“Globalna Hrvatska” – Answer to Cultural Neglect
A Citizens Association “Globalna Hrvatska” (Global Croatia)
held its Founding Assembly in Zagreb on January 20, 2002. The Association
(Udruga Gradjana = NGO) was initiated by Lilijana Domic, top Croatian art
and literary critic and gallerist, and a major poet, and by Dr. Vladimir
P. Goss, Croatian-American writer, journalist and art history professor.
Among founding members are Professor Vladimir Malekovic, Director of the
Arts and Crafts Museum of Zagreb, painter Miroslav Sutej, Croatian-American
painter Marko Spalatin, Professor Dr. Zlatko Juric of the Faculty of Arts
and Sciences and Art Academy, Judge Edward Damich, Court of Federal
Claims, Washington, Professor Silvija Letica, head of the Education Department
of the Croatian Heritage Foundation (Matica hrvatskih iseljenika), Ms. Visnja
Boras Bedenko, Architect, Member of the City of Zagreb Preservation
of Monuments Office, Dr. Nenad Vidovic, a well-known Zagreb attorney.
According to the By-Laws, the Association is a “voluntary
form of citizens’ association created in order to stimulate, promote and
implement cooperation between Croatia and the Croats abroad, which together
constitute Global Croatia, in the fields of art and culture, and in related
areas of mutual interest.”
The stated goals of the Association are “to stimulate,
promote, organize, improve and implement cooperation in the field of art
and culture (and in related areas) between the Homeland and the Croats abroad,
i.e., within Global Croatia, which is comprised of the constitutional homelands
of the Croatian people, the Republics of Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina,
and the Croatian communities around the world; to bring about better mutual
understanding between the Croatian people at home and the Croatian communities
abroad, and to support good and fruitful relationship in particular in the
fields of culture and the arts by spreading information and supporting education
on all levels in order to improve the knowledge of Croatian culture, and
to advocate a global approach to Croatian studies”.
The Association will carry out its activities in a spirit
of “mutual creative cooperation, partnership, and respect within Global Croatia.”
It will sponsor and promote such activities as exhibitions,
lectures, round tables, festivals, concerts, performances, readings, symposia,
etc., introducing to the Homeland Croatian artists and cultural activists
from abroad, as well as promoting Croatian artists and cultural activists
abroad, in the countries with substantial Croatian communities, or in any
country which is interested in the type of activity offered by the Association.
The Association will also seek membership for Croatian
artists and cultural activists from abroad in Croatian professional organizations
and institutions, and vice versa. It will promote virtual links within Global
Croatia by the way of the Internet. It will strongly advocate spreading knowledge
of Global Croatian culture by encouraging programs of studies at the institutions
of high and higher learning, as well as education of the media, both at home
and abroad. It intends to create a publication program, and a library including
electronic media.
Membership in “Global Croatia” is open to individuals
and legal entities both in Croatia and abroad, as long as they accept the
By-Laws of the Association. Annual membership fee is a voluntary contribution.
Why “Global Croatia?”
According to the initiators, there is a state of insufficient
knowledge, not to say of total ignorance, in Croatia concerning the art of
the Croats abroad. And just in Chile there are 150 published writers of Croatian
origin. In Argentina, Carmen Verlichak has claimed a major literary prize.
So also have Josip Novakovich, Mary Helen Stefaniak, Melissa Milich, Anthony
Mlikotin, Alain Horic in the US or Canada; or Amelia Batistich in New Zealand.
Marko Spalatin is recognized as one of the top US painters of today. So also
is Anton Cetin in Canada; and Charles Bilich in the Pacific region. Until
recently there was no systematic program of exhibitions of Croatian artists
from abroad in Croatia. Not until one such program was proposed and initiated
by the founders of the Association. Croatian writers from abroad have been
denied membership in Croatian writers associations.
On the other hand, there are many outstanding Croatian
artists and other cultural activists who need to be introduced to the world.
Recently a top US institution proposed to fund a major exhibition of Croatian
painting in the US – there were no takers in Croatia to act as partners.
All this, in our opinion, constitutes a major case of
cultural neglect, and “Global Croatia” hopes to remedy the situation.
Wonders of Croatian culture are still insufficiently known,
both inside and outside Croatia. The fact that there exists a Global Croatian
culture is a concept shared by just a few both at home and abroad. Please
join us in our effort to promote some of the best aspects of Croatia’s past
and present.
Accept this as our cordial invitation to join.
Vladimir P. Goss
vgoss@aol.com
919-732-7576 (in the US)
091-503-0117 (in Croatia)
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