The Institute for Youth Development KULT is a non-governmental organization engaged in creating and advocating legal and other strategic solutions and strengthening the capacities of associations and governmental authorities in BiH and the region, with the goal of building an open society with empowered citizens who participate in decision making and public life.
Given the current state of emergency caused by massive flooding and desperate need for every kind of assistance, we are focusing our resources and capacities on helping the population in flood-affected areas in every way that we can: cooperating with other organisations, sending our volunteers in the field, lobbying other towns to send heavy machinery in order to help with the cleanup efforts.
While we have witnessed outpourings of humanitarian aid and selfless volunteering, the situation is still very critical and urgent. Current efforts of countless volunteers, while commendable and awe-inspiring, are sadly not enough.
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Nova saveznica u prevenciji nasilja na snagu stupa 1. augusta 2014. |
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autor nejra |
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srijeda, 21 maj 2014 15:29 |
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„I closed my eyes forever. Even in Central Park, even for a native New Yorker, it’s not easy for a girl to be free” (from Serena Dandini’s theatre project based on Wounded to Death by Maura Misiti. The process of ratification and the beginning of implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, more widely known as the Istanbul Convention, was the topic of yesterday’s conference, held in the building of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.
BiH is one of 11 Europea countries that have ratified the Convention which will come into force on August 1, 2014. Ms. Ismeta Dervoz, member of the Commission for Achieving Gender Equality of the Parliamentary Assembly’s House of Representatives and , and called the Convention our new ally in achieving zero tolerance towards violence, deputy Chairwoman of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the Council of Europe.
The Conference Protecting Women Victims of Domestic Violence on the Occasion of the Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence was implemented as part of a joint project of the Gender Equality Agency and the Commission for Achieving Gender Equality of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly House of Representatives and NGOs in BiH and the region, which deal with these issued and manage safe houses. Representatives of the WAVE Association and the European Women’s Lobby were guests at the Conference.
On the occasion of promoting and supporting the ratification and coming into force of the Istanbul, guests read passages from the book Wounded to Death, by Serena Dandini, Italian author. The author of the book presented stories of abused women, emphasizing the vast and continuing fight against all kinds of violence.
Nejra Kadi?, representative of the Institute for Youth Development KULT, presented to the attendees the life story of Maggie Holmes from a K2 passage. The passages were read by distinguished guests such as Mary An Hennessey, Head of Sarajevo Office at the Council of Europe, Samra Filipovi? HadĹľiabdi? Director of the Gender Equality Agency, Maria Aurora M. Errasquin, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain, Ismeta Dervoz and Katica ?erkez, politicians, and Nada Golubovi? from the association Women to Women.
Violence against women and domestic violence are very much present in BiH, as is the fact that it is very reluctantly reported, that family members often help in hiding it without helping the victims, that sentences for committing violence are insubstantial, that there is no adequate protection and a host of other issues discouraging women from reporting violence which perpetuates this ill in our society. Women in BiH need their dignity back, inclusion in society and communitiy, support in recovery, etc.
Implementation of the Istanbul Convention in BiH will contribute to preventing violence against women and domestic violence, thus alleviating human suffering. The Convention calls upon all members of society to help in reaching our goal – creating a Europe free off all forms of violence against women and all domestic violence. Citizens of the region have an opportunity to assist in violence prevention and changing the consciousness regarding tolerating violence through the campaign potpisujem.org. The Convention obligates the state to put in place a series of measures for protecting against violence; such as police intervention for every reported violent act, simple unobstructed access to support for all victims, free SOS phone lines, free legal aid, etc., as well as to enforce accountability through prosecution and penalizing all those who engage in violent acts, and, finally, provide the mechanisms for monitoring whether the Convention is being applied. The Institute for Youth Development KULT in partnership with the Centre for International Development of the State University in New York (SUNY/CID), through the project Strengthening the governing institutions and processed in BiH, strengthens the role and builds the capacities of women in governing institutions, processes and systems.
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