Reports

As we have done in the past, we are providing you with a short report on the activities of Women in Black in the reporting period. If you are interested in more detailed information, you can find it on website www.zeneucrnom.org or by contacting us by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We would like to thank you in advance, in solidarity.

Street actions: In this reporting period, we have organised following antiwar, antiracist, antifascist, anti-homophobia, feminist-antimilitarist actions:

• Commemorations of important dates of war crimes committed in our name:
  • October 5^th, Belgrade: In solidarity with the families of two murdered soldiers, Women in Black commemorate the death of Dražen Milovanović i Dragan Jakovljević every year. Two soldiers, members of The Army of Republic of Serbia, were murdered in army base in Topčider in 2004. We demand from the representatives of state institutions to determine the cause of death of these two soldiers; some suspect that they were killed because they saw Ratko Mladić in the army base in Topčider.
  • October 18^th (Lovas, Croatia); October 22^nd (Sjeverin, Serbia); November 11^th (Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina), and November 19^th (Vukovar, Croatia).

• September 4^th, Belgrade: Stop deportations – protest of solidarity with Roma population deported from France. Street march and the protests, organized by The Democratic Roma Association, other Roma associations and Women in Black, took place in front of the Serbian National Assembly building, the building of the Embassy of France, and in front of the building of European Commission in Novi Beograd. This antifascist and antiracist manifestation, that had several hundred participants, is a part of wider solidarity movement - similar protests against the practise of deportation that Roma population experienced in France and other European countries were held in the cities all over Europe.
• October 10^th, Belgrade: Pride Belgrade 2010 – manifestation, organized by the association with the same name, was held with extensive police protection, due to brutal violent attacks by fascist and extremist soccer-fun groups all over Belgrade; Women in Black activists were attacked in Women in Black office on the night before the Parade.
• October31^st, Belgrade: Women ask - on the tenth anniversary of the UN SC Resolution 1325 (Women, Peace and Security), Women in Black organized several feminist-antimilitaristic actions within the initiative Women ask. Women in Black Network activists from all over Serbia, along with artists from art associations Art Klinika (Novi Sad) and Škart/Proba (Belgrade), performed, in front of the building of the National Assembly, following street action:
  • “We are returning the tank - homage to the rebels against violence and war” - in memory of Vladimir Živković from Valjevo, who was forcibly mobilized. In the autumn of 1991, he brought the tank in front of the Assembly of the former Yugoslavia, in protest against the war in former Yugoslavia.
  • On this occasion, Women in Black addressed the representatives of Serbian institutions by choral speech, with the request for the answers to the questions regarding the war, war crimes, forced mobilization, and violence against women. We also delivered the postcards to all members of Serbian Parliament, with the questions regarding the consequences of the war in the 1990s, with the intention to promote the culture of accountability and politics of remembrance.
• 9. November, Belgrade: “Antifascism is my choice” on the International day of action against fascism and anti-Semitism, Women in Black organized the street action in front of the monument to antifascists shot during the Second World War. Although the monument is situated in the centre of the city, it is forgotten and neglected, the board with the epitaph is missing and the truth about this heroic act of antifascist struggle is not included in the history books. Hence, this action also represents the request for the rehabilitation of antifascism. We have designed the action along with the artists from art association Škart/Proba. The activists of Helsinki Committee for Human Rights from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia also took part in this action. On the same day, Women in Black Network activists organized numerous antifascist actions all over Serbia.
• November 25^th, Belgrade: Women in Black joined other women’s rights organizations that deal with family violence in the street action, a part of “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence” campaign.
• December 10^th, Belgrade: Enlightenment- the action organized at the Republic Square in Belgrade, on the International Day of Human Rights, in solidarity with all those ‘invisibles”, socially stigmatised and discriminated groups - with children and youth who live and work on the streets, Roma population, sexual minorities, women, HIV positive persons, refugees and internally displaced persons .Women in Black actively participated in this action, which was organised by The Youth Integration Centre, Belgrade.

In the reporting period, we joined other street actions organized by similar organizations.

Facing the past/transitional justice – feminist approach:
Facing the past is one of Women in Black most important activities. It includes street actions, workshops, lecturing, and presenting of diverse models of transitional justice from a feminist approach, in cooperation with similar organizations and within similar actions (such as campaign and consulting meetings).

Visiting the places where war crimes were committed in our name: In the reporting period, Women in Black activists attended the commemorations in following towns in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina:

• Lovas, Croatia, October 18^th: the commemoration on the 19^th anniversary of the killing of 70 Croatian civilians. Five Women in Black activists from Belgrade attended the commemoration.
• Sjeverin, Serbia, October 22^nd: The commemoration was held on the 18^th anniversary of the abduction of 16 Bosniaks from Sjeverin (Priboj municipality, Serbia), by members of Bosnian Serb Army and members of a military formation called “Avengers”. Eight Women in Black activists attended the commemoration.
• Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, November 11^th: Participation in the street peace protest and street march called “We are looking for our missing ones - do not forget Srebrenica”, that the organization “Women from Srebrenica” organizes in Tuzla on the 11^th of each month. This time, 18 activists from Women in Black Network Serbia and two activists from Women in Black International Network (from Sweden and Uruguay) participated in the march.
• Vukovar, Croatia – November 19^th: The commemoration on the 19^th anniversary of the crime in Vukovar. Along with the families of the victims and the survivors of these crimes, Women in Black activists visited the Ovčara complex, the Croatian Memorial Documentation Center, Dalj and the community of Borovo. 20 Women in Black activists from Serbia attended the commemoration.

Feminist solidarity against the impunity of war crimes: Feminist solidarity actions, mutual support, exchange and cooperation in the region, in order to establish just and sustainable peace. In this reporting period, Women in Black organized the following visits:

• October 18^th, Lovas, Croatia: Meeting with the survivors of the crime in Lovas and with family members of the victims;
• November 11^th, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Meeting with the women from ‘Women from Srebrenica” organisation, after the peace march, with more than 40 participants. We spoke about common initiatives and we informed women from Srebrenica about our initiative to build a monument in Belgrade, dedicated to the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica;
• November 19^th, Borovo selo, Vukovar, Croatia: Meeting with the citizens of Vukovar and with the family members of the victims;
• December 21^st, Đulići, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Visit and a meeting with the women, family members of victims killed in the war crimes committed by Serbian armed forces during 1992.; during the meeting, that was attended by 8 Women in Black activists and over 20 women from Đulići, we expressed our solidarity and spoke about our future cooperation and support.

Engendering Justice – towards the Court of Women for the Balkans (former Yugoslavia): in order to create models of transitional justice from feminist perspective, we have continued with the feminist exchange and reflection, through following activities organised during the reporting period:

• October 14^th – 16^th, Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina): The workshop “The Court of Women for the Balkans: Justice and Healing”, organised by organization “Women to Women” from Sarajevo, was a preparation for the future Court of Women for the Balkans, that was initiated by a group of organisations: Women in Black and Women’s Studies (Serbia), Centre for Women War Victims and Centre for Women’s Studies (Croatia), Kosova Women’s Network (Kosovo), Anima (Montenegro) and Women to Women (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Inspired by the Courts of Women that have been organised in the other parts of the world, since 2000, activists from these organisations have been trying to stress out the importance of The Court of Women for the former Yugoslavia initiative, which can be a new political space for the justice from feminist perspective. This preparatory workshop was attended by the activists from the organisations mentioned above, as well as by Corinne Kumar (India/Tunisia), Sylvia Marcos (Mexico), Yvette Abrahams (South Africa), Eman Khamas (Iraq), and Vichuta Ly (Cambodia). During the workshop, the participants spoke about the experiences from the previous women courts, about the importance of the creation of new concepts of justice, etc. The participants organised a public forum “Women’s Courts - Justice with Healing”, on October 16^th, that was attended by the participants of the workshop and by women from different towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• December 24^th – 25^th, Priština, Kosovo: Continuing work on preparation of the Women's Court on the Former Yugoslavia. A two-day meeting was held at the offices of the Kosova Women's Network. The activists from all groups that make Initiative Board for the foundation of Women’s Courts in former Yugoslavia were present at the meeting. We agreed upon our joint activities in the future, about which the public will be duly informed.

Artistic engagement in dealing with the past

In the reporting period, we have continued with the practise of cooperation with artistic organisations, professional theatres and artists engaged in shaping of female resistance to war, war crimes, repression and human rights violations. In the reporting period, Women in Black realised following activities:

• “Crossing the line” – Theatar play performed by Dah Theater. The piece is based on Women in Black book Women’s Side of War, published in Serbian (2007), in Albanian 92008) and in English language (2009). The play is directed by Dijana Milošević and features actresses Sanja Krsmanović-Tasić, Ivana Milenović and Maja Mitić. In the reporting period, the performance was organized in following towns:
  • Užice, December 5^th, Town Theatre, 30 participants;
  • Tutin, December 6^th, Cultural Center, 60 participants;
  • Novi Pazar, December 7^th, City Hall, in cooperation with NGO “Urban”, participants.
• “Not in our Name” (43') – the documentary directed by Zlatko Paković. Film deals with the feminist approach to justice, through the experiences of Women in Black activists. In the reporting period, the film had 5 screening in 5 towns in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 151 participants. Projections were organised in the following towns:

• Bečej, October 16^th, City Hall, organised by the Peace group from Bečej, with 25 participants.
• Tuzla, April 11^th, in the organisation Women from Srebrenica, with 32 women participants.
• Pirot, November 16^th, 29 participants, at the City Hall formal room, organized by the Women of the South. This promotion was attended by a group of activists from Dimitrovgrad.
• Kruševac, November 30^th, organized by Peščanik in City hall building, with 31participants.
• Leskovac, December 7^th, Cultural center Leskovac, organized by Women for peace from Leskovac and Women in Black from Belgrade, with 33 participants.

In each town, film presentations were followed by the discussions, with Women in Black activists Miloš Urošević, Ljiljana Radovanović, Uma Manojlović, Saša Kovačević, Sabina Talović, Zinaida Marjanović, Nevena Kostić, and Staša Zajović as key speakers.

• “One pair of shoes – one life” – continuance of the artistic - activist initiative started on the 15^th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica with therequest sent to the members of the Assembly of the city of Belgrade, Secretariat for Culture in Belgrade, and to the members of the Commission for naming streets and squares. We asked from the mayor of Belgrade and from city commissioners to include our initiative for the erection of the “Monument to those killed in the genocide in Srebrenica” in the agenda and to assign a certain space for exhibitions of so far collected shoes and messages and for open public debate on this initiative. Initiative to build a monument to victims of genocide in Srebrenica have started Women in Black, along with artists' associations, with street performance “One pair of shoes - one life”, performed in Belgrade in July 2010. Since it is obligatory for the city authorities to vote on this initiative, the initiators will continue with the pressure on the institutions.

Transitional justice – feminist approach – video activism:
In order to improve the visibility of the effects of different models of transitional justice, particularly one from a feminist point of view, promoted by Women in Black, during the past year we have created a group of video activists, enabled for the recording, editing, digitizing and posting on Internet video and audio data collected during the regular activities of Women in Black, in the form of short films, in order to make it available to the general public.

In this reporting period, we carried out the following activities:

Punishment of crimes - the path to a just peace: monitoring of trials held in front of the War Crimes Chamber, at the District Court in Belgrade.

• The trial for crimes committed in Zvornik:during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in May and June 1992 , in the area of Zvornik municipality, Branko Grujić from Mali Zvornik (President of the Provisional Government, the President of War Headquarters and War Secretariat) and Branko Popović (also known as Marko Pavlović) from Sombor (commander of the Territorial Defense and War Headquarters) subjected Muslim civilians - about 700 of the, men, women, children - from the villages Klisa, Đulići, Grbavci, Kučić kule, Grebe, Šetići - to torture and then killed them in the area called Gerina klanica, according to the indictment of the Special Prosecutor for War Crimes in Serbia. Trial began on November 10^th, 2008.

• September: 8^th
• November: 5^th, 8^th and 22^nd

• The trial for crimes committed in Lovas:Members of the Yugoslav National Army and members of paramilitary formation 'Dušan Silni' killed about 70 Croatian civilians, in October 1991, in Lovas. From the beginning of the trial, in April 2008, Women in Black activists are monitoring the trial. In the reporting period, following hearings were held:
  • September: 21^st, 22^nd , 23^rd, 27^th and 29^th
  • October: 1^st, 25^th, 26^th, 28^th and 29^th
  • November: 23^rd, 24^th, 26^th and 26^th
  • December: 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th, 27^th and 29^th

• The trial for crime in Ćuška/Kosovo: On May 14^th 1999, during the armed conflict between Kosovo Liberation Army and Serbian military and police forces, the nine members of the “Jackals” unit killed at least 43 Albanian civilians in the village Ćuška,in the Peć municipality.
  • The trial started in December. The hearings were held on December 20^th, 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th.

Women, peace, security – feminist-antimilitaristic approach
As part of our continuing work on a feminist approach to security, related to UN SC Resolution 1325 ('Women, Peace and Security'), we have initiated a number of different programs.
In this reporting period, we implemented the following activities:

Educational activities: workshops, panel discussions, seminars:
From traditional to feminist security concept – educational seminars that include workshops, lectures, video presentations and documentary films. Seminars are interactive and interdisciplinary in their nature, with equal appreciation of the activist experience and academic knowledge.

In the reporting period, the fourth regional seminar was organised in central Serbia:

Velika Plana, September 10^th -12^th: Three day seminar was attended by 48 activists from 12 cities (Velika Plana, Kruševac, Nis, Pirot, Dimitrovgrad, Smederevska Palanka, Smederevo, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Vlasotince, Vukovar (Croatia), and Belgrade.

Zagreb, December 2^nd -4^th: The Centre for Women's Studies (Zagreb) and Women in Black (Belgrade) organised a seminar "From the traditional to the feminist concept of security" for civil society activists from Croatia. Eight Women in Black activists coordinated the seminar with about fifteen participants, mostly activists from Zagreb.

The following workshops and lectures were held:
• Security as seen by women - attitudes and field experiences of women, coordinators Ivana Vitas and Staša Zajović;
• Demilitarization of security - human security, gender dimensions of security - Resolution 1325, coordinators Marijana Stojčić and Maja Pešić;
• Woman gladly (or not) go to the army - about the militarization and emancipation through participation of women in the armed forces - to the feminist-militarist concept of security, coordinators Staša Zajović and Ivana Vitas;
• Significance of civil democratic control over armed forces - NATO and Serbia, coordinators Gordana Subotić and Natasa Lambić;
• Experiences of feminist-antimilitarist concept of security - Power point presentation of women's groups working on gender dimensions of security, coordinators Saša Kovacević and Miloš Urosević.
Documentaries and presentations presented during the seminar were about human security and gender dimensions of security, about Women in Black feminist-militarist concept of security and about international organizations that work on the same issue.

Public presentations of activities Women in Black regarding the 10th anniversary of adopting Resolution 1325

• “Women ask”- Handing over of postcards with questions related to the consequences of wars in 1990's, to members of Serbian Parliament, in order to encourage a culture of accountability and memories;
• “We are returning your tank” – feminist-antimilitarist street action, in front of the Serbian Parliamentbuilding,in cooperation with Art Clinic. During the campaign activists addressed Serbian state institutions by choir-singing – peace initiative “Women are asking", in which Women in Black are requesting answers to the questions related to the war and war crimes. This campaign is an integral part of the feminist concept of human security of Women in Black. The action was carried out together with the artistic Association Proba/Škart.
• Public presentation “From the traditional to the feminist concept of security" and choral performance of "Women are asking" - Media Center, Belgrade
• Presentation of Women in Black documentary movies:

• Presentations of published books related to peace and security:

• Kruševac, November 30^th 2010 - Public Presentation of Women in Black activities related to the gender dimension of security on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of UN SC Resolution 1325 of the United Nations. Activities were presented by Women in Black activists: Diana Miladinović, Gordana Subotić, Ivana Vitas, Saša Kovačević and Staša Zajović. On this occasion, we have presented the documentaries, created by Women in Black group for video activism:

The public presentation was held at the Municipal Assembly building in Kruševac, organized by Peščanik (Kruševac) and Women in Black (Belgrade). The presentation had 32 participants.

Women in Black working teams that work on security issues realised the following activities in the reporting period:
Research-activist working groups for the:
Monitoring of the drafting process of National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of UN SC R13252 -”Women, Peace and Security” in Serbia: After the end of October 2010, when Ministry of Defence (as a leading creator of NAP, in cooperation with OSCE) sent the draft of UN SC R1325 NAP, Women in Black were, in cooperation with Center for Advanced legal Studies, professor Vesna Rakić Vodinelić and dr Saša Gajin, working on the documents “Comments about the text of Draft of NAP for the implementation of UN SC R1325 in Serbia”. Our 11 pages long document has two parts: General remarks and suggestions, related to the drafting of NAP from the implementation of UN SC R1325 and Comments and suggestions, related to specific chapters in the aforementioned draft. Women in Black sent the document on November 15^th, 2010. You can find integral version of this document, in Serbian and English language, on Women in Black website www.zeneucrnom.org

Monitoring of the activities of state institutions related to UN SC R1325 NAP: In order to monitor and control the work of state institutions related to UN SC R1325, Women in Black actively participated in numerous conferences and working meetings, of which we single out the following:

• September 7^th, Belgrade: Working meeting with Zorana Šijački, OSCE;
• September 30^th, Belgrade: Conference “Gender and the reform of security sector”, organised by Belgrade Centre for Political Excellency,DCAF and Belgrade Centre for Security Policy;
• October 22^nd, 24^th and 25^th, Belgrade: Participation at Belgrade’s Security Week, organised by NGO Fraktal;
• October 24^th, Belgrade: Balkan security network, conference and the training;
• November 17^th, Belgrade: Working meeting with Andreea Vesa, Human Rights Officer, OSCE

Campaigns and lobbying for legislative change -Women in Black’slegal initiatives and recommendations, in accordance with Women in Black resolution “Women, Peace and Security" (2005.), which are a contribution to creating a framework for the rule of law, against the policy of impunity for crime and violence, for culture of accountability and human rights. In this reporting period, we addressed the relevant institutions, with the request for amendment and / or elimination of certain laws. We single out following activities in this area:

• Law on churches and religious communities: After two and a half years, the Constitutional Court invited Women in Black, on October 5^th 2010, in front of The Coalition for Secular State, to attend a public hearing on the constitutionality of the Law on Churches and Religious Communities. The Coalition for Secular State and Women in Black were represented by Professor Dr Vesna Rakic-Vodinelic, and Dr Sasa Gajin. During the public hearing, the Constitutional Court favoured the representatives of "traditional churches", the representatives of the Legislative Committee of the National Assembly and of Minister of Religion. Together with conservative legal experts, the Court has shown that the tendency to advocate de-secularisation in Serbia is very strong. It is not known when will be the next Constitutional Court session, on which decision upon this issue will be finalized.
• Request the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia to enact the Law on Private Security Agencies: On the occasion of September 21^st - International Day of Peace - Women in Black addressed the Ministry of Interior, since the country Serbia the only country in the region that has no specific law on private security agencies.
• Campaign "Women ask”: Continued Peace Initiative of Women in Black that was launched for the first time on the fifteenth anniversary of the foundation of a group (October 2006), and 15 years after the start of the nonviolent anti-war resistance in Serbia. The current campaign has been restored with additional questions (19 questions) and submitted to twenty relevant institutions in Serbia, with the requirement to provide answers and information on facts related to war and war crimes. On the tenth anniversary of UN SC Resolution 1325, Women in Black addressed all members of the Parliament of the Republic of Serbia. The campaign is part of the Women in Black’s feminist concept of human security, embedded in our resolution "Women, Peace and Security".
• Requirements on the occasion of November 9^th- International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism: to extradite ICTY indictees, to declare the denial of the Srebrenica genocide and denial of the Holocaust in World War II for a crime, to prohibit all manifestations of neo-Nazi or fascist organizations and associations, to ban the use of neo-Nazi and fascist symbols and associations;
• Request to ban all organizations and associations that violate or call for violation of guaranteed human and minority rights, inciting or encouraging inequality, hatred and intolerance based on racial, ethnic, religious, sexual or other affiliation. We sent this request again, along with numerous other human rights organizations, in October 2010, after the brutal violence at the Pride Parade, on October 10^th.
• Observations and comments on the Law on public assembly of citizens: In April 2010, Women in Black working group developed the set of comments and recommendations. In the reporting period, Women in Black have participated in working sessions at the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights (October 21^st and 22^nd and 25 November 25^th).

• Monitoring of the drafting process of NAP for the implementation of UN SC Resolution 1325: A survey research that was conducted among NGOs in Serbia, titled "The visibility, participation, democracy and inclusiveness in the drafting process of NAP for the implementation of UN SC Resolution 1325." Research has shown that the process was not democratic, transparent, participatory or inclusive.
• Women - economic immigrants and activists in the EU countries: Pilot research about the link between integration processes in Serbia and the gender division of work, especially after the abolition of visas for Serbian citizens in EU (December 2009); the pilot research deals with the impact of the mentioned processes on the security of women (work, economic, health, etc. security), as well as with questions connected to the feminization of labor migration, etc. Research on women migrants from Serbia was carried out in between July 1^st, 2010 and August 30^th, 2010, and is based on a questionnaire for sample of 65 + 60 women (65 women who migrated alone, without their families, and 60 women who were joined by their families). The researchers and coordinators of the research were Women in Black (Belgrade) and Women for Peace (Leskovac). The sample was stratified territory, and it covered a large number of EU countries where women, originally from Serbia, temporarily (or permanently) work.
• Women - economic immigrants and activists in the EU countries: pilot research survey about the working rights of migrants and about the protection mechanisms, gender, class and intercultural support between civil society activists and migrants in EU countries. Pilot research includes Women in Black Network activists and activists from related organizations in Italy, Spain, Great Britain and France.

• Activities on the occasion of the 10^th anniversary of UN SC R1325, previously mentioned in this chapter;
• Promo material related to feminist-antimilitaristic concept (banners, t-shirts, posters, postcards, and publishing etc), made byMarija Vidić;
• Video activism– Women in Black’s working group of video activists who use films to promote antimilitarism, antifascism, solidarity and nonviolence...
  • Militarization of the street actions of Women in Black - Repression or Protection? (duration: 7.19’), in Serbian and in English;
  • Women, Peace and Security - Resolution 1325 - ten years, in Serbian and in English (duration:18’)
  • The policy of active solidarity - in the five images, in Serbian and in English (duration: 6:12’)

• Women in Black Network in Serbia: working, counselling meetings.

• Bulletin “Solidarnost je naša snaga/Solidarity is our strength”: since January 2009, Women in Black issue monthly bulletin, in Serbian (translated and editing from the originals in English), with global news on human and women's human rights violations, and solidarity campaigns Women in Black participated in. In order to strengthen global solidarity and mutual support, bulletin is distributed, in electronic version, primarily to the members of the Women in Black Network in Serbia, as to members of other regional networks. Editors of the bulletin are Nataša Lambić and Saša Kovačević.
• Horizontal Networking – Women in Black Network in Serbia: educational and activist program that is continuously going on since January 2007, in order to expand Women in Black Network, to help the decentralization of the Network, to strengthen cooperation among the groups operating within the Network, to launch joint initiatives, and to gaining further knowledge about specific issues in accordance with the expressed needs of women activists. In addition to before mentioned joint activities, in this period we carried out a number of other joint activities, of which we will present some of them, chronologically:

• Joint initiatives related to transitional justice: consultations, conferences, seminars, of which we will mention only a few:
  • Solidarity and the politics of physical presence, October 5^th, Belgrade: At the public work meeting, held during her exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art called “One day”, Milica Tomić, the artist whose works are based on the conceptualization of the relation of art, politics, and memories through different media, spoke with Women in Black activists about their policy of solidarity, protest and resistance to crime.
• REKOM activities: Coalition for the establishment of the Regional Commission for the establishment and public disclosure of facts about war crimes and other serious violations of human rights in former Yugoslavia is one of the most important initiatives, that brings together hundreds of civil society organizations from the former Yugoslavia. Women in Black activists participate from the start in the REKOM coalition's work. In this reporting period, we participated in the following activities:
  • October 16th, 17th and 18th, Zagreb: participation at the Seventh regional forum for transitional justice.
• October 20th and November 1st, Belgrade: Round table organized by Belgrade center for human rights, presentation of a research project related to transitional justice „ Knowledge of history and citizens 'attitudes towards the events of the past”.

• October 7th, Belgrade: Within The Pride Week, Staša Zajović participated in the discussion „Twenty years of LGBT activism in Serbia”; Women in Black activists actively participated in all events related to Pride parade.
• Solidarity with the Roma population: against institutionalized violence and apartheid against Roma population, and for human security and human rights:

International politics: Active participation in international conferences, in global actions of solidarity, in exchange programs, visits etc. We enlisted several activities that Women in Black activists participated in, during the reporting period:

• September 7^th, Belgrade, Serbia: Women in Black coordinator Staša Zajović met with the senator Pietro Marcenaro, Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
• September 28th – 30th, “Dialogue beyond borders” – international conference, Istanbul, Turkey: The participants were activists from women's groups from Georgia, the South Caucasus, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Turkey. The conference lasted several days, and on behalf of the Women in Black, Aleksandra Kovačević has joined the conference on September 29, when she held a workshops on the topics of women's peace organization (through the example of Women in Black, Belgrade), women's peace activism and rape as a war crime. At the end of her lectura, she presented the film about Woman in Black “Always disobedient”. The conference was attended by twenty-one women from eight organizations. The conference was organized by the Swedish organization Kvinna till Kvinna.
• September 29^th – October 6^th, Political Council of Women - international conference, Düsseldorf, Germany:Women in Black activist Snežana Tabački participated in the conference, which was a preparatory meeting for the World Conference of Women that will be held in March 2011 in Venezuela. Afterward, Snežana visited several groups of activists in different towns in Germany, where she spoke about the activities and the principles of Women in Black.
• October 28^th – 30^th, “Coping with Crises, Ending Armed Conflict – Peace promoting Strategies of Women and Men” Berlin, Germany: International conference organised by the Gunda Werner Institute and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, in cooperation with the German Women’s Security Council and PeaceWomen Across the Globe, on the occasion on the tenth anniversary of UN SC Resolution 1325. Numerous panels during the conference gave an overview of Resolution’s implementation globally, as well as of most important dilemmas in the process, such as Gender constructions and sexualised violence in war and conflict , Women’s rights as justification for military intervention or Militarised masculinity in crisis and conflict .Women in Black’s activist Nataša Lambić moderated a workshop and held a lecture called Women in war: between traditional women’s role and resistance, between complicity and victimhood.

In the reporting period, Women in Black were visited by few dozen international activists and researchers from France, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, USA and Australia, etc...

Report prepared by: Staša Zajović, in cooperation with Ljiljana Radovanović, Miloš Urošević, Nataša Lambić and Snežana Tabački.

Belgrade, January 2011.