On 15 March 2016, Expeditio submitted an appeal to the Ministry of Culture requesting that the new Programme for the Development of Culture 2016 – 2020 should include the amendment of Article 71 of the Law on Culture that would enable non-governmental organizations to participate in calls for proposals announced by the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro. The appeal was signed by 122 stakeholders, mainly NGOs, several informal associations and individuals and one political party. Copied below is a full text of the appeal with a list of its signatories.

Drage kolege/nice, s obzirom da je u toku dostavljanje primjedbi na NACRT Programa razvoja kulture 2016-2020. smatramo da je dobra prilika da se Ministarstvu kulture dostavi ZAHTJEV da se u Program razvoja kulture 2016–2020. uvrsti mjera hitne izmjene čl. 71 Zakona o kulturi kojim će se nevladinim organizacijama omogućiti učešće na konkursima koje raspisuje Ministarstvo kulture Crne Gore. Ukoliko želite da podržite ovu inicijativu, kliknite OVDJE da pročitate ZAHTJEV i potpišite se na kraju dokumenta u ime vaše NVO/insitucije ili kao pojedinci/ke. 

The Ministry of Culture has been preparing a new Programme for the Development of Culture 2016-2020. On 3 March 2016, the draft Programme was posted on the website of the Ministry of Culture, as well as an invitation to stakeholders to send their proposals, suggestions and comments about this document. The deadline for the submission of comments is 15 March 2016.

On 4 March 2016, a public hearing about the Draft of the National Strategy of Sustainable Development until 2030 was held in Kotor, at Bizanti Palace. It was organized by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, the representative of which, Jelena Knežević - the Division for Sustainable Development and Integrated Coastal Zone Management, took part in the event. In addition to Prof. Gordana Đurović, PhD – Faculty of Economy and Doc. Olivera Komar, PhD – Faculty of Political Science, representative of EXPEDITIO, Biljana Gligorić, participated in the event as a member of the team working on the development of the strategy.

On 4 March 2016, beginning at 11 a.m., a public hearing about the Draft of the National Strategy of Sustainable Development until 2030 will be held in Kotor, at Bizanti Palace. The aim of the public hearing is to acquaint, in an organized, structured and understandable way, the professional and wider public in Montenegro with the Draft of the National Strategy of Sustainable Development (NSSD) until 2030. The public hearing is expected to encourage both experts and a wider public to get involved and give their concrete proposals, opinions and comments on the draft of the document.

The publication "Management planning of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Guidelines for the development, implementation and monitoring of management plans" was published within the project EX.PO AUS in which EXPEDITIO was included as an associate of the Center for Conservation and Archaeology. The publication is published in 8 languages: Montenegrin, English, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovenian, Albanian, Italian and Greek.

On 28 February 2016, the 900th edition of the show “Conversations on Sundays” was aired on the Radio Kotor. From the beginning the show has been edited and presented by Dušan Davidović. The guest of this Sunday’s edition was Biljana Gligorić, architect, from the NGO Expeditio.

The SEE Heritage Board members came together for the first time after being elected, in a meeting held in Belgrade, Serbia on 20 February 2016. The meeting included a long and challenging discussion about different issues related to the future development of the SEE Heritage Network. On behalf of Expeditio the meeting was attended by Aleksandra Kapetanović, who is a legal representative of the SEE Heritage Network.

Informacija preuzeta sa sajta Kotor TV. Nekoliko dokumenata koji uređuju prostorno planiranje je trenutno ili na javnoj raspravi ili se njihovo usvajanje planira uskoro. I nacionalni, prostorni plan posebne namjene za obalno područje, i lokalni dokumenti, prostorni planovi za Škaljare i plan za Kotor, izazvali su burne reakcije i stručne i laičke javnosti.  

U okviru projekta "Otkrivanje i podržavanje multikulturalnog nasljeđa Anadolije" Hrant Dink Fondacija (HDF) organizuje 22.02.2016. u Istanbulu (Turska) panel diskusiju na kojoj će učestvovati predstavnici organizacije Kulturno nasleđe bez granica (Cultural Heritage without Borders - CHvB) iz Istočne Evrope, kao i predstavnici Udruženja za zaštitu spomenika kulture (KMKD). Predstavnica EXPEDITIO, Aleksandra Kapetanović, će uzeti prisustvo na ovoj panel diskusiji.

Umjetnička akcija "Istorija koje nema" predstavljena je u publikaciji "Žene i nasljeđe - ka osnivanju muzeja žena Crne Gore", izdatoj od strane NVO NOVA Centar za feminističku kulturu. Aktivnost "Istorija koje nema" EXPEDITIO je realizovao tokom 2015. kroz projekte: “ECLECTIS” koji je kofinansirala EU kroz Culture Programme 2007-2013, “PROSTORI RAZLIČITOSTI” koji je finansirala Ana Lindh Foundation i "Promocija održivog razvoja u javnim prostorima Boke", koji je finansirao Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Završni izvještaj: "Zajednički prekogranični pristup održivom upravljanju UNESCO-vim područjima Svjetske baštine na Jadranu" je izrađen u okviru prekograničnog projekta EX.PO AUS (Unapređenje potencijala UNESCO-vih lokaliteta na Jadranu), finansiranog od strane EU u sklopu programa IPA jadranske prekogranične saradnje 2007-2013.

Predstavnica EXPEDITIO uzeće učešće na sastanku crnogorske mreže Fondacije Ana Lind, koji se organizuje u saradnji sa Ministarstvom kulture i Deskom za Kreativnu Evropu, u Galeriji “Klub” Centra savremene umjetnosti Crne Gore, u petak, 19. februara 2016, sa početkom u 12 sati. 

Na portalu za urbanu kulturu i baštinu PORTALKORZO.COM objavljen je članak o našim aktivnostima pod nazivom Otkrivanje prostora. "Jedna od najuspešnijih građanskih inicijativa u regionu je Expeditio iz Kotora. Postoji 19 godina i sa nepromenljivom ogromnom energijom i znanjem ovaj tim osmišljava projekte, kampanje, stručne skupove, izdavačku delatnost, uvek sa jasnom idejom održivog upravljanja prostorom, baštinom, životnom sredinom u Crnoj Gori i jugoistočnoj Evropi.  Expeditio gostuje na korzoportalu, izdvojili su nekoliko projekata iz 2015...

Smatramo da se predloženi Nacrt Urbanističkog projekta Poslovno-stambene zone Škaljari ne može usvojiti, a razloge za to navodimo u detaljnom objašnjenju koje slijedi. Proces donošenja Urbanističkog projekta Poslovno-stambene zone Škaljari mora se prekinuti do izrade plana višeg reda tj. PUP-a Opštine Kotor (čije je usvajanje predviđeno u 3 kvartalu ove godine). Jedino na taj način ćemo sprečiti da se namjene definišu paušalno ili isključivo na zahtjev vlasnika parcela. S obzirom na značaj ove lokacije za razvoj Kotora nikako ne smijemo dozvoliti da se olako, zauvijek, potroši namjenama koje neće, dokazano, omogućiti razvoj grada.  

Expeditio representative, Aleksandra Kapetanovic, is a jury mamber in the category 3 Dedicated service for the awards EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards. Jury meeting will be held in February in Brussels (Belgium). Information about the awards for this year will be published at the beginig of April.

Final conference of the project EX.PO AUS “EXtension of POtentiality of Unesco Adriatic Sites”, realized within Adriatic IPA CBC 2007-2013, will be held in Dubrovnik on February 2nd 2016. The project included 12 partners from seven countries in the Adriatic region: Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Greece. The city of Dubrovnik was the lead partner, while the Montenegrin partner in the project was the Center for Conservation and Archaeology. EXPEDITIO has been involved in this project as Center for Conservation and Archaeology associate.

Within the public hearing about the draft Law on Spatial Planning and Construction, EXPEDITIO submitted its Comments and objections to the draft Law to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism on 26/1/2016.

EXPEDITIO representative, Tatjana Rajic, participated at the fifth regular session of the Assembly of Kooperativa - Regional platform for culture, held in Belgrade January 17-20 2016. A part of the Assembly was dedicated to the presentations and discussions about the programmes proposed for the implementation through the platform as a part of a Pilot programme of exchange and cooperation in the Region. After discussions, members of the Assembly decided on the implementation of the programmes through mutual process of evaluation and decision-making. One of the Programmes that will be implemented through the platform is project that was submitted by our organization.

On the basis of Public hearing call, EXPEDITIO submitted on 14/1/2016 comments on the draft Program for Protection and Preservation for area of Kotor for 2016 to the Secretariat for protection of natural and cultural heritage of Municipality Kotor.

EXPEDITIO representative, Biljana Gligoric, participated in the Working Groups for realization of two manuals:

- Working Group for realization of Guidelines for the implementation of procedures for strategic assessment of environmental impact in the process of drafting the local planning document, November 2015 and

- Working group on preparation of the Manual for drafting terms of reference for the development of local planning document, November 2015.

Expeditio team wishes you pleasant holidays and all the best in 2016 :)

Believing that the presence of people living in an area is of ​​key importance for the preservation of the character of each city, we support citizens living in the Old city Kotor in their effort to fight for a more humane and healthier living conditions. We understand that the health of the residents of the Old Town is at risk because of the noise and the current conditions, and the extension of coffee bars working hours could further aggravate the circumstances under which they live.

Based on the analysis of the visits on our website, we have selected 20 activities that you found the most interesting in 2015. Most of these activities are related to projects in which Expeditio is lead partner or partner. Among those activities are couple of them that we considered important, though Expeditio did not has an active role in them. Their publication on our website attracted your attention therefore they are among the 20 most interesting. 

With great pleasure and for the third time this year, on 28 December 2015, EXPEDITIO hosted the radio show "Rukohvat" at Radio Maestral from Pula. Tatjana Rajic in this radio show speaks about the overview of EXPEDITIO activities in 2015. Listen to the recording of the radio show below.

The United Nations adopted the new framework for sustainable development - Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is composed of 17 goals and 169 targets to wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change over the next 15 years. The Agenda was supported by presidents of all the UN member states.

EXPEDITIO je na osnovu objavljene Javne rasprave na Nacrt Programa uređenja prostora za 2016. godinu Sekretarijatu za urbanizam, građevinarstvo i prostorno planiranje - Direkcija za uređenje i izgradnju Kotora, Opštine Kotor, 12.12.2015. dostavio primjedbe na navedeni dokument.

Primjedbe se odnose na predvidjenu izradu LSL za područje Kostanjica-Verige.

A representative of Expeditio participated in the regional conference „Volunteering and Legislative Framework – good practices and EU standards“, which was held in Podgorica, on 16-17 December 2015 and organized by the TACSO (Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organizations) office in Montenegro in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.

EXPEDITIO representative, Biljana Gligoric, participated in the meeting of Energy Efficiency Board, held in Podgorica on 6 November 2015. At this session, the Energy Efficiency and Environmental Protection Board of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro considered a proposal of the Law on Biocidal Products which is to be adopted for the first time because of risks associated with the use of biocidal products, so that their marketing and use must be under special regulatory regime.

From Monday, 26 October 2015, persons who acquired higher education, which are registered in the Employment Agency of Montenegro and who have no work experience, will be able to apply for the program of vocational training till November 26, 2015, to work at selected employer for a period of nine months. Among registered employers is Expeditio, a professional profile that we are looking for is Bachelor of Architectural Engineering.

PROF AREA is a new platform designed for professional organizations that develop children's creativity. On October 23-25th 2015 will be held PROF AREA Fair in Kotor where will be presented some of Expeditio activities in which the target group were children.

Four representatives of the Kooperativa Steering Committee, from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia, have visited Montenegro from 21st till 23rd September 2015. The aim of the visit was to realize closer acquaintance of Kooperativa members with the work of independent cultural scene in Montenegro, so we can work together on its strengthening and further development.

South East Europe Heritage Network would like to invite you to participate in designing a new SEE calendar for 2016! Please contribute with your photographs that are showing cultural landscapes, traditional houses, industrial heritage, dance, crafts, details…whatever you find attractive.

EXPEDITIO representative, Tatjana Rajic, will participate in the international conference "European Forum - Arts and Communities: A new cultural challenge", which will be organized by CultureOCentre and held on 7, 8 and 9 October in Orleans (France). Our representative will present the project ECLECTIS, implemented during 2012-2014 and financed by the EU program "Culture Programme 2007-2013" (Line 1.2.1 'Cooperation project'). EXPEDITIO was one of the seven partners from 9 countries involved in this project.

The exhibition 'The Alphabet of Independent Culture', which gives an insight into a part of the rich history of some of the key actors of independent cultural scene in Croatia, Serbia and the region, will be opened on October 6 at the Nova Gallery in Zagreb. It includes video interviews with artists and organizations, as well as printed materials about their years of work. In the showroom of Gallery Nova will be presented interviews with artists and organizations that were created as part of the collaborative project "The Alphabet of Independent culture" that has been implemented by Kurziv (Kulturpunkt.hr) and Kulturtreger (Booksa.hr) from Zagreb and SEEcult.org from Belgrade.

On September 23rd and 24th 2015 in Igalo was held Stakeholders Forum Cultural Heritage Works for South East Europe & 12th RCC Task Force on Culture and Society Meeting. EXPEDITIO representative, Aleksandra Kapetanovic, took part in the Panel 2:Cultural Heritage – Participatory Governance in the EU and its Implications in SEE.

We invite you to join the regional action of signing the electronic petition initiated by civil society organizations of the SEE countries, including Green Home and MANS from Montenegro.

Workshop on the development of the independent cultural scene in Montenegro was held in Cetinje on 22/9/2015. Over 30 participants of NGOs, institutions, individuals and representatives of KOOPERATIVA - Regional network for culture for the region of former Yugoslavia, took part in this workshop. Expeditio is one of the organizations which have established KOOPERATIVA, and more recently, Tatjana Rajic from our organization became member of the Steering Committee of this platform.

Kotor TV has prepared a video of PARK(ing) Day 2015, an event that gathered almost forty organizations which presented their activities and projects. To see the video click here.

Dear friends here you can download a summary of 36 impressions gathered through a survey after PARKing Day 2015. We thank all of you who have filled out the questionnaire and help us get a picture of what you liked and what we need to improve in the future.

APPEAL for the participants and visitors of PARKing Day, Kotor 2015. Through this short survey we would like to know what you liked and what could be improved so that the organization of PARKing Day in the future would be better. The questionnaire will take just 3-5 minutes of your time.

PARK(ing) Day is an event that is held annually around the world. On that day, the citizens, artists, students, NGOs and all interested, are converting parking lots in temporary public spaces open for all. Parking lots are activated as a place of creativity, experimentation, promotion of social values, political and cultural expression and social interaction. For the third time in Montenegro, PARK(ing) Day will be held in Kotor and for the first time in Podgorica. PARK(ing) Day in Kotor will be held in the parking lot "Riva" (in front of the Old Town), on Friday, September 18, 2015, 5:00 p.m. to 21:00 h.

The meeting of the Council for the implementation of the Local Action Plan for Gender Equality of the Municipality of Kotor (LAPRR) and coordinator for LAPRR was held on 8/9/2105 at the Secretariat for Culture, Sports and Social Affairs. The reason for the session was the definition of the planned budget consumption for the activities of gender equality as well as the identification of resources that would be required for the following year. This meeting was also attended by a representative of Expeditio, Tatjana Rajic, a member of LAPRR Council.

On behalf of KOOPERATIVA-Regional Platforme for Culture Expeditio invites you to a workshop that will be held in the conference hall/lobby of the Ministry of Culture in Cetinje, Tuesday 22/9/2015 at 11-15h. This workshop will focus on DEVELOPMENT, NETWORKING AND JOINT ACTION OF THE INDEPENDENT CULTURAL SCENE IN MONTENEGRO. Believing that there is great potential in the independent scene, but also the need to develop, network and operate more efficiently, and that the National Programme for Culture 2011-2015 recognizes the importance of the independent scene for the development of a culture of Montenegro, we hope you will find time to attend the workshop in Cetinje. At the workshop we will have the opportunity to meet the positive regional experience of Kooperativa members and during the discussion share our views, ideas and thoughts on the next steps in the development of the independent scene in Montenegro.