Praxis
Praxis Held Conference "Contributing to Public Administration Reform in Kraljevo"
On 29 March 2018, Praxis held a conference to present the results of the project Contributing to Public Administration Reform in Kraljevo, within the framework of the Western Balkans Enabling Project for Civil Society Monitoring of Public Administration Reform (WeBER), financed by the European Union and co-financed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The conference was attended by representatives of local administrative bodies, civil society organisations and the media.
Marija Dražović from Praxis presented the project activities implemented in the period 1 June 2017 - 31 March 2018 and aimed at achieving the transparency of data on public administration reform at the local level, improving the service role of local administrative bodies and public awareness about it, improving the mechanisms of cooperation of the local self-government with citizens and civil society organisations and contributing to better embed the principles of public administration in local decisions and manner of providing services.
For more information, see the announcement here.
Praxis Published a Report "Contributing to Public Administration Reform in Kraljevo"
The report Contributing to Public Administration Reform in Kraljevo was prepared as the result of the research conducted by Praxis within the project "Contributing to public administration reform in Kraljevo" in the period from 1 June 2017 - 31 March 2018, as part of the project Western Balkans Enabling Project for Civil Society Monitoring of Public Administration Reform (WeBER), financed by the European Union and co-financed by the Kingdom of Netherlands.
Based on the conducted research of the transparency of local self-government and the efficiency of local administrative bodies in Kraljevo, as well as monitoring of the application of the Law on General Administrative Procedure, Praxis has established that there is a significant space for improving the work of local administrative bodies in all areas.
Download the report here.
Expert Meeting on Improving access to Civil Registration and Identity Documents for Roma in Ukraine
Ivanka Kostic, Praxis Executive Director, took part in the Expert meeting on Improving access to Civil Registration and Identity Documents for Roma in Ukraine that was organized by ODIHR in co-operation with the State Migration Service of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Ukraine.
Ivanka presented Serbia’s significant improvements relating to birth registration, statelessness, residence registration and access to identity documents following 10 years of intensive advocacy by Praxis, UNHCR and other CSOs and international agencies. She also shared Praxis’ experience in its active participation in the Technical Working Group (established by the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-government, UNHCR and the Ombudsperson institution) and its close cooperation with the relevant government institutions in the Technical Working Group on individual cases, but also on problems and gaps in the implementation of the newly adopted regulations. Through the Technical Working Group, Praxis also advocated for changes and documented the remaining systemic gap relating to birth registration of children of undocumented parents, immediately after birth.
The expert meeting built on the recommendations of the 2017 Odessa Declaration, developed to overcome obstacles in access to civil registration and identity documents by Roma in Ukraine. The participants discussed the possibility of establishing a joint technical working group of state and non-state stakeholders to co-ordinate efforts in addressing the issue.
The participants expressed their belief that the meeting was a significant step towards addressing the lack of personal documents among Roma in Ukraine.
Children Without Identity for One Year
After one year, administrative procedures of subsequent birth registration for three children have finally been solved in their favour before the Registry Office in Kraljevo.
Due to unlawful conduct and non-compliance with the rules of procedure, the competent authority unjustifiably rejected the requests three times, which is why the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government adopted complaints and returned the cases for repeated procedure each time. Among other things, the competent authority rejected the requests considering them contrary to the Constitution because the submitted documents were not written in Cyrillic but in Latin script. It also considered that the Praxis’ activities of informing and advising the party were unconstitutional. The competent authority has failed to take care that illiteracy and ignorance of the party to the procedure should not prejudice the rights to which the party is entitled, which is an obligation of the authority conducting the administrative procedure that must be fulfilled ex officio. On the contrary, the authority abused its position and powers and used the illiteracy and ignorance of the submitter of request to her detriment, preventing her from exercising her statutory rights.
Thus, the competent authority has repeatedly requested from the submitter of request, a Roma woman who cannot speak Serbian, to provide the services of an interpreter, although the authority conducting the procedure has that obligation pursuant to the Law on the Official Use of Languages and Scripts. Considering that the Registry Office in Kraljevo had committed discrimination, denying the submitter of request the participation in the procedure due to lack of knowledge of the language, Praxis filed a complaint with the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, and the decision is pending.
After initiating a procedure for determining discrimination, requests for birth registration of three children were granted. It is paradoxical that this was done on the basis of the same evidence and statements of the same witnesses submitted at the time of the initiation of procedure.
The Registry Office in Kraljevo did not apply the statutory measures to facilitate the participation of members of vulnerable groups in the procedure, but by ignoring these affirmative measures, rendered their position and participation in the procedure even more difficult. Particularly disconcerting is the fact that such conduct occurred in the case where this authority was deciding on the children’s right to be recognised as persons before the law, which is completely contrary to the basic principle that everyone must be guided by the best interests of the child.
Children Without Identity for One Year
After one year, administrative procedures of subsequent birth registration for three children have finally been solved in their favour before the Registry Office in Kraljevo.
Due to unlawful conduct and non-compliance with the rules of procedure, the competent authority unjustifiably rejected the requests three times, which is why the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government adopted complaints and returned the cases for repeated procedure each time. Among other things, the competent authority rejected the requests considering them contrary to the Constitution because the submitted documents were not written in Cyrillic but in Latin script. It also considered that the Praxis’ activities of informing and advising the party were unconstitutional. The competent authority has failed to take care that illiteracy and ignorance of the party to the procedure should not prejudice the rights to which the party is entitled, which is an obligation of the authority conducting the administrative procedure that must be fulfilled ex officio. On the contrary, the authority abused its position and powers and used the illiteracy and ignorance of the submitter of request to her detriment, preventing her from exercising her statutory rights.
Thus, the competent authority has repeatedly requested from the submitter of request, a Roma woman who cannot speak Serbian, to provide the services of an interpreter, although the authority conducting the procedure has that obligation pursuant to the Law on the Official Use of Languages and Scripts. Considering that the Registry Office in Kraljevo had committed discrimination, denying the submitter of request the participation in the procedure due to lack of knowledge of the language, Praxis filed a complaint with the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, and the decision is pending.
After initiating a procedure for determining discrimination, requests for birth registration of three children were granted. It is paradoxical that this was done on the basis of the same evidence and statements of the same witnesses submitted at the time of the initiation of procedure.
The Registry Office in Kraljevo did not apply the statutory measures to facilitate the participation of members of vulnerable groups in the procedure, but by ignoring these affirmative measures, rendered their position and participation in the procedure even more difficult. Particularly disconcerting is the fact that such conduct occurred in the case where this authority was deciding on the children’s right to be recognised as persons before the law, which is completely contrary to the basic principle that everyone must be guided by the best interests of the child.
Non-Governmental Organisations Request the Government of the Republic of Serbia to Urgently Suspend the Implementation of the Decree on Measures of Social Inclusion of Beneficiaries of Cash Social Assistance
The Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights, the Autonomous Women's Centre and the Regional Center for Minorities have submitted to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Serbia the Initiative for Assessing the Constitutionality of the Decree on Measures of Social Inclusion of Beneficiaries of Cash Social Assistance.
Certain articles of this Decree contravene the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, the Law on Social Protection, as well as the provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the provisions of the Revised European Social Charter.
Believing that the implementation of the Decree will lead to a deeply unfair, illegal and discriminatory treatment of the most vulnerable and poorest citizens, the undersigned organisations demand that the disputed articles* of the Decree be abolished and that its full implementation be suspended until a decision is rendered by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Serbia.
Poverty is not a choice of any citizen, nor is it a consequence of someone's laziness, but reflects the inability of the state to provide equal opportunities for all its citizens. By adopting the disputed Decree, the state has shown a clear lack of understanding of the purpose and essence of the concept of social inclusion. Instead of actively contributing to improving the quality of life of poor people through affirmative action, the state, through the provisions of this Decree, further punishes them, threatening to deny the right to already insufficient social assistance. The implementation of the Decree will cause discriminatory treatment of the poorest, since it does not affect any other category of working age population. Since, under current laws, community service is recognised only in criminal law, it seems that the poorest need to be given some kind of punishment/sanction for being poor.
The organisations believe that the Decree is deeply unfair because it targets those who have the least power in society: families with many children, single mothers, the unemployed without property, the elderly and persons with disability, Roma and others. The Decree places all these categories of population in a disadvantaged position, even compared to persons sentenced to imprisonment, who have employment rights (right to remuneration and reward, right to protection at work and rest) for their work while in prison.
Above all, working age beneficiaries of cash social assistance, because of their poverty, will not be able to protect their rights in the event of discrimination, labour exploitation or other violations of rights resulting from the application of this Decree.
Therefore, the undersigned civil society organisations appeal to the Government of the Republic of Serbia to repeal the Decree or to postpone its implementation until the Constitutional Court's final decision on the assessment of constitutionality and legality.
* Article 2, paragraph 2, point 5, Article 4, paragraph 1, point 1, Article 9, paragraph 1, point 3
The request is supported by:
1.Praxis, Belgrade
2.Reconstruction Women's Fund, Belgrade
3.Voice of Difference, Belgrade
4.Women in Black, Belgrade
5.Labris, Belgrade
6.Association of Roma Novi Bečej
7.Women of South, Pirot
8.SOS Women's Center, Novi Sad
9.Women's Support Centre, Kikinda
10....Iz kruga – Vojvodina
11.Roma Information Centre, Kragujevac
12.Cultural Center DamaD, Novi Pazar
13.Centre Living Upright, Novi Sad
14.Centre for Girls - Niš
15.Women’s Space, Niš
16.ASTRA, Belgrade
17.Women's Forum, Prijepolje
18.Association of Women Sandglass, Kruševac
19.Gender Equality Institute, Novi Sad
20.Centre for Youth Integration, Belgrade
21.Alternative Centre for Girls, Kruševac
22.Association of Roma Women Osvit, Niš
23.Victimology Society of Serbia
24.CHRIS - Network of the Committees for Human Rights in Serbia
25.Sandžak Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, Novi Pazar
26.SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence, Vlasotince
27.Citizen Association Together Together, Belgrade
28.Committee for Human Rights - SOS Hotline Vranje
29....Iz kruga – Belgrade
30.Association Požega, Požega
31.Association of Refugees from the Republic of Croatia
32.Women's Peace Group, Pančevo
33.Roma Children's Centre, Belgrade
34.Centre for Margin, Belgrade
35.Women’s Studies Centre, Belgrade
36.ALTERO - Association for Personal Training, Education, Development and Empowerment
37.Women's Centre, Užice
38.Women's European Lobby Network Serbia
39.European Anti-Poverty Network - Serbia
40.Public Policy Research Center, Belgrade
41.MODS - Network of Organisations for Children of Serbia
42.Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies, Belgrade
43.Humanitarian Law Centre, Belgrade
44.Urban-In, Novi Pazar
45.Sandžak Committee for Human Rights, Novi Pazar
46.Safe Pulse of Youth - SPY, Belgrade
47. Children Center Little Prince, Belgrade
48.Trag Foundation, Belgrade
49.Democratic Transition Initiative, Belgrade
50.Roma Youth Centre, Požega
51.Youth Forum for Education of Roma, Bujanovac
52.Victimology Society of Serbia, Belgrade
53.Civil Society Development Centre, Belgrade
54.Initiative for Inclusion VelikiMali, Pančevo
55.Centre for Development of Civil Resources, Niš
56.YUROM Centre, Niš
57.Centre for Independent Living of PWD of Serbia, Belgrade
NGO Praxis' Contribution to the European Commission's Serbia 2019 Annual Report
Field Activities 2019
Praxis' legal mobile team visited the following:
September
- 13 September - Roma settlements in resnik, Cukarica and Zvezdara
- 12 September - Roma settlements "Karadjordjeva ulica" and "Stari Kostolac", Kostolac
- 9 September - Roma settlements "Vozegnci" and "Cerkes mala", Novi Pazar
August
- 30 August - Roma settlements "Reva" and "Deponija", Palilula
- 29 August - Roma settlement "veliki rit", Novi Sad
- 29 August - Roma settlements "Jablanicka ulica" in Lebane and "Omladinska ulica" in Medvedja
- 27 August - Roma settlement "Cukaricka suma", Cukarica
- 16 August - Roma settlements in Miroslava Antica Street, Vojvode Knicanina street and Laze Kostica Street i Djurdjevo, and Petra Kocica Street and Roma settlement "Plekano naselje" in Zablje
- 12 August - Roma settlements "Dudara" and "Surducka ulica", Zrenjanin
- 1 August - Roma settlements in Bavaniste, Dubovac, Oresac, Zagajica and Vladimirovci, Municipalities of Vrsac and Kovin
- 1 August - Roma settlements "Dalas" in Tutin and "Kucavski lug" in Raska
July
- 30 July - Roma settlements in Zemun polje and Kotez
- 26 July - Roma settlement "Dubrava", Lajkovac
- 25 July - Roma settlements in Vozdovac and Batajnica
- 24 July - Roma settlements in Zemun and Batajnica
- 18 July - Roma settlements in Cukarica, Sremcica, Resnik and Karaburma
- 17 July - Roma settlements in Batajnica, Borca and Zemun
- 11 July - Roma settlement "Mali krivak", Smederevo
- 9 July - Roma settlement "Dubovo", "Recica" and "Samarinovac", Zitoradja
- 9 July - Roma settlements in Admirala Vukovica Street, Vojvode Stepe Street, Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra Street, and Kornetska Street
- 3 July - Roma settlement "Cukaricka suma" and Roma settlements in Resnik and Rakovica, Cukarica
- 2 July - Roma settlements "Stubal" and "Lepenica" in Vladičin Han and "Masurica" in Surdulica
June
- 25 June - Roma settlements "Zitni potok" and "Dragi deo", Prokuplje
- 21 June - Roma settlement "Reva", Palilula
- 20 June - Roma settlements in Zagajica nad Plandiste, Vrsac
- 19 June - Roma settlements "Cukaricka suma", OMV pumpa" and container settlements in Resnik and Makis, Cukarica
- 18 June - Roma settlements "Jablanicka uliva" in Lebane and "Vlase" in Leskovac
- 18 June - Roma settlements "Kajmakcalanska ulica" and "Kolonija", Smederevska Palanka
- 11 June - Roma settlements "Reva" and "Reva politika" and Roma settlements in Krnjaca, Palilula
- 7 June - Roma settlements "Slavnik" and "Gornji Brestovac", Bojnik
- 6 June - Roma settlements "Deponija" and "Mirijevsko brdo", Palilula
May
- 28 May - Roma settlements "Kanal" and "Pionirska", Kostolac
- 24 May - Roma settlements in Backi Monostor, Sombor
- 23 May - Roma settlements in Mislodjin and Brace Jugovica Street, Obrenovac
- 22 May - Roma settlement "Mali bedem" and Roma settlements in Mokrin, Kikinda
- 13 May - Roma settlements "Donje brijanje", "Medja" and "Turekovac", Leskovac
- 10 May - Roma settlement "Borici", Tutin
- 9 May - Roma settlements in Zemun and Batajnica
- 6 May - Roma settlements "Pridvorice" and "Selevac", Smederevska Palanka
April
- 24 April - Roma settlements in Tovarisevo and Selanci, Backa Palanka
- 23 April - Roma settlements "17. februar" and "Magas", Bojnik
- 18 April - Roma settlements "Zitni potok" and "Mala guba", Prokuplje
- 18 April - Roma settlements "Cukaricka suma", "OMV pumpa", Municipality of Cukarica and Roma settlements in Zeleznik, Medakovic and Marinkova bara
- 11 April - Roma settlements "Citluk", "Panjevac" and "Dedina", Krusevac
- 10 April - Roma settlements "Banjska ulica" and "Miodrag Nojkovic Cale", Bujanovac
- 9 April - Roma settlement "Veliki rit", Novi Sad
- 8 April - Roma settlements in Zemun, Borca and Krnjaca
- 5 April - Roma settlements "Mirijevsko brdo", "Mali Leskovac" and "Deponija", Palilula
March
- 26 March - Roma settlements "Beograd mala" and "Stocni trg", Nis
- 25 March - Roma setlements "Bagremar", "Pionirska" and "Kanal", Kostolac
- 21 March - Roma settlement "Fekovica brdo", Sjenica
- 20 March - Roma settlements "Mirijevsko brdo", "Mali Leskovac", Palilula
- 18 March - Roma settlements in Borca, Zemun and Novi Beograd
- 15 March - Roma settlements "Barake Kotex" and "Lepenicka ulica", Kragujevac
- 14 March - Roma settlements in Bavaniste and Dubovac, Kovin
- 13 March - Container settlements "Makis II" and beneficiraies in Rakovica, Miljakovac and Palilula
- 5 March - Roma settlement "Ciganski rid", Vranje
- 4 March - Roma settlements "Blok Sutjeska" and Branka Monirova Street and Grgetecka Street, Palilula
February
- 28 February - Roma settlement "Plavi horizont" in Zemun, and Roma settlements "Tosin bunar" and "Staro sajmiste" in Novi Beograd, and Roma settlements in Marinkova bara and Veliki Mokri Lug
- 27 February - Roma settlements "Prcilovica" and "Donji Ljubes", Aleksinac
- 26 February - Roma settlement "Veliki rit", Novi Sad
- 21 February - Roma settlement "Vozegrnci", Novi Pazar
- 20 February - Roma settlement "Deponija", Municipality of Palilula and meetings with beneficiaries in front of SWC Palilula and SWC Zvezdara
- 19 February - Roma settlement "Plavi horizonti" and social apartments in Akrobate Aleksica Street, Zemun, and "Vojni pout block 1" in Zemun and Mileva Maric Anstajn Street, Novi Beograd
Praxis u emisiji "Liceulice FM" na Radio Aparatu
Vuk Raičević, koordinator Program za antidiskriminaciju i rodnu ravnopravnost, i Jelena Petrović, koordinatorka Programa za prava deteta, bili su gosti u ekskluzivnoj i jubilarnoj emisiji "Liceulice FM" na Radio Aparatu. Tom prilikom, govorili su o dečjim, ranim i prinudnim brakovima, segregisanim školama, višestrukoj diskriminaciji, nevidljivosti osoba sa invaliditetom i drugim oblicima diskriminacije Romkinja i Roma.
Poslušajte emisiju ovde.
Praxis at the Annual Assembly Meeting of MODS
Taken from MODS' website
The Annual Assembly Meeting of the Network of Organisations for Children of Serbia (MODS) was held in Kragujevac on 16 and 17 November 2018. This was another opportunity for the members of the Network to meet, consider and adopt proposals relevant to the MODS's work and to admit new members.
MODS has a new member of the Supervisory Board
The MODS Assembly also elected a new member of the Supervisory Board. The Assembly unanimously elected Nataša Raičević, Programme Director of the Center for Social Preventive Activities GRiG, a new member of the Supervisory Board. The members of the Supervisory Board are now: Radomir Jevtić (A Step Forward, Kruševac), Ana Jovanović (Center for Creative Development Knjaževac) and Nataša Raičević (GRiG, Belgrade).
One of agenda items was voting for the admission of new organisations into the Network. A total of five organisations presented themselves to the Assembly, after which the Assembly unanimously decided to admit all of them into its membership. Presently, MODS has 101 member organisations.
Five new MODS members are:
• Psychosocial Innovation Network (PIN), Belgrade
• NGO Sovice, Belgrade
• Education Development Center “Planet”, Sombor
• Healthy Lifestyle Workshop, Belgrade
• Music Art Project, Belgrade
New governing acts adopted by the Assembly
The Assembly then voted on adopting new governing acts of MODS, which had been drafted at the proposal of the Steering Committee. After a brief discussion and with some amendments, the Assembly unanimously adopted.
- Act on Detailed Requirements and Procedures for Admission to Membership, Exclusion from Membership and the Rights and Obligations of MODS Members;
- MODS Guidelines for Child Protection.
Part of the Assembly Meeting dedicated to furthering the work of MODS
An important pillar of MODS action is to develop the capacity of organisations to improve the situation of children and strengthen mutual cooperation. Therefore, holding the Assembly Meeting was also recognised as an opportunity to open a discussion on possibilities for further improvement of the Network's work. The second day of the Assembly Meeting was dedicated to discussions on the ways to improve the MODS activities, so that participants had the opportunity to give their comments and suggestions within the working groups.
The Assembly discussed, among other things, the ways in which MODS could further enhance its capacities and increase the visibility of the work of organisations. There were also some new suggestions that MODS would seek to implement in its work.
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