Projects within the framework of Serbian Refugee Council (SRC) partnership

In 2005, SRC has conducted four advocacy campaigns on the following topics, perceived as crucial by the Council members:

• Asylum legislation in Serbia and Montenegro
• Promotion of return to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Access to rights for IDPs from Kosovo
• Promotion of integration as a durable solution for the displaced, focusing on the role of youth in this process

In 2005 Centre for civil society development PROTECTA and Group 484 implemented the project “Advocation for the rights of IDPs”.

Youth seminar

From August 26th – 29th 2005 in Paracin Group 484 and PROTECTA organized a seminar “Campaign for the protection of rights of IDPs”.
The seminar, attended by 40 young people from Paracin, Nis, Leskovac, Kraljevo, Ivanjica, Stara Pazova, Belgrade, Veliko Gradiste, Novi Sad and Pozarevac, dealt with the topics of position and legal status of IDPs, public advocacy techniques, local activities organization and youth activism in Serbia.

Local activities within the project “Advocation for the rights of IDPs”

Within the project “Advocation for the rights of IDPs” Group 484 and PROTECTA organized local activities in the following cities:
Belgrade, Pozarevac, Novi Sad, Leskovac, Stara Pazova and Nis.
Local activity in Nis was realized as “Come and be my friend” action.
The action included advertising material distribution on the topic of the status of IDPs in Serbia and Nis, aiming at raising awareness of the position of these people in the society.
The activity was simultaneously supported by media campaign, especially by the CITY Radio which daily broadcasted reports tackling the topic of IDPs and invited all the citizens to take part in the action which was held in Cair on 29/10/2006.

Cair action “Come and be my friend”

Cair action aimed at bringing together primary school children from Nis, children from collective centres as well as children coming from the families displaced from their individual place of residence. This was an ideal opportunity for sending a message of equality of all children and their right to enjoy their childhood regardless of the place they come from. For this reason PROTECTA, in cooperation with actors from the Puppet Theatre and the acting school Fair Plaz, organized a performance. The performance included organization of interactive games which animated all the present. In this way internally displaced children met and mingled with their primary school peers.

Regional meeting

PROTECTA and Group 484 organized a regional meeting following the topic “IDP Status”.
The meeting followed the topical situation of IDPs at the territory of South Serbia and the ways towards the improvement of their socio-economic status.
The cooperation of all structures dealing with this category of people was established and strengthened at the meeting, aiming at the improvement of status of IDPs.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of local authorities from Nis and Nis municipalities, representatives of commissariat for refugees from Nis, Razanj, Kraljevo, Svrljig, as well as the representatives of numerous domestic and foreign nongovernmental organizations.
Apart from them, the meeting was attended by the representatives of domestic and foreign nongovernmental organizations dealing with improvement of socio-economic situation of IDPs, as well as the representatives of the associations of IDPs.
Within the SRC partnership, PROTECTA took the responsibilty and satisfaction upon itself to implement HAP – I standards within the organization, thereby becoming one out of small number of organizations not only in Serbia but also in the region, which bases its humanitarian work on the internationally established criteria.
In the course of 2006 within the SRC partnership, PROTECTA will take part in the implementation of the project.

Project “Promotion of HAP-I principle”

From November 2005 until February 2006 PROTECTA conducted the poll with IDPs from Kosovo and Metohija. The poll included the questions concerning the quantum, quality and the period of getting certain services, help or something else. Also, we wanted the beneficiaries to answer the questions on the kind of help they were getting, whether that help was absolutely necessary at the moment as well as the reasons for their dissatisfaction. The poll was conducted on the sample of 200 examinees from Nis, Svrljig, Bela Palanka and Aleksinac.