E-magazine Moja Slovenija May 2018 by Moja slovenija

E- magazine | May 2018

SLOVENIANS OUTSIDE SLOVENIA

Awards conferred for best works on Slovenians in neighbouring countries and emigrants SLOVENIANS OUTSIDE SLOVENIA

Triglav Banja Luka Association of Slovenians celebrates 20th anniversary NEWS

Restored books by Slovenian authors going from Vrhnika to Slovenians around the world 1

// FROM THIS ISSUE

SLOVENIANS OUTSIDE SLOVENIA

AWARDS CONFERRED FOR BEST WORKS ON SLOVENIANS IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES AND EMIGRANTS 3

NEWS

SLOVENIANS OUTSIDE SLOVENIA

RESTORED BOOKS BY SLOVENIAN AUTHORS GOING FROM VRHNIKA TO SLOVENIANS AROUND THE WORLD

TRIGLAV BANJA LUKA ASSOCIATION OF SLOVENIANS CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY 8

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// CULTURE

An exhibition of Zoran Mušič in Vienna An extensive retrospective exhibition of works by Slovenian painter Zoran Mušič opened at the Leopold Museum in Vienna on 13 April. Entitled »Poetry of Silence«, the exhibition features 160 works which represent all of Mušič's major creative periods and were acquired from public and private collections in Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. The opening featured Slovenian Culture Minister Tone Peršak and State Secretary Damjana Pečnik. The exhibition, curated by Leopold Museum director Hans-Peter Wipplinger and Ivan Ristić, features 15 works borrowed from the National Gallery in Ljubljana. Three works will be on display for only two months because of the sensitivity of the material. Mušič's late self-portrait, which was purchased in an auction in Trieste and which is one of his most important paintings,

will return to the National Gallery at the end of autumn. The Leopold Museum, where Mušič's works will be on display until 6 August, is located in Vienna's Museumsquartier, which attracts 3.8 million visitors a year.  Primorski dnevnik

Slovenian language lectureship finally in Rijeka A Slovenian language lectureship will opened at the Rijeka Faculty of Arts in the autumn to become a third lectureship of Slovenian language in Croatia after Zagreb and Zadar. The agreement to launch the lectureship was signed in Rijeka on 23 March during a visit by a delegation featuring deans from the University of Ljubljana, Chancellor Igor Papič and Slovenian Ambassador to Croatia Smiljana Knez. It is the latter who, lending an ear to the wish of the Slovenian community, should be credited for this initiative coming true. The initiative was also welcomed by University of Rijeka Chancellor Snježana Prijić-Samaržija.

Chancellor Snježana Prijić-Samaržija. Photo: Marjana Mirković

»Something Is in the Air« at Družina Gallery The 16th Days of Carinthian Culture, organised by the Slovenian-Austrian Friendship Association and the Club of Carinthian Slovenians in Ljubljana, opened with an exhibition at the Družina Gallery on 16 April. The exhibition of paintings by Hanzi Mlečnik from the Austrian province of Carinthia, called »Something Is in the Air«, was launched by Austrian Ambassador to Slovenia Sigrid Berka, while the 16th Days of Carinthian Culture as a whole were opened by Minister for Slovenians Abroad Gorazd Žmavc. Artist and bookseller Mateja Rihter, the editor-in-chief of Nedelja, a Slovenian Catholic weekly in Carinthia, spoke about the artist and the exhibition. »Hanzi Mlečnik, born in 1967, lives in Klagenfurt and on an old farm in Zell, where he paints. After graduating at the Slovenian secondary school in Klagenfurt, one of the most important institutions for Carinthian Slovenians, he finished a school for booksellers in St. Pölten. Has been employed since 1992 as a bookseller in a bookshop in the Slovenian Book Centre in Klagenfurt. In 2015, he received the

prestigious award for the best bookseller from the Association of Slovenian Publishers. He is a self-taught painter who attended various courses (nudes with Fritz Langhammer and Friederika Schipek, a study course in Zakynthos), and was also taught by painter and conservator-restorer Lorenz Tschertou. He has presented his work at several solo and group exhibitions.« PHOTO: President of the Club of Carinthian Slovenians in Ljubljana Janez Stergar, president of the Slovenian-Austrian Friendship Association Lovro Sodja, head of the Družina Gallery Manica Ferenc, Minister for Slovenians Abroad Gorazd Žmavc, Nedelja editor-in-chief Mateja Rihter, painter Hanzi Mlečnik and Austrian Ambassador to Slovenia Sigrid Berka. Photo: druzina.si

// SLOVENIANS OUTSIDE SLOVENIA

Awards conferred for best works on Slovenians in neighbouring countries and emigrants The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad conferred on 18 April the 16th awards to authors of best diploma papers, master's theses and doctoral dissertations on Slovenians abroad and emigrants as part of a competition taking place between August and December. The award ceremony was held at Vila Podrožnik in Ljubljana.

As Minister for Slovenians Abroad Gorazd Žmavc said in his address, the competition is about encouraging the awareness and discussion on these topics between students and scientific institutions. The number of competing papers is growing every year, with the Office having received a total of 304 works, or around 19 a year. »Mutual recognition and understanding are the

key conditions for cross-border connections and circulation of ideas,« he said, adding that Slovenia was paying attention to the study of these topics by organising the competition. In the Emigration category, the first prize went to Mojca Ilc Klun for her doctoral dissertation »Slovenian emigration and diaspora in the process of geographical education«, which deals with various topics of Slovenian emigration, migration and diaspora in the Slovenian education system at the primary and secondary level. Ilc Klun has told the web portal Slovenci.si that the main conclusion of the dissertation is that the topic

of Slovenian emigration and diaspora is more or less non-existent in syllabi in the Slovenian education system. »Topics related to Slovenian emigration are currently ignored,« she said, proposing a textbook reform. »These topics should be first included in syllabi on whose basis textbooks are written, so that students in Slovenian schools would not know only the number of Slovenian emigrants in the world and countries they live in, but also the cultural and sociological characteristics of Slovenian emigration,« she explained. Ilc Klun will continue with the research and expand on it. She has been dealing with the topic since her secondary school years, when she spent a month in Cleve-

// SLOVENIANS OUTSIDE SLOVENIA land with a Slovenian emigrant family. She later spent six months in Cleveland studying Slovenian emigration for her diploma paper. The second prize in the category went to Alenka Čuš for her doctoral dissertation »Importance of education for the vitality of the Slovenian community in Toronto«, which is the result of her studies at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Primorsko. As vitality of the Slovenian emigrant communities is one of the keys for preserving Slovenian presence in the world, the work by Čuš greatly contributes to getting to know the Canadian-Slovenian community in of Ontario and strengthening their ethnic and linguistic identity. The special award for a diploma paper in the category went to Tjaša Leskovšek for her paper »Return of young people to Slovenia after living abroad«, with which she graduated at the Ljubljana Faculty of Education. Given the fact that emigration from Slovenia has been on the rise in recent years, there is much less talk about those who are returning to Slovenia for one reason or another. Consequently, there is a relatively low number of studies about repatriation, in particular by young people, who are more affected by such major personal changes. The study is based on four young people who recently returned to Slovenia. »The very idea and the title of the paper are worthy of praise, and the work can perhaps serve as a springboard, an inspiration for an even more extensive study,« the award jury said. The first prize in the Slovenians in the Neighbouring Countries category went to Neža Kravos from Trieste for her master's thesis on restoration of the National Hall in Trieste. The thesis is a comprehensive and complete architectural plan for the renovation of a very important building for the Slovenian community in Italy. The building in San Giovanni in the 6th district of Trieste has great historical, cultural and symbolic importance. It has been abandoned for 55 years, and Slovenian organisations have been making efforts for years to secure funds for its restoration. »The thesis consists of three parts. The first part is historical and paints a social picture of Trieste, San Giovanni and the local Slovenian community. It is followed by an analysis of the current Slovenian community in Trieste and what it needs are, and deals with the very location, including what it can offer architecturally,« Kravos has told Slovenci.si.

The last part deals with the architecture, and includes restoration plans. »The purpose of the thesis was to evaluate the building, both from the architectural and social aspect,« she said. Asked how she saw the life of Slovenians in Trieste, Kravos said: »Compared to some other minorities, I think that we are doing fine. We have a number of associations, institutions, Slovenian schools financed by the state ... We are therefore a very privileged minority, which we are often unable to take advantage of or appreciate, and grow as a minority.« The second prize in the category went to Miha Zobec for his doctoral dissertation »Efforts of the Slovenian minority in Italy for a protection law in 1975-2009«, while third prize went to Danijel Wutti for his doctoral dissertation »Identity, Trauma, Memory«.

Zobec's work provides deep insight into the efforts of the Slovenian minority in Italy for a protection law that would be applied across the entire territory that is home to the Slovenian ethnic community - the provinces of Trieste, Gorizia and Udine. It is a comprehensive, detailed and precise description of these efforts, put in a historical context, which led to the concrete implementation of Article 6 of the Italian Constitution, under which the Slovenian minority in Italy should be provided with adequate minority rights. The dissertation by Wutti features seven articles in German and one in English which were published in various respected scientific journals between 2013 and 2017. The author explores the trans-generational transfer of psychological traumas from the Second World War in the bilingual Austrian province of Carin-

thia. »With its innovativeness, empirical research and width, the thesis is a major contribution to studying the ethnic issues in the area,« the award jury said. The special award for a diploma paper in the category went to Martina Šolc, a graduate of the Faculty of Education at the University of Primorsko, for her study of the problems faced by kindergarten teachers when teaching the Slovenian language in minority kindergartens in Italy.  Blanka Markovič Kocen

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Triglav Banja Luka Association of Slovenians celebrates 20th anniversary The Triglav Banja Luka Association of Slovenians in Republika Srpska is celebrating two decades of successful work this year. On the occasion, Banja Luka Mayor Igor Radojičić received on 13 April a delegation from Slovenia, with cooperation in various fields the main topic of the meeting. The mayor welcomed the good cooperation in tourism and economy and praised the connections with local communities in Slovenia, in particular with Ljubljana, Maribor, Novo Mesto and Kranj, the latter being a twin city to Banja Luka. He also finds cooperation in culture and education very important. At the event, Minister for Slovenians Abroad Gorazd Žmavc handed an award from the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad for invaluable contribution to the preservation of Slovenian identity in Republika Srpska to the association'a president Marija Grbić. The association also received an award from the Public Fund for Cultural Activities and the Slovenian Emigrant Association for the twenty years of dedicated and creative work outside the borders of Slovenia.

ja Luka, the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the National Education Institute and the Volunteering Promotion Association from Novo Mesto. A documentary on the 20 years of the association's work was screened at the event, which also featured cultural programme with the Davorin Jenko Mixed Choir, a folk dance group, children who attend Slovenian language classes, singer Laura Zober and pianist Dejan Janković. Slovenian Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina Zorica Bukinac, Government Office for Slovenians Abroad Secretary Marjan Cukrov and the consul of the Slovenian Consular Office in Banja Luka, Marjan Ristič, were among the guests.

Recognitions from the association went to the City of Banja Luka, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska, the Banski Dvor Culture Centre in Ban-

// SLOVENIANS OUTSIDE SLOVENIA

We read with Slovenia - in Serbia Children attending Slovenian language classes from Niš, Kovin, Belgrade, Gudurica, Novi Sad and Ruma joined the Slovenian Book Night campaign, reading Slovenian books and participating in workshops for three days at the Association of Slovenians Emona in Ruma. The honorary sponsor of the event was painter Majda Zorko Gašparič, who impressed the students with three workshops, while the special guest of the We Read with Slovenia meeting was the exceptional Slovenian poet, writer and actor Andrej Rozman Roza. He talked with the students, held a literary and theatre workshop and put on an unforgettable performance. The project was supported by the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad and the Bralna značka Slovenije reading promotion association.

year?” - Nikola, Kovin “I liked it best when I read to a dog. It was wagging its tail.” - Lana, Niš

“Books feed our thoughts and enable our imagination to develop.” - Vuk, Ruma

This is what the young participants told us: “Every book is a new adventure.” - Andrej, Belgrade “My favourite thing at the workshop was when we painted on the wall and made a mural.” - Matej, Novi Sad “I liked all of it.” - Anja, Gudurica “Can you promise me that we will see each other next

Reading promotion in Prague Children attending Slovenian language classes in Prague and their parents had a reading workshop with Tilka Jamnik of the Bralna Značka Slovenije reading promotion association on 10 April. Ten children aged 5 to 11 regularly attend Slovenian language classes in Prague. Classes are held on Tuesday afternoons in two age groups. The children can also borrow Slovenian books from school libraries, with the number of books constantly increasing with support from the Slovenian Embassy in Prague, Bralna Značka Slovenije and the Slovenian Book Agency.

Tilka Jamnik presented to the children and their parents a selection of children's and youth literature published in the past year. The younger group also solved tasks from the children's magazine Ciciban, while the older students wrote poems. The meeting was organised by Bralna značka Slovenije and the Slovenian Association Jože Plečnik from Prague, with financial support from the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad.

// SLOVENIANS OUTSIDE SLOVENIA

Best student in Serbia is a Slovenian Miroslav Strniša, a member of the Emona Association of Slovenians from Ruma, Serbia who also attends Slovenian language classes there, was named the best student of vocational colleges in Serbia for the second time. Miroslav, who was also the best secondary school student in Sremska Mitrovica, has supported himself and living as a tenant since he was 16 by means of scholarships and awards he has won.

Miroslav with the president of the Association of Slovenians Emona Zoran Jovičić and his younger brother Danijel

Miroslav Strniša with the principal of the Sirmium college at the National Assembly of Serbia.

The article from the newspaper Sremske Novine when Strniša was declared the best student in vocational colleges.

// NEWS

Restored books by Slovenian authors going from Vrhnika to Slovenians around the world The Vrhnika public utility company has recently presented a film dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of public utility services and environmental protection. The event featured MEP Tanja Fajon and Andrejka Majhen of the Office for Slovenians Abroad, who endorsed the company's campaign to collect and restore books by Slovenian authors that were thrown away, and offer them to readers. In the year in which Slovenia marks the centenary of the death of Ivan Cankar, a Vrhnika native and Slovenia's most important playwright, the company came up with the idea to collect books by Slovenian authors, to be donated by the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad to Slovenians abroad. The government endorsed the idea, with Andrejka Majhen saying: »Being in touch with Slovenians around the world, we are constantly getting reminded that people who live abroad want to be in touch with the home country. Collecting books is not our principal activity, but reading books by Slovenian authors certainly helps Slovenians outside

the home country preserve Slovenian identity. Slovenians around the world are connected not only through cultural heritage, but also through a healthy, clean and safe environment, the green homeland and the Slovenian written word. The initiative was a challenge for us. The books we have received will be donated at the Welcome Home annual meeting in Brežice to one of the Slovenian expatriate centres.« Majhen wishes that the campaign, which enjoys special attention this year as part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage and the year of Ivan Cankar, will become a tradition. Photo: Vrhnika public utility company

NOTICE TO VOTERS ABROAD V Uradnem listu Republike Slovenije št. 25/18 z dne 14. 4. 2018, je objavljen Odlok o razpustitvi Državnega zbora Republike Slovenije in o razpisu predčasnih volitev v Državni zbor Republike Slovenije. Splošno glasovanje na vseh voliščih v državi in v tujini bo potekalo v nedeljo, 3. 6. 2018. Za dan razpisa predčasnih volitev po tem odloku, s katerim začno teči roki za vsa volilna opravila, se šteje ponedeljek, 16. 4. 2018. A decree on the dissolution of the National Assembly and the calling of an early general election was published in the Official Gazette on April 14, 2018. Polling stations will be open in Slovenia and at diplomatic missions abroad on Sunday, June 3, 2018. Under the decree, the election is considered as having been called on Monday, April 16, 2018. Voters are hereby informed that polling stations will be open on Sunday, June 3, between 9 AM and 5 PM local time at diplomatic missions of the Republic of Slovenia in: Klagenfurt, Cleveland, Munich, Trieste, Toronto, Vienna, Athens, Belgrade, Berlin, Bern, Bratislava, Brussels, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Canberra, the Hague, Kiev, Copenhagen, London, Madrid, Moscow, Ottawa, Paris, Podgorica, Prague, Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Washington, Zagreb and the Holy See. Between May 6, 2018 and May 18, 2018 voters can check their data in the electoral register at any administrative unit or diplomatic mission. The register is also available at the e-government portal. Support for list of candidates Voters can submit a form to support a list of candidates at diplomatic missions between April 16, 2018 and May 3, 2018. Voters can submit a signed form only once. Forms are available on the National Electoral Commission's website. Voters who are permanently or temporarily abroad during that time can submit their support with signed forms verified by an official of a diplomatic mission of the Republic of Slovenia. Voters send forms to the list of their choice on their own. The list makes sure that the support is registered with an administrative unit. Options for voting from abroad A. Emigrated Slovenians – voters who do not have a registered permanent residence in Slovenia can vote: • • •

At a diplomatic mission of the Republic of Slovenia on June 3, 2018, By mail, At a special polling station at the headquarters of the local electoral commission (administrative unit) – “OMNIA” if they are in Slovenia on election day and if they have submitted a note about intending to vote to the local electoral commission in charge of the district they intend to vote in. The deadline for the submission of the note to the National Electoral Commission is May 30, 2018.

The form for voting at an OMNIA polling station can be submitted via the e-government portal: • • •

With a digital certificate Without a digital certificate with the Obr03 form (available in the by mail section), which is to be sent to the National Electoral Commission: By e-mail (scanned with signature) to gp.dvk(at)dvk-rs.si, or By fax to 00 386 143 31 269, or By mail to: Državna volilna komisija, Slovenska cesta 54, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

B. Expatriates – voters who are in the general electoral register for a polling station area within Slovenia, and who are temporarily abroad on polling day can vote: On June 3, 2018 at a polling station at a diplomatic mission of the Republic of Slovenia if they notify the National Electoral Commission that they want to vote at the diplomatic mission by May 3, 2018 or By mail from abroad, but only if they notify the National Electoral Commission of their intent by May 3, 2018. It is advised that all expatriate voters who want to vote at a diplomatic mission of the Republic of Slovenia notify the National Electoral Commission as soon as possible. The relevant form can be submitted via the e-government portal: • • •

With a digital certificate Without a digital certificate With a Obr02 form (available in the by mail section) which is to be sent to the National Electoral Commission: By e-mail (scanned with signature) to gp.dvk(at)dvk-rs.si, or By fax to 00 386 143 31 269, or By mail to: Državna volilna komisija, Slovenska cesta 54, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

More information is available at: http://www.dvk-rs.si/index.php/si/arhiv-drzavni-zbor-rs/volitve-v-drzavni-zbor-rs-2018