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architectuul · 3 years ago

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The Architorture Of The Last Two Decades

In 2014 I wrote a text on the Venice Biennale focusing on reading the historic strata of Kosovo’s cities how multiple layers created as a complex result of historic, social circumstances and even of political systems. It was not hard for me to identify the clear traces of every period.

Read also “Emblem Of A Better Germany?”, “The Invisible Church”, “What Fundamentals? Revisiting Treasures in Disguise: The Ominous Ruins of Montenegrin Modernism” and “Is It Possible To Exhibit Architecture?”

The will of Emperor Justinian who, through the glory of Ulpiana, sought to leave his mark on the lands where he hailed from, was clearly visible, just like the influence of the Orthodox church on the Medieval social order through churches and monasteries. The five hundred years of Ottoman rule left traces in every aspect of life by dominating the outlines of localities with their numerous domes and minarets. The stains of the Austro-Hungarian neo-classicism – regardless how indirectly - they pass hereby and all the way to the post-World War Two Yugoslavia, which extended the slogan of “absolute equality of the self-governing socialist order and uniformity of the masses without social classes” to the city development policies via buildings balanced both in cost and expression.

The most difficult period for me to articulate was largely – and still is nowadays – the one following the recent war (since 1999). This may be so due to its close time distance. After all, it is also a physical rule that one cannot see in broader plane the things that are nearer. From a general perspective I have defined this period as confusing, disconcerted, lacking a clear vision, which is also mirrored in in the same confusing, disconcerted measures and forms and lack of vision in its architecture. I still attempt to clarify it, at least by providing my entirely individual viewpoint, without insisting at all on its absolute veracity.

Right after the war there was a huge boom of construction in Prishtina and other Kosovo cities. Initially, it appeared to be a need for shelter, on the one side because of the devastation of the war, and on the other side due to prohibition of construction during the ten-year regime of Milošević. However, soon enough, from a need for shelter it was transformed into a greed for riches. The city began to be treated as a gigantic construction plot where a building had to be erected on every unoccupied spot. Individual houses and residential areas, built with love in the 1980s, covered by tasteful greenery such as in the quarters of Pejton, Bregu i Diellit, Dodona, Tophane or Emshir, were forced to hive those up to the builders in compensation of some apartments. In other words, plots that once communicated gracefully with the individual houses placed in compliance with their size thus creating a harmony amongst them, were violated by the gigantic multi-apartment buildings. In the absence of cadastral books that were stolen by the Milošević regime while they were leaving Kosovo, various wrongdoers had the opportunity to build on numerous public spaces multi-apartment buildings for commercial purposes only.

Another thing that significantly affected the disfigurement of the city was the way socially owned enterprises were privatised. In most cases, the property of these socially owned enterprises was privatised not to revive their industrial or commercial character but seen through the lens of being attractive plots for construction. The most flagrant case if that of “Fazita” quarter in the heart of Prishtina, which overnight was transformed from an economic area with super low density of constructions to a hot construction area for buildings up to 40 stories tall, without giving a second thought to doing any additional interventions public infrastructure needed!

These three scenarios of the city’s destruction: the assault on the individual residence neighbourhoods, the assault on public properties, and the abuse with the privatisation process were not accidental but rather followed a clear strategy for super-profit for the builders. Cities were treated as construction plots with the purpose of maximal appropriation of riches while forgetting entirely the quality of life of citizens, addressing common needs and in the process also destroying, disfiguring, and neglecting the presence of violent and traumatic past.

Therefore, we would not be able to understand this twenty-year period without looking at how those few public spaces left were treated, such as central squares, promenades, parks, etc., that could not be privatized or usurped. Although they were not privatized it does not mean they were not misused. The powers of this time were very clear about the importance of demonstrating their power by being present in the centre of the public. Thus, despite not making any efforts to create any new public spaces, they made no compromise in being present at all costs in the existing ones. For a few years after the war, to continue nowadays, the public spaces were filled with sculptures depicting the protagonists of the recent war. So far, it is quite understandable. They did not do anything that all powers, at least in the last 2500 years of civilisations around the world did not. What is obvious though is the way HOW THEY DID IT?! This in fact leads us to understand WHY THEY DID IT?!

All these sculptures, erected on all squares around Kosovo can easily be divided into two categories. The first category, the one where sculptures feature severe flaws in proportions, made by amateur authors, and the second, the one where sculptures are made correctly within the principles of the post-World War II socialist realism. The latter, mainly done by prominent sculptors from the Republic of Albania where this style was highly developed, often achieve perfection within this style which yet is insufficient to enjoy the status of an artwork as it disregards the necessary component of WORK – TIME. Therefore, we easily note both in the first and second instances that the arrival of these protagonists in the public spaces more than a sincere willingness to honour their sacrifices is a political will to impose and highlight WHO BROUGHT THE FREEDOM. Thus, the entire artistic focus of these works in on detailing and emphasizing the military weaponry and less the psychology and intellect of the protagonists and not at all their sublime ideal: FREEDOM. So, the hero of our freedom may have an intellectual past, such as Hamëz Jashari – teacher, Agim Ramadani – poet and artist, Edmond Hoxha – student, but cast in bronze they cannot ever appear to be without a RIFLE, as it should be emphasized that freedom was a result of the RIFLE alone and in no way of any other activity. This, including the necessary aesthetic socialist-realist speech that was a result of the explicit request of those who commissioned the sculptures of the incoming political power, which is connected with socialist-realism on the ideological plane, wished to demonstrate their political power in this space, and it had to match the political ideology they represented. This is how they laid the foundations of their political future by manifesting their power in the space.

The last element but maybe the most important one that manifests more clear the objectives of “city-builders” of last twenty years, are the phenomenon of Gated Communities as a satellite neighborhoods around Kosovo’s cities. These walled neighborhoods like in medieval cities, where as kind of "welcome" is the lever where you need to be pre-legitimized and filmed by cameras before you enter, today are the shelters of most of those who have been responsible for making our cities. Politicians, city planners, builders, "all kind of patriots owners of our freedom", have given up from the "quality" they created in our cities and their own comfort they find in luxury villas with pools inside walled neighborhoods.

This is very similar to the content of the movie "Elysium" (2013) by Neill Blomkamp, where those responsible for the quality of life on the planet, having turned it into a source of their own benefits without any condition for normal live, had built for themselves the luxury satellite in space where the living environments were fabulous. Although they claimed to have solved not their only permanent way of living luxuriously at the expense of oppressing the other but even the key to immortality, the end of the film does not show the same.

Finally, I do not know whether 20 years are sufficient to name a period with its own name but if I had to do that, based on the fundamental function of architecture – which is to provide the best living facilities, from what the areas constructed in the last twenty years represents, the name that would best fit it would be ARCHITORTURE.

***

VAB 13: Arbër Sadiki

Arbër Sadiki (1977), architect, lecturer, critic. Graduated from Polytechnic University of Tirana, he holds a PhD degree from the University of Belgrade focused to the relationship between social circumstances and architecture in Prishtina between: 1945-1990. Assistant curator of the Kosovo pavilion at the 14 Venice Biennale. Nominee of Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Geneva. Recipient of the award “Annual Prize for Scientific Work in the Field of Cultural Heritage”, 2020, awarded by the Ministry of Culture, for his publication entitled: “Architecture of Public Buildings in Prishtina: 1945-1990, Social and Shaping Factors”.

#vab #venice architecture biennale #cold cases

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Minneapolis Braces for Verdict in Floyd’s Death (NYT) MINNEAPOLIS—Around midday last Monday, Samir Patel received a phone call from his friend, a dentist: Gunshots had rung out, his friend told him, and the contractors who were rebuilding the office he lost in last year’s unrest had fled. He was boarding up, and he told Mr. Patel he should move quickly to protect his own business, a dry cleaning shop. Elite Cleaners, Mr. Patel’s shop, is on a side street, not far from the shell of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct station house, which burned last year in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. The surrounding community of Lake Street, a corridor of immigrant-owned businesses—taquerias, furniture shops, liquor stores and cafes—was devastated by looting in the days of protests and the riots that followed. The city has said that the unrest led to $350 million in losses, with more than a thousand buildings either destroyed or damaged. As the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer charged with murder in the death of Mr. Floyd, a Black man, draws to a close, the city is on edge, fearing that a not-guilty verdict would bring anger, chaos and destruction once again.

New migrant facilities crop up to ease crowding, again (AP) For the third time in seven years, U.S. officials are scrambling to handle a dramatic spike in children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border alone, leading to a massive expansion in emergency facilities to house them as more kids arrive than are being released to close relatives in the United States. More than 22,000 migrant children were in government custody as of Thursday, with 10,500 sleeping on cots at convention centers, military bases and other large venues likened to hurricane evacuation shelters with little space to play and no privacy. More than 2,500 are being held by border authorities in substandard facilities. So many children are coming that there’s little room in long-term care facilities, where capacity shrank significantly during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, minors are packed into Border Patrol facilities not meant to hold them longer than three days or they’re staying for weeks in the mass housing sites that often lack the services they need. Lawyers say some have not seen social workers who can reunite them with family in the U.S. Both Donald Trump and Barack Obama faced similar upticks in Central American children crossing the border alone in 2019 and 2014. The numbers have now reached historic highs amid economic fallout from the pandemic, storms in Central America and the feeling among migrants that Biden is more welcoming than his predecessor.

Students’ struggles pushed Peru teacher to run for president (AP) As schools across Peru closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pedro Castillo tried to find a way to keep classes going for his 20 fifth- and sixth-grade students. But in his impoverished rural community deep in the Andes, his efforts were futile. Seventeen of the students didn’t even have access to a cellphone. Tablets promised by the government never arrived. “Where is the state?” Castillo, 51, told The Associated Press after a day of planting sweet potatoes on his own land. It was the last straw for Castillo, who over 25 years had seen his students struggle in crumbling schools where teachers also cook, sweep floors and file paperwork. He’d already dabbled in activism with the local teachers’ union and helped lead a national strike in 2017. But now he went further, tossing his name into a crowd of 18 candidates in Peru’s presidential election. Defying the polls, the elementary school teacher came first in the April 11 voting, albeit with less than 20% of the overall vote. The stunning result gave him a place in June’s presidential runoff against Keiko Fujimori, one of Peru’s most established political figures and the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori. It is her third attempt to become president. Castillo’s unlikely campaign comes at a turbulent time for the South American nation that has suffered like few others from the COVID-19 pandemic. It recently ran through three presidents in a week after one was removed by congress over corruption allegations. Every president of the past 36 years has been ensnared in corruption allegations, some imprisoned. One died by suicide before police could arrest him.

New direction needed: EU launches website for citizens to discuss its future (Reuters) The European Union launched on Monday a website for citizens to debate the future of the 27-nation bloc as the exit of Britain, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of nationalism force the EU to reflect on how it wants to develop. The website, available for contributions in the EU’s 24 official languages, is part of what EU institutions call the Conference on the Future of Europe—a forum for debate to help identify issues the EU needs to address in the changing global context. “The conclusions of the conference could be the backbone for reforms in the Union in the future,” one of the leaders of the initiative, member of European Parliament and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told a news conference. The website prompts debates on subjects including climate change, the environment, health, the economy, social justice and jobs, the role of the EU in the world, values and rights, the rule of law, security, digital transformation, democracy and migration. Citizens can also launch their own topics.

Cheating at Greek universities (Foreign Policy) Greek universities are experiencing a crisis of confidence in their students as remote learning takes the place of traditional education. Professors have noted surprisingly high marks from previously poor students, raising suspicions that the students may be using underhanded tactics. “Result averages are up, and people we haven’t seen in years are showing up for exams because the system makes it easy to cheat,” Kostas Kosmatos, an assistant professor of criminology at Thrace’s Democritus University told AFP. Sofia, a psychology student, admitted to have taken two exams “on behalf of two of my friends and nobody realized.” Resourceful students have created technological workarounds to boost their chances during exams, crowdsourcing answers in live chats with students at the University of Crete even enlisting a linguistic expert to help them during exams. “But even he got a verse wrong,” Angela Kastrinaki, dean of the University of Crete’s literature department, told AFP. “So I got 50 papers with the same mistake. It was funny.”

Russia Expels 20 Czech Diplomats as Tensions Escalate (NYT) A day after the government of the Czech Republic blamed operatives from Russia’s military intelligence agency for a series of mysterious explosions at an ammunition depot in 2014 and expelled 18 Russian diplomats, the Russian government announced on Sunday that 20 Czech diplomats would be ejected in response. The expulsions signal further escalation of tensions between the Kremlin and western governments, reaching an intensity not seen since the Cold War. The spat between the Czech Republic and Russia comes just days after the United States imposed heavy sanctions on Russian government officials and businesses in response to a large-scale hacking of American government computer systems. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the Czech accusations “absurd” and accused the government of being an American puppet. “In an effort to please the U.S.A. following recent American sanctions against Russia, the Czech government in this instance even exceeded its overseas masters,” the Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.

Montenegro’s billion-dollar dilemma (NYT) Few Europeans thought it was a good idea for Montenegro to take a mammoth loan from China to build a highway. Now the tiny, mountainous country is asking the European Union for help to repay the debt—and the answer, so far, has been no. The situation in Montenegro is the latest skirmish in an escalating global push for influence by China, which has made inroads in economically weak countries by offering loans that demand loyalty to Beijing but otherwise have few strings attached. Montenegro’s first debt payments are due this summer. The $1 billion loan is nearly a fifth the size of the country’s entire economy. Montenegrin leaders say they won’t miss their loan payment this summer even if no E.U. aid is forthcoming. European officials said they wanted to help Montenegro but were searching for a palatable way to do so. Linking the aid to the loan too directly could be politically difficult, since many E.U. officials do not want to be in the position of effectively paying down a Chinese loan that E.U. leaders warned against in the first place. “China has been filling any opening it felt it could,” said Vuk Vuksanovic, a researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, a Serbian think tank. “Local capitals were hungry for cash, particularly on big development issues like infrastructure. And the Chinese were willing to go places where Western institutions were not.”

Afghan Women Fear the Worst, Whether War or Peace Lies Ahead (NYT) Farzana Ahmadi watched as a neighbor in her village in northern Afghanistan was flogged by Taliban fighters last month. The crime: Her face was uncovered. People silently watched as the beating dragged on. Fear—even more potent than in years past—is gripping Afghans now that U.S. and NATO forces will depart the country in the coming months. They will leave behind a publicly triumphant Taliban, who many expect will seize more territory and reinstitute many of the same oppressive rules they enforced under their regime in the 1990s. The New York Times spoke to many Afghan women about what comes next in their country, and they all said the same thing: Whatever happens will not bode well for them. Whether the Taliban take back power by force or through a political agreement with the Afghan government, their influence will almost inevitably grow. In a country in which an end to nearly 40 years of conflict is nowhere in sight, many Afghans talk of an approaching civil war. “All the time, women are the victims of men’s wars,” said Raihana Azad, a member of Afghanistan’s Parliament. “But they will be the victims of their peace, too.”

Hard-line Islamists take 6 Pakistani security personnel hostage amid deadly clashes (Washington Post) A hard-line Islamist group on Sunday took six Pakistani security personnel hostage after days of deadly clashes in the northeastern city of Lahore over a French satirical newspaper’s publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad and the arrest of the group’s leader by Pakistani authorities. A senior police officer and two paramilitary fighters were among those taken after protesters surrounded a police station and stormed the compound, according to Lahore police spokesman Arif Rana. A week of violence across the country has left at least four dead, according to the protesters. Police officials say thousands have been arrested. The tensions driving the protests, led by the Islamist party Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan, have been simmering for months after French President Emmanuel Macron honored a teacher who was beheaded last year in France after he showed a class the cartoons depicting Muhammad. For many Muslims, depictions of the prophet are blasphemous and deeply insulting. Macron’s comments sparked protests across the Muslim world last year.

India’s capital to lock down as nation’s virus cases top 15M (AP) New Delhi was being put under a weeklong lockdown Monday night as an explosive surge in coronavirus cases pushed the India’s capital’s health system to its limit. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a news conference the national capital was facing shortages of oxygen and some medicine. “I do not say that the system has collapsed, but it has reached its limits,” Kejriwal said, adding that harsh measures were necessary to “prevent a collapse of the health system.” Similar virus curbs already have been imposed in the worst-hit state of Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital, Mumbai. The closure of most industries, businesses and public places Wednesday night is to last 15 days.

Pacific Ocean storm intensifies into year’s first super typhoon (Reuters) Strong winds and high waves lashed the eastern Philippines on Monday as the strongest typhoon ever recorded in April barrelled past in the Pacific Ocean, killing one man and triggering flooding in lower-lying communities, disaster officials said. More than 100,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas, according to provincial disaster agencies. The core of Surigae, or Bising as the storm is known locally, is not expected to hit land. But with a diameter of 500 km and winds reaching 195 km per hour, parts of the eastern islands of Samar experienced flooding, while several communities lost power. The first super typhoon of 2021 foreshadows a busy storm season for the region in the year ahead, experts say.

Lebanon’s crumbling capital (AFP) Beirut’s roads are riddled with potholes, many walls are covered in anti-government graffiti and countless street lamps have long since gone dark. At night, car drivers creep cautiously past broken traffic lights and strain their eyes for missing manhole covers, stolen for the value of their metal. Many parking metres have been disabled in protest over an alleged corruption scandal, while cars are parked randomly on sidewalks. To many, the dysfunctional capital has become emblematic of a country mired in its worst crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war after decades of mismanagement and corruption. Much of Beirut’s infrastructure started falling apart long before last August’s massive portside explosion killed more than 200 people, levelled the waterfront and damaged countless buildings. Amid the crisis, the Lebanese currency has collapsed and continues its downward slide at a sickening rate that in itself is deepening the problem. As the currency has dived by more than 85 percent on the black market, wary contractors are steering clear of any municipal repairs that are paid for in Lebanese pounds.

Eleven dead, 98 injured after train derails in Egypt (Reuters) Eleven people were killed and 98 injured on Sunday in a train accident in Egypt’s Qalioubia province north of Cairo, the health ministry said in a statement. The train was heading from Cairo to the Nile Delta city of Mansoura when four carriages derailed at 1:54 p.m. (1154 GMT), about 40 kms (25 miles) north of Cairo. More than 50 ambulances took the injured to three hospitals in the province, the health ministry said. The derailing is the latest of several recent railway crashes in Egypt. At least 20 people were killed and nearly 200 were injured in March when two trains collided near Tahta, about 440 kms (275 miles) south of Cairo.

South Africa wildfire (Washington Post) Cape Town ordered precautionary evacuations of communities living along the edges of city landmark Table Mountain on Monday as firefighters struggled to contain a fire that gutted historical landmarks, including the oldest working windmill in South Africa and a library housing African antiquities at the University of Cape Town. The fire started Sunday morning near the memorial to colonial leader Cecil Rhodes and quickly spread uncontrolled beneath Devil’s Peak in Table Mountain National Park in an area popular with weekend hikers and cyclists. By Monday morning, strong southeasterly winds, which were expected to reach more than 30 miles per hour (50 km/h) later in the day, had pushed the fire toward densely-populated areas above Cape Town city. Well-known tourist sites, such as the Table Mountain aerial cableway, were temporarily closed. Heavy smoke engulfed the city forcing the closure of a major highway and other nearby roads. Hikers, park visitors, visitors to the nearby Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and hundreds of students from the university campus were evacuated on Sunday.

NASA’s Ingenuity Makes First Powered Flight On Mars (NPR) “Orville and Wilbur would be proud. NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has made the first-ever powered flight on another planet, 117 years after the Wright Brothers’ historic flight on this planet. The flight itself was modest. The 4-pound helicopter rose 10 feet in the air, hovered briefly, and returned to the Martian surface.

#headlines #news

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apptowonder · 5 years ago

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Dear Orthodox Progressives

I love you. I really do. And for the most part I love your work. Many of you have given me hope as a queer Orthodox Christian that not only is there a place for me in our tradition, but that our tradition is in fact very much about the sacrament of the human person, and the love that emerges when all of us, gay, bi, trans, and queer, live into Christ’s resurrection life. Your thoughtful, kind and luminous words rehabilitated church for me when I left the arid, rigid evangelicalism of my youth. You help me to stand strong in the face of the demagogues, the Orthodox fundamentalists, Byzantine imperialists, and all the people who seek to distort our beautiful faith in service of their own arrogance and fear of the other.

So I hope you know I appreciate you. And we need to talk about who you are, who we are, and where we’re going. We need to talk especially about the notion of respectability.

We are part of a conciliar tradition. What that means in the modern world is increasingly difficult to define, but I do feel that one of the strengths of our tradition is that we place a high value on consensus, contemplation, and harmonious accord before moving forward. This ethos has made us much more resistant* to splits and schisms, and has generally preserved a certain degree of humility among our leaders. That said, one of the things I feel we forget is that part of waiting for the Holy Spirit to “confirm” our councils and decisions as godly is that we need to step out in faith and give the Spirit something to work with. The Spirit did not tell the Apostles to stay in Jerusalem after they received the baptism by fire, but they heard the word of God to go to the ends of the Earth. We are still a part of that motion of bringing the good news to all people, and if we remain static then we are not doing our part to offer up the world for the life of the world to God.

Why am I talking about this? I’m saying it because I’m concerned that there is a tendency among Orthodox progressives to stagnate and balk at the work of faithful Christians (Orthodox and otherwise) who use more radical approaches to try and speak prophetic truth about God that we deeply need to hear. Nik Jovcic-Sas of Orthodox Provocateur carried an icon of the Theotokos with a rainbow halo gradient in a Pride parade in Belgrade, Serbia. This unsurprisingly sparked a conservative and fundamentalist backlash. More surprisingly to me, it sparked a progressive backlash. Many of you said that he was “profaning” the sacred icon by blending it with the rainbow. Some have even attacked Nik’s character and theology as being antithetical to Orthodoxy. I am troubled by our willingness to turn upon our own people. Would I have done a protest in the way Nik did? I don’t know. I’m not in touch with the Slavic Orthodox communities in the Old World. As a convert primarily running in American Greek circles, my witness to justice and inclusion will necessarily be shaped by the situation of my community. But given the long history of violence against LGBTQ+ people in Serbia and elsewhere, much of it sanctioned or even led by the Church, forgive me if I feel it’s a bit gauche to condemn someone who is clearly trying to witness to the love of Christ in a way that is very visible and frightening to the oppressive powers that be.

We may not agree with someone’s approach, but think of it this way. Radical activists are on the front lines of the fight we’re all engaged in, to make our church more clearly reflect the transformative love of the gospel. We don’t all have to be fighting on the front lines. There is much to be said for creating hospices for the wounded, for holding space within a more traditional understanding. But the forces that seek to oppress us don’t care whether we’re using their language or not. They will come for the Orthodox moderate who writes thinkpieces on re-evaluating the role of women in ministry and measured historical pieces on adelphopoiesis just as vehemently as they will attack the “Orthodox drag queen”. Look at what happened to Fr Robert Arida. Consider the backlash that Met. Kallistos Ware, a bishop, has received for what are really very mild critiques of the church’s pastoral approach to LGBTQ people.** Radicals create a space of freedom, liberation and hope we can all operate in. There are many gifts, but the same Spirit. Not all of us need to be doing what Nik is doing. But all of us need to come together and support especially those who are pushing and expanding the boundaries of what Orthodoxy can be. Those people make it safe for the rest of us to do our more introspective, thoughtful wrestling with the Truth. But if we force the radicals to conform to our ideas of what isn’t “rocking the boat”, we leave ourselves open to censure once those radicals are pushed out of the public eye. When it no longer is socially acceptable to make Pride icons or talk about the possibility of sanctity in, say, non-monogamous or non-marital relationships (for example)***, when no one will speak up for the radical, then the conservative bishops and hierarchs will begin to come down hard upon the moderate-progressive, and soon instead of the vibrant, multifaceted truth of Christ we will only have the cold voice of traditionalism, fundamentalism and idolatry.

I know my words may land harshly on some of us. I hope it’s clear that they are offered in a spirit of love, and exhortation to greater good works. We have all of us a part to play, but we need each other. I pray that we might all abide in God together, and never forget that we cannot truly make our church better unless we are willing to fight for the dignity and inclusion of all people, especially those whose ideas of church are more radical than our own.

Sincerely,

A Layman of the Eastern Church

*Though not immune, there are Orthodox splinter sects, whether we wish to acknowledge their existence or not

**This is not a call-out or a criticism of Met Kallistos’ remarks to the Wheel Journal. I really respect his willingness to speak out. I bring this up to call attention to the fact that he has suffered a disproportionate degree of backlash, and has likely avoided censorship primarily because of his high ecclesial rank. If even bishops aren’t safe, then what hope do priests or laity have if the space for prophetic critique is taken away?

***For the record, my own views on these matters are complicated. The point here is not to state an opinion one way or the other, but rather to say that these kinds of conversations can’t be silenced if we’re going to have a chance at surviving the onslaught of suppression, queerphobia, xenophobia and dead traditionalism. We may not agree with the answers that some of our siblings in Christ arrive at, but so long as they are pushing to make the Eucharistic assembly wider and more inclusive, it is imperative that we listen and come together.

#open letter #hot takes #theology #queerness #Orthodoxy #Eastern Orthodox

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architectnews · 3 years ago

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Belgrade Architecture News: Serbian Buildings

Belgrade Architecture News, Serbia Buildings, Architectural Designs, Architects

Belgrade Architecture News: New Buildings

post updated 30 April 2022

Belgrade Architecture News

Belgrade Architectural News

25th May Sports Centre Date built: 1975 Design: Architect Ivan Antić

photograph © Daniel Lomholt-Welch

This is a sports center at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube River and one of Belgrade’s favorite promenades.

photographs © Daniel Lomholt-Welch

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/mx6CVDUebUA2

A new rippling facade in the city centre: photos © Daniel Lomholt-Welch

12 Apr 2022 Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall Architects: AL_A irender : AL_A Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall Following a year-long international competition led by the UNDP, London architecture studio AL_A has been selected to design the new Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall. The Concert Hall is a landmark project for the City of Belgrade and Serbia.

5 Apr 2022 Old Mill Hotel Architects: GRAFT photo : Tobias Hein Old Mill Hotel Belgrade Serbia In the white city of Old Belgrade, near the banks of the River Sava, GRAFT transformed the historic building of the Old Mill into a 4-star hotel. The ambitious interior concept embraces the existing historical structure and enhances it with new materials, colors and shapes, bringing out its original qualities and creating a unique visual experience.

11 Jun 2020 Tupalla Mosque, Tupalla village, Medvegja Architect: Arber Sadiki photograph : Albert Salihu Tupalla Mosque The main design approach for Tupalla Mosque was to create comfortable functional and spiritual space for the small Albanian Islamic community with a minimal financial cost. This strategy pushed us to be very modest starting from the dimensioning of whole volume of the building up to its construction materials.

26 Jun 2013 Hotel Centar Design: Architect Isay Weinfeld photo : Rade Kovac Mitarh Hotel Centar Belgrade Hotel is located across the beginning of the main pedestrian zone in Novi Sad and across of the Serbian National Theatre, as a dominant point in space. It was conceived as a cubic form, and follows years of research on the topics: surface depth, layers of membranes. Location of the hotel is very exposed and has dominant role in the city boulevard.

11 Jan 2013 Beko Masterplan Design: Zaha Hadid Architects image : Zaha Hadid Architects Beko Masterplan Belgrade Sweeping organic masterplan, typical curvilinear style of Zaha Hadid Architects currently. The context is an ancient Serbian castle, wouldn’t it be intriguing to see ZHA actually work on a historic site rather than always adjacent or on greenfield locations?

18 Aug 2011 Square Nine Hotel Design: Isay Weinfeld photo © Matthieu Salvaing Square Nine Hotel Belgrade Square Nine Hotel is located in Belgrade’s pretty old-town neighbourhood Stari Grad, only a few blocks away from the Kalamegdan Park and the Danube, and just across from Students Square (Studentski Trg). Its architecture, of remarkably modern language, does not clash with or overshadow its neighbouring buildings’.

14 Feb 2011 Centre for the Promotion of Science in Belgrade – Architecture Contest Entry Design: SADAR+VUGA, Architects image from SADAR+VUGA CFPS Building Belgrade The masterplan design incorporates the existing building of the Faculty of Drama Arts with its proposed extension, and provides four new Faculties, a mathematics gymnasium, a science center with 50m tower, as well as the new building of the Centre of Promotion of Science. All are positioned on 8 islands. Among the islands, 5 plazas are developed.

22 Sep 2010 Centre for the Promotion of Science in Belgrade Architecture Contest picture from the organisers Centre for the Promotion of Science in Belgrade The Serbian Ministry of Science and Technological Development launches a competition for the design of a Centre for the Promotion of Science in one of the districts of New Belgrade. This open international, anonymous, single stage competition is organised in cooperation with the Association of Serbian Architects, the Association of Belgrade Architects and International Union of Architects.

Beton Hala Waterfront

Block 39

Divcibare Mountain House in Serbia

Young Balkan Designers 2019: Circular Design

Serbia Architecture Designs

Serbian Architecture

Serbia Architecture Designs

Serbia Architecture : Key Buildings

At the confluence of Sava and Danube rivers, at the door of the Balkan Peninsula, the city of Belgrade has many times in its rich lasting history been the target of desolation. The story of its architecture is very much depending on that fact.

Belgrade Walking Tour Guides

Contact to arrange your Serbian architectural tour: isabelle(at)e-architect.com / mob. +44 (0)7952 149814

Belgrade Architecture Tours

Comments for this Belgrade Architecture News post are welcome.

Location: Belgrade, Serbia, south east Europe

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moteltrogir · 7 years ago

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DISSONANT (CO) SPACES: ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE_ DOPLGENGER

In the framework of the DISSONANT (CO) SPACES project, we are hosting artist duo Doplgenger (Belgrade), as part of our artist in residence program ‘MOTEL TROGIR (AiR)* . The program is focused on researching the context (mid Dalmatian modernist built environment) and long-term artistic production. The Doplgenger will spend 5 days in Krvavica & Brela (October 22-27), including field research of the surrounding area. More information about artists, on the link below: http://www.doplgenger.org/

The Motel Trogir project in 2017 has been supported by Kultura Nova Foundation, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and European cultural foundation (BAC).

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kgoldtemporarygallery · 6 years ago

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On The Breadline | Elena Bellantoni

Η K-Gold Temporary Gallery παρουσιάζει το πρώτο της πρόγραμμα φιλοξενίας καλλιτεχνών με την Ιταλίδα Elena Bellantoni τον Μάιο–Ιούνιο 2019 στην Αθήνα. Η καλλιτέχνης θα πραγματοποιήσει το ελληνικό μέρος της έρευνας και παραγωγής του έργου “On The Breadline” σε συνεργασία με τον επιμελητή Νικόλα Βαμβουκλή.

To έργο “On The Breadline” είναι βραβευμένο με την τέταρτη έκδοση του Italian Council (2018), ενός διαγωνισμού σχεδιασμένου από τη Γενική Διεύθυνση Σύγχρονης Τέχνης, Αρχιτεκτονικής και Αστικών Περιφερειών (DGAAP), ένας οργανισμός του Ιταλικού Υπουργείου Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς και Δραστηριοτήτων για την προώθηση της Ιταλικής σύγχρονης τέχνης στον κόσμο.

Το έργο της Elena Bellantoni αποτελεί ένα νομαδικό πρότζεκτ διάρκειας ενός έτους που ακολουθεί τη “γραμμή του ψωμιού” σε τέσσερις χώρες: τη Σερβία, την Ελλάδα, τη Τουρκία και την Ιταλία. Το πρότζεκτ, σε επιμέλεια της Benedetta Carpi De Resmini, διοργανώνεται από τον πολιτιστικό οργανισμό Wunderbar Cultural Projects.

Η “γραμμή του ψωμιού” που θα ακολουθήσει η Bellantoni επισημαίνει ένα μονοπάτι από ιστορίες και αφηγήσεις σε αυτές τις χώρες σημαδεμένες από “εξεγέρσεις για το ψωμί”. Το ψωμί δεν αποτελεί μόνο κοινό σημείο συνάντησης αλλά συνδέεται με λαϊκά κινήματα και διαμαρτυρίες που ένωσαν τους ανθρώπους στο όνομα της δικαιοσύνης και της κοινωνικής ισότητας.

Το Βελιγράδι, η Αθήνα, η Κωνσταντινούπολη και το Παλέρμο είναι οι στάσεις του ταξιδιού της Elena Bellantoni. Η καλλιτέχνης θα συνεργαστεί με τα τοπικά Ιταλικά Μορφωτικά Ινστιτούτα καθώς και με ένα δίκτυο πολιτιστικών οργανισμών και επιμελητών τέχνης: το Beo Project (Βελιγράδι), τη K-Gold Temporary Gallery (Αθήνα), το Ίδρυμα Buttitta και το Ecomuseo Urbano Mare Memoria Viva (Παλέρμο).

Σε κάθε πόλη, η καλλιτέχνης θα δημιουργήσει μαζί με μια τοπική γυναικεία χορωδία μια περφόρμανς του τραγουδιού Bread and Roses στη γλώσσα της χώρας. Ο στίχος “ψωμί και τριαντάφυλλα” προέρχεται από την ιστορική ομιλία της φεμινίστριας και σοσιαλίστριας Rose Schneiderman κατά τη διάρκεια μιας σημαντικής απεργίας γυναικών εργαζομένων (ΗΠΑ, 1912). Το τραγούδι είναι σε διασκευή που δημιουργήθηκε ειδικά από την Sandra Cotronei, διευθύντρια του εργαστηρίου αγωνιστικού τραγουδιού της Μουσικής Σχολής Testaccio.

Στην Αθήνα η Εlena Bellantoni θα συνεργαστεί με την γυναικεία χορωδία “Καλλιτεχνήματα” υπό τη διεύθυνση της Μαρίας Μιχαλοπούλου. Το στοιχείο της χορωδίας, όπως και το ψωμί, μας επιτρέπει να εξετάσουμε, μέσα από λέξεις, ήχους και εικόνες, τις κοινωνικές και πολιτικές εξελίξεις της κάθε περιοχής που ιστορικά και γεωγραφικά συνδέεται με τη Μεσόγειο.

Το τελικό έργο θα πάρει τη μορφή μιας τετρακάναλης βιντεοεγκατάστασης που θα αποτελέσει μέρος της συλλογής του Εθνικού Ινστιτούτου Γραφικών Τεχνών (Ρώμη) και θα παρουσιαστεί σε μια ατομική έκθεση το 2020. Τέλος, θα εκδοθεί ένας κατάλογος (Quodlibet) που θα συγκεντρώνει υλικό από το ταξίδι μέσα από την ματιά της καλλιτέχνιδος, της επιμελήτριας και των ιστορικών τέχνης Stefano Chiodi και Riccardo Venturi.

H Elena Bellantoni αναφέρει: Είναι αλήθεια ότι ο άνθρωπος δεν μπορεί να ζήσει μόνο με ψωμί. Θα προσπαθήσω να ακολουθήσω αυτή το μονοπάτι, δίνοντας του φωνή και σχήμα. Το δικό μου τραγούδι θα έχει το ρυθμό μιας παλιάς γραφομηχανής, όπου θα γράφω καθημερινά. Οι σημειώσεις μου θα αντηχούν τις νότες που θα τραγουδήσουν οι χορωδίες σε τέσσερις διαφορετικές γλώσσες. Για μένα, η καλλιτεχνική δουλειά προκύπτει μέσα από τις συναντήσεις: στην περίπτωση αυτή με την τοπική κοινότητα -της οποίας θα ακολουθήσω τα σημάδια και τα ίχνη- και με μια γυναικεία χορωδία. Επέλεξα να εστιάσω στο θηλυκό στοιχείο, διότι πιστεύω ότι σήμερα, περισσότερο από ποτέ, πρέπει να πάρουμε θέση και να έχουμε φωνή. Νομίζω ότι αυτή η "ποιητική χειρονομία" είναι απαραίτητη για να δούμε το μακρύ παρελθόν των αγώνων μας και να διαμαρτυρηθούμε για το παρόν μας.

Η Elena Bellantoni ζει και εργάζεται μεταξύ του Βερολίνου και της Ιταλίας. Αφού έλαβε πτυχίο σύγχρονης τέχνης από το Πανεπιστήμιο Sapienza της Ρώμης, σπούδασε στο Παρίσι και στο Λονδίνο, όπου έλαβε μεταπτυχιακό τίτλο στις Οπτικές Τέχνες από το WCA University of the Arts London το 2007. Στη συνέχεια παρακολούθησε εργαστήρια παραστατικών τεχνών στην Ιταλία και στο εξωτερικό. Το 2007 ίδρυσε το Platform Translation Group και το 2008 ήταν συνιδρύτρια του μη κερδοσκοπικού χώρ��υ τέχνης 91mQ στο Βερολίνο. Το 2014 το έργο της The Fox and the Wolf: Struggle for Power έγινε μέρος της συλλογής Farnesina του Ιταλικού Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών. Η πρακτική της (βίντεο, φωτογραφία, performance και εγκαταστάσεις) επικεντρώνεται στις έννοιες της ταυτότητας και της διαφορετικότητας, χρησιμοποιώντας τη γλώσσα και το σώμα ως εργαλεία αλληλεπίδρασης.

Περισσότερες Πληροφορίες www.onthebreadline.it

On The Breadline | Elena Bellantoni

K-Gold Temporary Gallery presents its first artist residency program with Italian Elena Bellantoni on May – June 2019 in Athens. The artist will develop the Greek part of research and production for her project “On The Breadline” in collaboration with curator Nicolas Vamvouklis.

“On The Breadline” is the winner of the IV edition of Italian Council (2018), a competition conceived by the Directorate-General for Contemporary Art and Architecture and Urban Peripheries (DGAAP), an institution of the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities that promotes Italian contemporary art in the world.

The traveling project by Elena Bellantoni has a duration of one year and follows the “breadline” in four countries: Serbia, Greece, Turkey and Italy. It is curated by Benedetta Carpi De Resmini and promoted by Wunderbar Cultural Projects.

The breadline followed by the artist highlights a path of histories and narratives in these countries marked by “bread revolts”. Bread becomes in this way not only a communal moment but it also connects to collective movements and protests that have united people in the name of justice and social equality.

Belgrade, Athens, Istanbul and Palermo are the stops of Bellantoni’s journey. She will collaborate locally with the Italian Cultural Institutes and a network of art institutions and curators: Beo Project (Belgrade), K-Gold Temporary Gallery (Athens), Buttitta Foundation and Ecomuseo Urbano Mare Memoria Viva (Palermo).

In each city, the artist will develop a performance of the “Bread and Roses” song with a female choir. The song derives from a 1912 speech by feminist and socialist leader Rose Schneiderman during an important female workers’ strike in the United States. The song will be translated in all four languages following a new music score created by Sandra Cotronei, director of the Political Song Laboratory of the Popular Music School of Testaccio.

In Athens, Elena Bellantoni will collaborate with the women’s choir “Kallitexnimata” directed by Maria Michalopoulou. The element of the choir, like bread, allows us to explore -through words, sounds and images- the social and political evolution in these places, which are historically and geographically connected to the Mediterranean.

The final artwork will be a four-channel video installation that will be part of the permanent collection of the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica (Rome), and will be presented in a solo show in 2020. Finally, the project will be accompanied by a catalog published by Quodlibet, featuring contributions by the artist, the curator and art historians Stefano Chiodi and Riccardo Venturi.

As Elena Bellantoni states: While it’s true that man shall not live on bread alone, I will try to follow this “breadline” and give it voice and shape. My personal song will take on the rhythm of an old typewriter, where I’ll be writing every day. My notes will echo the notes sung by the choirs in four different languages. For me, the artistic work comes out of the encounters: in this case with the local community and with a women’s choir. I chose to focus on the female because I believe that today, more than ever, we need to take position and speak up. I believe this “poetic gesture” is essential so we can explore our long past of struggle and protest for our present.

Elena Bellantoni lives and works between Berlin and Italy. After receiving a degree in Contemporary Art at Sapienza University of Rome, she studied in Paris and London, where she received an MA in Visual Arts at the WCA University of Arts London in 2007; In 2007, she established the Platform Translation Group and in 2008 she co-founded 91mQ project space in Berlin. In 2014, her video project “The Fox and the Wolf: Struggle for Power” was included in the Farnesina Collection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her work (video, photography, performance and installations) addresses themes of identity and otherness by using language and the body as tools for interaction.

More Information

www.onthebreadline.it

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jobsearchtips02 · 5 years ago

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Florida Cases Increase one of the most Ever; Oxford Vaccine: Virus Update

( Bloomberg)– Florida’s cases and hospitalizations leapt by the most ever, while deaths increased one of the most in a month. The cornoavirus might be mutating in a manner that may make it much easier to spread out, stated Anthony Fauci, the leading U.S. infectious illness researcher.

Houston reported a 4.3%jump in intensive-care clients, and might need to tap additional beds in less than 2 weeks. The South Africa province that includes Johannesburg and Pretoria might impose local lockdowns and alcohol curbs as cases rise.

New York City prepares to resume its public schools in September. The U.S. labor market rebound sped up in June as wider reopenings spurred employing, though recent infection pickups put the gains in jeopardy.

Worldwide Tracker: Cases pass 10.7 million; Deaths top 517,000 Life, liberty and face masks: a virus preys on AmericaRights of American employees might alter after virusAn unfestive July fourth as states call off the celebrationsDining out means plexiglass, planters, hand-washing stationsUnderstanding the infection and its unanswered questionsCovid-19 isn’t killing money. Individuals are hoarding more of itThe post-pandemic hotel looks a lot like a cruise liner

Sign up for an everyday upgrade on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis group here. Click VRUS on the terminal for news and information on the coronavirus.

Djokovic, Wife Test Unfavorable (3: 15 p.m. NY)

Novak Djokovic and his partner tested unfavorable for the coronavirus, his media group said Thursday, 10 days after revealing they had contracted the illness, the Associated Press stated.

The top-ranked player evaluated favorable after playing in an exhibition series he arranged in Serbia and Croatia. No social distancing was observed at the matches in Belgrade and Zadar, Croatia. Both were in self-isolation in the Serbian capital since screening favorable, the statement stated.

Other players to come down with the infection after participating in the matches in Belgrade and Zadar were Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki.

Serbia Curbs Club, Coffee Shop Hours as Cases Jump (3 p.m. NY)

Serbia reported 359 new cases on Thursday, a level last seen in mid-April, with the most significant surge in the capital Belgrade. President Aleksandar Vucic said the federal government will restrict hours for nightclubs and coffee shops, purchasing them to close by 11 p.m. for the next two weeks, and shutting student campuses at universities.

The authorities likewise will impose fines for those not using protective masks in closed spaces, and may tighten up measures further if required, Vucic said.

Covid-19 Anomaly May Enable Spread (2: 10 p.nm. NY)

The novel coronavirus is revealing some signs of altering in a way that may make it much easier to spread out, according to Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Contagious Diseases.

Research presently underway suggests a single anomaly is emerging that lets the virus reproduce better and develop a higher viral load, procedures that might make it easier to transfer, Fauci stated at an online event Thursday hosted by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

There is some disagreement about the findings and it’s not clear whether individuals who end up being infected with a newer variation of the pathogen fare worse than those with the original strain, he said. “It simply appears that the virus reproduces much better and may be more transmissible,” he said. “This is still at the phase of trying to verify that.”

Moderna Sets Human Trial for Vaccine (1: 40 p.m. NY)

Drug-maker Moderna Inc. stated a 30,000- patient trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate will start late this month, although a Stats News post previously Thursday stated the work had been expected to start next week. Shares fell as much as 9.4?ter the report. Company representative Ray Jordan verified to Bloomberg the trial should start in or by late July, which he said follows the window formerly communicated. The business is “resolving finalizing of websites,” he said.

Statistics previously said Moderna is making modifications to the trial, which postponed the start date, and detectives told the news website that modifications are common.

Houston May Tap Rise ICU Beds (12: 40 p.m. NY)

Houston posted a 4.3%boost in Covid-19 patients in extensive care, and at the existing rate of expansion the city’s health centers will have to tap a 2nd tranche of so-called surge beds on July 14, according to the Texas Medical.

In the first phase of surge capability, 5.4%of the 373 beds already are occupied after the regular ICU area was overwhelmed previously today, the medical center stated on its site on Thursday. The second stage has 504 beds readily available. To be sure, 62%of the city’s ICU capacity is inhabited by non-virus clients.

Trump: 3 Vaccine Candidates ‘Really Excellent’ (12: 10 p.m. NY)

Three vaccine candidates are “looking truly, truly great” in trials, President Donald Trump said Thursday at a White House event showcasing small companies. Trump stated 3 more vaccines will begin trials “soon,” without elaborating.

The military is standing by, ready to disperse the vaccines, Trump stated. A vaccine will be out “soon,” the president stated.

GOP Legislator Advises End of Task Force (12: 35 p.m. NY)

An influential U.S. Home Republican politician from Arizona, which is enduring among the worst Covid-19 spikes, urged President Donald Trump to disband the White House coronavirus task force because he said it’s preventing the financial healing.

Researchers are causing an unneeded “panic,” Representative Andy Biggs, who represents the suburbs east of Phoenix, said in a declaration. “Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx continue to contradict a lot of President Trump’s stated goals and actions for going back to normalcy as we understand more about the Covid-19 break out,” said Biggs, chairman of your home Freedom Caucus, a group of conservatives whom Trump typically speaks with.

Italy Hospitals Cases Under 1,000(12: 05 p.m. NY)

Italy’s hospitalized Covid-19 clients fell to 963 on Thursday, the first time its been under 1,000 considering that early March, according to the Health Ministry. Hospitalizations peaked at about 29,000 in early April; patients in intensive-care systems fell to 82.

The country, when the break out’s European center, registered 201 brand-new cases, in line with the previous 7-day average of 193, and 30 deaths, below 21 on Wednesday. Total casualties are 34,818

Arizona Cases Climb 4%(11: 50 a.m. NY)

Arizona reported 3,333 new cases Thursday, an increase of 4%to 87,425 The variety of deaths increased by 37, to a total of 1,757, the Department of Health Services said.

The state registered a record-high 4,878 daily infections and 88 new deaths Wednesday. Vice President Mike Pence visited Arizona the very same day but didn’t mention the record figures. He said he was positive as the variety of “deaths are declining across the country.”

NYC Schools Strategy September Reopening (11: 15 a.m. NY)

New York City prepares to reopen the country’s largest public school system in September with social-distancing standards and the optimum number of trainees at the start, Mayor Costs de Blasio stated Thursday.

De Blasio stated he anticipates some schools will have sufficient area for all their trainees, even with brand-new guidelines. Those schools that can’t accommodate all students will operate on a staggered schedule, which will be revealed “well ahead of time,” he stated.

Everybody will be needed to wear face masks and facilities will undergo a deep cleaning every day.

Houston Hospitals Tested (11: 05 a.m. NY)

In Houston and the nine counties surrounding it, virus clients in regular healthcare facility beds outnumber intensive-care cases by nearly 3-to-1, according to data from the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council. The figures underscore the pressure on medical staff to take care of patients not sick sufficient to require the most-invasive procedures.

There were 691 Covid-19 clients in ICU wards Wednesday night in the area including Houston, among the hardest-hit cities in the U.S. Sunbelt’s accelerating outbreak, according to Setrac information Thursday. That population was overshadowed by the 1,948 infection cases in routine medical facility care.

Covid-19 clients of all types accounted for 26%of hospitalizations in the region, up from 7.6%at the end of May. Setrac does not release data on local ICU or hospital capacity.

Nashville Reverses on Resuming (10: 45 a.m. NY)

Tennessee’s Davidson County, that includes Nashville, reversed course after reporting a one-day record for brand-new cases and will close socially driven organisations such as event and home entertainment venues, Mayor John Cooper stated in a declaration.

Restaurants can remain open but need to cut capacity to 50%from 75%, he stated, noting the rate of new cases fell while bars and consuming places were at half capacity. The city– a popular U.S. tourist destination– will run under the guidelines for numerous weeks, he stated.

Denmark Allows More Travelers (10: 40 a.m. NY)

Denmark will enable leisure travel from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Thailand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a declaration. Citizens from the 6 nations can get in if they have scheduled a minimum of 6 nights of stay, the Danish ministry stated.

Florida Deaths Increase Most in Month (10: 30 a.m. NY)

Florida reported 169,106 Covid-19 cases on Thursday, up 6.4%from a day previously, compared with a typical increase of 5.6%in the previous 7 days. Deaths amongst Florida citizens reached 3,617, an increase of 67, the most in a month, according to a declaration that includes data through Wednesday. Daily hospitalizations reached a record325 The typical age of cases increased to 37 from 36 a day earlier

Airlines Get U.S. Loans (10: 15 a.m. NY)

The U.S. Treasury agreed on loan deals with American Airlines Group Inc. and 4 other providers, further bolstering liquidity as the virus all-but eliminated travel need. American confirmed it will borrow $4.75 billion to weather the travel crisis brought on by the pandemic. Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, SkyWest and Spirit Airlines likewise reached deals to obtain from the Treasury.

Mnuchin Hints at School Help in Stimulus (10: 20 a.m. NY)

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration is in contact with schools and universities on resuming, and officials are thinking about assistance in the next round of economic stimulus to “correctly gear up” schools for social distancing and to make other modifications. “In most cases, schools will have the ability to open safely,” Mnuchin said at the White Home.

As Cases Rise, South Africa Hub Includes Beds (9: 26 a.m. NY)

South Africa’s Gauteng province, that includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, will include more than 2,000 health center beds this month and is thinking about localized lockdowns and curbs on alcohol as the number of cases surges.

The nation’s industrial hub has actually taped about 3,000 infections a day in the previous two weeks, the most across the country, and hospitalizations and the death rate have increased “significantly,” David Makhura, the province’s premier, said Thursday. Currently 144 clients require ventilators in the area, up from simply 4 a month earlier.

England’s Infection Rate Has actually Leveled Off: ONS (9: 20 a.m. NY)

Approximately 0.04%of the community population, the equivalent of 25,000 people, had Covid-19 between June 14 and June 27, the Office for National Statistics approximated. The figure was 0.06%in the previous two-week duration and more than 0.3%when the survey began in April. Estimates are based upon tests carried out on a tasting of individuals beyond healthcare facilities, care houses and other institutional settings.

U.S. June Jobs Increase Above-Forecast 4.8 Million (8: 30 a.m. NY)

The rebound in the U.S. labor market sped up in June as more comprehensive reopenings spurred more working with, though filings for unemployment benefits stayed raised recently as coronavirus cases got. Payrolls increased by 4.8 million in June after an upwardly revised 2.7 million gain in the previous month, according to a Labor Department report. The unemployment rate succumbed to a second month to 11.1%, still far above the pre-pandemic half-century low of 3.5%.

Wells Fargo Strikes Brakes on Student Loans (8: 11 a.m. NY)

Wells Fargo & Co. is drawing back from student loaning as the U.S. rise in coronavirus cases threatens to further interfere with college and the broader U.S. economy.

The company, which has actually been reviewing businesses under brand-new Ceo Charlie Scharf, stated trainee loans for the upcoming scholastic year will be approved only to individuals who submitted applications before July 1 or to customers who currently have an exceptional balance on a prior student loan from the bank.

England’s Schools to Resume From September (7: 48 a.m. NY)

Constraints on class sizes will be raised to permit English schools, colleges and nurseries to totally reopen in September, at the start of the next scholastic year, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government is trying to convince schools to go back to typical, amidst issues that pupils are falling back in their education and parents are unable to work successfully while educating their children.

Botswana President Quarantines After Aide Tests Positive (7: 18 a.m. NY))

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi started 14 days of quarantine after an “official closely serving him” evaluated positive for coronavirus, according to a declaration emailed by the Workplace of the President.

Airbnb Restricts Bookings for Some U.S. Guests Under 25 (7: 12 a.m. NY)

Airbnb Inc. will limit visitors under the age of 25 with less then three positive reviews from booking whole home listings that are close to where they live, the company stated in a statement. The procedure will support “safe and accountable” travel in the U.S. and follows a comparable initiative in Canada that was implemented earlier this year.

EU Seeks to Protect Remdesivir Doses (7: 01 a.m. NY)

The European Union is in settlements with Gilead on the possibility of booking a “adequate number of doses” of remdesivir for the bloc’s member states, a European Commission

German Parliament Backs $246- Billion Debt Binge to Spur Growth (6: 10 a.m. NY)

Germany’s lower house of parliament authorized additional borrowing that will raise new financial obligation this year to 218 billion euros ($246 billion) to money spending to put the economy back on track.

The Bundestag likewise backed the federal government’s stimulus bundle developed to enhance long-lasting competitiveness and help accomplish climate targets, as the country looks for to emerge from its worst economic downturn given that The second world war.

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from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/florida-cases-increase-one-of-the-most-ever-oxford-vaccine-virus-update/

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neptunecreek · 5 years ago

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Activists Worldwide Face Off Against Face Recognition: 2019 Year in Review

We’ve all heard the expression, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” We might hope that what we do and where we go will only be known to those who were there in person. Yet maintaining such anonymity and privacy in public spaces is becoming ever more difficult. 2019 has marked the year where a growing digital rights network around the world is pushing back against governments and companies’ use of face recognition technologies in public spaces. This year, in an attempt to prevent people from having their movement and actions meticulously tracked, these activists took action against face recognition in countries all over the world.

Ban on Mass Use of Face Recognition

Digital rights activists have long argued that face recognition constitutes mass surveillance when used to track the movements of entire populations in public spaces by matching faces obtained from CCTV cameras, drones or other devices against existing databases. In October, more than 90 NGOs and hundreds of experts gathered in Albania at the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners and called for a global moratorium on mass surveillance by face recognition. The Public Voice coalition urged countries to review all face recognition systems “to determine whether personal data was obtained lawfully and to destroy data that was obtained unlawfully.” In addition, the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union (FRA) has also published a paper recognizing that “given the novelty of the technology as well as the lack of experience and detailed studies on the impact of facial recognition technologies, multiple aspects are key to consider before deploying such a system in real-life applications”. It further said that “[f]orms of facial recognition that involve a very high degree of intrusion into fundamental rights, compromising the inviolable essential core of one or more fundamental rights, are unlawful.” And the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, David Kaye, called for an immediate moratorium on the sale, transfer, and use of surveillance technology, including face recognition, until legal frameworks are established that meet human rights standards.

In Russia, Roskomsvoboda launched a campaign calling for a moratorium on government mass use of face recognition until the technology’s effects are studied and the government adopts legal safeguards that protect sensitive data. In the United Kingdom, 25 NGOs including Big Brother Watch, Article 19, Open Rights Group, and Privacy International called on U.K. police and private companies to immediately stop using live face recognition for public surveillance. In 2016 and 2018, face recognition trials in London erroneously identified individuals as potential criminals in 96 percent of scans, a pervasively high rate of false-positive matches. Also this year, Big Brother Watch launched a legal challenge against the London Metropolitan Police and the Home Secretary to demand an immediate end to the police’s use of live face recognition. In France, La Quadrature du Net (LQDN) called for a ban on the mass use of face recognition to identify protesters. In the last six years, the French government has adopted several decrees—without any public debate—that allow for automatic identification of protesters. And in the United States, local activists took up the fight against face recognition by successfully passing face recognition bans at the city level. Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Somerville, Massachusetts all passed bans on government use of face recognition technology. Earlier this year, California prohibited the use of face recognition on law enforcement body-worn cameras, causing San Diego to end its long-running mobile face recognition program.

La Quadrature du Net and other French NGOs also filed an action to ban the use of face recognition in two high schools in Nice and Marseille. Those actions led CNIL, France’s data protection authority, to conclude that the use of face recognition at the entrance of the schools to target mostly minors is not “necessary or proportionate,” and that the goals of the program could "be achieved by much less intrusive means in terms of privacy and individual freedoms." In a similar case in Sweden, the Swedish Data Protection Authority (DPA) imposed a General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) fine of approximately 20,000 euros on a municipality after a school conducted a pilot using face recognition technology to track students’ attendance. The Swedish DPA rejected the municipality's argument that the school had consent to process sensitive biometric information, as required under the GDPR, indicating that “consent was not a valid legal basis given the clear imbalance between the data subject and the controller.” Unfortunately, only a few months later, the same Swedish DPA issued another decision allowing police departments to use face recognition to compare face images from CCTV footage to criminal biometric databases. The decision clarified that police must set a retention period for biometric information collected from cameras.

Ending the Culture of Secrecy

This year, Latin American NGOs have been fighting back against a deeply rooted culture of secrecy surrounding face recognition providers’ identity, data sources, data collection methods, applications, and customers. TEDIC, the main digital rights organization in Paraguay, filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a Ministry of the Interior resolution that denied TEDIC’s public records request for further details about the Ministry of Interior and the National Police’s use of face recognition technology. Face recognition has been used in Asunción’s downtown area, airport, and bus stations since 2018, and is now planned to be expanded throughout Asunción.

In Argentina, Asociación por los Derechos Civiles (ADC) filed a lawsuit against the Government of the City of Buenos Aires challenging the constitutionality of Resolution 398/19, which introduced a face recognition system linked to the city’s security camera infrastructure and monitoring centers. ADC filed the lawsuit after receiving responses to two information requests about the face recognition system.

Access Now, in collaboration with ADC and the Observatorio de Derecho Informático Argentino, sent an information request to the Argentine province of Córdoba related to the October 2019 announcement of a test of a biometric recognition system linked to video cameras that use artificial intelligence. In Peru later that month, Access Now and Hiperderecho sent similar information requests to La Victoria, San Martín de Porres, and Miraflores, municipal districts of Lima. Among the information requested are the technology provider’s identity, the system’s technical specifications, and the procedures for identification and apprehension of suspicious persons.

Latin American NGOs also launched advocacy campaigns against face recognition. Derechos Digitales launched an advocacy campaign to shine a light on the different face and biometric recognition proposals being considered in Latin America. And in Brazil, inspired by the images Gu Da Cei received through an information request, the artist carried out human intervention campaigns at bus stations in Brasilia to expose photos taken by a bus face biometrics system and reinforce the right of public transport users to their own image.

Role of Private Companies In The Use of Face Recognition for Surveillance

This year, reports have also come to light about the role of private companies in the public use of face recognition. A New York Times report revealed how Chinese companies such as C.E.I.E.C. were successfully commercializing versions of China’s mass face recognition system by exporting them to developing countries, in particular, Ecuador, Bolivia, Angola, and Venezuela. The implementation of the system in Ecuador, ECU911, has simultaneously been popular among Ecuadorians worried about street crime and amplified fears about abuse of the system for political repression. Just before the end of the year, 78 facial recognition CCTVs linked to ECU911 were installed in the Historic Center of Quito, the site where hundreds of indigenous activists recently protested the Ecuadorian government. Derechos Digitales published a report finding that C.E.I.E.C. was also active in Bolivia’s security program and that the funding for the program came from a Chinese national bank. Internet Bolivia told Derechos Digitales that Bol-110, the ambitious project to acquire surveillance technologies in Bolivia, “will be in everything: in schools, taxis, hospitals.” And although Bol-110 was not approved by the Bolivian Congress, the face recognition system has already been purchased.

In Serbia, SHARE Foundation submitted a request for information about a new video surveillance system with face recognition and license plate reader technology. Huawei, a Chinese company, was revealed to be the Serbian government’s main partner in the endeavor. Additionally, SHARE Foundation unearthed a case study published on Huawei’s website about new generation surveillance cameras that have already been installed in Belgrade. Huawei removed the case study from its website soon after SHARE Foundation’s revelation was made public. In November, SHARE called for the immediate suspension of Serbia’s face recognition program. In a recent report, SHARE, along with NGOs Partners Serbia and Belgrade Center for Security Policy, concluded that the Ministry of Interior’s privacy impact assessment of the surveillance cameras does not meet the standards required by the Serbian data protection law. Brazilian legislators, meanwhile, received an all-expenses-paid trip to China to learn about and view demonstrations of face surveillance technology that Chinese firms hoped Brazil would also choose to acquire.

Security and Data Leakage

The Brazilian Institute of Consumer Defense (IDEC) sent a demand to Dataprev, a Brazilian public company responsible for the security of Brazilian social security information, requesting that it halt its bid for the acquisition of face recognition and fingerprint technology until cases of beneficiaries’ existing data leaks are resolved. IDEC explained that while the company aimed to integrate face recognition into an app to help people with disabilities access their banking and social security information remotely, the technology’s high risk of breach would compromise the personal information of approximately 35 million Brazilians.

In the Netherlands, Bits of Freedom launched an activism campaign to demonstrate the insecurity of a Dutch Face Recognition pilot program in Amsterdam’s central square, Dam, where a webcam is live-streaming to YouTube and the website webcam.nl. Bits of Freedom downloaded images of its members at the Dam, and then ran the images through Amazon’s face recognition software, Rekognition. The software was able to identify the members. Bits of Freedom concluded that face recognition software, combined with mass surveillance in public spaces, threatens the privacy and security of vulnerable people, including victims of stalking and domestic violence.

Conclusion

This year, governments around the world have moved quickly to adopt face recognition technologies for use in public spaces. But activists have been quick to respond, demanding transparency and winning moratoria and bans on the use of this powerful technology. As we look forward to 2020, the tensions between the government’s use of this technology for public safety and individuals’ right to privacy will continue to heighten. EFF will remain vigilant and continue the global fight against the government adoption of face recognition technology.

This article is part of our Year in Review series. Read other articles about the fight for digital rights in 2019.

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mariacallous · 9 months ago

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VSquare:

WIRETAPPING SCARE IN HUNGARIAN MINISTRY DEALING WITH CHINESE PROJECTS

Xi Jinping’s May 8-10 visit to Hungary is partly about negotiating and announcing new, China-financed railway projects. I reported this – and more on the background of Xi’s Hungary trip – last week. Viktor Orbán’s government appears extremely enthusiastic about Chinese rail projects and refuses to acknowledge any potential national security risks. However, behind closed doors, their attitude toward their Chinese counterparts seems markedly different, as illustrated by this amusing anecdote shared by a source familiar with a security incident from last year. According to the source, senior officials from the Hungarian Ministry of Construction and Transport, led by Minister János Lázár, received several model trains as gifts from Chinese partners involved in the Budapest-Belgrade railway reconstruction project. While this is standard practice in Chinese business culture, Hungarian ministry officials were so suspicious that they immediately sent the model trains for technical security examinations to check for any hidden wiretapping devices. My source revealed that the scan found no concealed bugs or cameras in the model trains. (The Ministry of Construction and Transport commented that the Chinese never brought "toys" as gifts, as the ministry is only involved in serious work instead of playing.)

SLOVAKIA’S FICO TRIES TO EMULATE ORBÁN’S CHINA POLICY

"Fico is trying to replicate Orbán's approach to China by attracting more and more Chinese investments to Slovakia," a well-connected Central European foreign policy expert told me during our discussion of Xi’s visit to Hungary. Fico and Orbán seem like brothers-in-arms, sharing similar pro-Russian and pro-Chinese foreign policies, but this means they may end up competing for future Chinese investments, particularly in the automotive and electric vehicle sectors. In 2022, Slovakia and Hungary fiercely competed for a Volvo EV factory, with Slovakia ultimately securing the €1.2 billion investment. "Fico wants to stay in power for at least ten years. To achieve this, he is working on stabilizing his popularity through investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, job creation, and tax revenue generation. My contacts say he's primarily following Orbán's playbook by relying more on China," my source explained. Evidence of this emerging strategy is already visible: Last year, a Chinese battery factory was announced for Šurany, a town in Slovakia’s Nitra Region, followed by announcements of major bridge, road, and railway reconstruction projects, including the Bratislava–Komárno railway line, this April.

“PRO-RUSSIAN” HUNGARIAN WEEKLY IN CENTER OF POLISH DEBATES

Hungary’s pro-Orbán weekly, Mandiner, featured a front-page interview with former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki as he attended the CPAC Hungary event in Budapest. The cover featured Morawiecki and the headline read, "Brussels is a threat to European democracy" displayed on billboards throughout Budapest. Current Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized his rival, labeling him a "useful idiot" and calling the weekly "pro-Russian." This reminded me of a story I collected, but ultimately didn't publish, while working on our feature "How Orbán Angered His Closest Polish Allies," which explored the deterioration of Polish-Hungarian relations. That article recounted an incident where Magyar Nemzet, another pro-Orbán newspaper, declined to publish a Morawiecki op-ed on the war in Ukraine due to his "different approach" to the conflict. Additionally, a source connected to the Polish government informed me that in May 2022, Mandiner refused to publish an op-ed by Jakub Kumoch, then-adviser to Polish President Andrzej Duda, in print. The op-ed was pro-Ukrainian and anti-Kremlin. The op-ed eventually appeared online, but Mandiner claimed there was "no space" for it in the print edition. In reality, it was understood that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán only reads the weekly in print, and editors didn't want to upset him with an article opposing his pro-Russian stance. Meanwhile, the Polish government at the time noticed that Mandiner editors allowed virulently anti-Polish comments to appear. Comments under articles by figures like pro-Law and Justice media owner Tomasz Sakiewicz included sentiments such as, "Poland should be divided between the Germans and the Russians. Scumbag warmongers." Interestingly, now that Law and Justice politicians are out of power, they seem to have forgotten how Orbán's government-controlled media once treated them. (Again, I really recommend this previous long read on Polish-Hungarian relations.)

ALLIES DEEPLY SUSPICIOUS OF HUNGARY’S AFRICAN MISSION

Some months ago, along with Direkt36 and Le Monde, we uncovered that Orbán’s son, Gáspár Orbán, is deeply involved in organizing a strange Hungarian military mission to Chad. Later, I also revealed that Orbán Jr. is secretly helping to set up his father’s new national security advisory team. I now have new information about Orbán and Orbán Jr.'s peculiar mission in Africa, which has left Hungary's NATO and EU allies puzzled. A Central European government official responsible for security matters told me that, according to their information, the alleged "counter-terrorism and migration-control" objectives of the Chad mission are merely a pretext. "What we've heard is that the Hungarian government also intends to establish a military intelligence center in Chad, which concerns us. Since Prigozhin's death and the disintegration of the Wagner group, Russia has lost some influence in Africa. We fear that this Hungarian military intelligence center could potentially serve Russian interests, and I suspect Kremlin officials like Sergey Lavrov, Russia's main face in Africa, encouraged the Hungarians," the official explained. "If Russia escalates the conflict in the coming years, we expect it to be multifaceted, and Africa and migration will likely be involved as well," the official added. Several NATO and EU representatives with whom I've spoken emphasized that the planned Hungarian mission is neither affiliated with NATO/EU nor the UN and wasn't coordinated within the NATO alliance. When I asked a NATO official knowledgeable about Russian affairs, they said, "It's definitely an unusual mission that doesn't serve any Hungarian interests, unless it's a scheme for some oligarch friend to profit and pay Putin back. Otherwise, it's a complete waste of resources and needlessly dangerous." Meanwhile, amidst escalating tensions in recent weeks, the United States has withdrawn its troops from both Niger and Chad, while the two African countries have strengthened their military cooperation with Russia. Despite the deteriorating security situation, a senior EU diplomat stationed in Budapest noted that Hungarian government contacts remain fully committed to deploying 200 soldiers to Chad.

FRESH LEAKS ON HUNGARY’S UPCOMING EU PRESIDENCY

Hungary will assume the EU's rotating presidency in the latter half of 2024, but no official program or agenda has been publicly disclosed. However, multiple diplomats from EU countries told me that the Orbán government intends to release the official program on June 10, a day after the European Parliament elections end. According to one diplomat, the Hungarian EU presidency seems underfunded, which could have been one of the reasons that preparations are delayed. A trusted journalist colleague, who wished to remain anonymous and uncredited, shared with me a draft schedule for Hungary's presidency as well as additional information. The present plan seems to be for Viktor Orbán to officially present the Hungarian presidency’s agenda at the European Parliament’s opening session in Strasbourg on July 17. Although everything is still subject to change, what seems to be most interesting is that the draft schedule, as well as information from Hungarian officials, indicates that an informal EU Council meeting is planned in Budapest for November. This summit is expected to focus on the Western Balkans, with heads of state and prime ministers participating. (Again, the Hungarian government did not respond to my request for comment.)

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sabadkiensis · 7 years ago

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OUR FIRST 70 YEARS (1947-2017) CONTENTS INTRODUCTION LAST SEVEN DECADES ORGANIZATION ARCHIVAL MATERIAL BETWEEN THE LAST ANNIVERSARY AND TODAY ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS OF THE ARCHIVES DIGITIZATION, E-RESEARCH AND THE WEB SITE CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS COLLABORATION AND SPECIALIZATION EMPLOYEES IN THE ARCHIVES EXIBITIONS AND PUBLICATIONS PRO MEMORIA EMIL VOJNOVIĆ GAŠPAR ULMER MILAN DUBAJIĆ JANOŠ DOBOŠ LASLO MAĐAR GABOR LALIJA MIRJANA DIMITRIJRVIĆ BEBA MARIJA MILODANOVIĆ INTRODUCTION We are celebrating 70 years of the Archives existence this year, something that is a tradition in our institution since the Archives did the same for the 40th and 60th anniversary. This publication as an addition to this event and it presents a concise cross section of the 7 decades behind us. The chapter Last seven decades sums the period between 1947 and 2007, while the chapter Between the Last Anniversary and Today describes the Archives in the last decade. Pro Memoria is our way of paying respect for their great contribution, to our colleagues that have left us. The issues addressed in the Introduction form the last anniversary publication, despite all the steps taken towards progress and modernization of our profession and the Archives, still are current: External influences and conditions that determine the faith of every institution of this type and which are dependent on broader social and public circumstances, have changed during the past period and have significantly influenced our Archives. The proper space for storage and archival material handling, the satisfactory profession of the staff, the awareness of the importance of archival material and the Archives, appropriate Laws and Regulations and secure financial support – all are basic for the work and development of every Historical Archives. Almost none of those basic conditions are available fully at The Historical Archives of Subotica throughout the past 60 years in accordance with its progress, the amount of the archival material and the need for technological advancement as well as the increased interest in the usage of the archival material. There is a wide erroneous opinion about the Archives that they are merely an isolated time capsule which holds and protects old documents. They are so much more; they live and breathe together with the structure of the society which they permeate. Our Archives will continue to do their tasks and functions, taking care of the written legacy, never pausing in attempts to reach its proper status in the professional and local community. In Subotica, August 1, 2017 Stevan Mačković, Director of the Historical Archives of Subotica LAST 7 DECADES IN THE ARCHIVES Cultural heritage of our ancestors was the reflection of their way of life in the past. The real way of life was written on numerous papers contents of which stand witness to the time behind us. These events written down were kept in objects and buildings of those who did the writing, in churches, counties, court and municipalities’ buildings, or individuals who created their own collections. Those buildings that kept the papers shall eventually transform into the much needed archives. The Archives was established out of the need to save and preserve many documents which will become cultural property of countries and nations. The basis of contemporary archival network in Vojvodina was established after the Second World War by the instructions of the government. Before the War and during, the City Archives of Subotica was located in the City Hall which was built from 1908 to 1910. Generously decorated building in the Hungarian Secession style, consist of the central and few smaller outer towers. The Archives was located in the north side tower, keeping the very important documents which stood witness to the history of the city. The Archives kept documents form before the forming of the archival areas, whether those documents were from Magistracy of the Royal Market Town Sent Mary (Subotica) 1743–1779, Magistracy of Free Royal Town of Subotica 1779–1849, Town’s District Offices 1850–1861, Council of the Free Royal City Subotica 1861–1918, Town’s Head Office 1918–1941, or other creators like vocational schools, cultural institutions, church Registers of birth, marriage and death, and protocols and other important court books, all of which became archival fonds in the Historical Archives. The conventional safekeeping of the archival material practice at that point, stops at the beginning of the War which will cause thousands of documents to be destroyed. In order to prevent this, by the end of the War the new government brought new Laws concerning the Rules and Regulations about the preservation of cultural property. All Local Commands were ordered to take care of the documents and protect them from destruction, like state and local government records, church, cultural and educational institutions records, fascist and occupational organizations records and other. These new Laws concerned the protection and preservation of records from certain institutions and companies. There are documents in the fond City National Board – Subotica (1944–1955) stating the Guidelines for the safekeeping of public companies records, disposal of the records and assessment of the documents of cultural and historical value, managing the records, securing the archives, libraries and museums. Individual Rules and Regulations about the protection of documents will transform into an organized means of protection by establishing the Archival Area for the city of Subotica and Bačka Topola district, according to the decision passed by the Education Department GIO NS APV no. 16800 in 1946. Nine Archival Areas in Vojvodina were formed by this decision; Subotica area included the city of Subotica, Subotica district and Bačka Topola district. The same Decision stated that each Archival Area must have a director. Blaško Vojnić Hajduk, the director of the City Library, was appointed director of the Subotica area. He was appointed Archival Area Director and his duties and responsibilities were determined by the decision passed by the Education Department GIO NS APV no. 11059 on July 16, 1947. It is stated in this Decision: “In order for the Director to successfully perform his tasks, the creators of the records (government, public, private) must allow and enable the Director to access the records and perform professional review and managing, and also accept every professional advice and guideline about the security and managing of the records.” His appointing presents the beginning of archival service in this region. He had many challenges concerning the organization of work. Primary activities were soon established, such as providing the space, financial means, employment and managing the record outside the Archives. Mihalj Prokeš was the next director until July 12, 1948 after which a part time office employee Ivan Rudić became the Director. In November 1984 he wrote a thorough report about the work and activities of the Archives. He wrote about the problems and obstacles that they must overcome and highlighted the main issues that need to be addressed: 1. Appointing the Director archivist full time; 2. Establishing solid expense points; 3. Assigning appropriate working space for the Archival Area. At the end of 1948, a small office located in the City Museum building was assigned to the Archival Area. Next year the Archives got two offices in the Engels Street. At that time, the first archival science courses were organized in Novi Sad, Belgrade and Dubrovnik. After the War, the political parties and government realized the need to increase the research of history, culture, development of the revolutionary labor movement and Communist Party of Yugoslavia activities and hence started to pay more intention to the Archives. In the beginning of 1949, the Archival Area became the Archival Center. Archival Centers cannot yet be treated as individual institutions as they were still part of the Ministry of Education to which they were obliged. The Archives moved to a new location on the 3rd floor of the City Hall in December 1950 and the collection of the archival material continues. On November 28, 1951 Emil Vojnović is appointed Director. At that point the activities are focused on rescuing the archival material, administrative work, and not so much on the professional staff. From that point the number of employees in the Archives rises. Executive Board of the City National Board sent a suggestion to the Ministry of Education of the National Republic of Serbia about transforming the Archival Area into City State Archives. After sending the instructions about how to undergo this change, the Archives we know today have been established. Emil Vojnović wrote to the Education and Culture Council of Subotica: “Archival centers were a temporary centers for protection and collection of the historical and archival material and records in creation until the State Archives were established in accordance with the Law which estimates the establishment of the City State Archives in major cities. The need to create the City State Archives in Subotica has risen. Subotica is considered a big town of historical significance, the archival material in our town holds data about the historical events of the entire North Vojvodina hence represents an important source for research of the political, cultural, economical and legal past of this region.” At the assemble held on March 10, 1952, according to the Rule of the Executive Board of the City National Board, the Archival Center was transformed into City State Archives in Subotica. At this point the collection of the archival material intensifies and the Archives organizes the first exhibition of archival documents in Subotica and Palić. The amount of the archival material rises. In 1955 there are 51 fonds in the Archives, 96 fonds in 1957, 115 fonds in 1962. In 1957 there were 6 employees, 9 employees in 1967 and 11 employees in 1970. The first issue of The Guide through Archival Fonds on 176 pages is published in 1970. That issue had 143 fonds presented and described. The publication of this finding aid is a major step in presenting the archival material that the Archives holds. Although it lacks information, it was very frequently used. New Guide was published in 1977 and it had 191 fonds presented. A lot of archival material was collected between the two Guides and the amount kept augmenting. All that material had to be organized into fonds and describe in order to be included into a Guide. Contemporary archival science required changes due to new technological needs which partly resulted in new Guidelines for Guides, so the next Guide through Archival Fonds was published in two tomes, first in 1012 an second in 2015. These two books contain descriptions of 491 fonds and collections. ORGANIZATION The Historical Archives of Subotica is a municipal institution of protection with jurisdiction over the territories of Subotica, Bačka Topola and Mali Iđoš municipalities. This remained the same from the establishment. Besides these three municipalities, the Archives also covers 33 residential locations: Bački Sokolac, Bački Vinogradi, Bagremovo, Bajmok, Bajša, Bikovo, Čantavir, Dušanovo, Đurđin, Feketić, Gornja Rogatica, Gunaroš, Hajdukovo, Karađorđevo, Kelebija, Kočićevo, Lovćenac, Mala Bosna, Mali Beograd, Mićunovo, Novo Orahovo, Njeguševo, Oreškovac, Pačir, Srednji Salaši, Stara Moravica, Svetićevo, Šupljak, Tavankut, Višnjevac, Zobnatica i Žednik. The Archives is organized in the following departments: 1. Department for administration and general service 2. Department for Registry offices Records management 3. Department for description and arrangement of the archival material 4. Department for administration and IT The Archives has a library for which the number of books is increased constantly by purchase, exchange with other institutions or as gifts. Archives’ Library is a special type of library. The books concern local history topics and topics from other related social sciences with the majority of them closely connected to the history of the region the Archives has jurisdiction over. The researched archival material from the Archives is used in publications and books. Publishing and organizing exhibitions is part of the cultural activities the Archives undertakes. The publishing activities in the Archives have intensified with the growth of the professional staff. Archivists and researchers get their work based on the archival material published. These publications are usually historiographical and concern local history. The Archives publish its magazine Ex Pannonia since 1996. The magazine consists of papers about local history, archival science and reviews. The Archives has also published monographs and books about the history of our town and this region. Many analytical and summary inventories have also been written and published. The Historical Archives of Subotica have been organizing professional conferences and seminars about current topics in the field. These meetings are attended by archivists from abroad as well. Archivists from our Archives return the visit whenever possible and cooperate with colleagues from other Archives in the country and abroad. At the end of 2016, the number of employees was 20, 11 of them with BA degree, 1 with vocational school, 6 with a high school diploma and 2 with elementary school diploma. The Archives uses several different objects for storage, one of which is in Backa Topola. There are 8 offices in the City Hall that the Archives occupies. ARCHIVAL MATERIAL Various fonds and collections that The Historical Archives holds are a specific kind of treasure. The 515 fonds and collections in the Historical Archives of Subotica give the information about social, economic, political and cultural past of Subotica. The preserved documents date from different time periods and are of different provenance. They are classified by the time of creation into fonds and collections of: 1. Government and public service 2. Courts and jurisdiction 3. Military units, institutions and organizations 4. Education, cultural and science institutions and organizations 5. Social and medical institutions and organizations 6. Economy and banking 7. Political organizations, societies and associations 8. Family and personal fonds 9. Collections. Especially important archival material can be found among those of local government offices, which goes back continuously to the period of Magistracy of the Privileged Royal Market Town Saint Mary, which was proclaimed Free Royal City Maria Theresipolis in 1779. The town got its first Statute. There are 4000 folders saved from this period. The work of the city administration can be traced through the fond of the Town's Head Office from 1850 to1860, followed by the fond City Council of the Free Royal City Subotica 1861–1918, Town’s Head Office (Town Senate) 1918–1941, Head Offices of the Free Royal Town Subotica 1941–1944 and City National Board – Subotica 1944–1955. Besides these government fonds, the most important fonds are also those about courts, Royal Commissioners, Office of the Grand Prince (veliki župan) of Subotica and Baja 1872–1918, Collection of Church and Civil registers, Collection of maps and plans, Collection of Projects, Poster collection, Collection of Diplomas 1658–1845 and Collection of photographs from 19th century. The archival fonds are classified by the categorizations criteria into fonds of the highest, high and general significance. BETWEEN THE LAST ANNIVERSARY AND TODAY The 7th decade of the life of The Historical Archives of Subotica is behind us. Archival science and records keeping is a common practice today, accompanying administration and creation of documents. Among the general need to preserve written documents and progressive development of administrative systems in this region, we can identify two archival periods in Subotica – the first begins in 1793 with the establishment of Magistracy of the Privileged Market Town Sent Mary and the second begins after the World War II by the forming of the archival area for the town Subotica and county Backa Topola. We are in the era of contemporary archival science today, which has to adapt to new technologies and technical tendencies and therefore creates a great need for change in methods, techniques, Laws, cooperation, in the last decade the most. Hence next to its usual activities, the Archives deals with the activities adjusted to new IT needs and digital surroundings. The Historical Archives of Subotica is a municipal institution that has jurisdiction over the town Subotica and municipalities Bačka Topola and Mali Iđoš. The Archives bases its activities on its primary task according to the Cultural Property Law, which is to protect the archival material in the field, the collection and protection of the records inside the Archives (archival description and arrangement), and cultural and educational activities. ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS OF THE ARCHIVES Department for administration and general service. Each year the number of requests by the users for the issuing of the certificates based on the archival material for private or legal purpose varies in accordance with the current needs and Laws. The requests are mostly about the issuing of certificates and copies about the length of service, certificate from Church registers, building permits, restitution papers, inheritance, land certificate copies. In comparison, there were 764 requests in 2009 while 5 years after there were 1963 requests mostly abut restitution documentation. There were 1407 requests last year. The Secretariat does the research of the documents by request after which it issues the copies, transcripts, certificates etc. Department for Registry offices Records management. The Archives supervises the records in 963 registry offices. The collection of the archival material over the last decade has almost completely filled the storage capacities of the Archives. The storage space is one of the problems the Archives always battles with. Today the Archives utilizes 7 depots on different locations occupying the surface of 2512 square meters. Department for description and arrangement of the archival material. The number of fonds the Archives holds rises each year. Today the Archives holds 515 archival fonds and collections, which is 7.300,45 m of archival material. There are 372 arranged fonds and 24 arranged collections, hence 3433 m of unarranged archival material left. The Archives’ Reading Room is a part of our specialized library and it is open for researchers which can research the archival material and books from the library. All researchers including the foreign have various subjects in interest like family history or topics for professional papers. Even though there is material available online now, the number of researchers in the reading room does not reduce. The specialized Archives’ library holds 5512 books about the local history and archival science, and 1125 periodicals. Department for administration and IT. The Archives digitizes the archival material it holds and manages its web site and the E-research. It is unimaginable in modern times to do most things without computer technologies. This is the reason why it is often challenging for the employees of the Historical Archives of Subotica to do their tasks using obsolete equipment, due to financial conditions… The Archives uses 1 server, 20 computers, 4 scanners, 2 digital cameras and 9 printers, none of which are new. DIGITIZATION, E-RESEARCH AND THE WEB SITE The Archives’ web site is active since 2006 and is constantly updated. The researchers and users can get information about everything considering the Archives, from the history of the institution to current events and activities. Part of the modernization process is the digitization of the archival material and library book fond which enables easier usage and the ultimate protection. The Archives digitizes the archival material it holds for the needs of various projects and cooperation and for the need of research. There is certain archival material available for research online on our web site (Church registers’ indexes, Summary and Analytical inventories and Archives’ publications). E-research is a database which holds the archival material of the Historical Archives of Subotica which can be accessed online. The database holds part of the digitized material from the fond 451, Collection of Church registers (1687–1949), namely the indexes of the registers of births, marriage and deaths from the Catholic churches (St Theresa, St Roka, St George) and Orthodox Churches (Vaznesenje Gospodnje, Great Mortar St Dimitrije in Aleksandrovo) in Subotica from 1687 to 1947 and in Bajmok (St Peter and Paul) from 1820 to 1905 and Šupljak–Ludaš (St Catharine) from 1832 to 1901. Digitalize images are grouped by several determinants: place, religion, church municipality, type of index (birth, marriage, and death), time period, and alphabet. The determinants are in three languages (Serbian, Hungarian, and English) but the final document is original. There is a registration form that the user needs to fill in when he has to also state the purpose of the research and what he is researching. There are Rules and Regulations each user needs to follow. There are 8498 images available online in the database. CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS Since 2008 The Historical Archives organizes the Subotički arhivski dan professional conference of international character where archivists and colleagues from the similar institutions in our country and abroad, can present their papers on certain archival subject. This kind of experience exchange is very important in order to improve the archival practice and overcome obstacles archivists come upon daily during their work. The conference is visited each year by colleagues from Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia. The conference is held at the Big Assembly room in the City Hall of Subotica. After the arrival and registration of the guests, the conference is opened by the welcoming speech of the Director and a musical act. The work part of the conference starts then, usually with one break. The archivists present their papers accompanied with a video presentation and with simultaneous translation into Hungarian from Serbian and vice versa. Since 2012, the Arhivski dani becomes a two day event. A professional workshop for the registry offices is held in our reading room on the first day, and then the main conference event occurs on the second day. Arhivski dan Date Subject The 1st ”Arhivski dan“ 23.09.2008. Common issues for all Archives in region The 2nd ”Arhivski dan“ 23.09.2009. Archives and digitization The 3rd ”Arhivski dan“ 23.09.2010. Archives and cultural and educational activities The 4th ”Arhivski dan“ 21.09.2011. Local historiography and the Archives The 5th ”Arhivski dan“ 18.09.2012. Archives and Registry offices – protection of archival material in creation The 6th ”Arhivski dan“ 20.09.2013. Archives and the public The 7th ”Arhivski dan“ 18.09.2014. Collections in the Historical Archives The 8th ”Arhivski dan“ 17.09.2014. The Archives and international collaboration The 9th ”Arhivski dan“ 23.09.2016. Archives and cultural and educational activities The 10th ”Arhivski dan“ 21.09.2017. The Archives between culture, science and administration Every year since 2012, as a part of the conference event the day before the conference itself, a professional workshop is held in the Reading room of the Archives for the registry offices’ employees (usually for employees in educational and cultural institutions) about the administration and records arrangement. COLLABORATION AND SPECIALIZATION Archivists had to adapt to contemporary social and media needs in the last decade. That can sometimes be challenging so constant improvement, learning, advice and the exchange of experiences are significant in order to overcome any obstacles. During the decade behind us, the archivists of the Historical Archives of Subotica have visited and took part in the events organized by other institutions like exhibitions, seminars, conferences, consultations, congresses, promotions, workshops, lectures etc. Some visits are traditional for our archivists, like visits to rest of the Historical Archives in Vojvodina, and abroad in Budapest, Szeged, Baja, Pécs, Osijek, Tuzla, Vukovar, Zagreb… There are also events we attend in museums and libraries. Colleagues and fellow archivists also attend our conferences, exhibitions and events. The regular collaboration with neighboring countries Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is ongoing. In 2014 a Collaboration Contract has been signed with the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb. Employees of the Archives also attend meetings of the professional committees in Novi Sad and Belgrade and meetings of the Society of Archivists of Vojvodina and Serbia. The Historical Archives of Subotica has joined the international archival organization ICARUS in 2016. The Archives regularly gives lectures to students of elementary and high schools about the importance of archival material and practice during which the students get familiar with the Archives’ activities and archival material. EMPLOYEES IN THE ARCHIVES Next to many conditions that need to be met in order to achieve the expected quality of work and productivity, the structure of the staff is at the top most. The formation of the staff has changed over the years. Nowadays, besides the required educational level, an archivist must pass the professional exam given by the authorized institution, in our case The Archives of Vojvodina. There are 20 employees in the Archives today, 10 of them with BA, MA or PhD degree, 1 with vocational school degree, 6 with a high school diploma and 3 with elementary school diploma. Department for administration and general service (director, secretary, maintenance) has 7 employees, Department for Registry offices Records management has 2, Department for description and arrangement of the archival material has 9 employees plus one depot manager, and there is one employee in the Department for administration and IT. EXIBITIONS AND PUBLICATIONS Exhibitions 2009. – Archives and Schools: Archives and teachers; the exhibition was held at the Kostolanji Gymnasium. 2010. – City Halls of Subotica 1751–1828–1910; the exhibition was held in the City Hall vestibule. It was also displayed in Hungary in Szentes and Kiskunhalas and in Croatia. 2011. – Subotica on Old Charts and Maps; the exhibition was held in the City Hall vestibule. It was also displayed in Hungary in Kecskemét. 2015. – Sport Society Spartak; the exhibition was held to celebrate the 70 years of the formation and work of the sports society Spartak in Subotica, as a part of the Night of the Museums event on March 16 in the City Hall vestibule 2016. − 115 years of football club Bačka; the exhibition was held as a part of the Night of the Museums event on March 22 in the City Hall vestibule. Publications Finding aids In the last decade the Archives managed to publish the most important archival finding aid, of The Guide through Archival Fonds. The first book of the Guide was issued in 2012 and it contains descriptions of 220 fonds and collections and a Geographical Register and Register of Names. The second book of the Guide was issued in 2015 and it contains descriptions of 270 fonds and collections and also Geographical Register and Register of Names. The translation of the first book in Hungarian was issued the same year as well. Magazine ExPannonia 11, Subotica, 2007. ExPannonia 12–13, Subotica, 2009. ExPannonia 14, Subotica, 2011. ExPannonia 15–16, Subotica, 2012. ExPannonia 17, Subotica, 2013. ExPannonia 18, Subotica, 2014. ExPannonia 19, Subotica, 2015. ExPannonia 20, Subotica, 2016. Monographs Emil Libman, Građa za medicinsku bibliografiju Subotice (1828−2005), Subotica 2008. Emil Libman, Medicinska bibliografija Subotica 1825−2009, Subotica 2011. Hovány Lajos, Sliv jezera Palić, Subotica 2016. Catalogues Zoran Vukelić, Stevan Mačković, Zolna Matijević, Subotičke gradske kuđe – Szabadkai városházák 1751–1828–1910, Exhibition catalogue, 2010. Zoran Vukelić, Stevan Mačković, Zolna Matijević, Subotica na starim kartama i mapama – Szabadka a régi térképek tükrében – Subotica on Old Charts and Maps, Exhibition catalogue, 2011. Digital issues Privilege of the Free Royal Town of Subotica from 1779, CD/DVD, 2009. PRO MEMORIA THE MOST PROMINENT ARCHIVISTS IN THE HISTORICAL ARCHIVES OF SUBOTICA EMIL VOJNOVIĆ (1910−1986) He was born in Timişoara, on June 28, 1910. He graduated from Gymnasium in his birthplace Novi Vrbas. He was employed in an attorney’s office as a clerk from 1931 to 1933. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the Law University in Subotica in 1937 and a PhD in 1942 in Pécs. He was appointed director of the Historical Archives in Subotica on December 1, 1951. With his pioneer work, he set the foundation for the archival practice and theory in Subotica and further. He wrote numerous professional papers and articles which are published in professional journals such as Archival Review (Arhivski pregled), Archival Almanac (Arhivski almanah) and Levéltári Hiradó. From 1955 to 1962 he was a member of the Editorial Board of the journals Archival Review, Archival Almanac, Archivist (Arhivist) and member of the Executive Board in the Archival Association. He was a member of other professional committees and boards as well. He was recognized as the best archivist and expert in the field in Yugoslavia. Next to Serbian, he spoke French, German, Romanian, Latin and Hungarian. He was granted the Oktobarska nagrada grada Subotice reward for his work in 1972. As the director of the Archives, he gave special attention to improvement and training of the employees. He initiated the exchange of archival material with other countries. He researched abroad about the history of Vojvodina. He retired in 1973. GAŠPAR ULMER (1915−2002) He was born in Stanišić, Sombor municipality on April 13, 1915. He finished The Classical Archbishop Gymnasium in Travnik and he graduated in 1940 from The Faculty of Theology in Đakovo. He graduated from the vocational administration school in Marosvásárhely in 1944 during the occupation. After the Second World War he moved with his family to Subotica. He was employed in 1952 as an archivist due to his good knowledge of Latin, German, Hungarian and Serbian, when the Archival Region became City State Archives. At that point, the collective of the archives consisting of him, one more college and the director, presented the core of the professional body in the field. He was the deputy director of the Archives for 18 years so he took part in setting the grounds for archival science and archival activities. He was a member and the president of the Archives of Vojvodina Council. From 1974 he was part of professional group that annually worked in foreign archives (Hungary and Austria), researching the archival material concerning our country. For his dedicated work he received numerous public acknowledgements some of which are Diploma sa medaljom Matice srpske in 1976; Diploma Opštine Bačka Topola in 1988; Oktobarska nagrada za naročita dostignuća iz oblasti društvenih delatnosti „Oslobođenje Subotice“ in 1989 and he was given the status of Honorary Citizen of the town Subotica in 1997. MILAN DUBAJIĆ (1929−2007) He was born in Novi Žednik on February 3, 1929. He finished elementary school in his birthplace and high school in Novi Sad and Subotica. He graduated from The Belgrade University of Philosophy, the History Department in 1957. For a short while he worked as a teacher and a professor in Gymnasium in Subotica and he was employed as a curator in the City Museum in Subotica for 14 years. As a curator he researched about the labor movement and National Liberation War. He organized several exhibitions and published around 150 articles and two professional papers. He was a participant in the National Liberation Movement from 1944 and a courier for the Kotor’s National Liberation Board Donji Lapac. He was a member of Young Communist League of Yugoslavia from June 1944 and a member of League of Communists of Yugoslavia from June 1948. He took part in many activities and organizations of these political parties. He was appointed director of the Historical Archives on February 1, 1977. He was the director until November 1993. He worked as an archivist before he retired in February 1994. JANOŠ DOBOŠ (1935−1998) He was born on April 24, 1935 in Kanjiža. He finished elementary school in his birthplace and Gymnasium in Senta in 1953. He graduated from the Belgrade University of Philosophy in 1958 where he studied history. He worked as an elementary school teacher and later as a history professor in Gymnasium in Senta. From 1961 to 1962 he was the director of that school. He was employed at the historical archives as an archivist in 1965 and he was appointed director from 1972 to 1979. He works as an archivist until 1985 and in the meantime he got a Masters degree in Zagreb with theses Registry systems in Archives in Vojvodina. He worked at The Historical Archives of Subotica until retirement in 1991. He was a member of professional committees and boards. He was a great expert in the field, a great historian and researcher and he is the author of many professional papers and a translator of textbooks. He is the co-founder of Society of Museum and Archives patrons Dudaš Đula in Senta in 1961. He was the editor for the Senćanske Sveske periodical and the author of several monographs about Senta. He was the co-author of 14 publications and he published 20 papers in national and international journals, as well as many articles in newspapers about local history. He took part in the publication of Koreni, the first publication of The Historical Archives of Subotica. He was rewarded for his work with public acknowledgements, Zlatna medalja grada Senta reward in 1968 and Spomen plaketa Zavičajnog saveza Mađarske reward in 1998. LASLO MAĐAR (1937−1998) He was born on June 3, 1937 in Hajdukovo near Subotica. He finished elementary school and Gymnasium in Subotica, and he graduated from the Belgrade University of Philology the German language and literature department in 1969. From 1964 to 1975 he worked as elementary school German teacher in Hajdukovo. He was employed as an archivist in The Historical Archives of Subotica on September 1, 1975 where he stayed until 1998. He spoke Hungarian, German. English, Italian in addition to Serbian and he improved Latin while working with the archival material. He worked with the older archival material. Due to his great interest in research work, he went abroad more than once to research (Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia). He was a contributor at the Institute of History at the University of Novi Sad from 1982 to 1987, and from 1984 he was the member of the editorial board of Subotička monografija. He was a member of editorial board for every publication in The Historical Archives of Subotica. More than 300 of his articles in Hungarian, Serbian, English, German and Esperanto have been published in national and international journals and publications. He was granted two municipal rewards: Dr Ferenc Bodrogvari reward in 1996 and Pro urbe reward in 1998. GABOR LALIJA (1951−2008) He was born on October 14, 1951 in Subotica. He finished elementary school and Teachers school in Subotica. He got accepted at the Faculty of Science at the University of Novi Sad the Geography department. He was employed at The Historical Archives after which he graduated in 1981. He passed the professional archival exam in 1989 and he worked at the Department for Registry offices Records management. He was interested in the history of economics and agriculture of North Bačka and he wrote about those subjects in several papers. He was an expert in viticulture and wine making and he was a member of Arena Zabatkiensis Winemaking Society in Subotica. He was politically active as a member of The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarian. He was active in his Municipality community office and humanitarian organization Kostolanji Deže. He was also the president of the executive board of the City Museum and a member of the editorial board of Bácsország magazine and Palicke novine newspaper. MIRJANA DIMITRIJEVIĆ – BEBA (1929−1985) She was born in 1929 in Subotica where she finished elementary school and Gymnasium, after which she graduated at the University of Philosophy in Zagreb. She started and ended her career at The Historical Archives of Subotica where she was employed in 1955 and retired in 1983. Most of her professional life she spent working on the archival material in Latin and made a huge contribution to interpretation and deciphering of the Latin words and abbreviations which are typical for administrative documentation language and not classic Latin. She took part in making of The Guide through Archival Fonds, a pioneer undertaking since that was the first issue of this most important finding aid in Vojvodina. She took interest in topics about health and medical conditions in the town, and she wrote several articles about archival science as well. She loved domestic and foreign literature and spoke several languages: Serbian, Hungarian, German, French, Russian, English and Latin. She was an unsurpassed editor. MARIJA MILODANOVIĆ (1938−1984) She was born in 1938 in Subotica. She finished elementary school and Teachers school in her birthplace. For a short while she worked as a teacher and later as a copy reader for 7 Nap magazine. In May 1961 she was employed at the Archives where she worked until the end of her life in 1984. She was dedicated in her work with the researchers and tasks that surpassed her official position. She prepared archival material for exhibitions, microfilming and restoration. She worked on the description of numerous fonds and collections, mostly older archival material. She described and managed the archival material of the fond Engineers office of Subotica. She left us with Nazivi ulica u Subotici 1841−1981 (Szabadkai utcanevek 1841−1981), a significant paper about the changes of the names of the streets through history of Subotica. She was appreciated by colleagues for her helpful nature and cooperative attitude, always willing to help with research. She wrote short versus for children

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hotelsmarket · 7 years ago

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W Rome Hotel Announced for 2021

W Hotels Worldwide today announced plans to open W Rome, offering a unique twist on La Dolce Vita in the capital city. Marking the first time that the iconic W sign will land in Italy, W Rome will be developed by Omnam Group through a real estate fund managed by Kryalos SGR. The hotel is set across two historic buildings in the energetic Via Veneto neighborhood and is scheduled to open 2021. "Rome is one of Italy's most stylish and fashionable cities, and therefore a perfect destination for the W brand," said Jenni Benzaquen, Vice President, Luxury Brands, Europe for Marriott International. "With its boundary-breaking design, buzzing spaces and unique style, W Rome will inject a new and decidedly social style of modern luxury to the Roman hospitality scene." Ideally situated near the famous Spanish Steps and the fashionable boutiques of Via Condotti, W Rome will soon be the city's must-visit location for locals and global nomads to mix and mingle. As a longstanding hub of Roman social life, Via Veneto has been the destination for pleasure-seekers for decades, offering guests the latest in fashion, a thriving dining scene, chic cafés and fabulous late-night haunts. Set to become the buzzing centerpiece of the neighbourhood, the hotel will feature 159 stylish guest rooms and suites, including a decadent Extreme WOW suite (the brand's take on the traditional Presidential Suite). On its expansive rooftop, W Rome will feature a signature destination bar where style-savvy guests and local trendsetters can take in sweeping cityscape views and enjoy the brand's playful approach to cocktail culture. Social spaces at W Rome include the W Living Room (the W brand's spin on the hotel lobby) along with two vibrant restaurants and over 120 square meters of ultra-modern event space. A FIT® workout facility and a spa will offer W guests a chance to relax or work up a sweat. Throughout the hotel, guests will have unlimited access to the brand's signature Whatever/Whenever® service, delivering whatever they want, whenever they want it.Advertisement "This collaboration reflects our ambitions for this distinctive landmark development, and we could not imagine a better or more qualified operator than Marriott International and its phenomenal W Hotels brand," said David Zisser, Founder and CEO of Omnam Group. "The combination of the central location and beauty of this historic building, together with the distinct personality and cutting-edge style of the brand, presents a prime opportunity to provide a new luxury hotel experience in Rome." W Rome will span two adjacent 19th century properties on Via Liguria. Originally intended for residential use, the commanding buildings previously operated as a hotel, as well as offices for government ministries and private companies. The structures will be carefully renovated and re-imagined to refresh the historic elements, while infusing the W brand's bold and inspiring design philosophy. "This latest signing shows that even in mature markets like Rome, W Hotels is fortunate to collaborate with visionary developers such as the Omnam Group who are equally passionate about creating an exciting and original hospitality experience," said Carlton Ervin, Chief Development Officer, Europe, Marriott International. "The choice of W Hotels for their prime development, reflects our shared confidence that the brand's inimitable offer will be perfectly attuned to this spectacular city to meet the needs and desires of future travelers in the Italian capital." "We are particularly excited to welcome the first W hotel in Italy, located in one of our most iconic buildings in Rome. Once again, this confirms Kryalos as a trusted and capable collaborator for leading international brands aiming to debut and set roots for successful growth in Italy" said Paolo Bottelli, CEO of Kryalos SGR. This announcement reaffirms the unstoppable growth of the brand in Europe, where W Hotels currently operates seven properties. Ten new W hotels are planned in the region, with the arrival of W Tel Aviv in early 2018, the opening of W Hotels in Madrid, Belgrade and Portugal's stunning Algarve coast in 2019, followed by Prague and Budapest in 2020. In addition to Rome, W Hotels is also slated to debut in Marbella and Edinburgh in 2021. W Hotels boasts a worldwide portfolio of more than 50 properties and is on track to reach 75 hotels by 2020. Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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fatimakhans12345 · 8 years ago

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Speech by Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth at the opening of the conference “Time to react – Strengthening the scope of civil society to act”

-- Translation of advance text --

Ladies and gentlemen,

Barely any issue has been discussed so much in human rights circles as the diminishing space for civil society to act. That initially sounds harmless enough, almost technical. Diminishing space – our first thought is of NGOs which have to wrestle with day‑to‑day organisational problems: the cost of qualified staff is increasing, affordable office space is becoming more scarce, deadlines for project applications are becoming tighter, forms are becoming longer and more complicated.

Yet this phrase actually denotes much more. So much more that sometimes I wonder whether we ought to adapt our choice of words. It isn’t just about organisational problems. It is about oppression and persecution, about massive violations of the human rights of all those who work to promote the rule of law and tolerance, a vibrant democracy and a diverse society.

It is about activists who are being harassed and threatened, imprisoned and abused.

In many countries in the world we have seen in the past few years how new legislation is hindering and hampering the work of civil society. It is being made difficult for non‑governmental organisations to accept money from abroad, and in some cases they are being prohibited from doing so. That is despite that fact that they need these funds to continue their work on the ground.

NGOs are being denounced in law as “foreign agents”, they are even being mentioned in the same breath as high treason – and yet these organisations are actually fighting for quite the opposite: they don’t want to harm their country. They want to improve it and move it forward.

In far too many countries, freedom of opinion, of the press and of assembly is restricted, sometimes citing the public order or “a harmonious society” as a reason, sometimes under bizarre pretexts such as the protection of minors.

Likewise, the independence of the judiciary and the right to a fair trial are being curtailed in more and more countries. In addition, smear campaigns are being launched to defame and criminalise people who courageously stand up for human rights.

At times it seems like a competition: on the one hand we have civil societies throughout the world which are today stronger, more confident and better connected than ever before. At the same time, however, the attempts to silence them are growing ever more perfidious and sophisticated.

We are observing these developments in a large number of autocracies – today we will hear several examples of this – but we are also seeing them in democracies. Yes, even in some EU member states we are unfortunately seeing trends of this nature which continually breach our shared values. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this! We need to speak out against it! Those who are engaged in defending human rights need our protection, our solidarity and our support for their courageous, dedicated work.

Lasting stability cannot be achieved without a free civil society and respect for human rights. Unhampered dialogue with the various groups within civil society is in no way a threat to national security. On the contrary, freedom of expression strengthens a society and makes it more resistant.

All this applies to the most diverse representatives of civil society: environmentalists, women’s rights activists, artists, academics, journalists and lawyers.

However, in one area the situation is becoming increasingly dramatic: LGBTI. The concrete situation of lesbian, gay, bi‑, trans‑ and intersexual people is like a seismograph of the general human rights situation in a country. In countries in which the state discriminates against and persecutes people on the grounds of their sexual identity, this generally goes hand in hand with a broad attack on their people’s civil liberties. On the other hand, in states that take a decisive stand against discrimination against LGBTI, we regularly also see progress in the general human rights situation.

It is undoubtedly no coincidence that this discussion keeps flaring up especially with regard to the issue of LGBTI rights. The question of who they love affects a person particularly deeply. A state that has the audacity to encroach on the privacy of its citizens in this essential issue will not accept any limits on its intervention anywhere else.

What is the Federal Government doing specifically to strengthen civil society worldwide? We are working across the globe to counteract the diminishing space for civil society to act and are supporting human rights defenders under oppression through a wide range of projects.

For example, in Northern Russia we are supporting the construction of an LGBTI network by providing courses on legal issues. In Ukraine we are promoting an LGBTI organisation that is using creative approaches to foster tolerance and respect among the general public.

In Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, the Baltic region and South-Eastern Europe we are creating opportunities for meetings with LGBTI activists in the premises of our missions abroad and promoting local networks. We send observers into the courtrooms where questionable trials are being held.

And of course we address the issue regularly in dialogue with other governments. Sometimes with clear public words which criticise abuse in no uncertain terms – as was the case recently with respect to the shocking reports on severe breaches of human rights with regard to homosexuals in Chechnya.

In other cases we engage in direct talks behind closed doors. We always proceed as the specific situation requires and in the way that is best for those affected. Because our guiding principle is this: we don’t want to cause any harm to those we desire to protect from violations of human rights.

Shouting through a loudspeaker rarely helps victims of human rights violations in the long term; we are more likely to be effective by engaging in confidential talks. And to this end we need to talk to particularly difficult partners – China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and also Turkey. Breaking off relations, cancelling trips and finger-wagging through our media –anyone who thinks that’s how foreign policy works has got it wrong.

We coordinate closely with representatives of civil society, for they often have a much better idea of what strategy would be most effective in the country concerned. For this we need partners who work persistently and courageously on the issues that concern them. Here in this room are representatives of some of our most important civil society partners in Germany and abroad. Thank you for our good cooperation and for your advice!

In our work for LGBTI rights we continually here pointed criticism. Don’t you have other problems? Is it really worthwhile, really necessary to work for “these minorities”? Why do we need special rights and privileges for minorities?

That is why it is all the more important that we emphasise again and again that we are not calling for minority rights, but for the effective protection of the human rights of everyone – regardless of their background, the colour of their skin, their religion, their gender or their sexual identity. That is not a luxury but the implementation of a principle that we agreed on almost 70 years ago: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” That is the wording of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. It may be one of the most important sentences that has ever been written.

This is a high aim that is, unfortunately, still far from being a reality even today. However, we do have grounds for optimism. In the past few years we have also seen impressive progress. There are encouraging developments on all continents – whether in South Africa or in Uruguay, in Nepal or in Montenegro.

While it is important to delete discrimination from legal texts, it is even more important to banish it from people’s mindsets. It is gratifying that in many countries public support for LGBTI rights is growing. In recent years I have taken part in Pride Parades in Bucharest and Belgrade. On 8 July I will be in Budapest. Only a few years ago such events would have been inconceivable in these cities.

And where do we stand in Germany? Well, the Federal Foreign Office is not necessarily the place to shed light on German domestic policy.

But we need to view ourselves critically and ask ourselves how we are doing when it comes to implementing human rights. It is part of our self‑image as a globally minded and tolerant ministry that we work to promote greater understanding for and tolerance towards minorities of all kinds. Whether in Berlin and Bad Hersfeld or in Budapest, St Petersburg and Timbuktu.

In Germany, same‑sex couples have been able to enter into a civil partnership since 2001. Since then, much has been achieved. On various occasions courts had to put politicians under pressure. Marriage for all is not available. Not yet. More’s the pity. Now, I’m not giving away any secrets when I say that there are various views on this issue among the coalition parties.

But full equality by opening up marriage to all will also come to Germany very soon. I am confident about this, because although there is not yet a political majority, there is a stable majority in favour of it in society.

We want to use the momentum we can feel here in Germany and throughout the world to support those who are facing opposition in their home countries. Together let us work to make the high standards set down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a reality throughout the world. For everyone. Let us fight to ensure that the space for civil society’s courageous and important engagement does not shrink any further, but that it can grow. How we can do that most effectively is what we want to discuss with you today.

Thank you very much!

from UK & Germany http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2017/170601-StM_R_Time_to_react.html?nn=479796

#UK & Germany

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