Presevo, Bujanovac, Vranje – Over the past weekend, a series of events through which the local people familiarized themselves with their "neighbors," who are accommodated at reception centers, were held in Presevo, Bujanovac and Vranje.   

Refugees from the Middle East and Central Asia are staying in several Serbian cities but they have no real contact with the local communities.

“We are talking about members of large and rich cultures, both throughout history and today. Although the Persian culture, which is mainly represented at the reception centers, and the Serbian culture, are currently a long way away from each other, they often intertwined in the past, and this was a real opportunity to get better acquainted with them.  There are surely differences between them, but the residents of Serbian cities were surprised by the similarities," the organizers of the event said.  

A photo exhibition on the theme of the migrant crisis was held in front of a shopping mall in the center of Vranje, on Saturday, June 30, while passers-by had the opportunity to talk with the refugees. T-shirts were handed out to the citizens, which was a symbolic gesture and which would make them remember the encounter of people of different cultures who live in the same city.

The same event was held in Presevo on Sunday, while the photo exhibition will take place in Bujanovac today.  

The project was implemented by the RAS (Refugee Aid Serbia) NGO.

Source: South Serbia News and Coordination Body