In order to point out the double discrimination of women with disabilities, on both the gender and disability basis, the NGO "Women Alliance for Development" and the Center for Women with Disabilities implemented the project "Empowering Women with Disabilities in Niksic".

At the closing conference "Women Entrepreneurship and Women from Marginalized Groups" it was pointed out that although there is visible progress towards encouraging women's entrepreneurship at the national level, in the city under Trebjesa women entrepreneurs, especially those from marginalized groups are not happy with the current situation.

The Municipality of Niksic has no special programs to support women entrepreneurs, nor did it have any significant activities in this field. In addition, the Municipality has no current local plans for improving the position of persons with disabilities, nor a local gender equality plan," the organizers of the conference announced. The data of the Bureau of Labor in Niksic, when women are concerned, are also not optimistic.     

"Of over 3,600 unemployed, women make up 62 percent, and over 28 percent of females have a university degree and fails to find a job for more than two years. 296 women with disabilities are looking for jobs through the Bureau of Labor in Niksic and they participate with almost 15 percent into the total unemployed female population and belong to the long-term unemployed group.

"Among the beneficiaries of loans for self-employment of the Employment Office, as it was pointed out at the conference, there are no women with disabilities, nor members of the Roma and Egyptian communities, and the curiosity is that only one Roma woman has been granted this loan for opening a hairdresser's salon. On the other hand, data at the national level is encouraging.

"Representatives of the Ministry of Economy could have heard that the number of entrepreneurs in Montenegro increased by 24 percent, which is a really significant increase since for a few years this percentage was below 10 percent and the lowest in the region. In recent years, this ministry, in cooperation with domestic and international partners, is implementing 52 different programs for entrepreneurship," the press release reads.

 Presented handicrafts (Photo: Svetlana Mandic)

At the conference, seven women with disabilities, as well as members of the Roma community in Niksic, presented handicrafts, and as a significant result of the project, it was pointed out that five beneficiaries of the project started different businesses. Among them are three women with disabilities from Niksic.The project "Empowering Women with Disabilities in Niksic" was supported by the US Embassy in Podgorica.

Text by Svetlana Mandic, on July 11th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

“Water-supply and Sewage Bar” DOO announced that by purchasing and installing the most modern equipment on a number of chlorine stations, they have completed the overall system of quality control. Technical director of the Water supply Alvin Tombarevic told "Vijesti" that they purchased and installed chlorine installations for five chlorine stations at the sources and one chlorine station at the pumping station in Sutomore.

"This way we replaced old chlorine equipment with a new one, and thus significantly improved the stable and continuous treatment of water by improving the system through the installation of two bottles of gas chlorine. Technological improvement is the installation of a gas switch that automatically switches chlorine through the other bottle when the first empties, thus achieving continuous, stable and safe water chlorination," said Tombarevic.

He added that three modern devices with the detection of leakage of chlorine and neutralization of chlorine in the air were purchased and installed "on those chlorine stations where the expert analysis estimated the greatest risk".

"With this, we have fulfilled the highest standards of protection in possible accidents that could result in endangering people, the environment, and equipment." The company “Water supply and Sewage” DOO will continue modernization in the coming period, which aims to increase the level of safety and preserve high-quality water through the introduction of technological innovation on chlorine and pumping stations for clean water and wastewater pumping stations,"  Tombarevic concluded.

Text by Radomir Petric, on July 11th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

12. July, 2019 - Dance Theatre Festival opens tonight at Tivat Summer Stage as a part of Purgatorije Festival. This second edition of the festival, organized by Cultural Centre Tivat will be opened by the performance of "Balkan Dance Project" from Belgrade and HKN "Ivan Pl. Zajc” from Rijeka.

Within the evening called Dance Triptych, the following choreographies will be performed:

Sablazan (Offence) in the valley of St. Florian, choreographer Aleksandar Ilić, Bolero, choreographer Andonis Foniadakis and Why Are You Not Here, choreographer Igor Kiro

Festival Selector, Jelena Kajgo presents Dance Triptych Balkan Dance:

"It begins with the work of the Serbian choreographer Aleksandar Ilić, soloist of the Ballet of the National Theatre in Belgrade. Sablazan In the Valley of St. Florian, is a visually exciting accomplishment which speaks dance language about human hypocrisy and immorality. What happens when the paradise valley, in spite of complacency, covered with fog of dust, separated by a spider web from search for the meaning of life, bounces Sablazan. All of the great colours of life, passion, love, challenges ... as tectonic cataclysms, all the self-love, lies, double morality, greed, so carelessly hidden under the guilt of innocence and honesty, throws out to the surface. In his short satire of Sablazan in the valley of St. Florian, Ivan Cankar ruffles all the misery of social hypocrisy and dual morality.

The second dance piece is an inventive work by the renowned Greek choreographer Andonis Foniadakis, in the performance of the ballet of the Croatian National Theater Ivan Zajc from Rijeka. "With the rhythms of the famous Bolero Morris Ravel, five players on the trampolines will give the audience the ultimate strength and ecstatic nature of the body in the air. From Bezar, hence, Bolero inspires choreographers, their originality and repetition, to trance. "Adds Kajgo.

Through The Triptych Balkan Dance the audience will get to know the work of the famous Macedonian choreographer Igor Kirov, director of the Ballet of the Croatian National Theater in Split, whose attractive dance style, inspired by Bosnian melos and Sevdalinka, reflects the harmony and ease of movement in the choreography "What You Do not Got".

This will be the first of the five nights of the Dance Theatre festival, and the rest of the programs will be on the repertoire on 15, 17, 22 July and 10 August.

10 July 2019 - The 38th Herceg Novi Swimming Marathon "Memorial Mario-Dido Marić" manifestation will be held on Saturday, July 27th, when a number of athletes, recreational sportspeople and citizens of Herceg Novi will swim 2500 meters from Njivice to Škver.

The right to participate in the swimming marathon is open to all those who are interested in taking a compulsory medical examination two hours before the race, as well as submitting official documentation forms which are available on spot, as reported Radio Jadran.

On the day of the race at 3.30 PM, the transport of swimmers from Škver to Njivice will be organized, after which the competitors' reports and medical examination will be made on the beach of the hotel "Iberostar Herceg Novi". The marathon starts at 6 PM when the participants will head to a 2,5 kilometer long target, a beach "White Fairy" on Škver (Boka Beach).

The limited time of swimming in the race is set to an hour and thirty minutes, while at 8 PM the competition in the rope pulling for the main prize, ham, will be organized.

For all of those who arrive at the destination, diplomas and souvenirs, sandwiches and juices are provided, while the winners will take money prize, cups and medals. For the first place in the women's and men's competitions, the prize is the cup, medal, and 150 EUR, for the second place of it is a medal and 100 EUR, and for the third place, a medal and 50 EUR. Special gifts are provided for both the oldest and the youngest participants of the race.

Read more about sports in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

10 July 2019 - Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović made a national statement at the Global Conference for Media Freedom in London, sponsored by the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada, stressing that for the Government of Montenegro, freedom of the media is the basis of democratic life.

"All legal and institutional mechanisms, responsibility and trust the Government of Montenegro has among citizens are directed at establishing a society in which credible media affirm a credible public. We are committed to the prevalence of public interest over any particular, political or corporate one. In that regard, we learn from your best democratic practices and experiences, from your suggestions and good recommendations, because the struggle for the media freedom is ultimately the fight for the widest freedom of both the media and society," he said.

Minister Bogdanović recalled that the current normative environment in the regular annual reports of the European Commission noted on several occasions as "a good level of legal compliance". Ministry of Culture of Montenegro reported that he also reminded of the words of the Ambassador of Great Britain in Montenegro, who recently said that "Montenegrin press is the freest in the region and usually expresses a wide range of opinions".

"The Government of Montenegro, with the previous financial support activities and the envisaged measures of the future Fund for Pluralism of the Media, financial support for self-regulation and fostering public awareness of the importance of media literacy as a critical understanding of content analysis, wants to continuously encourage and promote the media as a controlling, social and critical corrective of all phenomena in society," Minister Bogdanović emphasised.

He pointed out that the obstacles facing Montenegro are not related to freedom of the media and freedom of expression, but to challenges of stronger implementation of the rule of law.

During his activities in London, Minister Bogdanović signed the Final Document on Media Freedom.

Read more news about lifestyle in Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

July 11, 2019 - Roma integration in the Western Balkan countries was one of the topics of the Summit of the Western Balkan countries, which took place from July 3 to 5 in Poznan, the NGO Young Roma reported.

During the Summit, the prime ministers of the Western Balkans countries adopted a Declaration of Partners from the Western Balkans on the integration of Roma within the process of enlargement of the European Union. By adopting the Declaration, states have committed themselves to continue and improve efforts to achieve equality and full integration of Roma within the framework of regional cooperation and the process of accession to the European Union.

The declaration envisages the achievement of specifically defined goals in the areas of employment, education, housing, health care, documentation and the fight against discrimination. It also envisages the adoption of regional public budgeting standards related to the integration of Roma, and the establishment of official channels and mechanisms for the joint involvement of local governments and Roma communities in policy formulation, as well as adequate mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of policies related to the integration of Roma.

The adoption of the Declaration was preceded by the panel "Declaration of the Western Balkan Partnership on Roma and the EU Enlargement: from word to deed". Samir Jaha, the executive director of NGO "Young Roma" spoke at the panel as the representative of the Roma civil sector in the Western Balkans.

Jaha believes that, from the point of view of the Roma community, the Declaration can be perceived differently. Individuals from the community could consider the Declaration as yet another official document that will not be applied, while those who are more active in the community and want to take responsibility for changes in the society could be more optimistic and observe the Declaration as one kind of "Roma Constitution" that should be respected and whose consistent application should be constantly recalled.

Jaha said that the adoption of the Declaration is an incentive for continuing work and joint efforts in the process of Roma integration. He had also pointed out that the Declaration must be seriously accepted by all involved actors - the European Commission as part of the enlargement process and national and local authorities in the Western Balkans - it was announced from NGO "Young Roma".

11 July 2019 - When we think of a summer holiday in Budva, we usually think of the nightlife and loud music, fast food and beach bars. Still, Budva is much more than that, and here are 11 things you do not want to miss when travelling through Budva that prove that you can spend a nice and quality time in this gorgeous coastal city without aggressive music and too much crowd.

Aside from what everyone knows about Budva - the main promenade surrounded by beach bars and cafes, Budva offers an entirely different approach to a holiday. This article by Dragana Pribilović addresses the things that you need to see when you come to Budva, none of which is related to the turbulent nightlife, crowd and loud music.

1. The Great Olive

In the hot summer months, the nice shade in Budva can be found in the settlement Ivanovići, right under an olive tree around 2000 years old. This olive tree, with the olive tree in Bar, is considered one of the oldest olive trees on the Adriatic. Its scope in the “root neck” is 12,5 meters, the trunk has a diameter of 4 meters and the tree is 10 meters high. The olive is of the local variety, and in the year of full-bloom, it can give about 250 kilograms of fruits, or about 40 liters of oil.

2. Krapina

For lovers of fresh water, or for those who want change or cooling in a natural pool, the ideal solution is the natural pool in Krapina, a village in a hilly landscape near Budva. This natural beauty and holiday paradise are at 185 meters above sea level and guarantees about five degrees lower temperature than the one in Budva. The locals also call this village Potoci (English: The streams), because of the Veliki potok (English: Great stream) which flows through Krapina and forms a natural pool, ideal for cooling at great summer temperatures. Lush vegetation gives the water a restful green color, making this landscape even more picturesque, so this is the place for fans of the nature of paradise and for lovers of photography, because the unusual natural frames of this area are ideal for photo lenses.

3. Čelobrdo

This viewpoint is located above the Praskvica Monastery and there is a monument to fallen heroes on it, as well as a fountain with spring water. Čelobrdo is a village located on Paštrovska Gora above Miločer and Sveti Stefan. On the plateau where the viewpoint is found, probably the most beautiful view of the Budva Riviera, a monument was erected for the fighters killed in World War II.

4. St. Sava Church in Đenaši

The Church of St. Sava and the viewpoint in Đenaši are located above Sveti Stefan island. From this place, there is a breathtaking view of Budva's coast, Sveti Stefan, Miločer, Reževići and Budva. This viewpoint is a favorite among the just married couples, who regularly choose this place for their wedding photographs, with Sveti Stefan in the back.

5. Monastery Podmaine

On a mild elevation above the Budva field, about two kilometers from the Old Town, there is a monastery Podostrog, with two temples, one of which is dedicated to the Ascension, and the second to the Presentation of the Holy Mother of God to The Temple. It was named after the Ostrog hill under which it was built, although it is often mentioned in the literature under the name Podmaine, which was the name of the monastery located somewhat lower, with the church of St. Petka.

6. Citadel

The Citadel leaning on the southern ridge dominates the Old Town of Budva and with its beauty and specialty, it attracts a great number of tourists from all over the world. Citadel was once known as Kaštel Svete Marije, shorter only Kaštel or by its Italian name Castello di Santa Maria.

7. Fortress Mogren

The fort was built in 1860. It was built by the Austro-Hungarians to protect the city from the west. It is badly damaged and never restored. It offers a beautiful view of the city and the island of St. Nicholas. Today Mogren Fortress is one of the inevitable tourist attractions in Budva.

8. St. Nicholas Island

St. Nicholas Island or Island Školj (Italian: scoglio - rock), as locals call it, is the largest Montenegrin island on the Adriatic. The island covers 47 hectares and is almost 2 km long, and the Old Town in Budva is a whole mile away. It was named after the church of the same name, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, patron of sailors.

9. Zlopi

Every summer night, lovers of the old good Mediterranean sound can enjoy the gigs of Nebojša Zloporubović known as Zlopi, who has been playing in the restaurant Pjaca in Budva for over twenty years.

10. Museum of Budva

Museum of Budva - In the Old Town, located in the building from the beginning of the 19th century, has permanent settings of archaeological and ethnographic collection, and on the ground floor of the museum is a lapidarium with valuable examples of stone plastic. The archaeological collection consists of objects found during archaeological excavations in Budva (Hellenistic gold, various vases, jewelry, ornaments, tools, cutlery, glassware, clay, silverware ...) that originate from the 5th century BC until the Middle Ages, unifying the culture of the Illyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Slavs in this area.

11. City Theatre Festival

The City Theatre Festival is a cultural manifestation that takes place during the summer months in Budva under the auspices of the Municipality of Budva and is definitely something worth the attention, with an excellent program and something that should not be missed when the cultural content is in question.

Conceived as a cross-section of contemporary achievements of primarily theatrical, and then artistic, musical and literary creativity, the City Theatre Festival with the quality of the program confirms its renown not only as a host to numerous troops and creators, but also with the quality of production activity that examines the authentic cultural heritage of Budva and Montenegro.

Read more information useful for travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

11 July 2019 - A merger of one segment of the spanning construction of the Moračica bridge on the Bar - Boljare motorway has been completed, while the complete bridge merging is expected by September this year, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Transport of Montenegro announced. It is expected that the new deadline for the completion of works, September 2020, will be respected.

Minister of Transport and Marine Affairs, Osman Nurković, with associates and representatives of the company CRBC (China Road and Bridge Corporation), visited the entire priority section of the Bar-Boljare motorway.

With satisfaction with the volume of works done on bridges, tunnels and open roads, Nurković once again expressed the expectation that the new deadline for the completion of works, in September 2020, will be respected.

"It is necessary to understand all participants and to help the contractor in order to come to the end of this extremely complex project. Moračica bridge is not the only section that is complex for construction, but I would say that, for example, the Veruša loop, with viaducts and access roads and bridges in length of almost a kilometre, is definitely a complex segment as well, so we have to keep that in mind," said Nurković.

So far, about 96 per cent of works have been completed on the construction of bridges, that is, in terms of pillars and foundations, while about 54 per cent of works have been completed on the span construction. The span construction is fully completed on three bridges: Gornje Mrke, Suvorovara and Preslo, while one track of the motorway has been finalised alongside while five bridges: Mištica, Uvač 1, Uvač 3, Pajkov Vir and Jabuka. The degree of completion of works on the span construction on the Moračica bridge is 80%. The merger of one segment of the span construction is completed, while the complete bridge joining is expected by September of this year.

From a total of 16 tunnels, 15 have been excavated. The construction of the upper part of the secondary coating of the tunnels is 94,7 per cent complete.

The tour of the route identified several problems with which the contractor faces the field. It was agreed that the problems are solved with the involvement of all stakeholders - the State Audit Commission, the Monteput Project Management Unit, the supervision unit and the engineers of CRBC.

The Minister reminded that in addition to the motorway route, in the previous period, a total of 65 kilometres of access roads have been built, which is also one of the benefits of the construction of the motorway.

All these works had a certain impact on nature, which is why Nurković calls for understanding for possible impacts, but also reminds that the contractor must try to protect the environment to the extent possible. "After the completion of the project, everything has to be rehabilitated, because it is not our goal to build one good, but destroy nature, as another good," concluded Nurković.

Read more information useful for travelling through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.

Representatives of UNESCO, at the summit in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, should decide whether the construction of the highway has devastated the basin of the river Tara. The construction of this road is the largest infrastructure project in the history of Montenegro. So far it is known that similar danger does not threaten the National Park Durmitor and the area of ​​ Kotor, which, by the decision of UNESCO (specialized organization of the United Nations for Education, Science and Culture), remain on the list of World Cultural Heritage. 

"Tara is devastated"

Will the river Tara continue to adorn the informal epithet "tears of Europe" in the future? This is often described because of its crystal-clear water and the uniqueness of the canyon, the deepest in the world after the one in Colorado (USA). "The Tara is definitely devastated, and we visit it almost every day and observe the terrain." The basin is reduced in Matesevo for 50 meters. The huge embankments were flooded into the river," read the latest "report" on the state of the river Tara, in the locality where construction of the first phase of the highway Bar-Boljare is underway, as Aleksandar Perovic says from the ecological movement Ozon. 

Let's recall, UNESCO experts who visited Tara, where works on the highway took place last November, submitted a report stating that this area is "covered with landfill and dumped materials," and that it is clear that visible impacts will remain on the environment and after the completion of the construction of the highway.

These statements as previously noted by the organization “Network for the Promotion of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS)” to what is happening in the basin of Tara River, saw the confirmation that it was devastated. They also rely on the reports of the European Commission and the European Parliament, which demanded urgent measures to restore the basin.

Pavle Radulovic, the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism in the Government of Montenegro, is not pessimistic about the final UNESCO assessment and its decision whether the basin of Tara remains in the area protected by the program "Man and Biosphere".

In a statement to the public, twenty days after the first UNESCO report on the situation in the basin of the river Tara, he stated:

"In November, I claimed and now I claim that the basin of Tara has not been moved, that Tara is not completely endangered and that it will not be removed from the list of MAB (man and biosphere). Nobody ever said that the construction of the highway does not affect Tara. We noted that the impact is limited - local, that the vast majority of these impacts are temporary, and that some of the effects that remain do not have any effect on the protected parts."

The videos show differently

That the observations from the Minister are widely different with what MANS claimed based on their drone records at the site where Chinese builders are raising a bridge over the future highway, it was shown at the spot by his debates with reporters on whether the basin of Tara was disposed on a disputed site. Noted before the UNESCO mission arrived in November last year:

"And do you see that the basin is displaced?" asked a journalist, who found that it was clearly visible where there was the basin in one part, and where it is now, to which Minister Radulovic reacted again:

"Has the basin been displaced or the water was shifted to the construction of the bridge’s foundation?"

"If the basin is first on one, then a second place, it means it has been moved," the journalist concluded.

"No," the minister replied, adding, "I do not see anything happening here, which is not normal for a construction site of this type."

Durmitor and Kotor remain on the world list 

However, for now, good news for Montenegro has arrived from Baku. While UNESCO's final decision on Tara awaits, this international organization, a few days ago at the same meeting in Baku, decided that Durmitor National Park and Kotor's Natural and Cultural-Historical Heritage will remain on the World Cultural Heritage List.

This was welcomed with relief, especially for those part of the expert public who warned of examples of the devastation of natural and cultural-historical heritage at these two sites. Among them is the art historian Aleksandar Cilikov, who for decades has been dedicated to the protection of the cultural and historical treasures of Montenegro.

Kotor (Photo: Shutterstock)

"For me, it's really great news! Because, indeed, Kotor was on the verge of being discharged from the World Cultural Heritage, there have been very serious devastations by new construction I consider such an epilogue worthy of both state and non-governmental organizations and even some prominent individuals who have raised their voices to normalize this situation and upgrade them to these world standards. Of course, I have to mention here some opposition parties, who were very much engaged in preserving this space," said Cilikov.

A warning from Cehotina

And how did we get in the situation under the UNESCO globe of our protected areas, and in a country that has already declared itself as the first ecological country in the world 28 years ago?

Ecologist Aleksandar Perovic has his explanation.

"The ecological state was one great idea, which was also the precursor to today's goals of sustainable development of the United Nations," reminds ecologist Aleksandar Petrovic.

"Therefore, we had something that no one had in the world, but our decision makers do not understand the developmental direction of the ecological state, they do not understand how well the space should be managed well and how many benefits it brings. Definitely, the reason for this is that people who are in the ruling parties, not only do not understand but also have no basic knowledge to manage properly," Petrovic said.

Milky Cehotina (Photo: SRK Lipljen)

Ecocide, urbicide, culturocid, words that are used, more often than ever, by the critical public, the civil sector, and the political opposition, and describe examples of the devastation of natural resources and cultural and historical heritage of Montenegro. This is confirmed by the last plague of fish in the river Cehotina due to the release of toxic substances from the thermal power plant in Pljevlja, in the north of Montenegro.

RSE interlocutors, however, draw attention to, as they state, the awakened ecological awareness of Montenegrin citizens.

"What I cannot figure out, is that some people who decide, do not realize that the money factory is the pure nature itself and the natural ambience, not this building with apartments of concrete and metal. However, I have the impression that among the people who decide on the fate of Montenegro's development, and especially tourism, there is no such awareness," Cilikov said.

Aleksandar Perovic notes the paradox in which people working for investors "should play some professional and independent public."

“They cannot do that. Once they take the money they need to justify it. Unfortunately, we are the only one in the civil sector who is the only independent public and we are trying to get knowledge and information from people who know what they are talking about and channel it through the media. But I repeat, I hope, the small system can react quickly and that things will change, and I hope that a new time will come for people who really know to come to the right places," Petrovic concludes.

Text by Radio Slobodna Evropa, on July 10th, 2019, read more at Vijesti

The civic initiative “Let’s Save Sinjajevina” has called on the Ministry of Defense of Montenegro to sign a contract with North Macedonia on the use of the polygon Krivolak for its needs.

This civic initiative reacted to the Defense Ministry's claims that military exercises on Sinjajevina will not cause any negative environmental consequences.

We received the news that the analysis of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of North Macedonia, done after the international "Determined Impact" exercise at their Krivolak polygraph show that there is no pollution, and therefore we call on the Ministry of Defense of Montenegro to sign a contract with that country on the use of that space for its needs. The news of the Ministry of Defense is yet another proof that Montenegro, with the support and assistance of 28 NATO allies, as well as the countries with polygons, can avoid the destruction of part of its territory in Sinjajevina and use military polygons in the region. Citizens of Montenegro are already placing millions of funds for the defense sector, so some of them can be spent on renting a polygon for the needs of our army," the statement of GI “Let’s Save Sinjajevina” said.

They called on citizens to join them in a protest scheduled for 12 July at 12 pm on Sava waters on Sinjajevina.

"We invite citizens to visit the queen of Montenegro's mountains and meet with its beauty," the statement concludes.

Text by Vijesti online, on July 10th, 2019, read more at Vijesti