Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport expressed his hopes that Serbia would succeed in sending a message of tolerance and diversity on Sunday, September 28, by holding the scheduled Pride Parade. Presenting the campaign “Discrimination is not a joke”, part of the EU-funded project aimed at fighting against discrimination, Davenport said that campaign was primarily directed to Serbian youth.
We witness the discrimination not only here in Serbia. Many vulnerable groups are faced with different treatment when it comes to provision of various services, mainly because of their inherent features, Davenport said.
“As long as individual’s personal features serve as an excuse to disadvantage them, institutions in charge with protecting equality and promoting tolerance are obliged to point out and inform on fighting against discrimination, just as any other institution dealing with these issues,” Davenport said.
Davenport added that Serbia’s effort in fighting against discrimination was key during the process of European integrations, given that EU Member states share not only regulations, but common values as well.
Even in EU Member States, values are not considered a done deal, but are constantly strengthened and maintained by continuing efforts, Davenport said.
He said that the beginning of media campaign on fighting against discrimination was not a stand-alone effort in this field, but a part of ongoing endeavour aimed at improving the situation in this area in Serbia.
European Union will continue to support this kind of activities, Davenport said.
Director of the Office for human and minority rights Suzana Paunovic said that media campaign against discrimination would last a month and that it had been preceded by a work on raising awareness about the necessity of fighting against discrimination via trainings for employees within sectors of justice, police, social services and education in 11 Serbian municipalities.
According to her, project worth EUR1,5 million has been implemented since November 2012 through various trainings in the field of auto discrimination and equality in which some 1,000 civil servants have taken part, as well as 50 police officers who were trained to further tutor their colleagues.
Municipal officials and civil society activists have also taken part in trainings, whereas starting from October, journalists will undergo trainings as well.
