PIGEON

Dear Reader,

We are delighted to present to you the second edition of „ПИГEOH”. What was this month for „ПИГEOH” in a nutshell? Well, we are still in the process of changes, chaotic minds…in the circulation of ideas. Creating. Developing. Sharing. Growing.Different people bring different views. The time of movement…always it is new, thrilling but in the same time exciting. Mobility. This month we want to talk about it. What is mobility in Novi Sad? How is Volonterski centar Vojvodine connected with mobility? What does mobility mean to you and to your life? We - Philip, Aurelija, Izabela, Valerie, Aleksandra, Dragan and this month’s guest - Charlotte - present different forms of mobility and develop this topic in different dimensions:To express various views, we are excited to present to you a new chapter – Philozofija - in „ПИГEOH”. It will represent a critical and academic view from our English EVS volunteer, and politics Masters graduate Philip Pajevic. Valerie and Izabela in their articles discuss voluntarism as a way of mobility including the benefits for local and international communities. Aleksandra will share her personal experience in workcamps, Aurelija develops the idea of mobility in professional and personal level and Dragan gives the different view of mobility based on couch surfing and hospitality.We choose different ways of mobility.Find yours.

Aurelija Rimkute„ПИГEOH”, chief editor.

2 ПИГЕОН 2012 March

EDITORIAL

The cover page is made by Gabriela Sigeti

Editors

Nataša ŠaruStefan Janjić

Writers

Aleksandra VlaisavljevićAurelija RimkutėCharlotte SallDragan TasicIzabela GiczewskaMilica Milović

Philip PajevićValerie Weidinger

Design & Photos

Aurelija RimkutėJovana Amidžić

Production & Coordination

Aurelija Rimkutė

Contact

Volonterski centar VojvodineNjegoševa 3, 21000 Novi Sadtel/fax: +381 21 528644,mob. tel. +381 63 11 828 [email protected] office’s working hours 10 - 14 h

ПИГЕОН 2012 March 3

SADRŽAJ/content

ПИГEOH team

4....American Volunteer In Serbia - My Time At Vcv

7....EVS Mi Odgovara

9....No Borders For Peace

12....Moj Prvi Kamp

14....Philozofija

16....meet your neighbour, Meet The Roma

17....Surfovanje na krevetu

18....I Love To Study Abroad

I distinctly remember walking into Volonterski Centar Vojvodina for the first time on a pleasant September day and wondering what would become of my time at VCV. The office is a colorful and energized space that invites volunteers to make big ideas happen with little to no budget. And, from September through December, I learned to do just that. VCV has exposed me to so much more than just the non-profit sector in Serbia. I’ve taught English classes, worked in an international team, planned

city-wide events, and—above all—learned about Serbian culture.

My name is Charlotte Sall and I was born and raised in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. Before starting my education at Princeton University, I elected to go on a university-funded gap year called the Bridge Year Program and to come to Serbia and volunteer for nine months. The Bridge Year Program (www.

princeton.edu/bridgeyear) is designed for roughly 20 students per year to take a break from the standard academic environment and live, volunteer, and learn in one of four countries – Ghana, India, Peru, or Serbia. Beginning in September 2012, new program sites will open in China and Senegal and only the current programs in India and Peru will continue. Even though I will be the last Princeton student (for the time being) to volunteer at VCV, I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity that Bridge

Year provided for me. VCV is a wonderful organization that taught me a lot about Serbia, non-profit work, and me.

For the five of us here in Serbia, the program is broken up into semesters – the first spent in Novi Sad working with NGOs and the second in Nis working with Roma organizations. We take Serbian language classes and live with Serbian families in each

city. On top of the cultural immersion, the program has really helped our group to come together as a family. Even though we have different backgrounds and interests, we have grown to be dependent on one another and, as a result, have formed our own little Bridge Year family. The coordinator of our program, Svetlana Kijevcanin, makes all the magic happen. Although based in Belgrade, Ceca moves to Novi Sad and then to Nis to be with us – running weekly meetings, visiting us in our host families and at our organizations, making us costumes for Halloween and special slippers for when we visit her apartment, among a million other things.

“I think that this program is very important,” Ceca says, “because it helps Serbian youth to experience a real presence of some American peers which, for many years and due to various reasons, wasn’t always possible here. That’s why this program and other


AMERICAN VOLUNTEER IN SERBIA - MY TIME AT

VCV

“We have different backgrounds and interests, we have grown to be dependent on one another

and, as a result, have formed our own little Bridge Year family”

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programs that build bridges between countries are so important – they serve as a reality check for youth who sometimes idealize foreign

opportunities based on limited resources like movies and TV shows. Without this real contact with American teens, our local youth’s impression of America is based on stereotypes”.

“It’s not a black and white world where happiness is out there beyond Serbian reach,” Ceca emphasizes. “Maybe by meeting some American peers, our youth can see that happiness is attainable wherever you are.”

For the American volunteers, too, this experience is totally worthwhile. “The experience helps to redefine or better understand the concept of volunteerism,” Ceca explains, “Serbia definitely offers a different type of service work than the other sites. The service here is at the same time challenging and rewarding for the students. They aren’t only building roofs and feeding the hungry, but also participating in subtle societal changes in terms of creating new patterns of democracy and being a part of Serbia as it develops.

Our country is creating its national identity and trying to find its place in the world, and these Princeton

students get to be a part of that.”

Through my volunteer work at Volonterski Centar Vojvodina, I was able to breathe the

world that Ceca explained. My idea of volunteerism changed, I combatted certain American stereotypes, and I

learned so much about this country and its people.

The first role that I assumed back in September was that of a workshopper. I planned my first English Conversation Class and was overwhelmed when 20 people crowded into the workspace eager to practice the language. While I knew that VCV provided opportunities for Serbian youth, I didn’t realize that “youth” here meant ages 18

to 30. Acknowledging


“Without this real contact with American teens, our local youth’s impression of America is based on

stereotypes”


that I was the youngest

in the room, I quickly threw aside my embarrassingly over-worked outline (it literally detailed every word

that I should say for the entire 90 minute class) and engaged in the group rather than the four page document I had prepared. That was my first powerful learning moment: sometimes you have to throw aside the plan and go with your intuition.

For the whole month of November, however, the main project that I worked on was the planning of a city-wide event to celebrate

International Volunteer Day (December 5th). During the process, I worked closely with three other international volunteers from Great Britain, Lithuania, and

Poland in addition to incredible Serbian locals. For December 5th, we launched an international Facebook campaign asking our friends (in

over 30 different languages) to “be the change they want to see in the world.” We also organized the first ever flashmob to take the streets of Novi Sad as an advertising tool for the fair we held on December 5th. Planning International Volunteer Day in an international team was definitely fitting, and we were all satisfied with the energy and excitement that resulted from our hard work.

VCV is an incredible organization full of inspiring people who are impacting youth culture in Novi Sad day by day. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to volunteer there and to see and be a part of the big changes that a small NGO can make.

With six months already behind me, I only have three more before returning to the states and resuming some kind of normalcy, if you could call it that. My international journey has surely been a life-changing one, and I look forward to what lies ahead. Without a doubt, I know that my experiences at VCV and in Novi Sad have helped to shape the volunteerism-loving, creative-minded person I am.

For more on Charlotte’s adventures in Serbia, visit her blog at http://thebigserbzzz.tumblr.com

Charlotte Sall

“My international journey has surely been a life-changing one, and I look forward to what lies ahead “

Dugo sam razmišljala o tome koju formu mogu dati ovom, delom ličnom, delom zvaničnom izveštaju o mom EVS projektu (European Voluntary Service project). Patetiku ne podnosim, te sam rešila da se u ovom izveštaju poigram formom mail-a.

Hajdemo iz početka:

Ćao prijatelji, ćao poznanici, poznanici poznanika i svi ostali, potencijalni poznanici poznanika, potencijalni poznanici, a možda i prijatelji!

Prošlo je već četiri meseca od kako sam počela svoju avanturu u Srbiji, kada sam, sasvim slučajno, postala volonterka Volonterskog centra Vojvodine u Novom Sadu. Posle svega šta sam ovde doživela, mogu da kažem da je to bila jedna srećna slučajnost. Ovom osećanju sreće doprinosi mnoštvo faktora, ali jedan, koji dominira ostalima, jeste svest o odgovornosti koju preuzimam na svakom nivou. Odgovornost počinje od sitnica: u koliko sati ustajem (da li uopšte uključujem alarm na telefonu?), šta jedem za doručak (ukoliko ga uopšte jedem), a nastavlja se suočavanjem sa svakodnevnim obavezama koje me čekaju u kancelariji. Takođe, pod odgovornošću podrazumevam i maštanje o budućnosti, kao i (sic!) preuzimanje odgovornosti za odluke koje će uticati na ovu budućnost. Pa ipak, meni ova odgovornost nekako uopšte ne pada teško. Naprotiv, sa radošću je nosim na rukama, na glavi, na leđima, ponekad njome žongliram, igram se, a ponekad čak i plešem s njom.Sa svim gorenavedenim, ali i sa nekom vrstom preuzimanja inicijative, povezana je rečenica koju sam nekoliko puta čula od drugih dugoročnih volontera: „Na EVS-u sve zavisi od tebe”. Verovatno ne zavisi baš i sve, ali svakako zavisi mnogo toga. Biram (a sa mojim izborom, prijateljica

„odgovornost” ponovo ide u paru) ukoliko hoću da se angažujem na ponuđenim mi projektima, koliko duboke odnose hoću da uspostavljam sa ljudima koje upoznajem, biram koliko svoje energije i iskustva hoću da uložim u kreiranje novih ideja, projekata i menjanje postojećeg stanja. Biram šta od toga šta sam naučila vredi da primenim u mom okruženju u Poljskoj. Biram sa kim idem na kafu. Biram kafu. I kolačić. I još nešto o mom doživljaju lokalnog multikulturalizma. Zapravo, više interkulturalizma, jer smatram da ovdašnja stvarnost više nalikuje na neku mrežu, nego na puku akumulaciju različitosti. U svakodnevnom životu puno saznajem o samoj sebi kroz susrete sa kulturološkim razlikama, susrete sa drugačijim


EVS mi odgovara

Pravljenje lutaka i scenografije od vune za dečiju predstavu, Art Klinika, Novi Sad, decembar 2011

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„normalnostima”.. „Da, uvek jedem topao puding.” „Izvini, naručila sam čaj, ne nanu.” „Hvala, neću kesu. Neću plastičnu kesu. Stvarno ne treba, hvala.” „Kako to da nema WC-a u restoranu?”Moj generalni zaključak o velikim i malim različitostima je takav da one uopšte nisu bitne. Ispada da bliži može da mi bude čovek odavde, nego drugar iz iste klupe u srednjoj školi. Umesto fokusiranja na ono što razdvaja, nalazim veliku zabavu onome

šta me sa lokalnim ljudima povezuje. Već zajedno dekupažiramo, pravimo nakit i druge ručne radove, kuvamo, sviramo gitaru i iznad svega, polako i opušteno se družimo. Nadam se da ćemo uskoro zajedno i da pevamo.Radim ono što volim. Tako

je jer biram ono što volim. Zato EVS preporučujem svakome i u potpunosti podržavam ovu ideju.

Vidimo se u VCV-u ili u nekom kafiću :)Ljupci poljupci :***

Izabela

Lektorka: Tanja Gavrilović

ACTIS, in collaboration with the Alliance for Global Sustainability (a university partnership between the ETH Zürich, MIT Boston, University of Tokyo and Chalmers University), the Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences (SATW) and the Environmental Engineering Group from Serbia, is pleased to announce the opening of the applications for the 2012 Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) course in Serbia. The YES course aims to sensitize participants to the complex issues of sustainable development in a global context, through course work, field trips, workshops, group work, and discussions in a practical, international learning experience, combined with social and cultural activities. The course brings together an inspiring group of upper level students and young professionals from different disciplines, cultures and nationalities to learn together in a unique environment. The program builds on 10 years of experience successfully running YES in 10 different countries. ACTIS is an ETH spin-off organization created specifically to expand the YES program and related activities.

YES Serbia 201229 June – 16 July (18 days)Kostunici & Novi Sad, SerbiaApplication Close: 10 April 2012Early Application Close: 10 March 2012

For more information see web page: www.actis-education.ch

Obuka za Volonterski menadžment, Volonterski centar Vojvodine, novembar 2011

Peace can mean many different things to many different people on our planet. Indeed, it can mean many different things to people working inside an organisation such as ours (SCI) that professes to be part of the international peace movement since its founding over 90 years ago, and associates “working for peace” with almost everything that it does.

f we look at the real world around us, we can all see many things that are not at all peaceful. Outright wars like in Afghanistan, Iraq & Libya, or the pending threat of war with Iran, are the most visual illustration of this, as well as unrest within countries like Syria and the violations of basic human rights in many other places. But besides war, we can observe many other examples of non-peace, like for example when peasants are driven from their land to make way for companies who want to exploit natural resources or build new power plants, when hundreds of thousands are forced to flee their homes because of threatening starvation or lack of water, when discriminated minorities like Roma are physically beaten or terrorised, or else when conflicts arise between ethnic communities.

Non-peace also occurs in everyone’s daily lives, within the family, in school or at the workplace.

So in view of all the enormous challenges and obstacles to peace, can an organisation as small, and with as little resources as SCI, meaningfully contribute to prevent such violence occurring, and

promote a culture of peace? - Well, the first thing to say is that fortunately we are not alone. Our vision of peace is shared by millions of ordinary citizens across our planet, indeed by the vast majority of the human race. No one is born violent, and nobody by birth or origin wants to kill or harm another person. People turn to violence because they see no other way of protecting themselves, their family or their close friends, or else because they have been trained to discard or disregard their basic needs and feelings.

If we want to create peace, however, we cannot ignore the political and economic interests of a small


minority, who desire to either enrich themselves or gain power at the expense of the majority and at the expense of our natural environment. Unfortunately there are many examples of governments and multinational companies in the world today working together to achieve just that. For the latter, human rights or respect of nature

are therefore obstacles that need to be trampled on or disregarded, in order to achieve their objectives. Apart from that peace also

begins with each and every one of us and how we act in our daily lives. That is why peace education must become an obligatory part of every school curriculum, and why organisations like ours should promote non-formal and informal peace education at every junction and in any way we can creatively do so.

The SCI Peace Caravan 2012 sets out to achieve exactly that: In Summer 2012 groups of trained international “peace messengers” will travel across thirteen European countries from Helsinki to Spain, in order to spread SCI’s vision of Peace. They will stop in many cities, towns and villages, in order

No Borders for Peace

The Peace Caravan 2012

“Well, the first thing to say is that fortunately we are not alone. Our vision of peace is shared by millions of ordinary citizens across our planet, indeed by the vast majority of the human race”

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strengthen the overall effort of civil society organisations to really make a difference, and help pave the way for a sustainable and lasting peace for future generations.

VCV will be a part of this Peace Caravan – hosting it in the end of July for five

days and we also have the opportunity to send volunteers who will travel with the Peace Caravan for three weeks, visiting three or

four countries in this time and taking part in the peace education sessions. Each country that will be visited will provide workshops, give you the opportunity to develop further sessions and to perform in street actions, visit workcamps,

to run peace workshops and other actions together with local peace activists. They will try to engage normal citizens in debates about the best ways to achieve peace and what each and everyone can do themselves to promote this goal. They will support refugees and discriminated minorities

and also collect signatures for an international “Peace Manifesto” that will be handed over to EU politicians in Brussels and elsewhere.

It may represent just one small contribution to Peace, but hopefully it will

etc. Each country will also connect the topic of peace with another topic, like e.g. ecology, minorities, etc., and base their work on this.

So the Peace Caravan is a unique opportunity for you to cross borders, learn and share about peace and other related fields, and all of that in the name of No Borders for Peace. The application forms will soon be written and distributed – but if you are interested in this project you can already check its history on the blog www.no-more-war.net and you can send an email to VCV (addressed to Valerie) and will be put on a list of people who will get the application forms as soon as they arrive here. Peaceful greetings, Philip (outgoing placement officer), Aurelija (incoming placement officer), Sonja and Valerie (coordinators of the workcampseason in VCV)

“So the Peace Caravan is a unique opportunity for you to cross borders, learn and share about peace and other related fields, and all of that in the name of No Borders for Peace”

For example in Austria you will have the opportunity to visit the Workcamp Paths of Peace, which takes place in the mountains of the border to Italy, building an open-air museum by reconstructing and telling the story of paths that lead through the mountain during the first World War.

Kick-off Workcampseason

Dear volunteers,VCV is happy to announce that the season 2012 is starting – get in front of the computer, go to the database of camps - http://www.workcamps.info/icamps/ - and start looking! Not all the workcamps have been uploaded yet – VCV is in the process of doing that now – but most of them are already there and waiting for motivated volunteers to send applications! :-)

Working with asylum seekers in Belgium

The centre of Florennes is an open centre for asylum-seekers. The residents of the centre benefit from social and material assistance and medical care during the waiting period of their application for asylum. The centre hosts 400 people from various origins. The aim of the workcamp is to propose new activities to the residents of the centre during school holidays, and to promote intercultural dialogue. Work: Organization of workshops for children and youth. During two days volunteers will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the center life, following members of the staff in their tasks. Then they will propose activities (such as sport, art, games, etc.) for the kids and youth. (Number of camp: BE-SCI 1.1)

Meet us – don’t eat us (Iceland)

SEEDS volunteers will take part in a whale-awareness and protection project run in cooperation with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare). This mainly consists of distributing information, conducting a survey, having people fill out postcards that will be taken to the government at the end of the workcamp. The group will take turns wearing a whale costume and walk around downtown Reykjavík. The purpose of this project is to raise awareness among tourists (and locals) that by tasting whale meat in Icelandic restaurants they encourage whaling. (Number of camp: IS-SEE 6.22)

L’Aquila Foto Festival

Pescomaggiore is located 15 km from L’Aquila (Abruzzo) and it is partly destroyed by the earthquake of April 2009. Since it is going to take years to bring the town back to the way it was, people may be left alone with the risk of being forgotten. Some citizens from Pescomaggiore and towns nearby have decided to create a group and accelerate the rebirth of their land. “L’AquilaFotoFestival” is a way to promote L’Aquila cultural revival. Volunteers will support “L’AquilaFotoFestival” event, helping the set up of Steve McCurry exhibition (http://stevemccurry.com/) and in welcoming people during festival activities (music, movies and conferences). (Number of camp: IT-SCI 9.1)



O volonterskim kampovima prvi put sam čula kada sam se priključila VCV-u 2010. godine. U izboru mog prvog kampa pomogao mi je Ernest. Pošto volim životinje pitala sam ga da mi predloži neki kamp koji uključuje rad sa njima. Otkrio mi je da u Hrvatskoj postoji eko selo Kuterevo, koji za cilj ima spašavanje mladih medveda, kao i promovisanje ekološkog načina života sa minimalnim zagađivanjem prirode.

Tema kampa je bila ‘’No more war’’, gde smo imali za zadatak da putem radionica, naučimo kako da komuniciramo i funkcionišemo bez nasilja. Cilj je takođe bio da se sretnu ljudi iz zemalja stare Jugoslavije koji će razgovarati o situaciji na Balkanu, a usput se lepo družiti i pokazati da smo i dalje složni bez obzira na situaciju koja nas prati prethodne dve decenije.

Drugi naš zadatak je bio uređenje prirode koja okružuje prihvatilište.

Zasadili smo čajeve koji rastu na tom području, pravili klupice za posetioce, kućice za ptice… Po završetku pravljenja staze, organizovano je svečano otvaranje koje je gospodina Ivana, osnivača ovog prihvatilišta, skoro dovelo do suza. Stazu smo nazvali Balkanska ulica. Niko od nas nije imao priliku da radi direktno sa medvedima iz bezbednosnih razloga ali smo na drugačiji način doprineli njihovom opstanku.

Druge nedelje kampa proveli smo na planini zajedno sa ostalim volonterima koji su dolazili iz raznih delova sveta, a najviše iz Belgije. Tamo smo radili na uređenju šume, prirodnog staništa medveda, vukova i risova a usput smo i organizovali tradicionalni festival koji se održava svake godine krajem leta između tri susedna sela koji pored verske osnove, simboliše i zatvaranje volonterske sezone.

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Unlocking Doors to Recognition -Setting up strategies for better recognition of youth work and non-formal education

The SALTO South East Europe Resource Centre (SALTO SEE) is one of eight SALTO Resource Centres which have established by the European Commission to support the implementation of the Youth in Action Programme in different priority areas. SALTO stands for Support, Advanced Learning and Training Opportunities. The SALTO South East Europe Resource Centre has been hosted by MOVIT NA MLADINA since April 2002. It aims to facilitate and increase the participation of project promoters from the countries of SEE in the Youth in Action Programme..

• BiTriMulti (BTM) Training on Youth Exchanges in France

The training course focuses on developing Youth Exchange for the first timers.Activity date: 6th – 10th of June 2012Application open until: 25th of March 2012• Training Course on European Citizenship in CroatiaThe training course aims to explore European citizenship by extending participants’ critical understanding on the concept, experiencing its potential and facilitating its integration to youth work. Activity date: 11th – 17th of June 2012Application open until: 1st of April 2012

Participants from South East Europe will be selected by SALTO SEE, and high priority is given for those who have not participated in international events organized by SALTO or NAs recently. The opportunity to take part in more than one event per year is limited.

For more information about the above calls or other activities organised by, and in cooperation with SALTO SEE, please consult our website http://www.salto-youth.net/rc/see/activities2012/ or contact our office at: SALTO-YOUTH South East Europe Resource Centre MOVIT NA MLADINA, National Agency for the Youth in Action Programme in SloveniaDunajska cesta 22, SI - 1000 LJUBLJANATel: + 386 (0)1 430 47 47

Pored radnih dana organizovali smo pešačenje po Sjevernom Velebitu, nakon čega smo se spustili na more, posetili mnoge lokalne zanatlije, kao što je baka Dragica koja pravi coklje (starinske zepe), zatim gospodina koji ručno pravi tamburice kuterevke. Naučili smo kako se na stari način pravi hleb, muzli smo kravu, probali odličnu domaću rakiju, prisustvovali festivalu na izvoru reke Gacke…

Iako većina ljudi na kamp ode kako bi imalo priliku da proputuje svet, tek nakon prvog ovakvog iskustva shvatite da nije samo lepota u tome što ćete videti neku zemlju nego pravo zadovoljstvo leži u tome da znate da ste doprineli zajednici koja treba pomoć, da ste doživeli bar delić onakvog života kakav nemate priliku da osetite u gradu, da ste se družili sa fenomenalnim ljudima i da ste pre svega stekli novo iskustvo i nova znanja.

Aleksandra Vlaisavljević

What is mobility? Taking the above definition, we can assume that it refers to some sort of sociological motion – whether this be geographical or not. Throughout this VCV newsletter articles, interviews and announcements have been written promoting the opportunity for young, local people to travel, work and study abroad, thus broadening their understanding of the world and cultures around them. For me, in 2011/12, mobility implied this same opportunity – in the opposite direction. After 22 years of living in London, UK I decided to ‘return’ to my origins, by volunteering in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Why, you may ask? What could possibly motivate someone to return to this ‘post-conflict’, ‘uncivilised’, ‘poor’ country of ours – particularly as “everyone is looking for a way to get preko”? Within VCV’s Volonterski Klub, I hold workshops of English Conversation Class (Every Tuesday 6pm, please apply through VCV’s website), which is attended by some fifteen participants, boys and girls, students and professionals, ranging from 17-30 years of age – in other words, a microcosm of Novi Sad’s prospective youth population. Two weeks ago I held a class (in English, of course), asking precisely these questions. I divided the participants into those who saw their future in Serbia, and those ‘who lost hope’ and wanted to continue their studies/careers abroad. The second group had the task of listing 5 main reasons for wanting to leave, and those who wanted to stay had to try and guess the 5 factors which the other group would list. The results were just as I predicted: More opportunities. Better education. More money. Improved organization in the workplace. Higher living standards. In other words – everything roughly connected to the hope that in Western Europe people have greater chances to develop and establish themselves economically. And what else could I expect from a society in

which the average wage barely touches 300EUR, compared to the 2500-3000EUR across Europe’s elite countries? However, “Is everything about money?” I asked my group, considering nobody mentioned ‘way of life’, ‘values’, ‘tolerance’, ‘social harmony’…’better climate’, even. By the logic of what they listed, I must be incredibly foolish for swapping ‘vibrant, professional London’ with this rupa (I’ve heard it all). The truth is – or at least how I see it – is that that there is actually something uniquely special about this part of the world.

Before I start giving my examples to explain my point, I’ll offer one told by my one of my participants – a young nurse from Novi Sad. Not so long ago she had a patient from London, ironically, who shared his experiences of medical care in the UK and Serbia with her. Whilst, he claims, resources, equipment and general hospital quality were at a far higher standard back at home, he felt something in Serbia which made him feel far more comfortable in his hospital bed – a human touch. Doctors and nurses alike were constantly in communication with him, sharing experiences, talking through their mutual problems - even if just moaning – but generally just giving his treatment a more human feel to it. Take this same norm and put it in a residential situation and you will probably get something which looks like my grandmothers Blok in Novi Beograd. The older generation religiously meets for coffee in the morning, discussing everything from how late their pension is to who they have seen in Politika’s daily Citulje. The little ones are busy at the basketball courts or, what often looks like, just screaming and running around (I mean, Serbia’s sporting success has to come from somewhere, right?). And that middle generation are doing grown-up things, like making money – or not. The point is there is communication. There are

Mobility - “ The movement of people in a population, as from place to place, from job to job, or from one social class or level to another”

Philozofija



product; coffee which you can drink whilst you walk!! We instantly started comparing this to the Starbucks/Costa ‘culture’ which has almost infected ‘western’ society, and the thousands of green/brown empty take-away cups which flood every city train, bus and underground on a weekday morning. Coffee in the West is a process; an instrument for a successful, efficient day. Rushing from home to work, from meeting to meeting, from work to gym, you just ‘pick up’ an Americano, to give you that added energy needed to fulfill your daily responsibilities. Now just picture Zmaj Jovina, Novi Sad on a Monday 11am. Coffee is that moment in the day where people can sit down, relax, smoke a cigarette, reflect on the day ahead, meet with a friend or partner, read a newspaper, deliberate politics or whatever – in any case, no urgency whatsoever, and definitely no take-away cups. One drink, two completely opposite life concepts. Again, it is more than obvious which of the two is more professional and ultimately better for the development of a prosperous, growing society, but then again, it comes back to that question I asked the two groups in my English class: “is everything about money?”

It is in no way the purpose of this article, nor my intention, to discourage people from moving abroad, from travelling, from exploring the unknown, from meeting people from all four corners of the world etc. These qualities are irreplaceable, for they can broaden one’s vision and cultural awareness like nothing else – especially if such move opens up doors for opportunity and prosperity, as it so often does. The point is, however, to appreciate that there are differences in norms and values, and to learn to adapt to these. Also, it is useful to recognize that abroad does not necessarily mean better life, even if the bank account may think so. Living a rat-race as a stranger in a foreign land can often make ‘home’ appear like la dolce vita. No, it’s not like they show it in the films… people really don’t drink tea at 5 o’clock!

Philip Pajevic-Merrell

fights. There is kucni red. It’s what you call a real komsiluk. I have lived in the same block of flats in north-west London throughout my 22 years of life, sharing my floor with 7 other families; 2 English, 2 Indian, 1 Pakistani, 1 Somali, 1 Nigerian, and us ‘the Serbs’. Apart from the Nigerian mother and kids who live immediately next door, we have hardly held a conversation, let alone visited the house, of any of our other neighbors. Everyone goes about their own ways, and that’s it. So much for inter-culturalism.

Societies in which people go about and prioritize their own business have their strengths, of course; members are encouraged to work the system, high professionalism is demanded, and generally things get done – properly and on time. Bump into a long-lost friend on a train in central London (or Berlin, Paris, I assume), and you’ll probably get them looking in their diary to see when they are free, when you can arrange a catch-up. Compare this with the ‘Balkan attitude’ where you are more likely to drop what you are doing at that moment and go for a quick beer/coffee and, obviously, as a result, the economy must suffer. Maybe this why this region is where it is, whilst Western European states dominate the global political/economic scene. Maybe this is why when you buy a Jaguar or BMW, you can have full confidence that each model was constructed to perfection and efficiency, whereas a Zastava has no guarantee that it will even get you home without breaking down. Maybe this is why offices blocks, health and fitness centers and shopping malls seem to be springing up on a daily basis in London, whilst in Serbia only kafane are getting busier and busier. As much as these societies appear to be ever-growing, however, once again this human contact seems to get lost.

Take, for example, drinking coffee as a concept. Recently an American colleague of mine at VCV and I observed a sign outside a shop in Novi Sad reading ‘Novo – Kafa za Poneti’. It was as if this business was proud of their brand new, innovative

Activists from GAIA Kosovo & Dosta! campaign organized 18th -19th of February ‘’Meet your neighbor, meet the Roma!” “Dosta”, a Romani word meaning “enough”, is awareness raising campaign which aims a bringing non-Roma closer to Roma citizens. “Dosta” means that this campaign wants to stop prejudices and stereotypes not by denouncing them but by breaking them, showing who the Roma really are.

The Dosta! Campaign started as part of a wider Council of Europe/European Commission Joint Programme “Equal Rights and Treatment for Roma in South Easter Europe” and has been implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Macedonia, during 2006 and 2007. Launched as a regional campaign, “Dosta!” raised the interest of other Council of Europe Member States. Consequently, in 2008-2009, it is launched in Ukraine and Moldova, as well as opened to partnerships in other Council of Europe member States. Thus, Italy, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia have joined the campaign in 2008, followed by Latvia in January 2009 and Bulgaria and France in April 2010.

Finally, in October 2011, Dosta! campaign was launched in Kosovo, by our partner organization GAIA.

As follow-up of the Dosta! campaign GAIA organized Flash Mob, simple, powerful and VISIBLE ACT to show that people should no longer tolerate discrimination and exclusion of their neighbors, friends or themselves. Participants walked down the Mother Theresa Boulevard (main street in Priština) wearing the T-shirts with the slogan ‘’ Meet your neighbor, meet the Roma!’’. The campaign is launched and financed by the Council of Europe. During the campaign as an outcome a song was made “Come meet your neighbor” that can be downloaded from GAIA Kosovo website gaiakosovo.wordpress.com.

Milica Milović

meet your neighbour, Meet the Roma!



SURFOVANJE NA KREVETU

ostvari kontakt sa domaćinom što može biti zanimljivo ako su surfer i domaćin iz dva potpuno različita kulturna kruga. Preko 80 % surfera je mlađe od 34 godine i najčešće govore engleski, dok je najmanje upotrebljavan znakovni jezik iz Nikaragve, koji na veliko iznenađenje znaju samo dva surfera Samo prošle sedmice se preko 30000 surfera upoznalo oči u oči, ustupilo svoj kauč, fotelju ili pod drugom članu ovog sajta ili zajedno popilo kafu. Ali, gde je Srbija u svemu tome?

U ovom trenutku u Srbiji postoji 2491 surfer, od čega u Novom Sadu preko 400. Kao jedan od njih, imam samo reči hvale za ovakav koncept putovanja. Pošto nemam dovoljno prostora, još uvek nisam nikoga ugostio, ali sam spavao na tuđim kaučevima, bračnim krevetima i na podu. Prvi put sam na kauču bio u Valensiji. Čim smo drugarica i ja izašli iz metroa udario je grom i ponoć je prošla, tako da ni meni ni njoj kao novopečenim surferima uopšte nije bilo svejedno što ćemo prespavati u nepoznatom gradu kod totalno nepoznate osobe. Ali, Sara (devojka koja nas je ugostila) je bila sjajna, napravila nam je ćufte za večeru, dala nam ključeve od stana i sledeći dan nas odvela da probamo tradicionalnu špansku hranu u centru. Rekla nam je da je ugostila preko 30 ljudi, a da su po njenom mišljenju najbolji kauči u Kolumbiji. I na ostalim putovanjima sam imao sreće sa surferima. Jedan mi je pokazao obližnji nacionalni park automobilom, dok su u Turskoj surferi-domaćini već prvo veče napravili večeru, a kasnije i žurku za moje prijatelje i mene. Verovatno je većina ljudi zabrinuta zbog bezbednosti, ali sajt pruža određeni stepen sigurnosti zbog toga što imate uvid u pozitivne i negativne komentare koje su surferi davali jedni drugima. Komentari se ne mogu izbrisati, tako da ukoliko ste nekoga loše ugostili i od njega dobili negativan komentar teško da će vas iko više kontaktirati da prenoći kod vas To isto važi i ako ste bili loš gost. Ali, retko

Zamislite da imate nekog novog zanimljivog prijatelja gde god da

idete – bilo da je to 2000 milja daleko ili u vašem rodnon gradu. Zvuči zanimljivo? Upravo ovom rečenicom sajt couchsurfing.org pokušava da motiviše nove surfere da mu se priključe i stvalja u prvi plan svoju osnovnu vrednost – sklapanje prijateljstava među ljudima širom sveta. U poslednje vreme sajtovi kao što su couchsurfing.org i hospitalityclub.org dobijaju na značaju i to ne samo među mladima već među svim generacijama. Kaučsurfing se ukratko može opisati kao onlajn udrženje putnika koji traže besplatan smeštaj preko interneta. Ali, kaučsurfing je svakako više od toga. Sa više od 230 zemalja i teritorija i preko 3 miliona surfera prerastao je u svojevrstan pokret otvorenih ljudi koji su spremni da podele svoj životni prostor (svoj kauč), pokažu svoj grad ili bar da popiju kafu sa drugim surferima koji se zadese u njihovoj blizini.

Većina ljudi koji prvi put čuju za kaučsurfing se verovatno pitaju da li je potrebno da imaju baš kauč da bi primili surfera putnika-namernika koji im je poslao zahtev. Iskusni surferi bi se verovatno nasmejali kada bi ovo čuli, ali odgovor je ne. U obzir dolaze i fotelje na rasklapanje, kreveti svih veličina, bračni kreveti, dušeci, a ponekad je dovoljno da nekome ustupite i svoj pod na kome će on rasprostreti svoju vreću za spavanje i osećati se kao da je u hotelu.

Bitno je istaći da je couchsurfing.org potpuno neprofitabilan sajt koji funkcioniše na osnovu dobrovoljnih priloga surfera širom sveta. U današnjem vremenu kada je sve komercijalizovano, ohrabruje činjenica da postoji jedan ovakav volonterski projekat sa toliko učesnika. On podstiče mobilnost i interkulturalnost i rušeći predrasude čini svet boljim mestom za život. Prednosti kaučsurfinga su u tome što je on potpuno besplatan, a surferu se pruža prilika da odseda na nekonvencionalan način i


kad ćete videti da neko ima negativan komentar na svom profilu, tako da ćete pre biti u nedoumici za kog surfera sa liste da se odlučite.Kada mi se negde putuje, odem na couchsurfing.org i satima pretražujem ima li neki zanimljiv surfer koji bi me ugostio

I love to study abroad.Studying abroad is one of the most rewarding educational opportunities you can experience while in college, therefore it is important that students from all backgrounds get the necessary information they’ll need to take advantage of this opportunity. Study abroad can make a significant impact on your understanding of the rest of the world, while also making a positive impact on citizens in other countries and fellow study abroad students from throughout Serbia. University of Novi Sad supports and promotes student mobility as an integral part of the process of internationalization of higher education, in accordance with legislation requirements and generally accepted European standards.

You may hesitate in studying abroad because you don’t know how you will be able to afford such an experience or you are concerned that you will be away from your family for too long. These are valid questions and concerns, which is why this article was created.

Interview with Ivana Đokvučić, student Mobility Officer working at International Relations Office at the University of Novi Sad.

What is the goal of international students exchange programs? The major goal is to improve scholars’ career prospects and promote intercultural communication and understanding through cooperation between EU countries and Western Balkans. By exchanging students, researchers, professors, the EU institutions and the Western Balkans share their knowledge and best practice in specific topics, promote higher education, including academic recognition and mobility management.

According to the statistics of TEMPUS-office in Serbia, there were 257 students in total from Serbia who were granted Erasmus Mundus scholarships in the period of 2004 – 2011.

kada nekad odem u njegov grad. Naravno, uvek pronađem nekog zanimljivog. Svakome preporučujem da postane deo ove ili neke slične internet zajednice, jer svet je manji nego pto mislite pa je šteta ne istražiti ga.

Dragan Tasić


A chart of Serbian students studied abroad in 2010

What is your impression about exchange students programs abroad and in Serbia? Recognition process still needs to be improved in certain aspects and allow for a greater comparability of degrees in Europe and Serbia. Greater offer of English programs in Serbia is highly needed to attract more foreign students and therefore reduce a mobility imbalance between incoming and outgoing students.

Could you briefly describe which programs do you provide?This year from the University of Novi Sad overall 205 Serbian students applied to go to study abroad through Join EU- SEE program which is a part of Erasmus Mundus Action 2. This is the exchange program supported by European Commission which allows exchanges among Serbian students and EU countries. Erasmus Mundus Action 2 continues to be the most popular exchange program among our students, mainly due to scholarships being offered, among other things.There are Campus Europae, CEEPUS III program, Basileus and Stem programs too. More information you can get here: http://www.uns.ac.rs/sr/. Importantly, other student scholarships are available through www.s4wb.eu that is supported by King Baudouin Foundation.

How will these programs contribute ideally to long term success?The Erasmus Mundus Action 2 programs are very significant for the development of tertiary institutions in Serbia. These programs prepare us for the participation in Life Long Learning Program and Erasmus Programme, in particular, it is given that Serbia is close to gain entry to the EU. This would increase the range of educational opportunities

for both students and staff.

Through the exchange programs students develop not only academic skills but also communication and intercultural skills and improve their adaptability to new environments. These skills seem to be more and more appreciated by employees, especially foreign companies in Serbia. However, further work needs to be done in strengthening links between universities and job market.

This year the University of Novi Sad hosted 45 foreign students.

WHY to study abroad?

Aušra: I always wanted to exchange university for some time, to run away from my university a little bit and to experience

something quite new. I had heard a lot about studies in west European countries and that didn’t look exciting enough. Balkans is still kind of a unknown region for us, so I found it very attractive.Impressions:First thing I’ve received from this experience was deeper historical, cultural, economic and social life knowledge about this region. I’ve realized how different it is and enjoyed that. I’ve met a lot of great persons and I’ve travelled a lot and there’s a lot more which is hard to explain. It must be experienced :) Though sometimes it was hard to get along with new life style and to find some free time activities, it was something diverse from the country I came from.

Aušra (21), Lithuania, BA History//JoinEu-SEE at University of Novi Sad

Karolina (28), Poland, PhD Landscape Architecture // Erasmus Mundus Action 2 at University of Novi Sad

Karolina: Since I got bored with living in Poland I decided to go abroad. During my master studies I’ve already been on one Erasmus exchange program, in Germany, and I enjoyed it.Impressions: In my opinion students’ exchange programs are more for our personal than professional experience. It is a chance to get to know other cultures, both of the host country and countries of other international students. Most of us couldn’t afford staying abroad without the scholarship. International students have to communicate with citizens of the host country, both sides can get the knowledge that there’s no big difference between them. For ‘Western’ Europe Serbia is a wild and dangerous place where is nothing interesting to visit. Students came back home can prove their friends that there is nothing to be afraid of and people are just the same as anywhere else. That’s why student’s exchange programs should be continuing

Tomaž (24), Slovenia, MA Electrical engineering// JOINEU SEE at University of Novi Sad in 2011/2012

Tomaž: I came up with the idea because of pure curiosity, in the end turned out to have been the best idea ever. I have been an exchange student twice in a row now, both in places I had no experience with, it was just things you hear from people which also have no experience with the places. In my opinion, if you just continue studying at home university full time for the whole duration, you are surely missing out on a lot in your life. University can basically just prepare you for a job; no

school will prepare you for your life.Impressions: Exchange programs have a tendency to broaden your mind. You meet people from nations you could never imagine, you make friends with people from places you would - best case - just make acquaintance with, were you not an exchange student. In the end it turned out that Serbia was nothing like what I have been told. Actually, exchanges programs in my experience don’t really help you in an academic sense. But if you are

looking for personal experience and feel like you could use a new point of view on the world, and believe me you will get so many new points of view it will be hard to pick one, this is something you just have to do. I could not live with the mindset I had before I departed for my exchange program.

Kristýna (23), Czech Republic, BA Musicology// JoinEU-SEE programme at University of Novi Sad

Kristýna: I wanted to go to study abroad from the very beginning of my university studies but I knew just about the Erasmus programme. In the third grade I found out there is the JoinEU-See programme which focus on western Balkan countries, offers paradoxically higher scholarship and is more available because not many people know about it.Impressions: My overall experience is positive. The town character is familiar since there are many local people who are interested in meeting foreigners and also enough of cultural events. I have to admit that I really had to stand on my own feet and manage such things which I was not used to before as for example searching for a place to stay, university formalities, white card, then visa, paying bills etc. I also gain some knowledge of Serbian which is improving as the time pass. Regarding to the bad experiences - I consider them to teach me. I would just keep trying to improve imperfections which are also here of course but that is exactly, as I noticed, what the coordinators are trying to do.

AdrianWhy? I’m a buddy for two polish students, who are staying here for two semesters. My job is to help them to feel comfortable in the city. I had two internships, one for two weeks in Germany, and one for 2 months in Thailand. I know how it’s important to have somebody to rely on when you go abroad, I had a buddy when I was in Thailand, and I thought how nice it would be to meet friends from different countries, and also to improve my English language.Impressions: I really support these programs, in fact from this year I became one of the Students representatives for the Campus Europae program. You actually get a lot from these programs , you got to know a whole new culture, language, you are somehow independent, relying on yourself in some way, meet a lot of people from all around the World , who suddenly became your very best friends. It’s really fun, and would encourage everybody to go on an exchange program.

Ana: Why? My friend and I decided to apply for the JoinEU-See, accidentally, because we saw they extended the application

call. I consulted with my professors, who told me to put the Netherlands as the first wish, because they are well-known for linguistics, which was my module. I had nothing to lose, so I applied.

Impressions: It was the opportunity to expand my views concerning different ways of teaching and studying. I enjoyed Groningen and their university so much, that I am planning to continue my studies there. Also, after this experience, all I do is encouraging students to go abroad, apply for any program, and see for them how this is actually possible and doable, not to mention how it is life-changing. I became a student ambassador of the University for Serbia (2011/2012).

Adrian (22), Serbia, Ecology at the Faculty of Science // “Buddy”

Ana (23), Serbia, MA English Language and Literature //JoinEu-SEE at University of Groningen, in the Netherlands in 2010/2011

Aurelija Rimkute


The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Volonterski centar Vojvodine. The opinions of the others people who mentioned on the articles do not resemble the values of Volonterski centar Vojvodine.Please think twice about our environment before printing out this newsletter.Do not hesitate to contact us in case of questions, comments or remarks about the articles. We would love to hear your feedback on what you like or dislike about ПИГEOH. We would also love to hear your suggestions on what topics you’d like to read on ПИГEOH to make it an even better and more interesting newsletter. Your opinion matters to us!

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