Today, together with representatives of ADRA Slovenia and Gmajna Cultural Association, we organized a press conference on the occasion of the handover of the petition signatures to the Ministry of Education.

We spoke to the press about our initiative for the availability of meals for all children in Slovenian schools. We emphasised the importance of children’s access to food. We pointed out that the current situation, in which there is a lack of alternative choice of meals, constitutes a form of discrimination. We highlighted the problems of hunger, emotional distress and the feeling of exclusion of children who face this type of discrimination.

The submission of the petition and the press conference were reported on various news portals:

• Skupina nevladnih organizacij s peticijo glede prehrane v šolah at 24ur.com

• Vložena uradna peticija, ker otroci v šolah ostajajo brez hrane at ljubljanainfo.com

• Po pritoževanju o lakoti v šolah vložena uradna peticija at sobotainfo.com

• Skupina nevladnih organizacij s peticijo glede prehrane v šolah at sta.si

• Otroci so v šolah pogosto lačni in izključeni – nevladniki zahtevajo spremembe at pomurec.com

• Nevladniki vložili peticijo za raznovrstno hrano v šolah video segment on daily national news Dnevnik.

An excerpt from the public initiative:
The main document regulating the right to religious freedom in the Republic of Slovenia is the Religious Freedom Act (Zakon o verski svobodi, 2007), which, among other things, directs that religious freedom must also be guaranteed and inviolable in public life, which includes, among other things, various forms of expression of religion. A form of expression of religion is also the choice of food that is in accordance with religious teachings. Religious freedom must therefore also be guaranteed in the context of school meals, which the Nutritional Guidelines for Educational Institutions (Zavod Republike Slovenije za šolstvo, 2023) do not pay enough attention to. READ MORE HERE.

The public initiative was prepared by migrants within the BODE+ project in cooperation with ADRA Slovenia, the MKD association and the Gmajna Cultural Association, and with the support of the EMV-LII project.

Signatories of the initiative:

Intercultural Dialogue Society, Humanitarian Society ADRA Slovenia, Cultural Society Gmajna,
Infokolpa Initiative, Slovenian Philanthropy, Peace Institute, Danilo Kiš Cultural Centre, Humanitas,
The Krog Institute, the SLOGA Platform, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Legal Centre for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (PIC), the APIS Institute, Amnesty International Slovenia, the Islamic Community in the Republic of Slovenia, the Diversity Association, the ČKZ Institute and the Slovenian Vegan Society.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for this.

Sources:

Bajt, V., Frank, A., Jalušič, V., & Ladić, M. (2023). Odgovorno delovanje za vključujoče lokalne skupnosti (CIFER): Nacionalno poročilo – Slovenija. Mirovni inštitut.

Giorda, M. C., Bossi, L., Messina, E., & Risteco, C. (2014). Food and religion (in public food service). Consorzio Risteco. Hajdinjak, M. (2024). Kaprice in »pravice« v šolski prehrani. Vestnik. https://vestnik.svet24.si/clanek/aktualno/v-premislek-kaprice-in-pravice-v-solski-prehrani-1375386 

Ministrstvo za kulturo. (2019). Gradivo k posameznim točkam dnevnega reda 4. Seje sveta vlade RS za dialog o verski svobodi. Vlada Republike Slovenije. https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MK/Verska-svoboda/Svet-Vlade-RS-za-dialog/Gradivo-4.-seja-Sveta.pdf 

Porić, E. (2024). Pregled izkušenj in praks zagotavljanja obrokov brez svinjine v slovenskih vzgojno-izobraževalnih ustanovah: Poglobljena analiza anketnega vprašalnika in šolskih jedilnikov. Islamska skupnost v Republiki Sloveniji. https://www.islamska-skupnost.si/wp-content/uploads/Analiza-prehrana-19.-9.-2024.pdf 

Zagovornik načela enakosti. (2024). Starši z vrtcem dosegli dogovor o razumni prilagoditvi prehrane za otroke na podlagi vere. https://zagovornik.si/izdelki/starsi-z-vrtcem-dosegli-dogovor-o-razumni-prilagoditvi-prehrane-za-otroke-na-podlagi-vere/ 

Zakon o verski svobodi (ZVS). (2007). Uradni list RS, št. 14/07.

Zavod Republike Slovenije za šolstvo. (2024). Smernice za prehranjevanje v vzgojno-izobraževalnih zavodih. https://gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MVI/Dokumenti/Osnovna-sola/Smernice-za-prehranjevanje-v-vzgojno-izobrazevalnih-zavodih.pdf

The post Petition submitted to the Ministry first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

Stronger together!

On 16 October 2024, we participated in an event organized by CNVOS Slovenia in cooperation with the Norwegian Fund and the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development of the Republic of Slovenia. At this event, projects that attracted attention and positively impacted society’s needs in the period 2014-2021 were presented.

As the Association for Intercultural Dialogue, we presented our 2021 project “No Barriers to Equality” (BODE), which we implemented together with ADRA Slovenia. Our project not only removes barriers to equality but also supports newly integrated individuals in our society and helps them live in harmony with the community.

The event’s participants included the Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Aleksander Jevšek, the President of CNVOS, Goran Forbici, representatives of the Norwegian Fund and the Norwegian Embassy, and many representatives of organizations and associations working in Slovenia.

The event took place at the Economic Exhibition Centre, where attendees had the opportunity to meet the associations, exchange projects, gain new ideas, and create potential partnerships. 

Many thanks to CNVOS and their professional team for their efforts in creating a more equal, democratic, and inclusive Slovenia.

We will continue to work together to create projects that will contribute to a more peaceful and tolerant world.

CNVOS

ADRA Slovenia

Ministry of Culture

Municipality of Ljubljana

Peace Institute

Equality Advocate

The post Presentation of the Project “No Barriers to Equality” (BODE) first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

Yesterday under the project BODE+ in which we focus on advocacy and equal treatment for newcomers in Slovenia we had a presentation about “Migration – Law and Practices in Slovenia” held by PIC Urša Regvar.

We talked about different migration statuses such as international protection, family reunification, and work permission in Slovenia, and the latest laws about them.

Also learned about how the institutions related to migration work in Slovenia. How and where to get a driving license, birth certificates, financial help, divorce, finding a job, unemployment, and EU residency card in Slovenia.

Then the organisation which can help the migrants and refugees for their integration.

And last but not least where to go and what to do when faced with unequal treatment, discrimination, racism, etc.

We thank our project partners Adra Slovenia and KD Gmajna, PIC and Urša Regvar and of course, the participants who took a responsibility to be a better active citizen in Slovenia while knowing their rights and responsibilities.

Hand by hand to a more inclusive and equal society where we all have more intercultural dialogue and undertanding.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 “𝑩𝑶𝑫𝑬+/𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒛 𝑶𝒗𝒊𝒓 𝑫𝒐 𝑬𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒏 𝑽𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒏𝒐𝒕” 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝟒𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 – 𝒕𝒐 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.

The post Informative Presentation for Newcomers in Slovenia – Project BODE + first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

INVITATION: Workshops for persons with migrant background, BODE+ project

On Monday, May 6th and Wednesday, May 8th we invite you to workshops where you will get information on your rights and the procedure for reporting if they are violated (6 May at 4.30 p.m.).

The workshop ‘My Rights and Reporting Violations of Rights’ will be led by Urška Regvar from the PIC.

Innovative methods and strategic advocacy campaigns that can effectively bring about change in the area of equal treatment, rights violations and achieve greater social justice (8 May at 10.00 – 13.00). The speakers will be Katja Utroša (KD Gmajna), Furkan Guner (Intercultural Dialogue), Romana Zajec (APIS Institute).

Basic knowledge of English or Slovenian is strongly recommended (or you can provide your own personal translator)

LOCATION: Workshops will take place at Njegoševa 15, 1000 Ljubljana.

Registration from the link below.

https://forms.office.com/e/v39rW0zAaW.

The post BODE + Workshops invitation first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

The Peace Institute, the Gmajna Cultural Association, and the Community of Municipalities of Slovenia, in cooperation with the Municipality of Ljubljana, organized a seminar on strengthening the voice of migrants in integration and inclusion policies.

In Ljubljana City Hall, Irina, and Godwill, members of the Migrant Advisory Council in Graz (Migrant: Innerbeirat Graz), presented their work and the history of the council.

The purpose of the seminar was to analyze the possibilities of political participation of migrants at institutional and local levels. The experience of the Graz Council has strengthened our resolve to continue to work towards a similar representation of migrants in Ljubljana.

The Intercultural Dialogue Association presented its projects for the integration and social inclusion of migrants in Slovenia and how to deal with the problem of those who do not know the Slovenian language and proposed some solutions that can help migrants to learn the language and integrate better into society.

We would like to thank the MOL, Vice-Mayor Dejan Crnek, and representatives of MOL departments for their hospitality and presence at the event. We also support and collaborate with the migrant leaders and migrants who presented the challenges they face in trying to integrate into the local community to make Slovenia a better place for all.

Our city deserves a migrant representative on the city council. The City of Ljubljana and its structures should take migrants’ voices into account when shaping policies on coexistence and cohesion.

We would also like to thank the Gmajna Cultural Association and the Peace Institute for inviting us to participate in this valuable project.

Seminar was co-funded by the EU and took place on 31 May in the framework of the EMVI / AMIF project.

The post Presentation for Integration and Slovene Language at the Municipality of Ljubljana first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

9. True story

‘Creating a quality Slovenian language teaching program is definitely the best way to support migrants and refugees to integrate well, find jobs and become more independent’ (Wafa from Palestine, 41 years old).

The BODE (#BrezOvirDoEnakosti) project, which we run together with ADRA Slovenia, is committed to empowering people with a migrant background in the field of advocacy, as they often don’t get the right opportunity to present their side of the story. This time, however, it is different – by sharing real stories, we are fighting against the prejudice that migrants are not educated or skilled enough to participate equally and qualitatively in the progress of society in Slovenia.

This is Wafa’s story…

Wafa has a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a professional diploma in project management and fundraising. She has been living in Slovenia for some time with her husband and two children, as they were looking for more security and a more stable life due to living in Gaza and the emergency situation in the city as well as the country.

”The military offensives that have destroyed the infrastructure in Gaza have affected all aspects of life and essential services, including access to food, drinking water, education, electricity, fuel, etc… There are many restrictions on movement in and out of the city. For the last few years, I have been working as a Community Programme Manager for a UK-based international organization in their Gaza/Palestine field office. The program supports Palestinian refugees and provides access to basic services and trauma relief.”

Wafa, after arriving in Slovenia, successfully integrated into the community in a short period of time, learned about the system and the laws and passed her first language exam. However, she feels that language is the biggest barrier to integration for immigrants.

”I always encourage my children to speak Slovenian regularly and to participate in school activities. They are hardworking and have friends, which is very important. But I think that creating a strong quality Slovenian language teaching program will definitely be the best way to support migrants and refugees to integrate well, find a job and become more independent. Raising the awareness of the local population in the area of migration, which would provide more support to new arrivals, would be very successful and effective in my opinion.”

We are fighting stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice. It is important to stand together for social justice, equal treatment, and opportunities for all members of our society. Let’s be tolerant, friendly, and open to new faces, new acquaintances, and opportunities for people to surprise us positively as great employees, talented individuals, or just loyal friends. Although different, we are all equal.

More about the stories and the project:

www.MKDIA.org

www.ADRA.si/BODE

______

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 “𝑩𝑶𝑫𝑬/𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒛 𝑶𝒗𝒊𝒓 𝑫𝒐 𝑬𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊” 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 – 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐.

CNVOS

The post New Faces of Slovenia – WAFA FROM PALESTINE first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

WE HAD A GREAT INTERCULTURAL EVENING together with Radio Študent 89,3 MHz and ADRA Slovenija

On the 28th of November, at the event called Active Citizens for Positive Change at ZRC SAZU, we presented two projects funded by the Active Citizens Fund Slovenia, namely:

BODE (Brez ovir do enakosti/ No barriers to equality), implemented by Intercultural Dialogue and ADRA Slovenia and

Migrant migrant voice, implemented by Radio Student, Slovenian Philanthropy, and Radio Nova (Norway).

For our part, the No Barriers to Equality/No Barriers to Equality project celebrated the last intercultural event within the activities planned to showcase one of the practical tools for achieving advocacy goals.

At the event, participants were treated to interesting round table discussions on migration, where speakers shared their personal experiences and challenges of living in Slovenia.

We listened to wonderful music by the LIVE Ljubljana International Vocal Ensemble, Eka Yokodo, and amazing TEND Bend.

As well as the musicians and all the speakers, special thanks go to the volunteers from the Intercultural Dialogue Association for preparing the delicious snacks we shared at the end.

Find out more about the projects:

Migrant migrantu glas/ Migrants Giving voice to Migrants, implemented by Radio Študent, Slovenian Philanthropy, and Radio Nova (Norway): https://acfslovenia.si/podprti…/migrant-migrantu-glas/

You can listen to the radio program Enolončnica, which was produced within the project: https://enoloncnica.radiostudent.si/

The BODE / No Barriers to Equality project is implemented by Intercultural Dialogue and ADRA Slovenia:

www.MKDIA.org

www.ADRA.si/BODE

Thank you to all the musicians who took part in our non-profit event.

Thank you Valentina Rajaković and Radio Študent 89,3 MHz for your cooperation.

Thank you Katja Kotnik and ADRA Slovenija for your cooperation.

Thank you also:

– Furkan Güner for facilitating the event and participating in the round table

– Kulturno društvo Gmajna and Aigul Hakimova for participation in the roundtable

– Oleg Rogoza for his participation in the roundtable

– Klevis Shkembi for his participation in the round table

– Gal Krizmanič for moderating the round table.

The post 2ND INTERCULTURAL MUSIC EVENTS SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

8. The Real Story

‘I came here as a professional volleyball player for the Slovenian national team. However, I have witnessed many very unkind comments. Ever since I can remember, people have asked me if I work in a nightclub and if I am a dancer’ (Svetlana from Ukraine, 50 years old).

The BODE project (#BreakOutOfDoEquality), which we run together with ADRA Slovenia, is committed to empowering people with a migrant background in the field of advocacy, as they often do not get the right opportunity to present their side of the story. This time, however, it is different – by sharing real stories, we are fighting against the prejudice that migrants are not educated or skilled enough to participate equally and qualitatively in the progress of society in Slovenia.

This is Svetlana’s story…

Svetlana from Ukraine is a professional trainer, teacher, author of two autobiographical books, and also a court interpreter. Since living in Slovenia, she has experienced great successes, but she has also witnessed many prejudices.

‘I came to Slovenia in 1994, when Ukraine became independent and the borders were opened. As a young professional volleyball player, I joined the Slovenian national team and played volleyball until I was 36 years old. I have been a primary school sports teacher for 22 years. I am proud to have been the first in my school to be awarded the title of councilor, which has encouraged other teachers to want to progress in this direction. At the same time, I consider it a great success that I managed to write two books in Slovenian, which was not easy, but despite the challenges, I managed to do it.’

Svetlana was elected as a municipal councilor in Ljutomer this year and was offered the opportunity to run for a parliamentary seat, which she did not accept due to family commitments and a desire to care more closely for her 5 children.

On the system and procedure for obtaining citizenship and integration itself, Svetlana believes it would be a very good idea to consider changing the law to make it easier for immigrants to obtain residence and work rights more quickly. She also thinks that it would be a good idea to improve housing policy procedures and the allocation of municipal housing to families in need.

‘During my life in Slovenia, I have witnessed many prejudices and some very unkind comments. I live in a small village where historically people have not had much contact with immigrants from other countries and cultures. I am a tall blonde from Ukraine and, for as long as I can remember, people have asked me whether I work in a nightclub and whether I am a dancer. I always had to explain that I don’t know how to pole dance, but that I play professionally for the Slovenian national volleyball team,’ Svetlana said about her challenges in Slovenia.

We fight stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice. It is important to stand together for social justice, equal treatment, and opportunities for all members of our society. Let’s be tolerant, friendly, and open to new faces, new acquaintances, and opportunities for people to surprise us positively as great employees, talented individuals, or just loyal friends. Although different, we are all equal.

More about the stories and the project:

www.MKDIA.org

www.ADRA.si/BODE

______

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 “𝑩𝑶𝑫𝑬/𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒛 𝑶𝒗𝒊𝒓 𝑫𝒐 𝑬𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊” 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 – 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐.

CNVOS

ADRA Slovenija

Ministrstvo za notranje zadeve

The post NEW FACES OF SLOVENIA – SVETLANA FROM UKRAINE first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

Dear Intercultural Dialogue members, volunteers, and followers, we are sharing with you our intercultural event “Active Citizens for Positive Change” that we will organize with ADRA Slovenia and Student Radio on Monday evening next week.

In the first part of our event, we will start with the presentation of our projects “Migrants Giving a Voice to Migrants” Enolončnica and “No Barriers to Equality”.

During this event, we will be accompanied by the LIVE Ljubljana International Vocal Ensemble led by actor Colombian songwriter, and musician Juan David Zuleta, Ukrainian songwriter and musician Ekaterina Yokodo, and Slovenian music group Tend Bend.

We will also have a round table with 4 migrant speakers from Ukraine, Albania, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey, who will share their experiences of migration. We will also look for answers to the questions of the importance of radio and social media tools in the advocacy of migrants and why it is important for migrants to know and defend their rights and their benefits for integration.

Date: Monday, November 28th

Time: 18:00 to 20:00

Adress: SAZU Novi Trg, 2

Duration: 2 hours

Entry Fee: The event is free of charge

________________________________________

MORE

The BODE/Barrier-Free Equality and Migrant to Migrant Voice project is funded by the Active Citizens Fund in Slovenia, supported by Norway Grants from Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

BODE is implemented by the Intercultural Dialogue Association and ADRA Slovenia.

https://www.mkdia.org/…/brez-ovir-do-enakosti-no…/

”Migrant to migrant voice” is implemented by Slovenian Philanthropy (link HERE), Radio Student Institute, and Radio Nova (Norway).

https://enoloncnica.radiostudent.si/

Ministrstvo za notranje zadeve

CNVOS

ADRA Slovenija

Radio Študent 89,3 MHz

Slovenska filantropija

Medkulturni Dialog

The post ACTIVE CITIZENS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE – INVITATION first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.

On Monday 7.11. we met at ZRC SAZU for an intercultural music event organized by ADRA Slovenija and Medkulturni Dialog

This time, within the framework of the No Barriers to Equality (BODE) project, musical groups, and speakers from different countries (Ukraine, Slovenia, Albania, Peru, Brazil) and cultural backgrounds performed for the purpose of raising awareness in the field of equality, integration, social inclusion and advocacy.

With this intercultural event, we wanted to show how music and art can be used for advocacy purposes.

In a nice atmosphere, we also shared some practical ways to empower people with a migrant background and talked about past activities from the BODE project.

Thank you to all the speakers and performers for your participation in creating a better, more tolerant, and fairer society in Slovenia

Special thanks also to @ZRC SAZU for having us.

——————–

Implemented by the Humanitarian Association ADRA Slovenia(ADRA.si/BODE) and the Intercultural Dialogue Association (www.MKDIA.org).

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 “𝑩𝑶𝑫𝑬/𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒛 𝑶𝒗𝒊𝒓 𝑫𝒐 𝑬𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊” 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 – 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐.

CNVOS

Medkulturni Dialog

ADRA Slovenija

Ministrstvo za notranje zadeve

Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo in migracije ZRC SAZU

The post INTERCULTURAL MUSIC EVENTS SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED first appeared on Medkulturni dialog.