Praxis
Vecernje novosti Daily Did Not Discriminated Against Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrants
Acting upon Praxis complaint, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality established that the article “Asylum Seekers Even Pluck Their Eyebrows for Europe”, published by Vecernje novosti Daily on 6 August 2015, does not contain any violation of rights in accordance with the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination.
Relying on national and international legislation, Praxis pointed that disputable text contributes to spreading of fear, creating of hostile environment and deepening of social distance of the citizens towards asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, who are currently one of the most vulnerable groups in Serbia. Creating a prejudice that all migrants have huge amounts of money does not contribute to understanding their difficult situation, nor the attitude of the journalist that refugees “destroy all the beauty of this part of the city”, and that “the sight that will welcome the visitors of Belgrade when they step out of the bus or train is not pleasant” because of the presence of refuges in the immediate vicinity of the bus and railway station.
The Commissioner for Protection of Equality is of the opinion that the text largely consists of quoted statements of entrepreneurs and employees who provide services. Despite the opinion of the Commissioner that there is no violation of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination in the disputable text, Praxis believes that that responsibility of media cannot be excluded or diminished by the fact that opinions of third persons are “just” transmitted in the text. The lack of conviction of writing by Vecernje novosti Daily is yet another missed opportunity to clearly indicate the responsibility of media in reporting.
For more information, see: The Commissioner For Protection of Equality Established That Vecernje novosti Daily Did Not Discriminated Against Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrants
President of the Municipality of Kanjiza Discriminated Against Migrants and Refugees
Acting upon Praxis’ complaint, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality established that the President of the Municipality of Kanjiza expressed a series of discriminatory views at the press conference held on 12 August 2015, which insulted the dignity of refugees and migrants. A day later, the statement was published on the website of the Municipality of Kanjiza under the name Standpoint of the Local Self-Government towards Migrants.
President of the Municipality of Kanjiza stated, among others, that “these foreigners do not possess the basic elements of common intelligence and culture…”, appealing to citizens to be ready when they are called to express their dissatisfaction. Praxis filed a complaint to the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, stating that this statement causes humiliating and insulting environment for refugees and contributes to spreading of prejudice, bigotry and intolerance. Praxis also noted that this statement has special significance since it is given by the public authority.
The Commissioner for Protection of Equality recommended to the President of the Municipality of Kanjiza to issue a public apology, not to give or publish statements which insult dignity and support prejudices against refugees and to contribute by his acting to reduction of xenophobia, racism and discrimination and increase of tolerance towards refugees. Acting upon the recommendation of the Commissioner, the President of the Municipality of Kanjiza published the apology on the website of the Municipality of Kanjiza, which reflects the efficiency of this anti-discrimination protection mechanism.
The Commissioner’s opinion is important because it reminds the public authorities that they need to be aware of the responsibility for publicly spoken word, as well as of the obligation not to incite bigotry and intolerance in society.
Emergency Protection, Shelter and Assistance for Refugees & Asylum Seekers in Serbia
In December 2015, in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, Praxis began implementing the Project “Emergency Protection, Shelter and Assistance for Refugees & Asylum Seekers in Serbia” funded by ECHO, as a response to the refugee crisis in Serbia. The project aims to provide emergency humanitarian aid and protection to vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers transiting through or seeking asylum in Serbia.
NRC and Praxis provide protection through provision of timely, accurate and reliable information to refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia relating to their legal status, registration procedure, the right to seek asylum, other rights and available services, as well as referrals to other organizations for targeted assistance. NRC and Praxis also provide protection through presence in order to better assist and respond to refugees’ needs and mitigate the risk of trafficking and smuggling. The activities within the Project also include the provision of emergency humanitarian aid through shelter assistance and distribution of food and non-food items (NFIs) to refugees transiting through, or seeking asylum in Serbia. The Project mainly focuses on the field locations along the Eastern border, primarily Dimitrovgrad, but with a possibility to include other locations depending on the needs and situation in the field.
Within the Project, NRC and Praxis also cooperate closely with all the actors in the field, including Serbian authorities and local and international organizations for the purpose of better coordination of activities and improvement of protection of refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia.
On the Eve of the World Refugee Day
Around 150 refugees arrive daily to Belgrade. Some of them continue their journey within a few hours, others decide to stay in Serbia for several days. Most come from Macedonia, a lot of them have already spent several months in Idomeni, Greece. Some still come through Bulgaria.
They usually arrive in Belgrade with smugglers, sometimes by bus or taxi, and often on foot, walking for hours through Macedonia/Bulgaria and Serbia.
Upon arrival in Belgrade, in the Asylum Centre Krnjača, they can get accommodation, food and medical help. If they express the intention to seek asylum, they can stay in Krnjača during the asylum procedure.
Among the groups coming to Belgrade, there are families with small children, single mothers with infants, the elderly and sick. Those who are particularly exposed to various risks are unaccompanied minors who often come in groups formed on route.
Their stories, life experiences and the difficulties they face are different. However, they all have one thing in common – they have all left their homes in search of a new, safe place to live.
On the eve of June 20th, the World Refugee Day, in the coming days we want to share with you who are the people we meet, what they did, what they were thinking about and who they were "before", but also to share where they go, what they hope for and what is the desired “after” for them. How similar we are and how different; how much and what we have learned about each other and from each other.
For more information, see: On the Eve of the World Refugee Day
Whom We Met
Student from Syria who applied for her last exam, and the next day found out that her faculty no longer existed.
A man from Somalia, who left his village for the first time after 60 years, and last winter, in Bulgaria, for the first time he saw snow.
Young Afghan banker, who does not want to get married, "even though it’s about time", and dreams of becoming a successful businessman.
Fourteen-year-old girl from Syria who will always remember Macedonia for having heard of a wild pig for the first time.
IT engineer from Afghanistan, who no longer plans to work as an engineer in Germany, but wants to join a humanitarian organization and help people in need.
Ten-year-old boy, who was sent by his parents on the journey with an older cousin, to arrive somewhere where "he may succeed", and when he does, he’ll bring his younger sister around, to whom he promised that he would always take care of.
...
Who do we meet?
We meet people, people like us.
People who, one day, returning from work, school, or walk, found ruins instead of their homes. And who have been making decision ever since, decisions which are life-saving or life-ending.
We met Mohammed, who has several nicknames, but his name is not Refugee.
Abdul, Zaida, Dawud, Zubauda, now all called Refugees.
We met people. In every and in no way different. People who, just like us, wonder what is right and wrong, how to educate their children, how to help a friend in need; people who are fighting for the future of their families and children. And who, at this moment, need our support.
For more information, see: Whom We Met
What and how much we have learned about each other and from each other
"Shukran" is Arabic for "thank you".
"How are you" is "kejfa haluk".
Good is "Bihair".
"La bihair" is when it is not so good.
And everything will be only "Insallah" - "if God wills".
"Taman" is Serbian "taman", “just right”, and everything is clear.
Tea is "šaj" and it’s consumed on a daily basis and with lots of sugar. Almost as if you drank sugar with some tea. If there is no sugar, there is no point in tea.
Appropriate size of trousers in Afghanistan is not measured by using “the elbow method”, but by the “the neck method". You stretch trousers around the waist, holding with fingers the two farthest ends. Then with the part which normally goes around the waist, try to circle your neck. If the ends are touching, the size is appropriate. A good choice is confirmed by the head nodding to the left and to the right, meaning approval.
Decisions are made within a group, with the approval of all present. The problems are being solved in the same manner. People who fell close or relatives often hold hands.
The most popular Pakistani musician was Nustrat-Fateh Ali Khan. Ali Khan was able to sing for hours without stopping, and with the first beats of his music people from Pakistan gather instantly. And so the conversation turns into a group dance.
And the dance turns into a laughter; into conversations about the meaning of different names and words, and the best culinary recipes. Several bagels, biscuits and sardines turn into a festive lunch, and one Belgrade park turns into a place, where at least for a moment, despite all the hardships that brought us together, all becomes tamam and all is bihair. For those moments we are grateful to each other.
To those moments - shukran!
On the Occasion of the World Refugee Day
June 20, World Refugee Day, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.
Today we want to remind you that, as we speak, violence continues to force hundreds of families to flee each day and yet there are very few safe channels that people can take to reach protection and safety. With Europe’s land borders sealed, people are forced into the hands of smugglers and into overcrowded boats on the Mediterranean and Aegean seas.
We want to remind you that these people are people like you and me, who had no choice, but to flee and leave everything behind, in search for a better life. And as they have no other choice, they will continue to risk their lives, exposing themselves to smugglers and all sorts of risks as long as there are no safe alternatives.
Thus today, we urge those in power to urgently provide functional legal avenues allowing refugees to reach Europe safely and move through the legal migration pathways. And we invite you, our friends, colleagues and coworkers, to join us and continue to raise your voices for Safe Passage and urgent protection of refugees, of people like you and me, who, at this moment, need our support!
For more information, see: On the Occasion of the World Refugee Day
Praxis Conducted Research on Access to Socio-economic Rights for Roma Women in Serbia
Praxis has conducted research aimed at providing information on access to socio-economic rights for Roma women, and the position of women compared to men in the Roma community. The research has been prepared as part of the project entitled Legal Aid and Advocacy – Access to Rights and Combating Discrimination against the Roma, implemented by Praxis, in cooperation with the Civil Rights Defenders and with the financial support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The research was conducted I the period from February to August 2015. A total of 100 Roma women and 100 Roma men were interviewed in ten municipalities in southern Serbia: Aleksinac, Prokuplje, Bojnik, Bor, Kuršumlija, Lebane, Leskovac, Bela Palanka, Kruševac and Knjaževac.
The average age of male and female respondents was 37 years, and 78% of them were either married or lived in a common-law marriage. The average age for concluding the first marriage or entering a common-law marriage varies significantly between women and men. The surveyed Roma women experience their first marriage or common-law marriage as early as at the age of 14.7 years on average, but it should be noted that the youngest female respondents who entered the marriage or common-law marriage were 13 years old and such was the case in four of ten municipalities.
The research results show that 79% of Roma women possess health booklets, only 40% exercise the right to social protection, 35% earn income by doing seasonal jobs, while only 30% of interviewed Roma women finished primary school. As for living conditions, 92% of interviewed Roma women confirmed that they lived in dilapidated facilities made of brick, while 45% live in the facilities that are not connected to the sewage network.
For more information, see: Praxis Conducted Research on Access to Socio-economic Rights for Roma Women in Serbia
Praxis Conducted Analysis of the Situation of Gender Equality in Smederevo
Praxis has conducted the analysis of the situation of gender equality in Smederevo within the project “Sexual and Gender Based Violence – Activities in Serbia”, which aimed to prevent and combat gender based violence in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, and was funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The goals of the analysis were presenting gender specific positions and roles the citizens of Smederevo play in the area of public and private life, determining the attitudes of male and female citizens of Smederevo towards gender roles, and the level of general knowledge they have about gender equality policies, both at the national and the local level; conducting a gender analysis of local policies in the City of Smederevo in the area of improvement of the position of refugees and internally displaced persons, Roma, youth, social protection, employment and improvement of the position of persons with disabilities; defining the recommendations for development of the active policy of equal opportunities for men and women in all areas of social life and achievement of gender equality in all areas of public and private life at the level of the City of Smederevo.
The analysis also provides the recommendations which, in addition to the monitoring of the current legal regulations in the area of gender equality, refer also to promotion of positive and non-stereotypical image of women and men in the media, development of programs of support to self-employment of women and educational programmes on the protection of general health of women, with an emphasis of the reproductive health, improvement of the protection of women survivors of domestic violence, promotion of the role of men and boys in achieving gender equality, as well as the affirmation of the use of gender sensitive language in legal and political act of competent institutions.
For more information, see: Praxis Conducted Analysis of the Situation of Gender Equality in Smederevo
Deficiencies of the Proposal of Law on Equality of Women and Men
Praxis supports the adoption of the Proposal of the Law on Equality of Women and Men at the session held on 2 February 2016 by the Government of the Republic of Serbia.
However, we suggest the legislator should consider the solution proposed by the Article 13, Paragraph 1, Item 2, which establishes the obligation of the public authorities performing the works in the area of health and social protection to “organize and implement programmes for overcoming the problems of early pregnancies and intimate cohabitation where at least one person is younger than 16 years of age”.
Specifically, the proposed solution is disputable both in terms of terminology and concept. By opting for the terms “early pregnancy” and “intimate cohabitation” and by setting the age limit below 16 years of age, the Republic of Serbia, deviates, to some extent, from the ratified international standards and undermines the internal consistency of the legal and political framework of the regulation of all specific life situations. Therefore, in order to comply with the defined international standards and ensuring of uniformity and consistency in the internal legal order, it would be advisable to replace the proposed terms "early pregnancy" and "intimate cohabitation" by the terms "teen pregnancy" and "early and child marriages" and set the age of their defining at 18 years. In addition, it would be advisable within the considered Article 13 to add a new paragraph that would explicitly indicate that culture, customs, religion, tradition or so-called “honour” could not be considered as justification of these practices.
Also, we express concern over the failure of the submitter of the motion in the Article 26, Item 2, to recognize women and men of different sexual orientation and gender identity as especially vulnerable categories of survivors of domestic violence.
For more information, see: Praxis Points at Deficiencies of the Proposal of Law on Equality of Women and Men
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