On June 29th 2015, 52 NGOs from Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia had sent a letter to the President of the European Commission regarding the financing of the Public Policy Institute through the program Europe for Citizens. Reason for this is EC decision to support the non-governmental organization whose director, Vladimir Beba Popovic, is the man who led the unworthy campaign against the courageous civil society activist Vanja Calovic and indirectly against other civil society activists who are criticaly oriented towards the Montenegrin authorities. One of the signatories of this letter was Expeditio. Below you can read the contents of the letter.
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, president
Podgorica, June 25, 2015
Dear Mr. Juncker,
As a group of NGOs active in the field of human rights, gender equality and civil society development, dominantly in Montenegro, but also in the region, we were very disappointed to find out that the Public Policy Institute from Podgorica, an NGO whose director is Mr. Vladimir Beba Popovic (http://www.publicpolicyinstitute.eu/kancelarije/), was selected to be funded by the European Commission’s Europe for Citizens Programme for the Project "Zenska vlada Zapadnog Balkana. EU" / Female Government Western Balkans, under the ID 564214 (https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/…/efc_civil_society_projects_lis…).
Mr. Vladimir Beba Popovic directly promoted the excruciating campaign against the prominent and courageous civil society activist in Montenegro, Ms. Vanja Ćalović, as well as indirectly against the other civil society activists critically oriented towards Montenegrin authorities. Those facts are well known to the European Commission. The campaign against Ćalović was perfidious and ruthless, based on gender discrimination, and with the aim to destroy not only her professional integrity, but also her personal reputation and the ability to lead a normal life in her community. It is, therefore, incomprehensible that the organization headed by a man who has publicly stated that he distributed videos intended to seriously harm a woman’s integrity (the statement available at following link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkgFVbvC9F0) is awarded by EU funding for the project to promote women’s rights.
We call upon the European Commission to withdraw its decision on the allocation of the said grant and suspend further cooperation and funding of organizations that within their ranks have people who conduct gender-based discrimination and do not respect human rights.
Sincerely,
NGO Women’s Rights Center, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Women’s Safe House, Podgorica, Montenegro
SOS Telephone for Women and Children –victims of violence, Niksic, Montenegro
NGO “Prima”, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO SOS Telephone for Women and Children –victims of violence, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Human Rights Action, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO “Inclusion”, Cetinje, Montenegro
NGO Association of Youth with Disability, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Association of Paraplegics of Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Center for Civic Education, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Institute “Alternative”, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO “Center for Monitoring and Research”, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO “Juventas’’, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO “Queer Montenegro”, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Coalition “With Cooperation to the Goal”, Montenegro (Coalition of 95 NGOs)
NGO Montenegrin Women’s Lobby, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Green Home, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO “Mogul”, Ulcinj, Montenegro
NGO “Women’s Room”, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO “Education and Training Center”, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Agency for local democracy, Niksic , Montenegro
NGO Civic Alliance, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO “Parents”, Montenegro
NGO Expeditio, Montenegro
NGO Association for Democratic Prosperity – Zid,Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Association of Single Parents, Montenegro
NGO Association of Physiotherapists, Montenegro
NGO Association of traditional crafts and skills, "Thread"
NGO “Social Life”, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO MADOR, The Network for Affirmation of corporate social responsibility, Montenegro
NGO ''Healthy Montenegrin Woman'', Montenegro
NGO “Empowered mother”, Bijelo Polje, Montenegro
NGO Women’s Action, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Association of Paraplegics of Bijelo Polje and Mojkovac, Montenegro
NGO Story for children, Montenegro
NGO Association for Civil Society Development, Bijelo Polje, Montenegro
NGO “Brain”, Montenegro
NGO CAZAS, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO “For life”, Podgorica, Montenegro
NGO Bona Fide, Pljevlja
NGO Women’s Group “Stela”, Cetinje
Croatia
NGO B.a.b.e , Zagreb
NGO Civic Committee for Human Rights (CCHR), Zagreb
Serbia
NGO Autonomous Women’s Center, Belgrade
NGO Association Women’s Studies and Research, Belgrade
NGO Women’s Space, Nis
NGO Women Center, Uzice
NGO Network Women against Violence
NGO ASTRA- Antitrafficking Action, Belgrade
NGO Roma Children’s Centre, Belgrade
Macedonia
Open Gate/La strada Macedonia
Slovenia
Cultural Association TAXI ART, Women’s TAXI
