By Gordana Basovic

Democracy, respect for human rights and rule of law are among the common values which the EU wants to be implemented in its neighbouring countries and future member states. But, whether those values include the equality of men and women? New results of research published in the Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) show that any countries have not achieved completely, although the equality of men and women is the common value of EU countries.

The support arrived from the President of Serbia Boris Tadic, the interior minister Ivica Dacic, the minister for human and minority rights Svetozar Ciplic. But, no one knows yet to answer the question, for sure, whether Belgrade finally reach to a global metropolis, this year, which managed to exceed the prejudice toward LGBT people when it comes to organising a gay parade. Political establishment is playing upbeat, so the interior minister called on political parties in Serbia to support or not attack the maintenance of such events. However, the representatives of nongovernmental organisations for protection rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people grow some moderate optimism.

By Nenad Radicevic

Population, which has never intended to concentrate on a specific territory to claim it as their own one, has become a victim by those who believe that a certain territory is considered to be one nation`s property. A photograph showing a dredge coming toward Roma who tried to stop a destruction of their barrack has recently shocked Serbian public. At least a part of the public which finds that behaviour racialist and discriminatory. City authorities` tactless methods in solving a problem of Romas` extremely unsanitary settlements nearby the recently established area called Bellville in New Belgrade has brought up the human rights issue of 400.000 Roma living in Serbia.

By Dragana Peric

Although it has been carefully planned and expected for years, Anti-Discrimination Law was withdrawn from the procedure at the demand of four religious communities. With the support of Catholic, Islamic and Jewish communities, one single phone call made by Serbian Orthodox Church bishop Irinej was enough to suspend the adoption of the law - and it happened on a day when this regulation was to be sent to the National Parliament for the debate. Beside the fact that this pressure imparts democratic procedure, the discrimination issues have come up to the church dignitaries` antagonism toward same-sex marriages, although it is not even mentioned in Anti-Discrimination Law.

By Gordana Basovic

Upon the initial shock after the young Greeks` aggressive protests anxiety all over Europe is growing bigger since the anarchistic actions tendency has spread to the European metropolises streets, from Moscow all the way to Madrid. Recent French President`s statement expressing his fear from the 1968 anarchism reappearance goes in favour of how seriously has been taken the young people`s dissatisfaction with the economic crisis. Unemployment, low wages, and inadequate social security are common problems that bother not only the young European citizens but also "push" them into the hands of anarchists and ultra-leftists. During the recent weeks, communicating through the Internet and SMS, the youth European citizens have organised protests of support for their Greek "colleagues," not disregarding at the same time dissatisfaction with their own surroundings. In the Western Balkans, except night symbolic gatherings, there were no support protests of the local anarchists although the youths were not dissatisfied less than their peers in the EU were.

By Gordana Basovic

Without a peer, the gender equality is one of the common values European Union (EU) wants its current and the future members, as well as its neighbours, to stimulate, cherish and promote. However, gender equality is the goal that even the old members have not managed to achieve to the full. Therefore, the European Parliament members have asked the European Commission to prepare the new Directive according to which men and women would be equally paid for the same jobs. Until now, men in the EU, unlike women, have mainly been paid bigger monthly salaries. The same problems are also shaking Serbia since not only the salaries of women and men are unequal but also there are fewer women in the Parliament.

By Jelena Milicevic

"On the streets of Serbia there are less people with handicap than in other countries of Europe," commented foreigners who have visited our country and therefore reasoned we were very healthy nation. Unfortunately, they are not right. According to unofficial data, in Serbia there are some 800,000 people with different handicaps, four percent of population have development difficulties, and out of them 230,000 children and adults has intellectual disabilities. In contrast to Europe, thanks to insufficiently consciousness development of the complete social community the people with special needs live on the life margins.

Intolerance speech in connection with national minorities` members that erupted during the 90s in the Balkans has gradually spread to all the minority groups in the society. Such a speech not only has mastered newspapers political columns but also has already expanded on the pages dedicated to culture, sports, medicine, crime and justice. In spite of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Union (EU) recommendations as well as frequent use of the term "politically correct", wide population in Serbia often use certain terms without paying attention and realising they could literary mean discrimination. Therefore, in public life and uttered by some experts it is not unusual to hear words such as diabetic, hemophiliac, junky, aids man, mentally retarded, handicapped...

By Gordana Basovic

"Butterflies in your stomach" is the synonym for love that makes almost everybody smile and feel pleasant. Those are feelings readily talked about and the ones the human being is endowed with. However, what happens when those emotions are directed towards the same sex person? Are such feelings favoured and met with approval?

By Dragana Peric

Secondary school students in Serbia have joined the Council of Europe initiative calling all the member countries to prohibit physical punishment of children. Legislators have not reacted to this Council`s motion but the children have decided to act by themselves. On the occasion of October 19th, the Action Day against Violence over Children, the group of secondary school students visited Serbia`s ombudsman Sasa Jankovic demanding the local legislation to accept violence over children prohibition. Several non-governmental organisations have joined this motion and ombudsman has promised to engage himself in preventing "venting one`s rage upon children".

By Dragana Peric

Belgrade authorities claim they will succeed, in a third attempt, to convince citizens that the Roma are their equal fellow-citizens with the right to get out of their cartons and move into decent apartments. Once again, Belgrade citizens were protesting on daily basis against construction of social housing project for 220 Roma families who should be moved from unsanitary settlements under the Gazela Bridge. First the Kamendin inhabitants in Zemun Polje, then those living in the New Belgrade settlement Dr. Ivan Ribar and these days also the dwellers of the Belgrade suburb Ovca are trying to get what they think belongs to them as the citizens of the capital with full civil rights - neighbourhood without the Roma.

By Nemanja Manojlovic

Drug addiction problem is present day pestilence that characterises all modern societies. Some of them are different thanks to the fact that there are those who turn their heads and deny the problem that is "always happening to somebody else" while there are still those who are facing the problems.