1. Today is World Refugee Day!
I know this is not popular and entertaining topic for TT but considering that I live in the country with the biggest refugee population in Europe I just couldn’t ignore this day.
2. According to UNO today there are more than 30 million people who are trying to get some help from UNHCR. The biggest increase of the number of refugees is consequence of escalation of conflicts in Iraq. In Europe (as I said) Serbia has the biggest number of
refugees: more than 300000 (including refugees from Kosovo).
3. 1999 during and especially after NATO aggression on Serbia and installation of UN forces on Kosovo according to UNHCR more than 700000 people (mainly Serbs) have left the province. 4. Since then many of them has been integrated, found job and don’t have refugee status. The ones that are still ‘refugees’ are living on the edge of poverty.
5. Today states and international organizations are showing less interest on the situation in Serbia and are focusing their activities on other crisis regions in the world. 6. As of yet, the economy of Serbia has not reached a level of growth that can compensate for the cancellation of foreign humanitarian assistance, and finding solutions to reduce poverty and solve the problems of these vulnerable groups. That has not been a political priority in Serbia with its economical problem after years under sanctions and wars.
7. According to an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) report, the position of refugees in Serbia has worsened when compared with previous years. 8. The factors that contributed to this worsening were: exhaustion of funds and property which they had brought with themselves, problems in utilizing the property they had left behind in Kosovo (Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina), their inability to use social benefits, the closure of collective centers and termination of humanitarian help.
9. These people cannot return to their homes because of safety reasons, although they have been rebuilt and are certainly more comfortable compared with their temporary accommodation.
Also huge problem is accommodation and how to find job.
10. I should stress that many western (rich) countries have adopted much more restrictive policy for accepting refugees, especially after 9/11. Public opinion in those countries are associating by default refugee with terrorist and actually seeing threats in their presence.
11. It seems that is the easiest way: helping in creating conflict and then being ignorant.
12. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not neglecting all humanitarian work of international organizations and foreign governments but I’m speaking from perspective of my country. Namely now if you start looking for informations about refugees you’ll find information from Africa and Middle East mainly. Not that I think they shouldn’t be mentioned, on the contrary but it is very strange that Serbia as a country with so many problems and in spite them with the highest number of refugees has been ignored completely. And especially now when USA and EU are forcing independence for Kosovo; they completely ignoring the fact that almost 700000 refugees from the province cannot come back because of safety reasons. And that will surely not change if Kosovo become independent. On the contrary…
13. But it seems that is politic and international law/justice nowadays…
(PS
My apologize to everyone who have left comments here and whose blogs I can’t visit. Namely I still have problem to open certain blogs (not all) on blogger.)
June 20, 2007 at 11:56 pm
It’s amazing of you to have shared these bits of trivia about World Refugee Day. I learned a lot today just by reading through it.
Happy Thursday!
June 21, 2007 at 12:14 am
Interesting facts. My TT is also posted.
June 21, 2007 at 12:29 am
Sheesh, Milan. We really DO have it good over here, don’t we? I wish there was more I could do, as one person, but one person can only do so much… it’s quite frustrating.
Happy TT, my non-tattooed friend. I suspect you look better without body art (the earring is negotiable!).
June 21, 2007 at 12:35 am
A thought provoking TT. Your list sums up many of the same feelings I have about the nation just south of me (Mexico). But as one person who is stuck with a shitty administration, I can just bide my time until it is time to vote again for someone better.
June 21, 2007 at 12:43 am
Well I know this might sound shallow but awareness is actually very important and that is why I’m writing about refugees. I know one person is one drop in the ocean but still many things can be done on individual basis (from donation to voting there is a huge gap!).
Thanks everyone for your comments. Honestly I didn’t expect them considering emotion and length of this TT.
June 21, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Very important TT.
My friends are from Croatia. They too are refugees. Sometimes we forget the autrocities people endure.
The word everyone should remember is refuge – to seek safety.
Kudos to you for taking on a serious topic.
June 21, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Ciao Milan,
A very thought-provoking TT. Unfortunately, though a certain amount of planning goes into war, not always enough goes into what happens after. And now with the situation in Iraq, I imagine Serbia is off many people’s screens.
No es justo ni hay una respuesta facil. Gracias por recordarnos de la tragedia.
June 21, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Another thought-provoking TT.
Thanks so much, M.
June 21, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Wow! How informative! Thank you for bringing this important topic to light!
June 21, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Good job putting an educational spin on TT! We could all use a healthy dose of world issues and TT is a great way to get people to read about things that are important to you!
June 21, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Interesting list. I can’t say that I agree with the root causes you list, but it’s still interesting to read from your perspective.
Thanks for visiting my TT.
http://perrinelson.com/2007/6/21/827.aspx
June 21, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Again thanks everyone for your comments
Indeed TT is a great way to share your perspectives with others.
Gabriella you are totally right about post-war interest and that’s not only with my country of course. Justicia esta reservada solo para los ricos y para los que tienen el poder.
Perri, yeah I presumed you wouldn’t agree with, as you said “the root causes” my list and consecutively I’m afraid you have missed the real point: the refugees. I wasn’t thinking that much about causes but consequences and present situation in which refugees are living.
I could but I’m not accusing; at least not this time because accusation would put in the shadow the true victims.
June 21, 2007 at 7:35 pm
#11 – so very true.
June 22, 2007 at 1:49 am
Certainly makes me grateful for what I have. I think I’m going to let my children read this one. Great TT list!!
June 22, 2007 at 4:32 am
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love hearing things about my name, because for a long time, my family thought they’d made up a new name. I hated being so different.
And I love this information… I had no idea! Thanks for sharing.
June 23, 2007 at 8:38 am
Your Thinking Blogger Award is well-deserved! This was a very informative post, and I’m going to forward a link to my husband. Along with your 13 points, your photos are worth a thousand words. Thanks for stopping by my T-13 post today.
My prayers are with the refugees of Serbia. Blessings, e-Mom
June 23, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Again, another insightful post. You are not only a thinking blogger but you provoke readers to think as well.
You are still spot on about the vast majority of Americans being ignorant of these problems. We may live in a huge country, but we, as a nation, are isolated and suspicious of outsiders.
It is people like you writing words of substance like this that can raise awareness. I hope your well-deserved award draws more attention to your causes. Thank you for getting my attention!
June 23, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Oh gosh!
Thank you all for such comments, they surely are giving me more motivation to write about hard subjects that are part of my everyday life without fear that I’ll drive away people from my blog.
I’m very, very grateful for such amazing readers.
June 23, 2007 at 9:02 pm
A very insightful post and amazing facts. Thanks for sharing. It sure makes us wonder.
June 28, 2007 at 10:54 am
Very interesting TT. I didn’t know that the turks have been there although usually I am quite good in history.
June 28, 2007 at 11:02 am
Gattina thanks for your comment but I believe it refers on the TT #16 (which is post above this one).
Never mind
June 29, 2007 at 7:41 pm
A very enlightening post, thank you for bringing awareness to the worldwide problem! Milan, if you come across any articles on the net related to the Serbian refugee crisis or even the Serbian orphan crisis, please send me the links, I would like to read them (orphans in particular because it relates to the “My Temporary Son” post that I had on my blog). Thanks!