Brandenburg, Germany - Vojvodina, Serbia

In Serbia in the last six months was recorded more racist and nationalist assaults than in the last five years. In the first six months of 2004 official records count 44 assaults on ethnic basis, 13 fights and 17 assaults on Roma people. In all these events one national- chauvinist discipline was more prominent than the others: there were 32 cases of grave desecration.

Number of incidents is increased, and actors of these violent actions, which is absurd, are mostly young people, grown up in isolation, war environment and time of social insecurity. Lack of adequate reaction from the state is more than visible and main question is how can the public influence the prevention of this evilness. Especially sensitive region is Voivodina which still has very heterogenous population.

Verbal violence, suspiciousness and mistrust, national ghetoisation sustain the atmosphere of awkwardness where one frightens the other, the other are afraid of someone third, the third are in terror from the first ones and distant from the second and they all together do not trust themselves.

In Brandenburg, former East Germany situation is similar. In the time of transition and social crisis the number of attacks on immigrants and members of different races is increased, explicit critique of nazi times is fading and because of remission of decisive state anti-fascism and confrontation with the past, youth identify themselves with past myths and nationalist pseudo-heroes.
That’s the reason that in Brandenburg are active many organizations that are fighting racist and chauvinist tendencies. They are involved in education, organization of demonstrations against right wing extremism, street protests, concerts and workshops.

What can you do about this?

Will you defend, in informal conversation, the ones attacked because of their skin color, religious beliefs, nationality or sexual orientation?

Will you share your positive experience in relations to the Other with the ones that don’t have it?

Workshop and joint action between youth from Brandenburg and Novi Sad will point out the problems that youth from former socialist East Germany and former socialist Yugoslavia are confronted with.

Workshop MAPPING RIGHT WING EXTREMISM:
02.08.-03.08.04.
12:00 – 16:00h
New Media Center - kuda.org, Novi Sad
Brace Mogin 2, Detelinara

Street action
05.08.04 at 18:00h
Trg Slobode

Screening program and public debate MAPPING RIGHT WING EXTREMISM
Thursday, 05.08.04 at 21:00h
Student’s Cultural Center
Izba
Zeleznicka 4

Organizers:

New Media Center –kuda.org, Novi Sad

Democratic Youth of Brandenburg

Alternative Culture Organization, Novi Sad