Ljubljana, 25 Feb - At the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the erasure of 18.503 people from the register of permanent residence of the Republic of Slovenia, the erased people and non-governmental organizations which support them are organizing the Erased Week 2008.
Within the Erased Week 2008 the organizations will host at least eight events, including press conferences, roundtables, and projections of documentaries. All events will be held in Slovenian language but after each event the organizers will be available for foreign press who would be interested to receive more information about the Erased Week and the issue of erasure in general. On 26 February 1992, 18.503 people from other republics of former Yugoslavia with permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia were erased from the register of permanent residents. This measure had no legal basis and was later found unlawful and unconstitutional by the Slovenian Constitutional Court. Instead of ensuring at the situation of people with permanent residence in Slovenia would not change at the separation from Yugoslavia, the authorities started to treat them as illegal migrants overnight. At the 16th anniversary of the erasure this issue remains unresolved, the violations of human rights of the erased people remain non-redressed, and the ability of the authorities to recognize that the erasure was a mistake that needs to be remedied remains further than ever.
Erased Week 2008
PROGRAM
Monday, 25 February
11.00 Press Conference at the opening of the Erased Week 2008, held by organizers of events. At Slovenian Theater Museum, Mestni trg 17, Ljubljana.
18.00 Briefing of representatives of foreign embassies in the Republic of Slovenia on the situation of erased. Organizers: Amnesty International Slovenia, Legal Information Center for NGOs – PIC and Peace Institute.
Tuesday, 26 February
14.00 Beginning of manifestation at the Prešeren Square on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the erasure. Goal: to hand over the demands of the erased to key state institutions. CANCELLED AND MOVED TO 6TH OF MARCH (MORE INFO WILL BE PROVIDED)!
Wednesday, 27 February
20.00 (IN)visibility of the erased,roundtable discussion on the occasion of issuing of a special edition of the Journal for the Critique of Science The story of erasure and projection of a documentary titled The Caravan of the Erased. Guests: Aleksandar Todorović, president of CIIA – Civil Initiative of the Erased Activists, Barbara Beznec, acting responsible editor of the Journal for the Critique of Science and Sara Pistotnik, researcher and project collaborator of the Peace Institute. The discussion will be moderated by Luka Hrovat. At Atrium GOGA in the library of Novo mesto.
20.00 Movie projection and discussion, projection of a documentary of Dimitar Anakiev – Eradicated and documentary of Dražena Perić – The Caravan of the Erased. At AKC Metelkova mesto, A-Infoshop, Ljubljana.
Thursday, 28 February
15.00 Testimonies of the Erased, roundtable discussion with guests victims of the erasure organized by 4th year students of the Faculty of Social Work. At Faculty of Social Work, Topniška ulica 31, Ljubljana.
17.00 Erasure in the media, roundtable discussion on reporting of the media on erasure. Guests: Igor Mekina (daily Dnevnik), Gojko Bervar (RA Slovenia), Siniša Gačić (TV Slovenia), Alenka Arko (POP TV) and Igor Kocijančič (publicist of Il Piccolo and Regione a Sinistra). The discussion will be moderated by Lana Zdravković. Organizer: Peace Institute and CIIA – Civil Initiative of Erased Activists. At KUD France Prešeren, Karunova ulica 14, Ljubljana.
Friday, 29 February
11.00 Press conference on the occasion of issuing of a special edition of the Journal for the Critique of Science The story of erasure, which on 260 pages deals with the erasure from the academic, legal and activist aspect. At bookshop Konzorcij, Slovenska cesta 29, Ljubljana.
21.00 Party with DJ Draž with Balkan dance music. At Social center ROG, Trubarjeva cesta 72, Ljubljana.