From the Community of Children of Europe to UNESCO Clubs
Three decades of dedication to education, peace and international cooperation
Community of Children of Europe
Back in 1990, as a French language teacher at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" elementary school, Mr. Milica Dromnjaković was sent by the French Language Department of that school with two students to attend a European youth gathering in Beze, near Dijon in France.
Our delegation was invited for the first time and was officially admitted to the Community of Children of Europe ("La communauté des loupiots d'Europe"), led by Mr. Milica Dromnjaković who became the official delegate for the former Yugoslavia.
The main goal of this international association of students and educators was to bring the children of Europe closer together in the spirit of friendship, love and mutual tolerance.
At the end of 1990, with the support of the same organization, Mr. Milica Dromnjaković organized a stay for 14 students in Brussels, and then in Brno (Czechoslovakia) the following year under the patronage of Mrs. Catherine Lalumière, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
The arrival of Belgian students in Belgrade in April 1991 was cancelled due to unrest in the country, which marked the end of official contact with the youth of Europe.
Years of International Isolation
In her desire to enable young people to maintain contact with the world during difficult times and to learn about other cultures through travel, while promoting their own, Mr. Milica Dromnjaković continued her activities on personal initiative.
As a French language teacher, independently of the school and other institutions in the country, she established cooperation with French institutions that enabled her to successfully organize trips through France for many years.
Numerous contacts were made, both among students and accompanying teachers. Newspapers wrote about them, people welcomed them warmly at a time when we were most officially ostracized. Young people thus gained necessary self-confidence, as well as faith in justice, peace and a better tomorrow.
Letter of Support from Paris
The only interruption in activities came in 1999. During the bombing, a letter of support arrived from the UNESCO club in Paris, from its president Mr. Ahmed Debbouze.
„Mi smo primili danas vaš faks u kome nas izveštavate o otkazivanju boravka vaše grupe kod nas od 10. do 18. aprila 1999. Mi u potpunosti shvatamo situaciju u kojoj se nalazite i mi Vam prenosimo našu podršku tokom svih ovih neprijatnih događanja.
Kao što smo već napisali u našim ranijim kontaktima: «Ratovi se rađaju u svesti ljudi, znači da i u svesti ljudi treba da se razvija odbrana mira» – UNESCO.
Nadamo se da će se situacija popraviti za sve i da će se mir brzo vratiti."
International Year of the Culture of Peace
Contact with French UNESCO clubs continued the following year as part of the proclamation of the year 2000 as the International Year of the Culture of Peace.
On that occasion, Mr. Milica Dromnjaković gave a speech on the Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and our students wrote "peace" in Serbian — in Cyrillic on the monument that united peace inscriptions in numerous world languages.
On the same occasion, our delegation was given the dossier for opening the first UNESCO club.
Founding of UNESCO Club Belgrade
October 31, 2003, at the proposal of the National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, the first UNESCO club was opened under the name "UNESCO Club Belgrade".
Admission to the World Federation
In September 2004, after opening new clubs in Serbia, UNESCO Club Belgrade, in the capacity of a national federation, was admitted to the 23rd Session of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations.
After the formation of the European Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Centers, the Federation of UNESCO Clubs of Serbia – UNESCO Club Belgrade became a member of this international federation, in whose work Mr. Milica Dromnjaković has been actively participating since 2012 as a board member.