POLITICAL PARTIES DIVIDE CITIZENS

Novi Pazar, November 3-7, 2006

12/08/2006

The 35th in the series of “Schools of Democracy”

The project “Building up Democracy and Good Governance in Multiethnic Communities,” realized thanks to the support of the European Commission – Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights

From 20 to 30 trainees daily attended the third school of democracy the Novi Pazar branch office of the project organized in 2006.

Prof. Aida Kozar’s opening lecture titled “Reconciliation Process” provided detailed explanation of human rights violations during the wars in the territory of ex-Yugoslavia. Prof. Kozar underlined the significant role of art and culture in the process of reconciliation. “Mirjana Karanovic, actress from Serbia, who played the leading role in the movie ‘Grbavica’ probably best testified of it,” said Aida Kozar. In her view, the process of reconciliation should focus specific target groups, young ones in particular.

Next day, Prof. Bisera Spasovic spoke about corruption. Over the ensuing discussion the trainees quoted numerous examples of corruption in their surroundings. Corruption and protection are widespread in Novi Pazar elementary and secondary schools, they said. They examined all possible avenues for overcoming the problem and tried to decide the extent to which students’ parliaments could be helpful.

Almir Mehonic, head of the Office of the Mayor of Prijepolje, produced positive examples of political dialogue in this Sandzak municipality. By comparison with Novi Pazar, Sjenica and Tutin where inter-party dialogues are impossible for the time being, activists of different political parties in Prijepolje socialize and even sit together in electoral headquarters, he said. Political parties in the three said municipalities have divided even citizens. By contrast, the opposition often seconds the majority’s motions in the local parliament in Prijepolje. The trainees agreed that the consequences of political vulgarism in Novi Pazar have reached dangerous proportions.

Ljiljana Palibrk, coordinator of the project’s Kragujevac branch office, spoke about the origins of stereotypes, manipulation of stereotypes under various circumstances and, most importantly, the ways to overcome them.

“The Governmental office for Serbia’s Association to EU is much concerned with education. Most important of all is to educate young people as they will be those to benefit from our country’s membership of the European Union this day or other,” said Nebojsa Lazarevic of the Office, underlying the significance of schools of democracy. Lazarevic also spoke about the stumbling blocks in the way of Serbia’s association with the EU. As it turned out, the trainees had been informed about the subject solely by the media. Therefore, Lazarevic’s lecture not only captured their attention, but also considerably helped them to overcome the bias against the EU, either deliberately or unintentionally created by the media themselves...

Young trainees – Serbs and Bosniaks alike – agreed that “schools of democracy” encouraged tolerance and overcoming of stereotypes in multiethnic communities, as well as impart information about institutions and basic postulates of a modern democracy.

Semir Sacirovic, student of the Novi Pazar Gymnasium, says the course helped him much to overcome some stereotypes and to understand basic notions of democracy. “This is why I’ve regularly attended all the schools. And I shall only be glad to continue partaking is such or similar courses,” he says.

A major result of the schools organized by the Novi Pazar branch office was the establishment of the Students’ Parliament in the local Medical School.

The Regional RTV and the Radio 100 Plus regularly carried stories about the school.

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