Group 484

Vojvode Prijezde 27,
11000 Beograd

phone/fax: (381 11) 433 997, 44 49 091
e-mail: grupa484@beotel.yu

Contact: Dragana Gavrilovic

Group 484 is local association of citizens, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, established in 1995 as a reaction to the arrival of a great number of refugees from Croatia to Serbia. During that period, through humanitarian, legal and psychosocial help, we covered 484 families and were named Group 484.

Mission of the organization: Spreading the culture of peace, dialog, tolerance, solidarity and cooperation as a base for building civil society.

Coordinator of Group 484 is Jelena Santic, one of the founders of nongovernmental sector in Serbia, remarkably active peace activist during the past eight years. Beside her, contact persons in Group 484 are: Vesna Golic, assistant of the coordinator, Danijela Radisevic, administrator and Tanja Pavlov, organizer of the Club 484.

The tasks

Rad sa izbeglicama bio je skoncentrisan na pravnu pomoć i zaštitu, psihosocijalnu, ekonomsku i humanitarnu pomoć.

Work of Group 484 before 1998

Most of the activities were concentrate toward helping refugees from Croatia. We were giving free legal advises to refugees and helping the adaptation of refugees in environment in which they came in and solving the problems that are coming with refugee status. Ten women educated in sawing are employed in sawing shop. We were providing and distributing food, clothes, shoes, hygiene material, school material, heating devices, blankets, beds and sheets. We were providing intensive care for 88 most in the need families. We specially worked on projects helping refugee families to get their feet on the ground. We participated in realization of project "Rebuilding confidence in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem".

Work of Group 484 in 1998/1999

The major part of our activities from the beginning of the NATO bombardment of Yugoslavia was realized through the Club 484. The Club is the place for communication and education in the field of human rights and civil society, nonviolently conflict resolution, respect of differences and living in multiethnic and multicultural communities.

We have been conducting this education from April 1998 through workshops, speaker's platforms, lectures, courses, sections, seminars and similar activities. The program is directed to the whole population on the territory of Belgrade, with a special attention on vulnerable groups (refugees, women, children, and minorities).

The aims of the program are:
- Humanization of the interpersonal relationships;
- Development of sensitivity and tolerance for the differences: spreading the idea of tolerant participation in multiethnic and multicultural communities;
- Promotion of nonviolent communication and constructive conflict resolution and promotion of human rights and civil culture.

Plans

Group 484 will continue working on the activities focused with development of the civil society. Since the bombardment of Serbia brought back war traumas and great impoverishment of the whole population, we are going to reactivate psychosocial and humanitarian program. Our team has a wide experience in psychosocial and humanitarian work in war regions, gained during field work on the project Restoration of Trust in Eastern Slavonia and working with the refugees from Croatia in Belgrade.

Impression

It is for sure our biggest and best-organized non-government humanitarian organization. There are many positive examples and experiences of people that they were helping. They are representing excellent example of sincerely and real humanitarian work with which they wont to help everyone without making difference on national, religion or other bases. They had often, because of their work, came in conflict and rejection from our government. Last example was response on their offer to transport oil to motel on Avala. Director of motel said short to refugees from Kosovo: "Either move or freeze".