Full Coverage: Croatia

31.07.2006 The Osijecki Zeleni (Osijek Greens) environmental organization called upon the Government of Croatia to use the UN Commission for Peace auspices, and especially its status of candidate country for full EU membership, to make strong and active effort towards an immediate and unconditional stop of war in Lebanon.

28.07.2006 Under the auspices of its Awareness: Transgender Rights and Issues, Zenska Soba association published a notebook/exercise book on creation of terms of sex and gender on social and individual levels, titled Creation: of Sex? of Gender?

20.07.2006 The Zagreb University Senate decided to seek Constitutional Court’s opinion on the legality of Article 53 from the Law on Rights of Croatian Homeland War Veterans and their Families, which states that veterans and their offspring, as well as children of victims of war, have the right to direct admission in secondary and higher education schools, under the condition that they have passed the minimal points required in admission exams and comply to requirements of the abilities test.

18.07.2006 Last week, on July 12, the Government of Croatia adopted an official document titled Directions for Development and Use of Open Source Code Computer Programmes in Bodies and Institutions of State Administration. In the document, the Government accepts the responsibility to develop, prepare and procure open-source software solutions in the development of information systems of state administration bodies.

14.07.2006 The first Multimedia Camp (MMC), taking place in Laparna Cultural Centre in Labin, focuses on networking of musicians and media activists working in the field of tactical media. The camp is organized under the auspices of the TRANSART 2006 festival, which deals with the topic of Technology and Arts.

14.07.2006 Tonka Rakusic, 60-year old citizen of Zagreb, was arrested yesterday while standing peacefully in the St. Mark’s Square in Zagreb, holding a banner that declared “I am a victim of judicial and police crime”. The Law on Public Gathering prohibits all forms of public gathering within 100-meter circle around the buildings of the Croatian Sabor, the President of the Republic, the Government and Constitutional Court. GONG association strongly protested the arrest.

14.07.2006 Yesterday morning, the eight-day information caravan of OIA’s “Shake Up the State – When Young People Vote” campaign started its trip around the country. The caravan will visit about 50 cities and townships all over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

13.07.2006 About 60 participants of the Operation: City manifestations and other representatives of independent culture and youth scene involved in the Right to a City initiative, gathered yesterday in the Badel-Gorica Industrial Complex in Zagreb.

13.07.2006 On July 10, 2006, in Sisak, the constitutional assembly of the Youth Council for Sisak-Moslavina County was held. The Youth Council includes the representatives of the “Independent Youth of Kutina”, “New World” Sisak, IKS Petrinja, Proni Centre Glina, U.R.L.A.M. Sisak, G.U.M.A. Sisak, Youth Cultural Centre Kutina, Municipal Youth Club Lekenik, SDP Youth Forum, Cult.com and Sisak-based Kistra Team.

10.07.2006 A great international protest against the planned construction of two LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) terminals near Trieste were held on July 1 in this North Adriatic city. The two terminals are to be located in the open sea, near the sear boundary with Slovenia, while the other will be built inland.

05.07.2006 The first conference of Women Members of Government in SEE will be held in Dubrovnik on Thursday, July 6. The Conference, organized at the initiative by the Stability Pact for SEE is dedicated to the role of women in politics and their vision of Europe.

05.07.2006 The Right to a City initiative, which gathers actors on the independent youth and cultural scene, started an action three days ago to cover the posters and billboards advertising the Zagreb Youth Salon, depicting a portrait of Zagreb Mayor Bandic.

05.07.2006 OneWorld South Asia has published a two-year action research report - Improving Transparency, Efficiency and Effectiveness of Pro Poor Government Services - that shows that information and communication technologies (ICTs) plan an important role in enabling people to have better access to government services.

04.07.2006 Last week, a three-day training programme was organized for the members of police force on methods of investigation of hate crimes. Hate crimes were recently introduced to the Croatian Criminal Code. The training was conducted by local police trainers, with assistance by UK and US experts.

03.07.2006 As reported by monitor.hr and index.hr portals, the billboards with a photo of the personal ID card of Mayor Milan Bandic, posted all over Zagreb and advertising the start of the Youth Salon, were found this morning covered with big photos of Bandic himself, crossed with red paint.

03.07.2006 The National Foundation for Development of Civil Society announced the opening for four competitions for financial support and two calls for cooperation.