28. 03. 2014

SLAVKO ĆURUVIJA FOUNDATION LAUNCHED

The launch of the foundation was celebrated at the "Mikser House" in Belgrade, where the winners were announced of the first competition "Why is Serbia Silent" supporting local media outlets. The event featured an exhibition of the front pages of "Dnevni Telegraf," the newspaper owned by Slavko Ćuruvija which was banned. The title of the exhibition is "Slavko Ćuruvija - One Minute to 12."

Slavko Ćuruvija`s daughter Jelena said that only free, independent, and responsible media can work to create an open and just state that will respect differences.

She said that the foundation will work to promote independent and courageous media, encourage journalists to practice investigative journalism, and strengthen their role as government controllers on all levels, as well as to serve the citizens, not centers of power.

Jelena Ćuruvija said that today the media are worse off and face much greater problem than in 1990s.

She said that the response to the call for proposals for support to local media outlets was lower than expected, which demonstrates that media professionals do not have enough knowledge to write project proposals and do not know which door to knock on, which is why they "give up and switch to entertainment program."

"The media should not do only that, we will try to refresh and encourage them," said Ćuruvija, and also noted that there are journalists like her father who are in need of help and support.

President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Stephen Heintz said that the brutal murder of Slavko Ćuruvija shows what can happen to a society that found itself caught between the truth and the power in the hands of a small group of people who are willing to use violence to protect their goals.

He said that recognition to Slavko Ćuruvija can be given by commitment to the European future and efforts to resolve conflicts through compromise rather than violence.

"It is time that the vision of Slavko Ćuruvija becomes the vision of this society," he said , adding that he is honored that the Rockefeller Brothers Fund supported with a small donation the work of the foundation.

Ivan Vejvoda of the German Marshall Fund said that a free public is a necessary ingredient of a democratic society, without which there is "no oxygen". He also said that Ćuruvija gave his life for freedom of speech, which is a key factor in establishing a democracy.

He said that the government has killed Ćuruvija and that it must never happen again.

According to him, the path of democracy and the creation of civil society in Serbia, which started on 5 October 2000, is a much more winding path than expected, but that it should not be discouraging.

He pointed out that there is no democracy without a strong state and conscious citizens.

The president of the foundation`s executive board Vukosava Crnjanski said that the goals of the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation is to improve the quality of journalism, support local media outlets and investigative journalism, and work with future journalists.

She said that eight radio stations and nine television stations applied to the competition for the support to local media.

The winners of the contest are VK radio from Kikinda , City radio from Niš, Radio Duga form Trgovište, Radio Aktiv from Bečej , Radio Lav from Užice and six television stations: RTV M from Knjaževac, Television VK from Kikinda, KraljevačkaTV, Television Niš, the production Vojvodina Green Initiative(Vojvođanska zelena inicijativa), and TV Forum from Prijepolje.

The event marking the launch of the foundation was attended by the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport, former president of Serbia and NDS leader Boris Tadić, SPO leader Vuk Draškovic, president of the New Party Zoran Živkovic, and Vladeta Janković, Veran Matić, Ljiljana Smajlović and others.

Slavko Ćuruvija was killed on Easter, 11 April 1999, in downtown Belgrade in front of the building in Svetogorska Street where he lived.