Donor: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Duration of the project: January – September 2000

In the period after the ratification of CRC (1990) the entire society has descended into deep economic, political and social crisis. The crisis was reflected in the drop of the standard of living caused by political conflict and war in the territory of SFRY. The international community also contributed to the crisis; this culminated in the armed intervention against the FRY on 24 March 1999, caused by the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. Military action lasted until 10 June and resulted important losses worsening the situation in the field of human rights. This was mostly reflected on the real enjoyment of the rights of children and in frequent violations of those rights. In FRY, consisting of two republics, Serbia and Montenegro, the Federal Constitution, federal laws, republic constitutions and republic laws have not been consistently applied. (more…)

Donor: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Duration of the project: January – December 2000

Team of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights produced after comprehensive research of the situation of social and economic rights first report of this kind in Yugoslavia. It was published in Serbian and English. When the Government of the FR Yugoslavia submitted its periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Centre responded by informing the Committee about the results of its analysis of existing Yugoslav regulations and their practical implementation. The FRY Government has been asked to submit a new report, and a representative of the Centre has been invited to attend the session of the Committee’s Working Group in May 2000 when the plenary session of the Committee have been proceeded.

Donor: Danish Refugee Council   

Duration of the project: September – December 2000

A team of Belgrade Centre for Human Rights – Kraljevo branch office, local NGOs activists and international volunteers of Service Civil International organised and conducted daily psychosocial activities for IDP and refugee children at a collective centre in Mataruska Banja, near Kraljevo. The program intended to establish links among the local community, the refugees and IDP’s settled in Mataruska Banja, and volunteers from abroad and thus promote community-building, democratisation and peace-building. Main beneficiaries were more than 200 IDP children, from three collective centres. The activities included: games, creative workshops, sports, English language courses, psychosocial interaction, craft and other special workshops according to the individual skills of the volunteers and the needs of the community in the centre. (more…)

Duration of the project: December 1999

The first new year’s human rights street campaign was held in the very centre of the Vračar municipality, in the closest neighbourhood of one of the biggest green markets in Belgrade (Kalenić), between 11 and 13 h., on 30 December 1999 because it was the time when most people were buying groceries for the New Year’s Eve. The “Human Rights Christmas (New Year) Tree” was made of wood – environment friendly – and decorated with many balloons. Various titles of human rights and freedoms were printed on lighters, badges and calendars. (more…)

Donor: Cultur Contact, Vienna
Duration of the project: September 1999

Realising the importance of working with primary and secondary school teachers, the Centre expanded this activity to Montenegro by holding a seminar on education for human rights “Education for human rights”, Kotor, 24 – 25 September 1999. This seminar was organised in co-operation with the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights from Podgorica. The participants included teachers and activists from organisations promoting human rights education, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Education of Montenegro.

Donor: Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)
Duration of the project: September 1999 – September 2000

In the municipality of Kraljevo, inhabited by 123,000 people, the overall situation was extremely difficult in 1999, due to economic collapse and the significant decrease of municipal financial funds. According to the Municipal Commissioner for Refugees, there were officially 20,000 refugees and displaced persons in the territory of the Kraljevo municipality, and 30,000 unofficially, which made about 25% of the entire municipality’s population and the highest percentage in Serbia. Of 17,000 displaced persons from Kosovo, registered with the Municipal Commissioner for Refugees, 15,000 have been accommodated by private means (in rented apartments, with relatives, etc.). About 980 (200 children) were placed in 11 collective centres. Living conditions in the centres were extremely difficult due to the lack of toilettes, water, heating, beds, mattresses, blankets, winter clothing, personal hygiene items, medicines, and proper nutrition, with only one hot meal a day being provided. However, the number of applications for this kind of accommodation was increasing, indicating the exhaustion of private funds for rent and food. (more…)