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<\/b><\/p>\n“If anyone ever even touched a hair from a Montenegrin’s moustache, they would be liable to lose their head.\u00a0 Birth and procreation is the only salvation for this people…”<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n
(The day when dealing with peace started causing me too much distress, I abruptly stopped being an activist and became an advisor for tourism and sustainable development (it’s not for nothing that they say “tourism is the passport of peace”, eh!). \u00a0If this does not bother you, please continue reading my report on Montenegro, a tourist destination.\u00a0 Still, as soon as I decided what I would write about, I felt an ache in my stomach.)<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n
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Who (is allowed) to engage in politics?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
During a recent training I was conducting, I had the opportunity to ask about 60 people in Montenegro whether they were engaged in politics.\u00a0 Only one of them said yes, and he was a member of a political party.\u00a0 Even the young woman who was a member of a working group developing a law said she was not interested in politics and had nothing to do with it.\u00a0 At a purely technical meeting, after mentioning “improvements to agricultural policy” I was asked “not to use that word”. A few years ago at a workshop, the trainer asked for an example of a right that was most endangered in Montenegro (the question was meant to elicit easy examples, none of those present were involved with human rights or anything along those lines).\u00a0 Three quarters of the responses were identical and when we “disclosed” our notes where we had written down the first thing that popped into our heads, I was shocked to find it was: the right to freedom of speech\/expression (?!).\u00a0 We have long known that when you use this right to criticise any phenomenon in society, yourself included, you automatically become an enemy of the state.\u00a0 Apart from that, the government often calls out non-governmental organisations for dealing in politics, or rather for “doing the same as the opposition”.\u00a0 After that, all political parties call upon citizens to turn out for elections, just that, they (the parties) will take care of the rest… those 60 people that changed their minds and are now proud to be doing important things for their country, contributing to improving social, economic, environmental, youth and other policies.<\/p>\n
This year we mark 200 years since the birth of Petar II Petrovi\u0107 Njego\u0161, and his birthday on 13 November will be a new national holiday — Montenegrin Culture Day.\u00a0 This decision was challenged by representatives of the Bosniak party who believe Njego\u0161 inspired hatred towards the world of Islam and that “some of the ideas from his \u00a0work, interpreted literally, formed the concept and justification for the crimes and genocide against the Muslim population in the 19th and 20th centuries in Montenegro and the region.” Furthermore, Bosniaks believe that at least school textbooks should be purged from contents insulting to Muslims.\u00a0 On the other hand, most admirers of Njego\u0161 say it is necessary to understand the context of his life and work, before we can judge them.\u00a0 During the many months marking the 200th anniversary of his birth, much was said about Njego\u0161.\u00a0 Excerpts from his life and works are countless and it is just a matter of whether a person\/society wants to view them individually or as a whole.<\/p>\n
Who is endangered?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
As for inequality in society, until recently it was mostly related to gender inequality.\u00a0 However, the list goes on: people on welfare, single parents\/mothers, pregnant women and mothers (whose labour rights are endangered), orphans, the long-term unemployed, people from rural areas and the periphery, Roma and Egyptians, displaced persons and refugees, persons with disabilities, LGBT persons… If we were to get into the details, we would have to mention reporters who are definitely a vulnerable group, albeit depending on who they write\/speak about and how.\u00a0 Moustachioed Montenegrins are also endangered, and by the LGBT population no less, because the organisers of the Pride Parade chose for their logo — the moustache, the traditional symbol of honour and heroism! The list is not exhaustive, so if you are also endangered, don’t mind, just add yourself to the list!<\/p>\n
Why?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Lately, the global economic crisis has been used to explain every problem, so I feel I must point out that the majority of cases of unequal opportunities arose out of the values, attitudes and behaviours in society, and not due to a lack of funds.\u00a0 For example, a number of factors affect the decision of women (not) to enter into politics: influence of the community, historical context and tradition: “a woman’s place is not in politics”; the small number of women in politics and their considerably narrower opportunities for advancement; insufficient moral and practical support from the community; childcare and household work; economic dependence and insufficient female solidarity among women politicians.\u00a0 Individual factors that depend on the women themselves are that they often consider politics a dirty business and are unprepared to put their entire past professional career and integrity on the line.\u00a0 On the other hand, citizens of Montenegro have quite strong preconceptions about women\/men in politics, that is to say, the electorate is quite specific and patriarchal.\u00a0 Surveys have shown that half the female respondents believe men would be more successful than women in high level official positions, while only 13-19% of women (depending on the position) believe women would be more successful.<\/p>\n
One survey found that the main reason behind unequal employment opportunities for young people is nepotism, but that’s not the end of the story.\u00a0 Nepotism is almost unavoidable in our small country, but real problems arise when you have a host of cousins and friends you’d like to see employed that you simple don’t know where to start, or when you promise both them and their friends jobs right after the next elections and then face a new problem — there are simply not enough jobs to go around.<\/p>\n