The third conference within the project was held in two parts.
Zagreb
The first part, held on April 6, at the Public Open University Zagreb, in Zagreb, when representatives of the Czech minority presented themselves.
The guest lecturer Jarmila Kozak Marinković, Jaromil Kubiček and Juraj Bahnik spoke about Czech people living in Croatia, as well as the society ‘Češka beseda’ from Zagreb, while Maja Burger presented Czechs living in Zagreb.
After the lectures, the folklore group of ‘Češka beseda Zagreb’, namely ‘Záhřébské sluničko’ (Zagrebačko sunčeko – ‘Zagreb little sun’), managed by Martina Marinković, presented themselves with the performance of Czech folk dances.
The students of visual arts workshops, within the programme of The Third Age University, prepared a series of paintings with the theme of Migration as a challenge – Minorities as a chance, which have been exhibited at the Public Open University Zagreb.
Vukovar
The second part, namely the main part of the Conference III., was held on May 4, at Vukovar.
The conference started with introductory words on the part of the deputy mayor of the City of Vukovar, Dejan Drakulić, representative of the Vukovar and Syrmia region County, consul general of the Republic of Serbia, Živorad Simić, and then Tomislav Kozin, project coordinator of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, sponsor of the conference, and Novic Gajić, president of the European House Vukovar. After that, Jasna Čurin, the programme leader of the Third Age University of the Public Open University, and co-organizer of the Conference III., set forth the results and the conclusions made after the previously held two conferences.
After the lectures held by the representative of the Institute ‘Ivo Pilar’, Prof. Sc. D. Dražen Živić: Migrations as demographic, societal and economic phenomenon: the example of the city of Vukovar and Vukovar and Syrmia region County, and Ph. D. Ljiljana Dobrovšak: Minorities in Croatia, the work continued within the workshops.
The conclusions of the Workshop A: Migrations: the developmental potential or the burden for the community?, are the following:
The level of the societal community
- migration should be an integrative factor for the community.
- the government administration should act with preventive measures, improve economy, should create conditions for the promotion of young personnel, so that they should not emigrate.
- The process of de-metropolisation in necessary, the creation of conditions for the people in smaller communities to stay there, and to revive them.
The level of political community
- re-affirmation of fundamental human values is also necessary (for example, of patriotism).
- in connection with immigrating into the country, it is necessary to create conditions for settling in of the young personnel.
- the return of various experts should be animated.
- the pre-condition for all of these is the rule-of-law.
The level of individual
- the person who leaves the country, should inform himself or herself about the country where he or she is moving in.
- the work on one’s self (resolving the situation by leaving the country)
- within the sphere of immigration, favourable measures should be attempted within the policy of integration, and overcome stereotypes (meeting people, not the stereotypes).
The conclusions of the Workshop B: retaining an identity
The richness is in the diversity of a group (Croats as a majority in Croatia and as a minority in Europe).
- for all this financial resources are indispensable
- in order to preserve an identity, diplomatic activities should be intensified.
- the reciprocity should be observed.
- to inform citizens on existing rights.
- we ourselves should be active in learning all about our rights.
- promoting the facet of Croats.
Croats will enrich Europe as many other minorities enriched Croatia.
The conclusions of the workshop C: The concept of interculturalism as a way of harmonizing the community
- interculturalism is a synthesis of history, freedom and mind.
- it remains as a mission, to promote interculturality within the school system, co0mmunications and all other segments of social life.
- young people are the main target group in the process of the realisation of interculturalism.
- the importance of interculturalism should be connected with the process of becoming an EU member, because it is a political doctrine of the European Union.
- multiculturality is a condition, and interculturality is an action, and we are on the level of condition.
Five affirmative points of reference of interculturality are: identity, tolerance, mutuality/empathy/interdependence, solidarity/interaction and ecumenism.
Mia Torrens on
