International Whistleblowers Day – 2021In the framework of the project:
NGO 35mm, on the occasion of Whistleblower Month, and in cooperation with the Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection, European Center for Whistleblower Rights and Whistleblowing International, launched the campaign “Speak up”. The campaign aims to encourage individuals, organizations, and groups of citizens to expose cases of corruption, corporate fraud, and other cases of institutional abuse or violation of rights.
Ganija Jasavic – the former Head of the Regional Unit of the Forest Administration in Municipality of Plav, was announced winner of the Whistleblower of the Year category. Mr. Jasavic publicly stated that the former director of the Forest Administration Nusret Kalač, without the consent of the forest administration in Plav, approved the concessionaire “Pelengić Trade” from Bijelo Polje to cut the highest quality forest in the municipality of Plav, at three times lower price. The Government relieved Nusret Kalač of his duties as Director of the Forest Administration in February 2021. The other nominees in this category were: Elvis Berisa, Vasilije Milickovic, Boris Raickovic, Nenad Pizurica, and Kristijan Dukaj.
The institution that had shown the most transparent work was the Ministry of the Interior. According to those who nominated this institution, this particular Ministry duly answers journalists’ questions and requests for information. They also pointed out that the officials of this state body provide accurate statements to the media and do not hide facts. Also, they are open to suggestions from the NGO sector – which was not the case before.
According to the commission members, the organization that has contributed the most to the freedom of speech is KOD Organization from Podgorica. Other non-governmental organizations nominated in the same category are Network for Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS), Center for Affirmation of the RE Population (CAREP), KANA/ Who if not architect, NGO Educational Community of Montenegro, and Center for Democracy and Human Rights – CEDEM. According to the nominations, The “Golden Patch” was awarded to the Real Estate Administration, as the institution that had shown the least transparent work. Apart from the Real Estate Administration, other nominees in this category were the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Education.
The award ceremony took place on April 29 in Podgorica, followed by three thematic panel discussions on institutions and transparency, whistleblower stories, and freedom of speech.
The discussions were led by members of the NGO 35mm with the presence of experts in the fields. The Minister of Interior and Ombudsman discussed the institutional challenges towards whistleblower protection. Ganija Jasavic and former whistleblower Patricija Pobric shared their experience and gave details about how their case was received both by the public and the institutions. They also admitted that they did not regret their decisions to report, regardless of the consequences that they had to face and they would choose to do the right thing over and over again. Representatives from organizations KOD and MANS discussed in the third panel their approach to freedom of speech and especially emphasized the right to access to information. They also discussed grass-roots organization, arguing that such an organization should be driven by a concrete solution to the problem or issue at stake. They also pointed at the creative role of the media as an essential feature to use information and the amount of information effectively by drawing public attention to certain issues by providing accurate and detailed information but by creating easily digestible content.
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