ZAGREB, 5 July 2022 - The Solidarna Foundation, the Parents in Action (RODA) association, and the Centre for Education, Counselling and Research (CESI) organized a protest rally in Zagreb on Monday evening to demonstrate their opposition to attempts to deny women their rights.

The protest was held out of solidarity with women in the United States, where the Supreme Court has abolished the constitutional protection of the right to pregnancy termination, devolving the issue to federal states, the organizers said.

"This is our common struggle. Whenever there is a regression of women's rights in one country, it spills over to other countries. It is our duty to stand in solidarity and resist the forces seeking to deny women their rights," said Sanja Cesar of the CESI.

 Although constitutional experts say that there cannot be a total ban on abortion in Croatia, Cesar noted that Croatian women still cannot rest easy on this issue, despite the law which she described as liberal.

"For thirty years we have witnessed information being withheld, manipulation, a large number of gynecologists invoking conscientious objection, the cost of an abortion reaching a monthly salary. We can see the highest authorities and the Catholic Church colluding in exerting pressure on women," Cesar said.

The protest rally was held on US Independence Day and was called Women's Independence Day.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 16 March 2022 - The Solidarna Foundation on Wednesday reported that it has set up a fund to help refugees fleeing Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion of that country, particularly women and children who have found refuge in Croatia.

The foundation will follow the crisis and use the fund to respond to the needs of refugees and their families in Croatia. It will conduct activities in coordination with civil society groups and public bodies to provide short-term assistance and support as well as long-term support for the refugees.

"That includes an open channel for emergency support to families and field workers in ensuring emergency accommodation, support to humanitarian organisations and coordination with public bodies and NGOs, as well as 'mapping' needs to develop instruments of fast financial support," the foundation said. 

Long-term support includes organising education for refugees, tending to their psycho-social needs and legal support.

More information on how to make a donation is available on the foundation's website.

Politics: For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - The Solidarna foundation for human rights and solidarity said on Thursday that its Fund 5.5. had raised over HRK 17 million (€2.3m) to help 1,200 families in Sisak-Moslavina County worst affected by last year's earthquake.

Over 1,000 families have been granted financial aid and some have been provided with accommodation and assistance in repairing their damaged homes and properties. The Fund 5.5 has invested an additional million kuna in the development of local communities in the earthquake- and poverty-affected area, the foundation said in a press release. 

The HRK 17 million was raised from 27,614 individuals and 637 companies from all over the world.

Karla Pudar, a coordinator at the Fund 5.5, said that this foundation, working with several humanitarian associations, has launched projects for the construction of wooden houses and earthquake-resistant prefab houses as well as the reconstruction of facilities for the livestock.

The foundation also helped 133 families to rebuild their homes.

An additional HRK 10 million has been given to local development projects involving local winemakers, honey producers, family-run farms, and associations of disabled persons.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

For more on politics, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 30, 2021 - If you want to learn more about navigating fake news and contributing to the battle against misinformation, you might want to apply for the Digital Activism Solidarity School in Kaštel Kambelovac. Here's how you can apply by September 10, 2021.

Summer education programmes aren't unusual in Croatia, as TCN reported earlier in May, the five-day Summer Business School organised by Step-Ri Science-Technology Park and the American Embassy in Croatia in June attracted business enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to Rijeka to learn more about the field.

In the final rays of summer 2021, from September 24-26, another education programme will bring its students to learn in the cozy Mediterranean environment of Kaštel Kambelovac. The Digital Summer School, organised by the SOLIDARNA Foundation, aims to promote digital and media literacy to combat the spread of fake news and misinformation.  

As the SOLIDARNA Foundation website states, the three-day workshop will teach the participants to recognise and fact-check fake news. It will also teach people to actively participate in content produced on social media, creating and launching a content alternative to fake news. Finally, the participants will also learn how to use satire in the promotion of human rights and how to communicate their values effectively.

''This workshop is intended for students, socially active individuals and to everyone else under 30 years of age who are interested in manufacturing digital content promoting human rights and fighting against fake news,'' says the public call on the website.

Experts from both Croatia and the wider region will share their knowledge on the subject. The experts include Tijana Cvjetićanin, a journalist at the Bosnian fact-checking site Raskrinkavanje.ba, Emina Bošnjak, executive director of the Sarajevo Open Centre (SOC), Borna Sor, a Croatian satirist (no stranger to TCN) and digital communication expert, Luka Kerečin.

Participation in the workshop is free, with both secured transport, accommodation, and food, but with a limited amount of places. Participants need to bring a laptop with them. Those who want to apply need to send a brief motivation letter about their interests and their past aexperience in activism toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by September 10, midnight at the latest. The title of the mail must be “DIGITAL YOUTH ACTIVISM” and for all additional questions, you can send an inquiry to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Founded back at the end of 2015 and guided by the teachings of Eleanor Roosevelt, the SOLIDARNA Foundation says it wants to return human rights home ''to the hearts, minds, and lives of ordinary people.''

''The SOLIDARNA Foundation for Human Rights and Solidarity creates new opportunities for all citizens to act in solidarity, in our common effort to protect human rights and meet fundamental human needs, reduce inequalities and expand freedoms in all spheres of society,'' explains SOLIDARNA on its website.

With digital nomads and the digital industry being a more and more recognisable source of income and business in the country, digital literacy and being able to differentiate between facts and lies on the internet is ever more important.

Learn more about digital nomads with our TC guide.

For more about education in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.