Antifašisti Hrvatske, Italije i Slovenije, zajedno s Documentom, provest će projekt “Položaj i uloga žrtve” krećući od premise da je žrtva na svim stranama jednaka

Unarednih godinu i pol dana Savez antifašističkih boraca i antifašista Hrvatske (SABA RH), Zveza združenj borcev za vrednote Narodnoosvobodilnega boja Slovenije (Zveza) i Nacionalni savez partizana Italije (ANPI), odnosno organizacija u Trstu, uz partnerstvo Documente – centra za suočavanje s prošlošću, provodit će projekt Europa za građane pod nazivom “Položaj i uloga žrtve”.

Kako je rečeno na pripremnom sastanku kojem su uz članove rečenih antifašističkih udruženja i Documente prisustvovali i brojni aktivisti, svrha i cilj projekta jeste da se različitim edukativnim, istraživačkim i javno-popularizacijskim aktivnostima ukaže na različite kriterije pri procjenjivanju uloge i položaja žrtve u hrvatskom, talijanskom i slovenskom društvu. Naglasak će biti na žrtvama ratova koji su se dešavali u 20. vijeku na prostoru tri navedene zemlje.

Različiti kriteriji vidljivi su kada se vrednuju „naše“ i „njihove“ žrtve, civilne i vojne te žrtve određenih povijesnih događaja. Projekt bi pokazao i različite primjere zloupotrebe žrtava u političke i nacionalističke svrhe. O tome govore primjeri iz historiografije u smislu naglašavanja jednih i ignoriranje drugih žrtava ali i svakodnevnog života, npr. preimenovanja ulica ili škola, te spomeničke baštine.

Projekt je “težak” 154.000 eura za koji je EU isplatila 60 posto, dok će ostatak biti isplaćen nakon što se podnesu izvještaji i sve potrebne publikacije.

Po riječima predsjednika SABA RH Franje Habulina, nakon pripremnog sastanka s partnerima u realizaciji, svaki od partnera održat će Školu demokracije. Završetak edukativnog dijela predstavljao bi edukativni kamp koji bi bio održan u proljeće 2025. i kojem će prisustvovati po 10 najboljih učesnika. U istraživačkom dijelu najveći teret imat će Documenta, ali i naši partneri, svatko na svojem terenu. Teme istraživanja bit će holokaust, genocid i stradanja ljudi u ratovima i totalitarnim režimima. Kreće se od premise da je žrtva na svim stranama jednaka. Žrtvu se želi prikazati kao žrtvu bez obzira na kojoj je strani žrtva nastala i na način na koji se to dogodilo – rekao je Habulin.

Historičar Hrvoje Klasić podsjetio je da je Škola demokracije na koju se odnosi veći dio aktivnosti nastavak projekta koji je ranije održan, također sredstvima EU.

– Škola je namijenjena mladima i tu će biti jako puno studenata i učenika završnih razreda srednjih škola, kao i drugih zainteresiranih mladih ljudi. U principu dobrodošli su svi koji žele nešto naučiti i širiti to znanje. Kroz predavanja prići ćemo problemu žrtava od Drugog svjetskog rata do 90-ih o kojima će govoriti povjesničari, pravnici o obeštećenju žrtava, sociolozi o stresu, istraživači koji će naglasiti problem spiskova žrtava i njihove memorijalizacije, odnosno zašto su spomenici rađeni generalno, a ne srpskim ili hrvatskim žrtvama – rekao nam je Klasić.

– Žrtve su jednake, ali nisu svi stradalnici ujedno i žrtve. Zato moramo čuti perspektivu žrtve, a ne samo onog tko je počinio zločin. Mislim da je to i generalno i u školskom sustavu zanemarena perspektiva – rekao je Klasić.

Što se tiče istraživačkog rada, radi se o terenskom istraživanju u kojem će skupina mladih ljudi, uz ostalo, anketirati porodice žrtava, najviše iz 90-ih godina, a bit će riječi o sličnim a ponekad vrlo različitim iskustvima u tri zemlje, zaključio je Klasić.

Marin Korman iz SABA RH iznio je detalje projekta. Svaki modul sastojat će se od tri predavanja koja bi se mogla održati tokom jednog dana. Za školu je u svakoj zemlji potrebno minimalno 25 polaznika, od toga 15 žena, starosti od 18 do 30 godina. U prvom modulu obrađivali bi se položaj žrtava od Drugog svjetskog rata, u drugom popisi i memorijalizacije, a u trećem traume žrtava, od (ne)isplaćivanja odštete do suđenja za ratne zločine. Prva dva modula će u Hrvatskoj zbog ljeta biti održana tokom maja i juna ove godine. Kamp za mlade bio bi održan tri dana od septembra ove do marta iduće godine u Zagorju. Uz polaznike bi iz svake zemlje išla i po dva stručnjaka, a teme bi bile zajedničke za sve tri škole.

U istraživanje su uz korištenje građe, medija i razgovora sa žrtvama uključeni i posjeti mjestima stradanja. Do 1. maja 2025. učesnici bi trebali prezentirati rezultate, iskustva i probleme istraživanja za ukupno stotinjak vršnjaka, koji će biti uvršteni u izvještaj.

Među aktivnosti istraživanja treba uvrstiti i okrugli stol o položaju žrtava u današnjem društvima te panevropsku medijsku kampanju.

Joint Project of Documenta and Anti-Fascist Associations

Anti-fascists from Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia, together with Documenta, will carry out the project “The Position and Role of the Victim,” starting from the premise that a victim is equal on all sides.

The preparatory meeting was held at the premises of the Alliance of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-Fascists of Croatia (SABA RH) in Zagreb.
Photo: Nenad Jovanović

Over the next year and a half, the Alliance of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-Fascists of Croatia (SABA RH), the Union of Associations of Fighters for the Values of the National Liberation Struggle of Slovenia (Zveza), and the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI), specifically its organization in Trieste, in partnership with Documenta – Center for Dealing with the Past, will implement the Europe for Citizens project titled “The Position and Role of the Victim.”

As stated at the preparatory meeting, which was attended by members of the mentioned anti-fascist associations, Documenta, and numerous activists, the purpose and goal of the project is to highlight—through various educational, research, and public-outreach activities—the different criteria used in evaluating the role and position of victims in Croatian, Italian, and Slovenian societies. The emphasis will be on victims of wars that took place during the 20th century in the territories of these three countries.

Different criteria become visible when evaluating “our” and “their” victims, civilian and military victims, as well as victims of specific historical events. The project will also present various examples of the misuse of victims for political and nationalist purposes. Examples can be found in historiography, where some victims are emphasized while others are ignored, as well as in everyday life—for example, in the renaming of streets or schools and in memorial heritage.

The project is worth €154,000, of which the European Union has already paid 60 percent, while the remaining amount will be paid after reports and all required publications are submitted.

According to the president of SABA RH, Franjo Habulin, after the preparatory meeting with project partners, each partner will organize a School of Democracy. The educational part will conclude with an educational camp planned for spring 2025, which will be attended by the ten best participants.

In the research segment, the greatest responsibility will fall on Documenta, but the partners will also contribute within their respective regions. Research topics will include the Holocaust, genocide, and the suffering of people in wars and totalitarian regimes. The project starts from the premise that victims on all sides are equal. The aim is to present a victim simply as a victim, regardless of the side on which the victim occurred or the circumstances in which it happened, said Habulin.

Historian Hrvoje Klasić reminded participants that the School of Democracy, which represents the majority of project activities, is a continuation of an earlier project also funded by the EU.

“The school is intended for young people, and there will be many university students and students in the final years of secondary school, as well as other interested young people. In principle, everyone who wants to learn something and spread that knowledge is welcome. Through lectures we will approach the issue of victims from the Second World War to the 1990s. Historians will speak about historical aspects, lawyers about compensation for victims, sociologists about stress, and researchers will highlight the issue of victim lists and their memorialization—specifically why monuments were built in a general way rather than specifically for Serbian or Croatian victims,” Klasić explained.

“Victims are equal, but not everyone who died is necessarily a victim. That is why we must hear the perspective of the victim, not only that of the perpetrator. I believe that this perspective has generally been neglected, including in the school system,” Klasić added.

Regarding the research work, it will involve field research in which a group of young people will, among other things, survey the families of victims—primarily from the 1990s. The research will also examine similar, and sometimes very different, experiences in the three countries, Klasić concluded.

Marin Korman from SABA RH presented further project details. Each module will consist of three lectures that could be held within a single day. Each country’s school must have at least 25 participants, of whom 15 must be women, aged 18 to 30.

• The first module will address the position of victims since the Second World War.
• The second module will focus on victim lists and memorialization.
• The third module will address the trauma of victims, including issues from unpaid compensation to trials for war crimes.

Due to the summer period, the first two modules in Croatia will be held in May and June of this year. A three-day youth camp will take place sometime between September this year and March next year in Zagorje. Along with the participants, two experts from each country will attend, and the themes will be common to all three schools.

Research activities will include the use of archival materials, media sources, and interviews with victims, as well as visits to sites of suffering. By May 1, 2025, participants should present the results, experiences, and challenges of their research to around one hundred of their peers, and these findings will be included in the final report.

Research activities will also include a roundtable discussion on the position of victims in contemporary societies, as well as a pan-European media campaign.

(Novosti/N. Jovanović)

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.