ROUNDTABLE ON CULTURAL NEEDS OF YOUTH IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF PRESEVO, BUJANOVAC AND MEDVEDJA HELD AT THE BELGRADE-BASED MEDIA CENTER

Belgrade - The "Center for Democracy and Development of South Serbia" NGO from Leskovac organized a roundtable on cultural needs of young people from the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja at the Media Center in Belgrade. The project is, through the European Progress program, funded by the European Union and the Governments of Switzerland and the Republic of Serbia.  The roundtable was attended by representatives of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, the Ministry of Education, the European Progress program, the local self- governments and civil society, while it was presided over by Ljiljana Stojanovic, a journalist.  

Zoran Stankovic, President of the Coordination Body, said that the Coordination Body allocated from its budget funds to the local self-governments, and that it was up to them how and on which projects they would spend them. 

Speaking of the recognition of university diplomas, which was discussed a great deal,  he said that university diplomas obtained in other parts of Serbia were not recognized in the area of Kosovo and Metohija and vice versa. According to him, in accordance with the guidelines prepared in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the recognition of university diplomas was conditioned by the establishment of an intermediary body.

Mr. Stankovic said that upon visiting schools in the region, one could notice very talented children for various fields of culture.

According to Mr. Stankovic, one could find information in the media that did not correspond to the truth, such as newspaper titles that one could not enter Veliki Trnovac, although "people function smoothly there."

“Veliki Trnovac has got a football club that competes in one of the leagues with the Army football club and cheering for the football clubs has always been fair at that place,” Mr. Stankovic said.

Mr. Stankovic said that the Coordination Body tried to organize the Bekim Fehmiu Days event in Bujanovac, and also provided movies in Albanian.  He said it was difficult to talk of culture when someone from the Bujanovac community center had thrown the "Kolo" folk ensemble, as well as all its costumes and equipment, out of it.

Rahim Salihi, Chief of Staff of the Bujanovac Mayor’s Office, said that numerous non-governmental organizations from that area were supported from the municipal budget, but that there were no NGOs that would deal exclusively with the needs of youth.  According to him, non-governmental organizations should show more courage and apply for funds at both national and international levels.

Boban Pavlovic, Deputy Mayor of Bujanovac, said that the biggest problem of young people in those municipalities was unemployment and that the main goal was to keep them, since the economic migration was vast.

Mentor Zejnulahu, Head of the Youth Office in Presevo, pointed to the problem of the language barrier, noting that young Albanians in Presevo did not speak Serbian, but many of them wished to learn it.  According to him, there was a desire for a joint voluntary work, but neither Albanians, nor Serbs and Roma had any initiatives for it. 

Rahim Kosumi, a representative of the young from the municipality of Medvedja, also emphasized the issue of youth unemployment, and stressed that, when there was a cultural event, everyone was present - Serbs, Albanians and Roma.

Marko Vujacic said that the activities of the European Progress program, the Program Manager of which he was, encouraged entrepreneurial activity and self-employment for the purpose of reducing unemployment. Speaking of cultural programs, he said that there was the need for new facilities and equipment, which were often inadequate, adding that cultural workers should be given the opportunity to undergo professional training.

Source: “Beta” news agency, “FoNet” news agency and Coordination Body