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28.04.2004 “82 to 18 – percentages of people against Croatian integration into the European Union opposed to those for the integration, in Denis Latin’s debate show “Latinica” on Croatian TV.”

On May 1, 2004, the International Labour Day, the citizens of ten European countries will surely come out to the streets in huge number to celebrate. For those countries, the long and tumultuous adventure called “the transition” will finally end. They will officially become members of the European Union, once the inaccessible city on the hill, craved for its plenty and freedoms. From former Yugoslavia (depending on the definition, you could also say from the Balkans), only the Slovenians will have reasons to celebrate, for Slovenia is among those ten countries.

Meanwhile, in the Balkans, things remain uncertain. Governments still think of the European Union integration as of a secondary cause. The primary goal for all of them remains NATO, or in some cases, NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme. The recent history of conflict seems to justify such a position, for indeed, many of the goals and ideas behind the European Union remain lofty.

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29.01.2004

WSF 2004 in Mumbai, India © Predrag Vostinic

Following is the list of ready to broadcast audio programmes (opinion polls, interviews, speeches and reports) prepared at the World Social Forum 2004 by our team of reporters that covered the WSF in Mumbai, India.

Participants Expectations - Participants of the WSF 2004 from different parts of the world talk about their own expectations of forth World Social Forum. Interviewees are from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Netherlands, India... Expectations depend on country of origin of the interviewees but it also makes good example of diversity WSF should cover.

Protests - Atmosphere at the protests for peace and social justice.

Arundhati Roy 1 - Opening plenary speech by Arundhati Roy on New Imperialism.

Arundhati Roy 2 - Famous Indian writer and WSF activist on debts, poverty, sanitation, wars and crimes.

Arundhati Roy 3 - Famous Indian writer and WSF activist on globalizing the resistance to imperialism and neo-liberalism through WSF.

Participants' mixed reactions to WSF 2004 - Poll of the participants’ opinion on WSF 2004. Were their expectations fulfilled or not?

Chico Whitaker Interview - Chico Whitaker, Brazilian secretary of WSF, about globilizing resistance and organizing such kind of event. The full speech has been divided into two parts. Part one.

Chico Whitaker Interview - Chico Whitaker, Brazilian secretary of WSF, about globilizing resistance and organizing such kind of event. The full speech has been divided into two parts. Part Two.

Shirin Ebadi - Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi's speech at opening plenary.

24.11.2003 Here you can find full coverage on different issues of concern to the civil society and NGO sector in the region.

The prolonged period of transition in Southeast Europe has had serious impact on the workforce and labour rights in the region, due to privatization and reorientation towards market-based economy. Read more in our Dossier on Protection of Labour Rights in SEE.

Civil sector in SEE has long been perceived by the Governments of the countries in the regions with suspicion, as rival and competition. Lately, things have moved forward. On past and latest developments, read our Dossier on Government policies towards Civil Society in SEE.

Without cheap and readily accessible telecommunications, it is hard to image any sustained development in the contemporary world. Read our Dossier on Access to Telecommunications in the SEE.

Read about the situation of copyrights and possible alternatives offered by free creation in our Dossier on Copyrights and Creative Commons in the SEE.

© Dejan Georgievski

Relations between media and civil society will only gain in importance. Read our Dossier on Media and Civil Society in the SEE.

Reforms in higher education in the region gain in importance. Read our Dossier on European Higher Education Area - Bologna Declaration.

Read our Dossier on the Youth in the region of Southeast Europe.

Read our Dossier on Free Access to Information.

Read our Dossier on Rights of Persons with Special Needs.

Read our Free and Open Software Dossier.

Roma Flag

Read our Roma Dossier.

Poverty is a wide-spread problem in the countries of South East Europe. Read our Dossier on Poverty.

The problem of corruption in the countries of South East Europe reaches catastrophic proportions. Read our Dossier on Corruption.

Volunteering opportunities have improved

Interested in volunteering work? Want to get information about the possibilities for volunteering in the region and across the world? Read our Volunteering Dossier.

Politics protrudes the life of the people in the Balkans like little else. Read our Politics Dossier.

On May 1, 2004, ten countries are joining the European Union, ending the long process of transition. Other countries, in particular in SEE, still wait at the gates. Read special reports from two conferences, in Novi Sad, SCG, and in Padova, Italy, and more about the issue of globalization, in our EU Integration Dossier.

The issue of Environment and environmental protection is, arguably, one that provides for a most active civil and NGO sector in the region. Visit our dossier on Environmental Protection and Activism.

What is the situation with gender equality and women rights in the region of Southeast Europe? What can be done to improve the status of women and their rights? Visit our dossier on Gender Equality and Women Rights.

Human Trafficking is one of the burning problems in the region. Read more on Human trafficking.

StopAIDS © International Planned Parenthood Federation

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is slowly coming into the focus of the attention in SEE. To find more information about it, please go to AIDS.

The recent past of Southeast Europe has been mired with ethnic strife, civil wars and communal violence. The new reality, on the other hand, dictates that the countries of the SEE should, and will cooperate. Therefore, the issue of reconciliation, truth and forgiveness is extremely important. To find more information about it, please go to Reconciliation.

© MAG / Changemakers.net

The debate on the issues concerning globalization will not go away. To the contrary, it may only get more heated. Don't miss out on one of the most important processes going on in the world today, visit Globalization.