The Catholic Church Helps Migrants
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What Will the Privatization of Media Bring about? Office for Human and Minority Rights Things Cannot Go from Bad Paunović: Serbia Is Not to Worse! Pushing Roma into Poverty a 2 u 0 g 1 u 5 s 19 Minority News t Janković: The Abolition of Bilingual Signs Lowers the Level of Rights The Bosniak Community Brankica Janković Roundtable on Most Complaints of Discrimination of National Discrimination on Minorities Held Ethnic Grounds HIGHLIGHTs EDITORIAL 19 The Catholic Church Discrimination is Illegal Helps Migrants The Bishops of the Catholic Church The National Councils of National Minorities, in addition to in Serbia met in Subotica. The topics their jurisdictions, also have an important function that falls of the meeting were discussed by within their natural jurisdiction and is perhaps the most impor - Mr Stanislav Hočevar, the Bishop of tant of their functions. It is the function of observing and re - Belgrade, Msgr. Dr Laszlo Nemeth, the Bishop of Zrenjanin, and Mirko porting on discrimination that occurs in practice, in the lives of Štefković, the Bishop of Subotica. people belonging to national minorities, which takes place The Bishops highlighted the oppor - every day according to a specific scenario that can make them tunities to help migrants and refugees passing through Serbia as a feel unequal in our society. separate issue. They said that the Such scenarios certainly exist and should be the subject of in - phenomenon is beginning to spiral terest of the National Councils of National Minorities. out of control because there is no clear international strategy or a clear The report of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality in - stand for control of the humanitar - cludes complaints of discrimination on ethnic grounds, and the ian problem. existence of this form of discrimination is well known, which is always the first step in combating the discrimination. The Com - missioner learns about the cases of discrimination on ethnic grounds mostly from the National Councils of National Minori - Celebration of Grain, ties and she strives to inform the public about those cases so Bread and All that such practice becomes publicly condemned and stopped. of the Bunjevac People Often, the presentation of such information in the public results in a reaction from the national authorities and international in - To crown the hard work of our farm - ers and as a symbol of togetherness, stitutions and organizations, and the effect is quickly noticed. bread should keep our community However, to make this all possible, it is necessary to encourage in harmony. Dužijanca Day, one of the common man, a member or non-member of ethnic minor - four national holidays of the Bunje - vac national minority, was officially ity, to address the National Council of National Minorities and celebrated on Monday, August 17, point to the possible discrimination because there is an estab - and was organized by the Bunjevac lished mechanism which is able to prevent any form of discrim - National Council. This year Dužijanca was held as part of the XIV Festival ination. In addition, there is a much branched legislation, which of Bunjevac folk creativity, which is provides a firm legal basis for the prosecution of all cases of included in the events of special im - discrimination on ethnic grounds, so that in Serbia of the 21st portance of the Town of Subotica. century it is not actually possible to keep the discrimination of people belonging to national minorities alive. Nevertheless, discrimination based on ethnicity still exists, ac - cording to the number of complaints, and it is necessary to de - termine where the weaknesses of the system of discrimination The Municipality of Zemun Halts Forced lie. Evictions of Roma Commissioner for Protection of 30 different national communities live in Serbia! Equality, Brankica Janković, wel - comed the decision of the munici - pality of Zemun, which has suspended the procedure of forced evictions of the residents of the Roma settlement Grmeč in Zemun in line with the recommendations of the Commissioner, until they are provided permanent accommoda - tion. [email protected] www.minoritynews.rs right place for everybody NEWS Most Complaints of Discrimination on Ethnic Grounds ast year, the largest number of complaints - 124, were filed due to discrimination on ethnic grounds, said the Com - mLissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Janković, adding that most of the complaints were filed by the Bosniak National Council. "The complaints are mostly related to the State authorities and the media due to discrimination against Roma and Bosniaks, mainly in the field of labour and employment," said Janković to Tan - jug, who previously met with the repre - sentatives of the National Councils of National Minorities. According to her, the representatives of national minorities mainly emphasized the use of language as an issue, espe - cially in the field of education. "Of all the National Councils of National Minorities, the Bosniak National Council has filed most complaints to the Com - missioner for Protection of Equality so far, about the inability to use the Bosnian language. Other National Councils have expressed similar concerns," said the implementation of activities in coop - Janković. Of all the National Councils of eration with National Councils of Na - National Minorities, the tional Minorities. The Commissioner also reminded that Bosniak National Council has the research of that institution has filed most complaints to the "It was a good opportunity to personally shown that there is a certain ethnic dis - Commissioner for Protection of meet and talk directly about the prob - tance towards the national minorities, Equality so far, about the lems they face, and to consider how the mostly towards the Roma, Bosniaks, Al - inability to use the Bosnian institution of the Commissioner, which banians and Croats. language. Other National fights against discrimination, can be Councils have expressed more accessible to them," said Janković. She said that other issues that are more similar concerns related to the socio - economic status According to her, an agreement was were also discussed at the meeting. National Minorities was organized reached to organize the meetings twice within the project "Let Equality Become a year, regardless of the end of the proj - "They themselves have observed the a Reality" that the Commissioner con - ect. fact that they should cooperate more ducted with the House of Human Rights and raise awareness about the cases of and Democracy. "It was agreed to have the meetings on politicization of National Councils and a regular basis, where we would make their roles in the social life," said Stating that the representatives of Na - an overview and exchange experiences Janković. tional Councils had a good and construc - in terms of improving equality, primarily tive meeting, Janković pointed out that that of national minorities," said Meeting of the Commissioner and of the it is a project that aims to fight discrimi - Janković. representatives of National Councils of nation and promote equality through an agreement was reached to organize the meetings twice a year, regardless of the end of the project Minority News 3 Office for Human and Minority Rights Paunović: Serbia Is Not Pushing Roma Into Poverty Source: Tanjug irector of the Office for Roma minority were employed. In 2014, Human and Minority Rights, support was provided for 62 subsidies Suzana Paunović, said today for self-employment of Roma. that the rights guaranteed by thDe Constitution and the fundamental Paunović reminded that 249 entrepre - standards of human rights protection, neurs have employed members of the especially where minorities are con - Roma minority, which has created space cerned, will be respected when taking for their greater engagement in the pri - new measures by the Government, as vate sector. it has been the case up to now. "All these activities support the fact that Commenting on a statement of the measures announced by the Prime Amnesty International, in conjunction Minister Vučić will not lead in the direc - with the announcement of the Prime tion of discrimination against members Minister Aleksandar Vučić, that asylum of the Roma minority in the Republic of Serbia, but that special care of those seekers, whose claims have been re - pointed Paunović, adding that the Ser - jected, will be denied the right to social who live in difficult economic conditions bian Government has taken a number of will be taken," stated Paunović. assistance, Paunović said that the organ - steps towards greater and faster integra - ization in question did not consider all tion of the Roma in the overall social and The applicable legal regulations in our the efforts that the Government has economic processes. made in addressing the situation of the country, including legally binding inter - Roma national minority in Serbia and national agreements, ensure that the It is generally known that the problem competent national authorities, are that all Government measures are of unemployment in our country is not aimed at getting Roma out of poverty going to support all disadvantaged citi - only the problem of the Roma minority, zens within the limits of available finan - and reducing discrimination against although within this population the per - them. cial resources, particularly Roma living in the most difficult economic conditions. Paunović reminded that, according to When we talk about the the Office for Human and Minority so-called false asylum seekers It is the responsibility of the state, which Rights, the total number of asylum seek - they, or any other persons who is diligently and regularly met, so it is un - ers from Serbia in Germany in 2014 was are present in the territory of derstandable that the state expects all 16,862, while in the first seven months Serbia, will not remain without its citizens to fulfil their obligations, as of 2015 their number was 11,032, of shelter and access to basic well as to comply with the applicable which 85 per cent were members of the rights, but she also pointed out legal regulations regarding their behav - Roma national minority.