On the 12th of April, the Center for Security, Sociological and Criminal Investigations of Montenegro Defendology, within which operates the Day Center for Children and Families with the same title, marked the International Children's Day at the city square in Niksic. The children of RE population carried banners with the inscriptions "The Street Is Not My Home", “Give less and do more”, "Do Not Close Your Eyes in front of Children Begging", "We Have the Right To Play", to draw attention to the problem of begging while the elders paid attention to the vulnerability of giving money to children and the need to better understand the phenomenon of begging in order to donate food and clothes instead of money.

"Defendology Daily Center is the only daily center in Montenegro that directly deals with working with children from the street. This day is a good opportunity for citizens of Niksic and others to point out that children should not be given money but that systematic approaches can affect the fact that begging will come to an end by donating food to children instead of money," said Jelena Milic, coordinator in the Defendology center.

The Center has been doing the activities "The street is not my home" and "Give less and do more" to show the public the difficulties of the work and the lives of the children on the street.

"Children on the street are often legally invisible, experiencing various forms of violence. The most common exploiters are their parents, and research has shown that most commonly boys are forced to beg, although there is also a certain number of girls. What sets us out of our practical work is that children on the street experience insults, maltreatment, and even cases of sexual abuse," Milic said.

Since the establishment of the Defendology Center, 338 children have passed through it, who have different behavioral problems, and among them about 25 children who have been or are still engaged in begging, and over 70 parents.

"There have been a lot of cases that children are being taken off from the street, but that does not mean that the problem is solved because the next day you have a new child on the street. Therefore, for these categories it is said that children are beggars and are at risk of becoming children from the street. Such centers would be necessary for many municipalities in Montenegro because begging is a major problem in all of the country," Milic said.

There were also children from JPU "Dragan Kovačević" at the square and they all walked to the building of the Municipality where they spoke with the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality, Sonja Nikcevic and Secretary of the Secretariat for Sport, Culture, Youth and Social Welfare, Milan Korac about the work of Defendology Center and its positioning in the local community.

The International Children's Day has been celebrated since 2011 in over 130 countries.

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on April 12th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

Adopting the law on the life partnership for persons of the same gender will be a key moment in the lives of LGBT people, which will show that the deputies are concerned for all the citizens despite their differences, it was said by the Director for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Juventas, Jelena Colakovic.

"Why do I say the key moment? Because the same-gender communities are a reality which is only necessary for the state, or legislator, to legally determine so that the community and the people of the same sex have the rights of heterosexual couples in extramarital or marital communities," explained Colakovic.

As she said, in the current situation there is a gray zone that is susceptible to discrimination and violence.

"In this case, with the rights that the LGBT people will receive through this law the gray zone will be regulated. In that case, we have individuals who have higher quality lives, are more satisfied and contribute to their community and to their future," said Colakovic.

Specifically, she added, adopting the law would, among other things, also entitle the right to inheritance.

"For example, a couple who lived and created a life together for a long time would not be in a situation where, if something happens to one of them, the other could not inherit the property, i.e., what they acquired and what they built over time," said Colakovic.

According to her, everyone is trying to create something in the communities that is important and what they will use in the future.

"So also, the people who are in the same-gender communities want security. We know that when someone close to us, for example, a partner is in an intensive care, not everyone can enter to see him, but only family," said Colakovic.

As she said, they want the law to provide basic things, which is primarily just living their lives.

"Someone will think of this as something special, and in reality, it is only the life itself and only what everyone should have, regardless of what their sexual orientation and gender identity is," said Colakovic.

On the other hand, the state would get happy individuals.

"We know that happy individuals make a more satisfied society and we hope that with this message of taking care of all its citizens, not only by the state, but also by the deputies in parliament, to show concern for the citizens regardless of their differences," said Colakovic.

She added that everyone, both those who bring and those who enforce laws, will be somewhat more responsible towards LGBT people.

As she said, they would be more responsible in the context of their lives, "and it seems to me that this will also affect those citizens themselves."

"They will see that someone really takes care of them and that the negative things they are exposed to are slowly diminishing or trying to be fixed by implementing a legal solution that will in any case improve the quality of their lives," says Colakovic.

She told the decision makers that the key thing is to take care of all the citizens, regardless of what their diversity is.

"The fact is that Montenegro needs more satisfied people, and if you show that you worry about them, I think you will have citizens who will be grateful to you," said Colakovic.

The text was written in co-operation with the non-governmental organization "35mm" within the project Engaging content, in order to promote different experiences and attitudes through media content. The project is part of the Balkan Media Assistance Program, supported by USAID, implemented by Internews. Content is the exclusive responsibility of the agency MINA. Text can be downloaded and published without restriction, with mandatory source references.

Text by MINA News, on April 14th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

NGO activists from the "Ecologic Movement Donja Bukovica" and villagers who gravitate to this river on Durmitor organized an action to clean part of its bed about two kilometers long.

This is another one in a series of actions that, apart from ecological character, are aimed at fighting the construction of two mini-hydropower plants. Meanwhile, it also stands as a commitment to put the river Bukovica under protection, which is famous for its drinking water and peat trout, says in the NGO "Ecological Movement Donja Bukovica".

"By organizing this action, we once again wanted to show that we are still here, along with our river, and that we will fight for its protection till the end. This is only the first in a series of actions we have planned for this spring and summer," said the NGO "Ecologic Movement Donja Bukovica" and stressed that during the Labor Day holidays they will organize a protest against the planned construction of the small hydropower plants on this river.

Text by Obrad Pjesivac, on April 14th 2019, read more at Vijesti

Between 1.300 and 1.400 Montenegrin students live abroad, and most of them are in the faculties of economics, management and business, architecture and political sciences.

Most young people from Montenegro are studying in Italy, then Turkey which is increasingly popular, followed by Austria, Slovenia and Russia.

"We can find our students around the world, on all continents, except Africa and Antarctica. Because of the proximity between the states, the number of scholarships and finances Europe is the foremost destination. Most of them are in Italy, and in recent years Turkey has been the main candidate to take over the first position as a destination for studying," said Vildan Ramusovic, President of the Organization of Montenegrin Foreign Students' Organization (OCSI).

This organization founded eight years ago has over 350 registered members and most of its representatives are in Italy in seven cities - Rome, Milan, Trieste, Bologna, Bari, Turin and Padua.

Connecting students around the world for eight years

Ramusovic explains that OSCI, as a non-political, non-profit and non-governmental organization, brings together students at regular studies abroad, exchange programs for a year, as well as students in the following year after graduation (Alumni). Apart from students, target groups are high school students, as well as representatives of Montenegrin academic, artistic, diplomatic and entrepreneurial Diasporas.

"OCSI was founded on the initiative of five perspective young people who have been conducting regular studies abroad - Aleksandar Jacimovic, Bojana Minic, Fedja Pavlović, Milena Stankovic and Tonja Ratic. The main goal of the organization is to establish a platform for efficient and effective cooperation among Montenegrin students in the aim of stimulating professional, scientific and other types of cooperation," explains Ramusovic.

Among the activities of the OSCI, he says, are the formation of Montenegrin students in foreign universities and the establishment of cooperation among them, cooperation with young professionals from Montenegro, promotion of the state and its natural and cultural heritage, and support to Montenegrin high school students in the choice of future education.

"I must point out that all the members of the OSCI Managing Board accepted their obligations without financial compensation, all because of the desire to create a strong network of people abroad who will be of help to future generations. However, money is needed for these projects. In one-part, certain alumni members who are already working abroad help financially, but this is not enough".

Ramusovic was elected President of the OSCI Assembly at the end of last year, and his main task is to lead the global Alumni network and to coordinate the network of local branches and organize the summer and winter assembly:

"Of course, besides this, I want to contribute with my work in all areas of the organization. Together with my colleagues, I try to create a strong network of people abroad who would further help our citizens on their way to achieving their goals.

Ramusovic was elected president of the OCSI Assembly as a student in Slovenia and a representative in Maribor, who was elected at the end of last year. "Since I knew a lot of our students here, and at the suggestion of an old representative of Montenegrin students Ivana Picuric in Maribor, I was chosen for the new one. Already then, I joined the Organization of Montenegrin students abroad. The first task, together with colleagues from Ljubljana and Kopar, was the organization of the event "Montenegrin Embassies Open House" at the Montenegrin Embassy in Slovenia," said Ramusovic. He says he subsequently applied for the OCSI Presidential Competition, and after two weeks of elections and digital voting he was elected for that year. It is perfect to be a student in Slovenia

Ramusović, although at the master studies in Podgorica where he still has to pass his master thesis, enrolled another master last year at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation and Architecture in Maribor.

He decided to study in Slovenia primarily for the bilateral agreement between them and our country.

"If you enroll, your education is free. Otherwise, one year costs 3.500 euros. In addition, it is possible to study and work here.

The program is designed in a way that you are greatly prepared for future work after college. Recently, on one subject we had contact directly with the investor. All of us, who received tens of dollars (among the top nine groups, two were Montenegrin) were rewarded by the investor.

In addition, he has funded the best publications. During that process, I saw a document regarding the preservation of intellectual property for the first time. The Faculty thus protected its students from misusing the idea and the project itself. In Montenegro, I did not have the opportunity to see such things," says Ramusovic.

"Architects in Montenegro have come to a very bad position, at least those who keep up to their profession and the basic postulates of architecture," Ramusovic says. He argues that it "is perfect to be a student in Slovenia because of all the comforts offered by that republic".

"Every working day, one meal is subsidized, so for two to three euros, you can get soup, a main course, salad and fruit. There are no canteens in Maribor, and everything is at restaurants. For each type of food, we have a discount — both in the city and the whole country. Visits to cinemas, theaters, museums are also subsidized. On specific dates, some are even completely free of charge.

Ramusovic says he has mastered the Slovenian language a lot in one pub where he works in the afternoon. Even though he passes the mornings at the faculty and afternoons at work, he still has time to socialize. "The students from Montenegro meet regularly. At least once a week," he says. Ramusovic will be in the Gran Canary Islands in Spain for several months because he has been awarded with the Erasmus scholarship to spend one part of the education there.

Although he misses Montenegro a lot, he does not exclude the possibility that after his master's thesis he can work in Slovenia.

"Maybe I'm going to start my work here and perhaps pursue doctoral studies in another country. What I am confident of is that with the help of my profession I want to help my homeland. Often those of us in foreign countries say that knowledge and money acquired abroad we want to return to Montenegro. Perhaps a bit selfish from the countries we study in, but we do it for the benefit of future generations in Montenegro. We want to contribute to the system being such that a student wants to stay in his state where he will be given everything – a comprehensive education and a perfect job to be paid according to his merits," Ramusovic says.

Student life in various countries in seven days

OSCI is currently working on two projects, "Me Studying Abroad" and "Outside the Amphitheater", led by students Kristina Djendjinovic and Nikolina Cabarkapa. "The aim of the project 'Me Studying Abroad' is that the Montenegrin students who are abroad tell us their story, show the city they live in, faculties, presentations, festivals, concerts, performances, nightlife, as well as the library, cafeteria, road from homes to faculties, well-known and less well-known places, how they learn, how to spend time, all through photos, Instagram stories and announcements. All this with the help of our official Instagram page. The student who gets the opportunity to participate in the project has seven days to present the above mentioned. With the project "Outside the Amphitheater" we present our members (CSI athletes and artists) whose amphitheaters are podiums, terrains, ateliers and winning podiums. We write about their dreams, notes, balls, cups and medals, black belts, tears and smiles," says Ramusovic.  

He explains that he is officially working on two other projects, among others, the "Summer Assembly 2019", which is written and for which they are currently seeking funding.

Many doors are open to award-winning students

Ramusovic, together with two fellow students, won the competition for the interior design of a famous hairdresser brand in Ljubljana, and this project has already opened many doors and introduced them to the world of the profession in Slovenia.

"Immediately afterwards, for the same investor, we got to do two more projects. The final project whose performance is underway is the "Cut & Art & Wine" project. Throughout the day, the building serves as a barber shop, and in the afternoon it becomes an art shop and a place where the best Slovenian wines are tasted. The task was extremely unusual, but also very difficult because we had to merge activities that otherwise are not functioning together. The competition was preceded by many types of research and detailed analyzes. All furniture is unique, that is the product of our design," says Ramusovic.

Text by Ana Komatina, on April 14th 2019, read more at Vijesti

The company "Zain Property Development" from Oman will soon begin construction of a diplomatic residence in Podgorica in Zagoric, and a Montenegrin company will build the villas, confirmed "Vijesti".

"Zain Property Development" will soon sign a contract with Montenegrin contractors, but they did not want to reveal which Montenegrin company would build luxurious villas in the area of the former barracks in Zagoric.

The project is worth six million euros, and will be officially presented to the Montenegrin public next week.

The project in Podgorica is a "test of the European market", says the Oman company.

"Zain Property Development" has already implemented several similar projects in Oman, and they are registered in Montenegro since 2016.

"Zain", a company owned by the family Moos Al Raisi from Oman, bought the land of 9,696 square feet in Zagoric for 752,201 euros in April 2017.

They received the consent of the chief architect Dusan Vuksanovic for the conceptual solution of the complex (residential building, squares, etc.), which was made by Studio Synthesis architecture & design from Podgorica.

Representatives of the company asked the Agency for the Construction and Development of Podgorica to calculate a fee for utility installations of the land for the construction of the complex in Zagoric.

At its session on December 29^th in 2016, the Government approved the sale of land in Zagoric.

"In response to the request, the Ministry of Finance initiated the procedure of sale of immovable property in the ownership of the state of Montenegro, i.e. part of the urban plots, and, after obtaining the consent by the Government, in accordance with the regular legal procedure, issued a public invitation to participate in public tenders for the sale of immovable property owned by the state of Montenegro, with a total area of 9,696 square meters, estimated at EUR 77.58 per square meter," the Ministry of Finance said earlier. 

The executive director of the company, according to the Central Register of Business Entities, is Milos Milosevic, and founders are members of the family Al Raisi with 49 percent by Moos Mohamed Abdullah Moos, and 51 percent by Mish 'Al Mohamed Abdullah Moos. The headquarters are on Tuski put in Podgorica.

Text by Borko Zdero, on April 12th 2019, read more at Vijesti

13 April 2019 - Traditional rural architecture in northern Montenegro can be a potential for the development of rural ethno tourism, which could become a great attraction for foreign tourists - adventurers who want to feel the primeval tradition and culture of country people's life.

The traditional rural architecture with a specific construction style present in Montenegro is based on the great experience of the country’s peasant, self-taught country-side builders who lived in harmony with nature and accordingly selected the best solutions and adapted them to their lives and work. At that time, the construction workers did not have the goal to subjugate nature but to adapt to it. They used natural materials from their environment. The houses that were built back then were always located on a dry soil, somewhere “on the side”, in order to preserve meadow and fertile land. Still, the countryfolk always made sure that their home was in a safe place, protected from strong winds and with good visibility of the area around it.

The country people respected the earth and soil, which gave birth to new life without which they could not survive. All peasants knew how to organise their farms, planning not only the housing, but also other buildings on the property, such as ambers, stalls, dairy farms, wells, sheds, bakery furnace, chicken coops etc.

The most common building materials for traditional houses in the north of Montenegro were wood and stone, and they determined the types of houses which could be built: log cabins, combination of wood and stone, combination of various types of stone, logs and wattle houses, combination of stone, log and brick. A common type of house in the north of Montenegro is the so-called "kuća na ćelici" made on steep slope, where the lower level is usually made of stone and the upper part of the house is made of wattle. The house most often consisted of two rooms – the main room with the fireplace where the tenants would stay during the day, make and have their meals, and the bedroom. The roof was most often covered with wooden boards with a large and steep slope, in order to keep the snow and moisture off. The roof usually had openings - the gutter, through which the smoke from the fireplace came out. The common details of these houses were also wooden crosses, for which there are different interpretations, but the most common are religious reasons.

The potential for the development of rural tourism in Montenegro is unused. Traditional houses can be reconstructed or rebuilt according to traditional construction methods and as such used to improve the tourist offer of northern Montenegro. Rural tourism makes a great part of the country’s brand as a tourist destination, because tourists seek natural and genuine environment, they want to see and stay in such facilities to feel us as the country folk used to feel, and escape the present-day contemporaries.

Relatively preserved rural complexes still exist throughout the country. These facilities were built in the traditional spirit, and as such could, with certain construction interventions, be revitalized and put into function as tourist attractions. Areas with such preserved units include village Kalušići – Bobovo in Pljevlja, located above the canyon of the river Tara, where all houses from foundation to roof are made of wood, as well as the village Gajine also in Pljevlja in which most of the houses are made of a combination of stone and wattle. There are many more villages filled with traditional houses that eagerly await reconstruction, but will Montenegro get to them in time and truly use the potential of sustainable rural tourism – it remains to be seen.

April 13, 2019 - The International Conference "Strategic Tourism Development Based on the Valorization of Cultural Heritage" convened on April 12 in Herceg Novi with participants from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Spain, Slovakia, Germany, and Montenegro, as well as representatives of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA).

A project dedicated to projects and examples of good practices for cultural heritage valuation in the cities of Europe was held at the hotel "Lighthouse," within the project "Network of Tourist Cities for the Promotion of Cultural Heritage." The organizer is the Secretariat for Tourism, Economic Development, and Entrepreneurship of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, in cooperation with the local Tourism Organization.

Branka Mračević, the Secretariat representative, said that the conference was devoted to the exchange of experiences between the cities and the countries of the European Union and the countries that are still not members on the subject of valorization of material and intangible cultural heritage for the promotion of cities and states.

Mračević also noted that the Secretariat for Tourism, Economic Development, and Entrepreneurship aims to promote, in addition to administrative local government affairs, more activities in co-operation with European partners.

The representative of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism Tamara Đukić said that, according to the development goals defined in Montenegro's Tourism Development Strategy by 2020, our country is undertaking activities and implementing various projects to make Montenegro a high-quality tourist destination with a full year and diversified tourist production.

In support of this is the fact that the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism has started developing a cultural tourism development program of Montenegro, with the Action Plan 2019-2021, which was adopted by the Government last month. The Action Plan foresees the establishment of a working team to be responsible for its implementation with a set of tasks to raise the level of the tourist offer in terms of valorization of our country's material and non-material cultural heritage.

The Ministry of Culture, as a competent national institution, protects cultural heritage from different aspects, said Dobrila Vlahović from that Ministry. She reminded of the significant projects supported by the Ministry of Culture, which relate to the valorization of cultural heritage only from the conservative apse, but also for tourist purposes of the placing of cultural objects and goods in the function of sustainable use.

Vesna Maksimovic, from the regional agency of the Development Center Novo Mesto, said that the idea of ​​a project involving nine more partners from other cities was born out of the long-standing cooperation between that city and Herceg Novi.

"We want to promote cultural tourism and cultural heritage, and our goal is to encourage our citizens from Novo Mesto to come to Herceg Novi and show them what everyone can see here. The project lasts two years, but the main goal is that over the next few years more and more tourists will come to you and that more citizens of Herceg Novi will visit Novo Mesto," Maksimovic said.

The conference presented examples of good practice in Novo Mesto in Slovenia, the Croatian municipality of Konavle, the Polish town of Torun, Kotor and Herceg Novi, as well as the challenges facing local governments in the protection of cultural heritage. The participants are introduced to the cultural heritage of Herceg Novi, which deals with the protection of cultural assets, as well as the cross-border project "Fortress ReInvented," whose realization is ongoing, and the result will be the introduction of digital technologies at Kanli Kula to improve tourism valorization.

In addition to partners from partner cities, the conference was attended by representatives of state authorities, local self-government, tourism organizations, NGOs and the media.

At the end of the conference, participants from eight European countries had the opportunity to visit Kanli Kula, Forte Mare, the Old Town, and the City Museum, and to make their visit closer to the cultural heritage and potentials of Herceg Novi.

Podgorica will have an Argentina Square, Ankara boulevard, Kolovrat, and European street,  it was decided by the members of the Assembly of the Capital City.

PG Bureau said that today's Assembly members adopted the Decision on determining the names of the squares and streets in Podgorica, on the proposal of the Council for the nomination of the name of settlements, streets, and squares.

This Decision defines that in the territory of the local community Nova Varos, the square located on the south side of the City Stadium and borders with Boulevard Ivan Crnojevic from the south and the street 19th December from the eastern side, is named Argentina Square.

"It's about a public space of 4.7 thousand square meters. Montenegrin emigrants began to settle in Argentina in the early 19th, and the most intense in the early 20th century," the statement said.

It is added that more than 40,000 Montenegrin emigrants and their descendants live in Argentina, that is, the second Montenegrin community in number in the world, and are mostly settled in the provinces of Chaco and General Madariaga.

The decision stipulates that in the area of 1. May, that the extension of Ljubljana street from the crossroads with Ljubomir Rasovic street to Cetinjska street, a 300 meters long area will be called Ankara boulevard, by the capital of Turkey and the administrative center of Ankara province in the region of Central Anadolia, where the elite part is placed on the street called Podgorica.

In the area of the local community "Dajbabe", a street that extends from Vojislavljevic boulevard near the bridge on Moraca, in the south and south-east, on the left bank of the Moraca river to the crossroads with the European street, in the length of about 450 meters, will be Kolovrat, according to the former name for the left and the right bank of Moraca river between Dajbabe and Donja Gorica.

The street extending from Boulevard Vojislavljevic to the south to Kolovrat Street, about 400 meters long, will be named European street.

A delegate l in the Municipal Assembly, Tijana Vidakovic, said that tradition and modern trends determined this proposal.

"It is because of all the differences that exist and create a coherent whole that I believe that this proposal is indirectly a form of preservation of national identity. This creates an inseparable blend of tradition and modern trends, but also of all the achievements that we are counting thanks to our policy and the steadfast European path," Vidakovic pointed out.

Text by MINA News, on April 11th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

The presentation of the tourist offer of Bar was held in the capital of Ukraine at the hotel "Opera" in Kiev, where a business workshop of tourist businesspeople of Montenegro and Ukraine was also held. The Tourist Association of Bar was one of the co-organizers of this event in cooperation with the Embassy of Montenegro in Ukraine, NTOCG and the Tourist Organization of Budva.

"The guests were greeted by the Ambassador of Montenegro to Ukraine Ljubomir Misurovic, and the director of NTOCG Zeljka Radak Kukavicic, and the representatives of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism and TO Bar and Budva presented the natural and cultural values of our climate, the offer for the upcoming summer tourist season and the airlines between the two countries. Then a business workshop was held where the Montenegrin representatives held meetings with Ukrainian tour operators and agencies in order to establish cooperation in the future," TO Bar said.

According to the same information, the presentation included Ukrainian tour operators Alf, TUI Ukraine, Kompas Travel, Join UP, Orbita, Siesta, Coral, Pilon, Wind Rose, Sky Up, Allianz, Pegas, Annex, Pan Ukraine, TEZ Tours and more.

Text by Radomir Petric, on April 11th, 2019, read more at Vijesti