About Vojvodjanka

Vojvodjanka – Regional Women's Initiative was founded in 2000 in Novi Sad (Vojvodina/Serbia) as a non-party, non-government and non-for-profit association of citizens.

It advocates the observation of basic democratic values and human rights. Through its activities, it promotes civil society in which women and men of all generations and ethnic background equally take part in public and political life, and develops new models of co-operation and networks among government institutions, civil organisations, media, and individuals.

From 2000 to 2008, the organisation realised 16 individual projects, and as a partner, it took part in the realisation of 13 projects, it is the publisher of 11 publications, and producer of 6 short documentaries. Up to date, it has realised its activities in the town of Novi Sad, in Vojvodina and Serbia, surrounding countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia), as well as in European Union countries (Hungary, Romania, Germany).

Short documentary VIVISECT, whose author is Marija Gajicki, produced by "Vojvodjanka – Regionalna ženska inicijativa", won award for thee best short film (award Gandhi Up for the best short film) at the first international Film Festival on Human Rights, held in Barcelona (Spain), from 22 October to 3 November 2003.

At 7th competition for the best graphic design in Serbia, Republic of Srpska, and Montenegro in 2006 and 2007, Jovan Trkulja, author of design of publication Speech of Hatred and Nationalism – Causes and Effects (in Serbian, Hungarian, and Albanian, January 2007), was given award for design in category "Book and other publications". The book was published thanks to financial support of Embassy of the USA, Office for Public Affairs in Belgrade.

Vojvodjanka – Regional Women’s Initiative has, in its previous activity, realised the following project specifically dealing with the following topics:

1. Promotion of higher participation of women in public and political life in Serbia, through the organisation of seminars, lectures, and discussions on gender equality, and establishment of network among women active in political parties, non-governmental organisations, trade unions, and media. Special part of the activities in the first stage of the organisation’s activity relates to the participation in women’s pre-electoral campaigns in Serbia in 2000 and 2001.

Realised projects: Equally (December 2002); Facts 2000 (December 2000 – January 2001); Women's Info Center (January – July 2001); Organizing of the seminars for women, Women Can Do That, 1 & 2 (2001-2002); Granting Loans to Women's Businesses – Together toward the Solution (January – April 2002); Women's City Rhythm (2002-2004); Social Dialogue and Strengthening of Women in the Unions in Serbia (2005 – 2006).

2. Establishment of new forms of cross-border co-operation among Hungary, Romania, and Vojvodina/Serbia, with the aim of including women’s politics and gender equality into Euro-regional co-operation in DKMT region (the Danube-Tisa-Kris-Moris).

Realised projects: Let's Work Together in Politics (March – August 2002); Euro-regional Women's Political Co-operation – It's Time for Co-operation (November 2002 – April 2004).

3. Activities in campaign for visa abolishment and liberalisation of visa regime initiated by Citizens’ Pact for South East Europe. The action “For the Future without any Borders” was realised (on 21 June 2001) at the state border between Serbia and Croatia, at the Danube bridge. This action was citizens’ support to the initiatives for visa regime abolishment between Serbia and Croatia. Several months later, the governments of Serbia and Croatia signed agreement on the abolishment of visa regime between these two countries.

4. Establishment of new activity methods in the processes of dealing with wars in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and initiation of public discussion on responsibility for the events from the recent past. In September 2002, we organised the exhibition of war photographs of Ron Haviv “Blood and Honey” in Novi Sad, which aroused great media coverage and controversial reactions of the exhibition visitors. The exhibition was seen by over 5,000 people, and the material collected during the exhibition (10 days) was edited in a short documentary, while the comments written by the exhibition visitors on papers next to the photographs were published in the book of documents. The short documentary and the book of documents called VIVISECT are testimony on the method in which the exhibition of the war photographs of Ron Haviv was realised in Novi Sad and on the reactions of numerous exhibition visitors. Also, they are the testimony on social and political situation in Serbia after the fall of the regime of Slobodan Milošević, and on the reasons why the process of dealing with truth on wars and war crimes which occurred in the territory of the former Yugoslavia in the last decade of 20th century is hampered. 

VIVISECT project is a new activity method which ensures an objective insight in nationalistic idealism which has polluted the region of the former Yugoslavia, and it provides an opportunity for reviewing individual attitudes of citizens on the events from the recent past.

5. In 2004, we organised the first Festival on Human Rights - VIVISECTfest (www.vivisectfest.org) in Novi Sad, with the intention to develop annual educational and art forum for the presentations and discussions to the topics of human rights. The Festival on Human Rights – VIVISECTfest originated from the need to indicate to more and more present attacks to human dignity.

Three editions of the Festival on Human Rights – VIVISECTfest were organised, dedicated to the following topics: “War in the Former Yugoslavia – View from Inside and Outside” (2004/2005); “My Enemies: Nationalism and Xenophobia” (2006/2007), and “Terrorism, No Thanks” (2007/2008).

It is planned to realise two new Festival editions in 2008 and 2009 dedicated to the topics of “Totalitarian Regimes - View from Inside and Outside” and “Third World Countries – People from the Margin”.

Since 2004, the organiser of the Festival on Human Rights - VIVISECTfest established the network of the travelling festivals in 15 towns (in Serbia: Belgrade, Kikinda, Indjija, Novi Pazar, Novi Becej, Backa Palanka, Sombor, Ruma, Stara Pazova, Kula; in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mostar, Sarajevo, Tuzla; in Macedonia - Skopje, in Germany - Berlin) and the co-operation with 20 festivals on human rights in the country and abroad.

The Festival on Human Rights – VIVISECTfest co-operates with university centres in the countries and abroad: Art Academy, Faculty of Philosophy, and Women’s Studies in Novi Sad (Serbia), Faculty of Political Sciences and Peace Studies in Zagreb and IUC – International University Centre in Dubrovnik (Croatia), Peace Studies in Sarajevo and Bologna, CEU – Central European University in Budapest (Hungary), Jan van Eyck Academy in Mastrict (the Netherlands), George Washington University in Washington (USA), Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology in Oxford (Great Britain), Faculty for Social Sciences, Department of Journalism at University of Ljubljana (Slovenia). 

Since 2005, there has been the co-operation with the Art Academy in Novi Sad, aimed at motivating the students to get actively involved in the processes of democratisation in Serbia. This is the first example of a direct co-operation between a non-governmental organisation (Vojvodjanka – Regional Women’s Imitative) and Art Academy in Serbia, which has become a part of the mandatory curriculum at a university institution. Every year, the students prepare poster exhibition to the Festival topic. Three exhibitions were realised: in 2005, to the topic of "Farewell to Arms, Farewell to Wars", in 2006 to the topic of "My Enemies: Nationalism and Xenophobia", and in 2007/2008 to the topic of "Terrorism, No Thanks".

6. In 2009, the organisation begins the realisation of the projects “European Rhythm of the Town” aimed at researching the opportunity of promoting contacts among peoples and assisting in the development of civil society in Serbia. "European Rhythm of the Town" is a long-term project (2008-2012) aimed at providing the wider public to gain knowledge about basic facts of the European Union member states. It is planned to, through this project, present all EU states (27 countries), as well as the countries which will become full members of EU until 2012.

Financial Support

In the period from 2000 to 2006, the programmes of the Vojvodjanka - Regional Women's Initiative had a financial support of donors: Stability Pact Gender Task Force - Swiss Government, Fund for the Open Society, Stability Pact Gender Task Force -  Austrian Government, USAID Romania, USAID Commercial Law Project and Booz Alen Hamilton, SEE Citizen's Pact, USAID and Freedom House, Stability Pact Gender Task Force - Danish Government, IKV and SEE Citizen's Pact, Stability Pact Gender Task Force - Italian Government, SEE Network for Gender Issues with funds of Olof Palme Center.

In the period from 2004 to 2008, the programmes of the Festival on Human Rights– VIVISECTfest had a financial support of international donors (Freedom House, C. S. Mott Foundation, Quaker Peace & Social Witness, Stability Pact for South East Europe with funds of German Government, Embassy of the USA, Office for Public Affairs in Belgrade, NED – National Endowment for Democracy, Swiss Embassy in Skopje, German Embassy in Belgrade), Provincial Secretariat for Education and Culture and Secretariat for Sport and Youth, as well as local partners in 15 towns where the programme of the travelling festivals was organised.

Organisation was a partner in the implementation of the following 15 projects:

Go Out And Be Active – women's election campaign in Serbia (2000)

Campaign for the amendment of the Law on the Yugoslav Army – to shorten the military service and include the ‘conscientious objection’ (2000)

Organizing of the seminars for women "Women Can Do That, 1 & 2" (2001/2002)

Let Us Make Women's Potentials in Novi Sad Visible (2002)

Campaign against human trafficking – "Open Your Eyes" (2002)

Campaign of women's NGOs "Financially Equal" (2002

Campaign for abolishing visas and liberalization of visa regimes (2002)

Women's City Rhythm (2004)

Balkan Women for Peace (2004)

From Remembering the Past toward Positive Future (2003/2004)

The ICTY in The Hague – A Road to Facing the Past (2004)

Human Rights in Film Festival – Over the Walls (Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2005)

Regional conference "Gender Aspects of the New Enlargement of the EU – the role of progressive parties in co-operation with CEE Network for Gender Issues (February 2006).

KRAF - Kragujevac Review of Anti-war Films (October 2007)

Travelling Peace Film Festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Goražde, Višegrad, Zvornik (April 2008).

 

 

Vojvodjanka – Regional Women's Initiative is a member of the following networks:

Network of women's NGOs in Serbia "Women's Movement – Women's Network";

Regional network of the SP GTF (since 2000);

Network of NGOs and municipalities of the Citizen's Pact for SEE;

Network of women's NGOs who have common activities in Novi Sad (since 2002);

Initiative for the reconstruction of culture and society called DIZALICA (CRANE) - active in Novi Sad since 2004.

Vojvodjanka – Regional Women's Initiative published 11 publications:

Facts 2000 (analysis of gender representation ratio after the 2000 elections in Serbia - published in Serbian, 2001)

Let's Work Together in Politics (publication about the first cross-border co-operation among women from Romania and Vojvodina – published in Serbian, English and Romanian, 2001)

Together toward Solution (analysis of women's businesses in Serbia – published in Serbian and English, 2002)

A manual for the Instructors in the Program Women Can Do That 2 (published in Serbian, 2002)

A Book of Documents Vivisect (documents about the exhibition by Ron Haviv in Novi Sad – first edition in Serbian and English, 2003)

A Manual on Euro-Regional Women's Political Co-operation – It's Time for Co-operation (published in Serbian, Hungarian, Romanian and English, 2003)

A Book of Documents Vivisect (second edition in Serbian and English, 2004)

The Catalogue of the first edition of the festival on Human Rights – VIVISECTfest on the topic War in the Former Yugoslavia – View from Inside and Outside (in Serbian and English, 2005)

The Catalogue of the Traveling Festival on Human Rights – VIVISECTfest on the topic War in the Former Yugoslavia – View from Inside and Outside (in Serbian and English, 2006)

Publication The Language of Hatred and Nationalism – Causes and Consequences (in Serbian, Hungarian and Albanian, January 2007)

The Catalogue of the second edition of the Festival on Human Rights – VIVISECTfest with the topic My Enemies: Nationalism and Xenophobia (in Serbian and English, 2007)

Vojvodjanka – Regional Women's Initiative produced 6 short documentary films:

Equally 1 and Equally 2 (2000)

Let's Work Together in Politics (2001)

When Someone has Good Hopes (2002)

VIVISECT (2003)

It's Time for Co-operation (2003)