\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
is an acronym that stands for:
Literary Regional Gathering That Alleviates Boredom And Lethargy.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ever since its foundation in 2009, Association KROKODIL has organized the annual KROKODIL Literary Festival, held in Belgrade, Serbia. The festival, which was primarily conceived as a regional affair dedicated to the promotion of dialogue, reconciliation and reconstruction of broken links particularly in the region of the Western Balkans, soon became more and more international and has grown into one of the most distinctive and popular events in the region of South-East Europe exploring the most important cultural, political and social topics of the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The KROKODIL Association is among the very few independent, non-partisan civil society organisations in Serbia that deal with culture and literature but also actively advocate for the principles of responsible behaviour by the state institutions, NGO sector and media in Serbia. Committed to developing democratic culture, civic activism and educating citizens on their political rights, KROKODIL, as a think-and-do tank, is dedicated to establishing the rule of law and, bearing in mind both <\/span>Serbia’s specific geopolitical position today and the importance of European security as a whole, thereby strengthening Serbia’s movement towards the EU.<\/span> To this end, KROKODIL is focused on the development of various programs of social and political significance promoting basic human rights and freedoms while strongly focusing on civic engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The KROKODIL Association is among the very few independent, non-partisan civil society organisations in Serbia that actively advocate for the principles of <\/span>responsible behaviour<\/b> by government and state institutions as well as by the NGO sector and media regarding <\/span>Russian propaganda<\/b> and other <\/span>soft power mechanisms<\/b>. Committed to developing democratic culture and civic activism and educating citizens on their political rights, KROKODIL, as a think-and-do tank, is dedicated to establishing the rule of law and, bearing in mind both <\/span>Serbia’s specific geopolitical position today and the importance of European security as a whole, thereby strengthening Serbia’s movement towards the EU.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Furthermore, KROKODIL is still the only CSO in Serbia that is actively focused on <\/span>helping the citizens of Ukraine<\/b>. Following previous activities of collecting and <\/span>personally delivering humanitarian aid<\/b> for the Municipal Perinatal Center in Kharkiv in 2022 as well as for the <\/span>Center for Social Work of the Lozova Raion<\/span> in the town of Blyzniuky in 2023, KROKODIL\u2019s delegation will once again head to Ukraine in mid-February 2024 in order to personally deliver aid to civilians caught in the middle of military operations in the city of Kherson. This will once again be followed by a series of field stories, a travelogue published under the title \u201c12-to-8.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n The first <\/span>Ukrainian library<\/b> in Serbia was opened in KROKODIL Center as a result of KROKODIL\u2019s advocacy initiative addressed to local independent publishers to donate and support the development of this important collection of 400 titles for adults and another 150 titles for kids and young adults.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n Finally,<\/span> a series of events marking the first year of aggression<\/b> were organised by KROKODIL in cooperation with its partners from the International diplomatic corps in Belgrade.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to all this, some of the other ongoing programs concerning Ukraine are: research\/analysis with recommendations for the Serbian CSOs engagement related to the Russian aggression against Ukraine; providing shelter, space for work, and support to Ukrainian literary creators; organising creative workshops for children from Ukraine; and various debates, press conferences, networking events, online campaigns and panel discussions.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n KROKODIL received an<\/span> award<\/b> from the Serbian Philanthropy Forum for its exceptional contribution to helping the people of Ukraine. KROKODIL was also granted the \u201cHrabri glas\u201d (Courageous Voice) award by the biggest CSO in Serbia \u2013 CRTA, for its boldness in supporting the citizens of this war-torn country. Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has awarded KROKODIL the “Amber Heart,” a recognition granted to individuals for exceptional contribution, support, and promotion of Ukrainian culture, history, and the fight for freedom. \u00a0<\/p>\n All these activities have been followed by the series of continuous physical and online attacks as well as life threats<\/b> on KROKODIL premises and its personnel. Even though these events were reported fully to the police and other relevant institutions, due to the lack of political will, there never was any follow-up. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ever since its foundation in 2009, KROKODIL has organised the annual KROKODIL Literary Festival. The festival, which was primarily conceived as a regional affair <\/span>dedicated to the promotion of dialogue, reconciliation and reconstruction of broken links, particularly in the overlapping regions of the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe<\/span>, soon became more and more international and has grown into one of the most distinctive and popular events in the region, exploring the most important cultural, political and social topics of the day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Combining different formats such as readings, sofa interviews, panel discussions, workshops, press conferences, film and other audio-visual content, KROKODIL has presented, throughout its 15 annual \u201ceditions,\u201d hundreds of distinguished writers, artists and public figures from numerous countries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Among them are: <\/span>Bernhard Schlink, Irvine Welsh, Hanif Kureishi, Margaret Atwood, L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Krasznahorkai, Georgi Gospodinov, Dubravka Ugre\u0161i\u0107, Aleksandar Hemon, Mira Furlan, Boris Buden, Ivan Krastev<\/b> etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Festival boasts a large, very loyal, and engaged audience.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As a member of the informal network of feminist and women\u2019s groups and independent activists, KROKODIL and its \u201csisters-in-arms\u201d traditionally mark the International Women\u2019s Day by organising <\/span>March for Women\u2019s Labor Rights and Living Wages<\/b>. KROKODIL continues the struggle and uses this historically and politically important date to point out economic and existential difficulties most women face today.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n KROKODIL also belongs to the network of associations of citizens, journalists and media against violence that supports the civil demands of the <\/span>Serbia Against Violence protest<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The protests were motivated and initiated by the horrific massacre in the Vladislav Ribnikar primary school when, in the early morning of 3 May 2023, a thirteen-year-old boy took the lives of nine of his peers and a school guard. This event was the first mass murder of this type in the history of Serbia, and it can be said that it is only the tip of the iceberg of prevailing violence, aggression and hatred that for decades has been permeating every pore of our society, influencing public awareness, education, mass and popular culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In the ongoing struggle to improve conditions for<\/span> fair and free elections <\/b>as well as higher voter turnout, KROKODIL, together with other CSOs, participated and campaigned in several civic initiatives such as <\/span>DOKLE VI\u0160E!?<\/b> (HOW MUCH LONGER!?)<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \/ SPACES OF RESILIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n By providing physical space for activities, a series of educational programs and mentoring sessions, KROKODIL aims to strengthen and develop the capacities of local civil society organisations, citizen associations, initiatives & groups, activists, and individuals to empower them to fulfil their goals and missions, to raise and improve the visibility of their activities in the promotion and development of democratic values, civic rights, minority and children\u2019s rights, a healthier environment, multiculturalism, and cultural dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n \/ BETTER TOGETHER\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique challenge for democracies, and thus for the work of civil society organisations. The project \u201cBetter Together\u2013Strengthening Dialogue and Cooperation in the Times of Crises\u201d offered a platform for discussing and sharing the lessons learned about policy and public health emergency responses, the role of the government, and the effect on cultural and creative industries facing the continued challenges posed by the coronavirus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n KROKODIL\u2019s Writer-in-residence program was launched in 2012 as the first residential program in Serbia intended exclusively for writers, translators and other literary creators.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In 2022 the decision was reached to freeze all usual activities of this ongoing program and to offer this space to literary creators and cultural workers from Ukraine as a safe haven for work for creative individuals in jeopardy from that war-torn country.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 23<\/span> European countries<\/span><\/p>\n 6<\/span> cities<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The walls of buildings in Serbian cities and towns have for a long time been a politically desirable and available canvas for the expression of views of various extreme right-wing groups, as well as a platform for promoting policies related to them. The result of the secret and even not so secret support as well as undue influence of the ruling political structure is an urban landscape saturated with drawings, graffiti, murals, and other visual messages that directly express and endorse hatred, racism, and sexism and that generally spreads toxic content of various types, creating a society full of violence present everywhere, especially among young people. This rhetoric and related actions also endanger the fundamental rights of people in Serbia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n During this first year of the aforementioned activities, more than <\/span>twenty eight misdemeanor charges<\/b> were filed against eight activists and KROKODIL personnel. These<\/span> strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP)<\/b> par excellence represent a relatively new threat to freedom of speech in Serbia and one of the biggest challenges for KROKODIL to fight against and overcome in years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Back in 2015, KROKODIL\u2019s project Languages and Nationalisms dealt with the important question of language misuse for political purposes in the region of the former Yugoslavia. It culminated in the development of the <\/span>Declaration on the Common Language <\/b>which was signed by over 15,000 people worldwide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Avram Noam Chomsky<\/b>, famous American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics as much as for his political activism, and social criticism <\/span>is one of many high-profile academia persons who signed the Declaration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The COMMON LIBRARY edition of nine pocket sized books containing essayistic doublets on specific topics and signed by some of the most important literary names as a continuation of the above-named project takes into consideration literary genres rather than linguistic science in order to find the best means to advocate and apply pressure on political authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another detour of this project to the field of different artistic expression is the theatre play \u201cUrotnici\u201d (The Conspirators) based on the essays and lives of authors presented in the Common Library edition. This play was widely staged in theatres around the region with intense public and critical acclaim.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All these activities were designed specifically in order to influence legislative change when it comes to the recognition of the fact that the 4 \u201cpolitical languages\u201d spoken in the region are actually nothing but equal variants of one and the same (still unnamed) polycentric language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This legislative recognition would effectively bring an end to educational, cultural and, consequently, political segregation<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/span>The KROKODIL Association is equally dedicated to the production of literary, cultural and socio-political programs and projects with the aim of developing audiences among those that are interested in culture and politics as such. It is particularly engaged in promoting a culture of dialogue and reconciliation and the reconstruction of broken links, particularly in the region of the Western Balkans\/Southeast Europe, as well as in deepening mutual understanding and acceptance of differences within the wider European and global context.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nKROKODIL REACTS TO THE RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nFESTIVAL KROKODIL<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/h4>\n
STRENGTHENING LOCAL INITIATIVE AND CSOs PROGRAM, NETWORKING AND ADVOCACY<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
\n
WRITER IN RESIDENCE \/ WRITER IN EXILE <\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
\n
\n
\n
FREE THE STREETS \/ FREE THE PEOPLE!<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
Why Do You Say Love When You Mean War?<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
The activities listed below will clearly identify the cases of undue influence<\/b> in the public spectrum as a highly dangerous long-term trend for the democratic processes in Serbia. Ultimately, the objective of our civic initiative and its constituent programs is to actively transform these dangerous tendencies.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
COMMON LANGUAGE<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
\n