beograd. Poets in exile: Pesme o Mostaru (Poems of Mostar), Masic, Beograd. Collection of papers: Vlada Cvetkovic-Macek (the Cvetkovic-Macek Government), Mir (Peace), Novi Sad Published 1998-99 Dusan Janjic: Ethnic Conflict Management: The Case of Yugoslavia, Longo Editore, Ravenna

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Bozidar Jaksic (ed): Racism and Xenophobia, Forum za etnicke odnose (Forum for Ethnic Relations), Beograd Dusan Icevic: Crnogorska nacija (the Montenegrin Nation), Forum za etnicke odnose (Forum for Ethnic Relations), Beograd Srecko and Milica Mihajlovic: Jevreji u juznoslovenskim zamljama (Jews in the South Slavic Countries), Forum za etnicke odnose i Pobjeda, Podgorica

Books in preparation: Lajco Klajn: Ratni i Genocidni Zlocin u Multietnickoj Vojvodini, 1941- 1945 (Crimes of War and Genocide in Multiethnic Vojvodina 1941- 1945) Liljana Zorkic (ed): Nacionalizam Kao Sudbina (Nationalism as Destiny)

7.2 Articles in Collections - Den nationella identiteten och etnonationalismens kris, in: Bortom kriget, red. N. Milivojevic, J.S. Sorensen, J. Thomasson, E. Windmar, “Carlssons”, Stockholm, 1996, 65-70. - Serbia and Its Neighbours, in: Let’s Re-think Europe (an essential guide for those courious about tomorrow’s Europe), European Movement Croatia. Europe House, Zagreb, 1996, 79-83. - Etnocentrizam i etnicke manjine (Ethnocentrism and the Ethnic Minorities), u: “Puls Jugoslavije” - Javno mnenje 1994 (“Pulse of Yugoslavia” - The Public Opnion 1994), “Gledista”, Beograd, 1996, br. 1-2, 21-51. - Kriza nacionalnog ideniteta i etnicki sukobi u postkomunistickom drustvu: Primer bivse Jugoslavije i Srbije (The Crisis of National Identity in Post-Communist Society: The Example of Former Zugoslavia and Serbia), u: Socijalni konflikti u zemljama tranzicije (The Social Conflicts in Countries in Transion), Univerzitet u Beogradu. Institut drustvenih nauka i Ruska Akademija Nauka. Institut socijlano-politickih istrazivanja, Beograd, 1996, 193-214. - Sociolosko-politikoloski aspekti manjinske politike i zastite manjina u SRJ (Socio-political Aspects of the Minority Policy and Protection of Minorities in FR Yugoslavia), u: Polozaj manjina u Saveznoj Republici Jugoslaviji (Minorities in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Beograd, 1996, 625-638. - Serbs and Albanians between war and dialogue, in: Kosovo-Kosova. Confrontation or Coexistence, edited by Ger Duijzings, Dusan Janjic, Shkelzen Maliqi, Peace Research Centre. University of Najmegen and Political Cultural Centre 042, Najmegen, 1997, 193-199. - Etnicki sukobi i mogucnost demokrataizacije na prostoru bivse Jugoslavije (Ethnic conflicts and the Challenge of Democratization), u: Balkan ‘97 (The Balkans ‘97), Evropski pokret u Srbiji. Forum za medjunarodne odnose, Beograd, 1997, 35 - 63.

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-Yugoslav war migrations, in: Migration und soziookonomishe Transformation in Sudosteuropa, Sudosteuropa - Studie 59, Sudesteuropa - Gesellschaft, Munchen, 1997, 295 - 302. - Guerra civile e cambiamenti nella struttura etnica della Jugoslavia, in: Migranti, Rifugiati e Nomadi: Europa dell’Est in Movimento, L’Harmattan, Torino, 1998, 118 - 136. - National Identity, Building Processes in Post-Communist Society: Serbian Case (1989 - 1996), in: State Building in the Balkans. Dilemmas on the Eve of the 21st Century, ed. by Stefano Bianchini and George Schophlin, Longo Editore, Ravenna, 1998, 339 - 362. - Ethnic Conflicts and Democratization Prospects, in: The Mediterrean: Cultural Identity and Intercultural Dialogue, Institute for Intarnational Relations and European House Zagreb, Zagreb, 1999, 201 – 210.

7.3 Articles in periodical

- The Status of Minorities in Yugoslavia, CSS Survey, Belgrade, No. 12, December 1996, 5-8. - Conflits ethniques et Crise de l’Identite Nationale Serbe, “Homes et Migrations”, Paris, No. 1205, janvier-fevrier 1997, pg. 42-51. - Identita nazionale, movimento e nazionalismo dei Serbi e degli Albanesi, “Religioni e Societa”, Firenze, n. 29, anno XII, settembre- decembre 1997, pg. 58 - 85. - Ein dritter Krieg. Antwort auf Ulrich Bielefelds Brief, “Mittelweg”, n. 36, 8.Jahrgang, August/ September 1999, 22 – 27.