On Friday, a collection of works entitled “What Does Unity in Diversity Mean to Me?” was ceremonially promoted in Bijelo Polje, featuring works shortlisted in the competition of the same name.

The collection includes 19 works by children from different parts of Montenegro — literary pieces by the youngest authors, who expressed in a direct and sincere way the values of coexistence among people who differ in origin, customs, religion, character, and interests.

The publication of the collection was made possible by the Bijelo Polje Cultural Centre, while the Municipal Assembly of Bijelo Polje supported its promotion, as well as the children’s arrival and gathering in Bijelo Polje.

The promotion was addressed by Tea Gorjanc Prelević, Executive Director of the NGO Human Rights Action; Edin Smailović, Director of the Bijelo Polje Cultural Centre; and Selma Omerović, President of the Municipal Assembly of Bijelo Polje. The festive atmosphere was enriched by readings of the award-winning works by authors from Bijelo Polje.

Gorjanc Prelević thanked the Bijelo Polje Cultural Centre for publishing the collection and for supporting children’s voices in gaining a lasting form and reaching a wider audience. “We announced a competition, and we received hope. The children showed a sincere desire for unity based on respect for human dignity and diversity in our country,” she emphasized. She also gave special thanks to the Municipal Assembly of Bijelo Polje, which enabled children from different towns in Montenegro to attend the promotion — an opportunity for young authors to meet, exchange experiences, and strengthen the connections established through their participation in the competition. She especially thanked Selma Omerović, President of the Municipal Assembly of Bijelo Polje, for taking part in the promotion of the collection and for setting an example for girls that their voices should be heard and that they should take part in public affairs.

Edin Smailović, Director of the Cultural Centre, said: “The child that lives in every person is surely the most sincere and purest part of the soul. That is precisely why this collection is not only a beautiful book — it is also a message and a lesson to all of us that differences exist so that we may get to know one another, and so that this garden of ours called Montenegro may be more colorful and more beautiful.”

Selma Omerović, President of the Municipal Assembly of Bijelo Polje, said: “The world always remains with the youngest. Young people are our future, and the adult world has a duty both to listen to them and to give them an opportunity. But also to learn from them. I am impressed by the children’s works in this collection, and I am especially glad that they understand very well that the beauty of this world lies in diversity.”

Human Rights Action and the Bijelo Polje Cultural Centre will strive to deliver copies of this collection to the libraries of all primary schools in Montenegro.

The competition was organized as part of the project “Living Together: Youth Reflects on Diversity and Belonging”, implemented by Human Rights Action with the financial support of the European Union and within the Reporting Diversity Network programme. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Human Rights Action and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Reporting Diversity Network programme.