Parents' Club "For
the Children of Vukovar"
and Nansen Dialogue Centre Osijek are launching, in
accordance to the Constitutionally guaranteed right to
education, as well as in accordance to rights of
parents and children to choose type and quality of
primary education, following initiative:
INITIATIVE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW SCHOOLsee more...
Hewlett –
Packard HP GET – IT equipment in Vukovar
kindergartens
Nansen
Dialogue Centre Osijek and Parents’ Club
“For the Children of Vukovar”, in
cooperation with Vukovar kindergartens I and
II, that are split along ethnic line, widely
referred as “Croatian” and “Serbian”
kindergarten, has being carrying out an
integrational project called For the Future of Vukovar
“Small School”.
Project consists of a series of joint
workshops for children from both
kindergartens with set goals for children to
acquire knowledge and gain skills important
for their life, in a way that is adjusted to
children age; help mutual communication and
help development of interpersonal relations
between children of different nationalities;
development of self-esteem and self-respect,
help improve cooperation, tolerance and
reliance on one another; teaching children
to learn together, to be able to lean on
each other.
In accordance to goals of the project, a
series of IT classes with these children is
being conducted using
Hewlett – Packard IT equipment that Hewlett
– Packard HP
www.hp.com and MEA-I
www.mea-i.org granted to Nansen
Dialogue Centre as a part of donation for
the implementation of GET-IT programme that
our centre is implementing.
THE MOVIE IS
FINISHED!
Documentary film Untold stories,
filmed within the project Dealing with the
past through examples of good, is finished.
Documentary film Untold
stories is about people who risked their
lives by helping persons of other ethnic backgrounds
during the time of war in the region of former
Yugoslavia. The aim of this documentary film is to
show that, despite the horrible war situation and
the atrocities that took place, there were people
who had the courage to risk their own lives by
helping persons from other ethnic groups, persons
perceived by many as the ‘enemy’ side.More information about this film
will be posted on our web pages soon.
Excellent start of the GET-IT
programme implementationNansen Dialogue Centre, in
cooperation with the Tompojevci municipality,
Vukovar’s neighbouring municipality, is implementing
the first cycle of the GET-IT workshops in
Tompojevci. The course is intended for the young
people in this area of multi ethnic municipality,
with a high number of returnees population that is
still recovering from the consequences of the war
atrocities in 1991. In accordance with the strategic
guideline of keeping the young people on the grounds
of the municipality, the local government recognized
the GET-IT programme as a basis for additional
professionalization and development of the
competitive skills of the young people from the
municipality. The GET-IT course gives the
participants an insight into the possibilities of
applying and using the information technology and
software in business and everyday life.12 young people from the
Tompojevci municipality attend the GET-IT course.The impressions of the
participants show us that the goals of the course
are being achieved: "I am
extremely satisfied with the interest and the
responsible approach of the participants."Srđan Antić, project
coordinator and certified GET-IT trainer
"I have these programmes on my personal computer-
and I had no idea how to use them. They are really
useful and functional."
Nenad Sivč, participant
"First time I met with Excel in High School. Those
were all abstract and dull formulas for me and now I
understand the practical usage of the programme and
I am very interested in it." Jelena Kovačević,
participant
Local media have covered the beginning of the course,
and the video report by Vinkovačka TV, which covers
the area of Vukovar- Syrmium and Osječko- Baranjska
counties, is visible HERE.
We are particulary satisfied with the fact that the
cooperation between NDC and the Tompojevci
municipality is a result of the initiative by the
representatives of the Tompojevci municipality, and
that the realization of the GET-IT programme is a
beginning of a more intensive and long-term
cooperation between NDC Osijek and the Tompojevci
municipality.
Hewlett-Packard IT
equipment delivered to Nansen Dialogue Centre.
Within the cooperation between Hewlett-Packard,
Micro Enterprise Acceleration Institute
http://www.mea-i.org/ and Nansen Dialogue
Centre, on implementation of Get-IT educational
programme
http://www.graduate-training-through-it.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26
Nansen Dialogue Centre received IT equipement as a
part of a donation by Hewlett-Packard.
The IT equipement has been delivered in a form of a
modern computer clasroom, adjusted to the
requirements of Get-IT implementation. Hewlett-Packard
and Micro Enterprise Acceleration Institute
developed a programme encouraging and supporting
young people in self-employement through the
approach of gaining knowledge in the area of
computer technology, presenting all its advantages.
Get-IT programme is implemented by local
organizations from 25 countries in Europe, Middle
East and Africa, creating a network of 70 Get-IT
centres.
We are honored to be a part of this big family of
organizations which contribute to a higher quality
of living in their local communities.
FROM THE MEDIA
Jutarnji list, Večernji list te Glas Slavonije
wrote about TheNew
School. Read it here.
NDC won the third
prize of HP GET-ITAt the annual conference of HP
GET-IT, from Sep 18th to Sep 19th
2008 in Bruxelles, in competition of nine HP GET-IT
centres from around the world, Nansen Dialogue
Centre won the 3rd prize and the
amount of $5000, for the presentation of the
project of implementation of HP GET-IT programme “HP
GET-IT Together”, which will be carried out in high
schools in the city of Vukovar.The awarded funds will be used
for the implementation of the presented project.We are proud of this significant
award and the trust that has been bestowed on us!
Eight "Identity and embrace"From Oct 25th to
Oct 30th 2008, for an eight in a row,
the "Identity and embrace" seminar took place in
Fužine, Croatia. This year, as in the years before,
the participants were young people from 16 to 20
years of age, from Vukovar and the nearby villages
of Bogdanovci, Svinjarevci and Petrovci, but also
from other parts of Croatia. In a friendly
environment of mutual trust and dialogue, the
participants discussed and questioned the issues of
national, political, religious and gender identity.
In the workshops, in interaction of the
participants, guided by experienced facilitators,
these delicate segments of identity were discussed,
especially delicate and often traumatic for the
young people living in the post-war areas.Mr. sc. Dražen Glavaš
facilitated a one-day workshop on religious
identity.Independent journalist Drago
Pilsel witnessed about the development of his
own national identity.Prof. Claudia Pilsel
presented a possibility of escaping from the closed
circle of hatred and trauma.Pastor Boris Gunjević
talked about the effect the media has on our
perception of gender identity.Bojan Glavašević, a graduate
at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb,
facilitated a workshop on language identity.Recognizing the need for a
dialogue among the new generations living in the
environment of post-war traumatic experiences and
inter-ethnic distrust, we organize the "Identity and
embrace" seminar for an eight year in a row.
Unfortunately, the experiences of the participants
show us that a need still exists for such an
approach of initiating communication among the
young people who are growing up within their ethnic
groups, in a divided post-war community in eastern
Croatia.
Cultural and Spiritual Heritage
of the Region 2007/08EVALUATION MEETINGIn the end of August, an
evaluation meeting was held in Osijek, with
participation of pupils and teachers of the
elementary schools in which the first year of the
three-years pilot programme “Cultural and
Spiritual Heritage of the Region” has been
carried out in the past school year.Through several days of
evaluation pupils had an opportunity to present
themselves, their community and their work within
the CSHR project. They also had an
opportunity to meet other pupils, their work,
achievements and the specificities of their local
communities. Evaluation meeting was held during the
festival “Like a Cloud- World Without Borders
2008”, organized by Breza Osijek, therefore the
pupils presented themselves and the CSHR
programme to many students and young people who
participated in this festival (around 600
participants from Osijek, nearby villages, but also
from Zagreb, Zadar, Vojvodina, Kosovo, Norway…).
Norwegians are also a
part of "The World Without Borders"This year, in organization of
Nansen Dialogue Centre and Breza Osijek, the
children from Norwegian elementary school "Soreal"
joined the project "World Without Borders". "Soreal"
elementary school has been cooperating with Nansen
Dialogue Centre in Osijek for four years, on the
projects related to development of the educational
system in the region. Seven children and four
teachers from "Soreal" elementary school,
participated in Breza’s project "World Without
Borders", in graffiti, photo and dance workshops.
However, even though the main purpose of their visit
was to participate in the workshops, they also used
this opportunity to visit Vukovar. That visit was
very important to them because for several years
they have been participating in the project of
establishing the first integrated elementary school
in Vukovar. So far the Norwegians hosted their
guests from Vukovar several times, and presented
them the model of ‘Soreal’ school, as an example of
how integrated education of different nations in
possible. That is why they wanted to see the
obstacles for the establishment of the future "Soreal"
in the city of Vukovar. "World Without Borders"
"World Without Borders"
Nansen Dialogue Centre
Osijek was recognized as a reliable partner
of Micro Enterprise Acceleration
Institute
http://www.mea-i.org/,
which is sponsored by the
Hewlett- Packard Corporation and in
cooperation with the Hewlett- Packard
Corporation develops a worldwide network of
HP GET-IT centres, with a goal of donating
the HP computer technology and carrying out
the educational programme GET-IT
http://www.graduate-training-through-it.net/.
GET-IT
programme provides young people
with a knowledge necessary for opening of their own
firms and successful business in the modern society
of information technology. The programme will
encourage the
entrepreneurial spirit of the young people and
promote all the advantages of the use of information
technology in both business and private everyday
life. Nansen Dialogue Centre Osijek
acquired a status of accredited HP GET-IT
Centre, and will be carrying out the GET-IT
programme in the target area of Vukovar- Syrmium and
Osijek- Baranja counties. First cycle of the program
implementation will start in November 2008.
During March and April 2008, the
activists of Nansen Dialogue Centre and Parents Club
for the Children of Vukovar, organized a public
presentation of The New School Project for the
citizens of Vukovar, and also used this opportunity
to introduce the citizens with the work of their
organizations. The action took place at the two
locations ( in the centre of Vukovar and in Borovo
Naselje) and lasted ten days, and on this occasion
the citizens were presented the Initiative for
the establishment of The New School, through the
conversation, leaflets and brochures. Beside the
informative character, the action had two more
goals:(1.)to receive the citizens’ opinion on the
present organization in the education of children in
Vukovar, and(2.)to invite the interested citizens to support
the Initiative for the establishment of The New
School in Vukovar.During the action the Initiative
was supported by 753 citizens of Vukovar, and so far
the establishment of The New School has been
supported by over 1200 people and 12 NGO’s.
You can see the results of the Survey here...
March 13th 2008.
The opinion by the President of the
Republic of Croatia on The New School Project
It is written in the text of the letter, among other
things:
*
"The
present model of education of the
minorities on the grounds of city of
Vukovar, lead to division of classes on
national basis, and consequently to
social exclusion and segregation of
children and the whole Vukovar
community. Exclusiveness of present
educational model blocks development of
multiethnic and multicultural society,
acceptance of diversities and ensuring
of the peaceful coexistence."
See
the whole text of the letter here.
Besides the President of the Republic of
Croatia, recommendations and opinions of the
Project were received from:
Vukovar-Syrmium
County,
Education and Teacher Training Agency of the Republic of
Croatia;
Office of Ombudsman for Children;
UNICEF; OSCE;
Coordination council of national minorities of
Vukovar-Sirmyum
County;
Primary School
«Blago Zadro»- Vukovar;
Primary School
« Dr.F. Tuđmana»-B. Manastir,
Primary School
Markušica.
Petition for establishment of first
integrated primary school in Vukovar
Parents' Club”For the children of Vukovar” and
Nansen Dialogue Centre
on
March 17th started a public signing of
the petition for establishment of the first
integrated primary school in Vukovar.
This activity of the parents will proceed until the
middle of April, and support for the
Vukovar
parents can be expressed at the headquarters of the
Parents’ Club (Hotel “Danube”- Vukovar) from Monday
to Friday, from 9a.m. to 12p.m. Signing of the
petition will continue in front of the “Velepromet”
store in J.J. Strossmayer street in Vukovar.
Additional information can be received at:
031 215 474
or
031 206 670
Campaign – "I want
The New School!"Nansen Dialogue Centre in January
starts a campaign named “I want The New School!”The aim of the campaign is to
introduce parents of pre-school and primary school
children, as well as the wider local community of
city of Vukovar, with educational plan and
programme, methods and ways of education, and also
with some extra contents that will be offered to
pupils as a part of their classes at The New School.Additional information about The
New School Project is available at the following
contacts:031 215 474 or 031 206 670
january
2008.
project
"Cultural And Spiritual Heritage of the Region in
Our School"68 pupils and 10 teachers from 3
primary schools (O.Š. dr. Franjo Tuđman- B.
Manastir, O.Š. Blage Zadre –Vukovar and O.Š.
Markušica) joined the programme Cultural And
Spiritual Heritage of the Region in the current
school year. The CHSR programme is implemented in
the form of extra-curriculum activities through the
series of smaller projects in the framework of units
which are in common to all the schools, in the
programme called- TRADITION.see more...
The Government of
Republic of Croatia adopted
NATIONAL PLAN OF
ACTION FOR RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF CHILDREN FROM
2006 TO 2012
That, among other
things, states:
"...along the lines of intercultural approach that
implies interaction between cultures that exist on
the same territory…better ways must be found for all
children, both members of minorities and majority,
to develop healthy identity. Children and their
parents should be offered solutions to achieve
this... One example of such approach is the
project of New Vukovar School,
alternative educational model developed on basis of
interculturality…..."
Whole document can be viewed
here.This
is the proof that Government has also realised the
possibilities that our project offers.
Project is assigned for population of former Yugoslavia
that were witnessing inter-ethnic conflicts and are still facing unsolved problems of
post-conflict existance in multiethnic
communities.
View Movie.See more about project.
ACTS programme
At http://www.globalacts.org you can
see the presentation of the ACTS programme (Applied Conflict Transformation Studies).
