A Monthly Periodical of The Roma Inclusion Office ^honesko inkljistipe Kancelarijako pale inkluzija e Rromen|i The Roma Decade in AP Vojvodina ISSN 2217-5024 |indo 35, januari-februari 2014. br{ no. 35, january-february 2014. Mese~nik Kancelarije za inkluziju Roma ISSN 2217-5016 br. 35, januar-februar 2014. godine A Monthly Periodical of The Roma Inclusion Office no. 35, january-february 2014. ^honesko inkljistipe Kancelarijako pale inkluzija e Rromen|i ISSN 2217-5024 |indo 35, januari-februari 2014. br{ Mese~nik Kancelarije za inkluziju Roma ISSN 2217-5016 br. 35, januar-februar 2014. godine Foto meseca The founder and the Publisher of the Periodical: FOREWORD The Roma Inclusion Office of the Government of AP Vojvodina Dear readers, Here is the January-February issue of our magazine. In Editor in Chief: the foreword, we give a brief summary of the activities Duško Jovanović organized by the Office in 2013. The International Roma Managing Editor: Day was traditionally celebrated on April the 8th, and we Aleksandra Mićić held two seminars for the Coordinators for Roma mat- ters from AP Vojvodina, and training for new teachers of The Team: Romani language. In addition, measures of affirmative Dragana Rajić action have been implemented for the admission to sec- Zita Farkaš ondary schools, and higher education. We also success- Pamela Uzelac fully finished the project “Improving the Employability of Jovana Davidović Roma in AP of Vojvodina”. Finally, the Office signed a new donor contract with the Open Society Institute–Bu- Correspondents: dapest, which will contribute to improving the work in Roma Coordinators of APV the Office. Ivana Koprivica In The Status of Roma column, a meeting entitled “Im- proving the status of Roma in the Republic of Serbia” Translation into Roma: will be discussed. Igor Dimić In the Projects column, three projects “Improving the status of Roma women in five municipalities in AP Translate to english: of Vojvodina”, “The Initiative for local decision-making”, Ana Kozlovački within which a new recycling center will be open in the municipality of Žabalj, and an announcement of a cross- Technical Preparation and Printing: border cooperation with the Croatian municipality of MONDO-GRAF, Novi Sad Vinkovci has been made. www.mondograf.co.rs Two articles were featured in the Social Protection sec- tion. The first one is about the Social Inclusion and Pov- Circulation: erty Reduction Team, and the other one is about a meet- 1000 ing of the directors of social work centers in Vojvodina. Address: Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 25, We present you the “Smart Upbringing” project of the 21000 Novi Sad “InterArt” association in the Education section. The International Holocaust Remembrance Day was presented in the History section. We talk about Trifun Dimić in the Famous Roma section. The “Čiriklji” Association from Bački Petrovac or- ganized an art colony for school children, and we wrote about this in the NGO section. You will get to read about Vasilica, Romani holiday in our Tradition section. This issue includes a new section entitled Roma in the world, which will be a permanent feature starting from the next issue and will preent world famous Roma from all cultural domains. For the beginning, we presen you the text about Charlie Chaplin. We hope that this issue will fulfill your expectations. Your editorial board ROMA INCLUSION OFFICE OF AP VOJVODINA IN 2013 Roma Inclusion Office of AP Vojvodina marked its seventh year of existence in 2013. In addition to now already traditional celebrations of the 8th of April, the International Roma Day, the Office held two seminars for Coordinators for Roma Issues from Vojvodina. Of course, the Office implemented affirma- tive action for admission of students to secondary schools, as well as to higher education institutions. The project “Improving the employability for Roma people in AP Vojvodina” was successfully completed, and a new donor contract was signed with the Open Society Institute-Budapest, for a new project entitled “Strengthening Capacities of the Roma Inclusion Office”. The Office also supported the organization of a seminar for new teachers of Romani language, since preserving Romani is underpinning for preserving Roma culture and tradition, and is fundamental to Roma people. Nevertheless, the thing that marked year 2013 the most is undeniably the opening of the sector for Roma Position Improvement at the Provincial Secretariat for Economy, Employment and Gender Equality, which marks a step further when it comes to the institutional solving of Roma issues. Photo: Mina Karadžić Photo: International Romani Day International Roma day at the Besides organizers, Roma NGOs a lovely musical collage of the Mulić assembly of the autonomous and Roma people themselves, the music trio - made of Ivan, Zoran and province of Vojvodina ceremony was attended by Mr. Mi- Dušan Mulić. Students of the Jovan roslav Vasin, Provincial Secretary Jovanovic Zmaj elementary school The Roma Inclusion Office of for Economy, Employment and Gen- from Đurđevo, and Isidora Sekulić el- AP Vojvodina celebrated the In- der Equality, Mrs. Ana Tomanova- ementary school form Šajkaš, recited ternational Roma Day in 2013, Makanova, the vice-president of the poems on Romani. At the end of the together with the Roma Inclu- Assembly of AP Vojvodina, Mr. Mi- ceremony, guests had the opportu- sion Council of AP Vojvodina. roslav Veskovic, Rector of the Univer- nity to see the excerpt from Hamlet, The event was held at the Gre- sity of Novi Sad, as well as many other a play of the Suno e Rromengo Roma at Hall of the Assembly of AP numerous friends of the Roma com- Theatre Company. Otvoren sektor za Vojvodina. munity. The guests were greeted by unapređenje položaja Roma 2 The Roma Decade in AP Vojvodina as well as the Roma Inclusion Office. Seminar for new teachers of ”We have to change the ta- This department represents a contin- Romani language boo. I don’t take no for an an- uation of the cooperation between the swer. Poverty should be the mo- provincial institutions and members Training for new teachers of Ro- tive. Our children cannot be the of the Roma community and placing mani began on 16th of May in source of ignorance and una- the cooperation on a higher level. The 2013, with a seminar held in Be- wareness. We can take respon- newly formed Sector for Improving čej. The seminar was organized by sibility for creating the present the Roma Position has three Roma Municipality of Bečej and Provin- nationals besides Mrs. Slavica Denić cial Department of Education, Ad- and the future. The results we who are employed for an indefinite ministration and National Com- have achieved so far prove that period. Their entry into the Provin- munities, with the support of the could be done. cial Institutions means that the Pro- Roma Inclusion Office the Matica Petar Nikolić, President of the vincial Government has confidence Romska. The seminar, which las- Roma Integration Council of AP in the Roma community representa- ted for four days, was attended by Vojvodina tives and it gives them an opportu- twenty-one prospective teacher of nity to actively help in solving their Romani language. Another semi- “You know, I am a nuclear own issues, what is, after all, the basic nar was held for additional eighte- physicist, and I truly believe in principle of the Decade of Roma In- en new teachers in the municipality clusion. of Odžaci, on May 24th, 2013. This chain reaction. Hence, it is im- portant that all of us, each in „One cannot do a lot in any respect, only collectively can we deal for their own area, help the Roma our presence in all areas of social life. First of all, we have to raise our community. Our help will educational capacities to the level where Roma intellectual elite is en launch a new series of action and par with the others, and is actively involved in solving the issues ad- activities. And it will validate my dressing our population in order to have more Roma representatives belief in a chain reaction.” in the institutions. That is a two-way process and we have to prove our Professor Miroslav Vesković, competencies and abilities in order for the institutional doors to open Ph.D, Rector of the University for us. In any case, by establishing the Council, the Office and the Sec- of Novi Sad tor in the Province, it was shown there is a will, manner and a way to Sector for Improving the Roma Position - running solve the issues.” The newly opened Sector for Roma Slavica Denić Position Improvement of the Provin- cial Secretariat for Economy, Employ- This is very significant for the seminar was organized by the Mu- ment and Gender Equality is another Roma community, since it gives the nicipality of Odžaci in collaborati- step towards creating the institution opportunity to improve the Roma on with the Secretariat of Educati- for addressing the issues of the Roma position and to solve the issues such on, Administration and National community. At the head of this de- as education, employment, housing, Communities, as well as with the partment is Slavica Denić, MA. health and many others, which are support of the Roma Inclusion Of- There are already institutions in AP all responsible for the standard and fice and Matica Romska. Vojvodina that deal with improving the quality of living for one collec- The emphasis of the seminars was the Roma position, such is the Roma tivity. to prepare new teachers to teach the Integration Council of AP Vojvodina, language subject with the elements The Roma Decade in AP Vojvodina 3 of Roma national culture. It was remony which took place at the munity, Duško Jovanović, Director planned to organize two additional Small Hall at the Assembly of AP of the Roma Inclusion Office and seminars by the beginning of the Vojvodina.