Open letter in support of Culture Exchange members

In last couple of months we have witnessed orchestrated negative campaign directed against the founders, volunteers and workers of Culture Exchange club from Novi Sad. Tendentiously written, sensationalistic text, published on dubious web portal Teleprompter caused an avalanche of negative reactions in public against the club and the owners. The text was republished by other media without
previous check of the claims made in the text. This caused frenzy in media and social networks followediby the threats against the club owners, which culminated inmcafe’smsmashedmwindows.
The consequence of this negative campaign is a decision of deportation of Simon Wilson, the founder of Bike Kitchen and Culture Exchange. Simon Wilson submitted all the required documents for the making of the work visa, two months before expiration of his, at the time still valid visa. The police, institutions and the lawyers had him assured all the time that the process of making work visa will go without problems, and will soon be able to start his business. But eventually he was served an eviction notice from the country within thirty days. In explanation, the police stated that the notice was issued according to the procedures prescribed by the law, even though many of them were violated.
The first and perhaps the most important procedure that was violated, is that he wasn’t provided with an official translator, which greatly contributed to mistakes made when completing documents required foritheivisa.

Simon and his wife and three kids live in Novi Sad for three years. With the group of friends from all around the world and the group of locals he started small sustainable business trying to make everything transparent and in accordance with the laws of Serbia. People gathered around the Culture Exchange made a place where citizens of Novi Sad can come and learn many languages in free courses, cleaned our city , organized a performance for the Centre for the Persons with Disabilities and the School for Roma , and they gave the opportunity for hundreds of creative people from Novi Sad to showcase their creative work. In fact, they made a space open for everyone.
This case does not concern just people gathered around Culture Exchange. For years we have
been listening stories about young people leaving our country and the necessity of creating a
strategy for making possibilities for them to return back. Since June, the institutions of this country have done nothing to stop the harassment the members of Culture Exchange have been exposed to, or made any effort to help them in their intention to become part of our society.

Vojvodinian Civic Centre invites all organizations of civic society, media, cultural institutions, activists
and individuals to stand in defense of Simon Wilson’s right to a fair treatment guaranteed
by the laws of this country. We invite you to joint reaction in order to prevent situations like this
to happen again to those who want to come and stay in Serbia, especially if they make positive
contribution to the community.

We invite you to sign this document, so we can jointly require from the state to solve this problem
caused solely by the negligence, corruption and lack of concern of the authorities to those who pay taxes and make living by honest work.

Organizations and institutions who already sign open letter in support of Culture exchange members:

  • Andrej Nosov  – reditelj
  • Asocijacija Kulturanova – Novi Sad
  • Biciklistički klub Slatina – Slatina (Hrvatska)
  • Bojan Arsenović – novinar – Beograd
  • Bojan Krivokapić – pisac – Novi Sad
  • Boris Varga – novinar i publicista
  • Centar za ljudska prava – Niš
  • Centar za održive zajednice – Novi Sad
  • Centar za promociju kulture nenasilja i ravnopravnosti Queeria, Beograd
  • Cyber Van der Last – internet aktivistkinja
  • Društveni Centar – Novi Sad
  • Elektrana – Novi Sad
  • Evropska partija Aškalija – Novi Sa
  • Free team pokret – Novi Sad
  • GO fest – Odžaci
  • Građanske inicijative – Beograd
  • Heartefact Fondacija – Beograd
  • Hey!Alliance – dizajn studio – Novi Sad
  • Hor Svetonazori – Beograd
  • Inicijativa Mladih za ljudska Prava – Beograd
  • Izdavačko preduzeće  Cenzura – Novi Sad
  • Karlovačke srednje škole – Sremski Karlovci
  • KNAP
  • Komitet pravnika za ljudska prava YUCOM – Beograd
  • KOMPAS – Kreativni omladinski centar Pančeva za borbu protiv side – Pančevo
  • Materra mesto – Novi Sad
  • Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine – Novi Sad
  • Novosadska Lezbejska Organizacija – Novi Sad
  • Novosadski edukativni centar – Novi Sad
  • Omladinska grupa Helsinškog odbora za ljudska prava – Beograd
  • Omladinski centar CK13 – Novi Sad
  • Parada ponosa – Beograd
  • Pokret za evropsku kulturnu saradnju u Vojvodini
  • Pro.Polis – centar za jačanje kulturnog imuniteta grada – Novi Sad
  • Regionalna akcija za umetnost, kulturu i unapređenje zdravlja – REACH – Beograd
  • Share foundation – Novi Sad
  • Simonida Jovanović – akademski slikar – Novi Sad
  • Šok zadruga – Novi Sad
  • Srpsko zanatlijsko pevačko društvo Neven
  • Teatar senki – Novi Sad
  • Udruženje građana Human – Odžaci
  • Udruženje građana Novosadska biciklistička inicijativa – Novi Sad
  • Udruženje građana Ulice za bicikliste – Beograd
  • Udruženje ljubitelja sitnih kućnih ljubimaca “Hrčak”
  • Udruženje mladih za društveni aktivizam – Novi Sad
  • Volonterski centar Vojvodine – Novi Sad
  • Žene sa Interneta – neformalni feninistički kolektiv
  • Žene u crnom – Beograd

Personal support to the members of Culture exchange:

  • Adela Sakal
  • Adrijana Jeremić
  • Agnes Ćurčić Asodi
  • Aida Bajazet
  • Aleksa Tomić
  • Aleksa Tomić
  • Aleksanda Lakobrija
  • Aleksandar Ačanski
  • Aleksandar Lipovan
  • Aleksandar Lipovan
  • Aleksandar Nastevski
  • Aleksandar Negovanović
  • Aleksandar Radmanović
  • Aleksandar Spasić
  • Aleksandar Zubović
  • Aleksandra Didić
  • Aleksandra Kolar
  • Aleksandra Kovačević
  • Aleksandra Lung
  • Aleksandra Marković
  • Aleksandra Mihajlović
  • Aleksandra Mihajlović
  • Aleksandra Milinović
  • Aleksandra Milošević
  • Aleksandra Radovanović
  • Aleksandra Sučić
  • Aleksandra Živanović
  • Alena Tomšik
  • Ana Galić
  • Ana Gledović
  • Ana Gledović
  • Ana Pešić
  • Ana Stevens
  • Anamaria Farago
  • Anamarija Abu el Rub
  • Anamarija Sudarov
  • Andy Stevens
  • Anita Mitić
  • Anita Sučić
  • Anja Anđelković
  • Anna Caisley
  • Astrid Edemi
  • Astrid Edemi
  • Atila Etves
  • Azra Valentić – Kikinda
  • Beg –Volovičić Marko
  • Biljana Kukić
  • Biserka Jovanović
  • Boban Magoc
  • Boban Nalić
  • Bogdan Celebić
  • Bojan Babić
  • Bojan Đorđević
  • Bojan Miletić
  • Bojan Sentivanski
  • Bojan Stevin
  • Bojan Suvačarev
  • Bojana Bodroža
  • Bojana Jovanović
  • Bojana Kukulj
  • Bojana Milosavić
  • Bojana Radojčić
  • Bojana Suvačarev
  • Boris Dimitrijević
  • Boris Malinović
  • Boris Varga novinar I publicist
  • Borislav Bućan
  • Borko Drljača
  • Božidar Milošević
  • Branislav Lalović
  • Branislava Simonović
  • Branka Nieuwenhuijsen
  • Branka Nikodijević
  • Branka Vasić
  • Branko Cvetićanin
  • Branko Vojtečki
  • Budimir Živković
  • Dalibor Mergel
  • Damir Bohucki
  • Damjana Vujović
  • Danica Jevđović
  • Danica Leđenac
  • Daniel Zovko
  • Daniela Prokić Manojlović
  • Daniela Štrbac
  • Danijel Šivinjski
  • Danijela Dončić
  • Danijela Ristić
  • Danijela Šakota
  • Danilo Ćalić
  • Darinka Nikolić
  • Darjan Lukić
  • Darko Ivančević
  • Darko Radovac
  • David Aničić
  • David Đukić
  • David Gažo
  • David Mandić
  • Davor Štefanović
  • Dea Dolašević
  • Dejan Kostadinović
  • Dejan M Solak
  • Dejan Poljvaš
  • Dejan Sojsaljević
  • Dejana Ristić
  • Dejana Vranješ
  • Deki Kidd
  • Desanka Damjanović
  • Dinko Gruhonjić
  • Dobrila Staletović
  • Dobrila Stevanović
  • Dora Milanovič
  • Đorđe Aleksić
  • Đorđe Skakun
  • Doroteja Balaban
  • Dragan Babić
  • Dragan Božanić
  • Dragan Drlačić
  • Dragan Miškov
  • Dragana Kalember
  • Dragana Lassiter
  • Dragana Medić
  • Dragana Popić
  • Dragica Jovišević
  • Dunja Cobb
  • Dunja Cobb
  • Dunja Dačić
  • Dunja Ibročić
  • Dunja Kovačević
  • Dunja Rakić
  • Đurđa Đukić
  • Dušan Hraničak
  • Dušan Kovačević
  • Dušan Ković
  • DUšan LEtić
  • Dušan Stefanović
  • Dušanka Nikolić Radošević
  • Dušica Beriša
  • Dušica Petković
  • Dušica Popović
  • Duško Stamenić
  • Elisabeth Benninger
  • Elizabeth Salmore
  • Emilija Mitrović
  • Emilija Mitrović
  • Emoke Csernus – Novi Sad
  • Endre Vass
  • Evan Miliano
  • Filip Fipke
  • Galja Tomcanji
  • Goran Andrić
  • Goran Andrić
  • Goran Ćetković
  • Görán Drágoszavlyevics
  • Goran Vidaić
  • Goran Zdravković
  • Gordan Jarić
  • Gordana Georgijević
  • Gordana Podovac
  • Gordana Ranđić
  • Gorica Radmilović
  • Hunyadi Tünde
  • Ibis Ćerimagić
  • Ibis Ćerimagić
  • Ibolja Temešberger
  • Igor Alban Chevalier
  • Igor Brkić
  • Igor Drašković
  • Igor Kranjčec
  • Igor Krivokapić
  • Igor Makarić
  • Igor Plužnikov
  • Igor Prćić
  • Igor Vranić
  • Igor Zorić
  • Irena Bošković
  • Istvan Molnar
  • Ivan Budaić
  • Ivan Čkonjević
  • Ivan Đurić
  • Ivan Kačavenda
  • Ivan Lovre
  • Ivan Mađarević
  • Ivan Milutinov
  • Ivan Milutinov
  • Ivan Varnju
  • Ivana Cvejin
  • Ivana Cvijanović
  • Ivana Filipović
  • Ivana Horvat
  • Ivana Janjić
  • Ivana Keveždi
  • Ivana Kolarić
  • Ivana Korać
  • Ivana Kuzevska
  • Ivana Miklosi
  • Ivana Purtić
  • Ivana Radin
  • Ivana Radmanovac
  • Ivana Radun
  • Ivana Rakić
  • Ivana Vozar
  • Jakša Pudar
  • Jan Kohler
  • Jasmina Bošković
  • Jasmina Jovanov
  • Jasmina Lazović
  • Jasmina Mitrović
  • Jasmina Starčević
  • Jasna Jokić
  • Jasna Žugić
  • Jelena Aleksić
  • Jelena Basarić
  • Jelena Blagojev
  • Jelena Bročilović
  • Jelena Čekerevac
  • Jelena Dukarić
  • Jelena Gusić
  • Jelena H Božić
  • Jelena Ivanović
  • Jelena Jezdović
  • Jelena Lazić
  • Jelena Mišković
  • Jelena Petrov
  • Jelena Petrović
  • Jelena Polovina
  • Jelena Poučki – Helena
  • Jelena Savić
  • Jelena Simović
  • Jelena Umićević
  • Jelena Vukojević
  • Jelena Zdravković
  • Jovan Crnomarković
  • Jovan Reljin
  • Jovan Špira Obradović
  • Jovana Brzić
  • Jovana Cvetićanin
  • Jovana Dragaš
  • Jovana Dragaš
  • Jovana Joksimović
  • Jovana Kolarić
  • Jovana Kolarić
  • Jovana Kovačević
  • Jovana Milinović
  • Jovana Svirac
  • Jovana Vučetić
  • Jovana Vukotić
  • Judit Szigeti
  • Kaća Todorović Krković
  • Kalina Simić
  • Karlo Baran
  • Karolina Urban
  • Kasza Csongor
  • Katrin Stupavski
  • Kimberly Joseph
  • Kornelija Ceran
  • Kovács Boglárka
  • Kristian Leinad
  • Kristijan Hekelj
  • Kristina Koprivsek
  • Kristina Penov
  • Krisztina Szűcs
  • Ksenija Dražić
  • Lea Bodor
  • Leila Šeper
  • Lidia Teleki
  • Lidija Salipur
  • Lidija Stanković
  • Lisan Assen – Groningen
  • Ljiljana Orlandić
  • Ljuba Vujčić
  • Ljubica Nikolić
  • Lucy Reeves
  • Luka Jovanović
  • Luka Knežević Strika
  • Luka Major
  • Luka Radovanović
  • Luka Šolaja
  • Magdalena Kizior
  • Maja Alvanović
  • Maja Janka Skelić
  • Maja Mićić
  • Maja Savić
  • Maja Stojanović
  • Maja Tomić
  • Maja Verzotti
  • Majda Vojniković
  • Major Tamas
  • Major Zoltan
  • Manja Milivojević
  • Marianne Edery
  • Marija Gajić
  • Marija Gungor
  • Marija Hladni
  • Marija Ivošević
  • Marija Jovanović
  • Marija Kovački
  • Marija Radoš
  • Marija Veselinović
  • Marija Župunski
  • Marijana Đaković
  • Marijana Petrović
  • Marijana Ranisavljević
  • Marijana Veliki Majstorović
  • Marina Andrin
  • Marina Bednarik
  • Marina Boškić
  • Marina Kaurin
  • Marina Popsavin
  • Marius Andrici
  • Marko Alavanja
  • Marko Bumbić
  • Marko Dabetić
  • Marko Đuričić
  • Marko Kosanović
  • Marko Popov
  • Marko Razumenić
  • Marko Ružić
  • Marko Savić
  • Marko Stankov
  • Marko Trifković
  • Marko Vulinović
  • Marton Maćaš
  • Maša Milutinović
  • Matej Akrep
  • Mihailo Ostojić
  • Mihajlo Bešker
  • Miki Bukinac
  • Milan Babić
  • Milan Kovačević
  • Milan Milojković
  • Milan Nikolić
  • Milana Malenić
  • Milana Tomin
  • Milena Bulatović – Šijački
  • Milena Ćuk
  • Milena Gatarić
  • Milena Jelić
  • Milena Kojadinović
  • Milenko Malinović
  • Milica Andrić
  • Milica Knežević
  • Milica Kravić
  • Milica Milović
  • Milica Miražić
  • Milica Radaković
  • Milica Reljin
  • Milica Stanisavljević
  • Milica Stojšić
  • Milica Svirac
  • Miljan Milekić
  • Miljana Parčetić
  • Miljana Vinokić
  • Milorad Nenadić
  • Miloš Armus
  • Miloš Basara
  • Miloš Beronja
  • Miloš Blažin
  • Miloš Kajtez
  • Miloš Kovačević
  • Miloš Nišić
  • Miloš Prelević
  • Miloš Radić
  • Miloš Stanković
  • Miloš Stefanović
  • Miloš Stojadinović
  • Mima Gavrilov
  • Mina Kecman
  • Mina Petrić
  • Minja Lepar
  • Miodrag Gavranov
  • Mira Zrnić
  • Mirela Kuč
  • Mirjana Dervišević
  • Mirjana Petković
  • Mirko Žarković
  • Mirna Laković
  • Miroslav Dimitrijević
  • Miroslav Keveždi
  • Mladen Bajšić
  • Mladen Dinić
  • Mladen Marjanović
  • Monika Husar
  • Monika Sigeti
  • Nađa Duhaček
  • Nađa Jovanović
  • Nada Kliska
  • Nada Margeta
  • Nada Matković
  • Nađa Milivojev
  • Nastasja Šajtoš
  • Natalija Davidović
  • Natalija Lazović
  • Natalija Pajkert
  • Nataša Lenđel
  • Nataša Stojanović
  • Nebojša Petrović
  • Nebojša Vlaškalić
  • Nemanja Aćimović
  • Nemanja Glumac
  • Nemanja Jovanović
  • Nemanja Knežević
  • Nemanja Koljanić
  • Nemanja Nikolin
  • Nemanja Vuković
  • Nenad Jovanović
  • Nenad Pekez
  • Niels Jordaan
  • Nikola Herman
  • Nikola Jovanović
  • Nikola Krušić
  • Nikola Milinković
  • Nikola Pavić
  • Nikola Petrović
  • Nikola Stevanović Perčević
  • Nikolaus Fennes
  • Nikolina Đurić
  • Nina Kurteš
  • Nina Ristić
  • Norbert Šinković
  • Nuša Babić
  • Olga Cerović
  • Olgica Balaban
  • Olivera Kapriš
  • Olivera Milkov
  • Olivera Soro
  • Olivera Tomin
  • Olivia Solis
  • Orošnjak Vanja
  • Pavle Boban
  • Pavle Ilić
  • Pero Đukić
  • Petar Bursać
  • Petar Kostić
  • Petar Krajnc
  • Peter Somos
  • Peter Somos
  • Philip Strutt
  • Predrag Bokšić
  • Predrag Filipović
  • Predrag Nikolić
  • Predrag Zarić
  • Radenko Atanacković
  • Radmilo Popivoda
  • Radoš Kovačević
  • Radoslava Ristić
  • Ratko Hadži Karadžić
  • Reda Vyšniauskienė – Vilnius
  • Robert Džudžar
  • Robert Stevans
  • Robert Stevens
  • Sak Majdik
  • Sandra Filko
  • Sandra Grozdanić
  • Sandra Vilovski – Anjoli
  • Sanja Cebalović
  • Sanja Milutinović
  • Sanja Nikolić
  • Sanja Ristović
  • Sara Havzi
  • Sara Subanović
  • Sarolta Rajsli
  • Saša Dević
  • Saša Grahovac
  • Sava Jokić
  • Savannah Kniebel
  • Savannah Kniebel
  • Silvia Likavec
  • Simonida Jovanović – akademski slikar – Novi Sad
  • Siniša Cincar
  • Siniša Hadži – Antić
  • Siniša Stojiljković
  • Slađana Karan
  • Slađana Sadžakov
  • Slavko Dervišević
  • Slobodan Šušnjević
  • Snežana Đuričić
  • Snežana Ilić
  • Sofija Đurković
  • Sofija Maletić
  • Sofija Merc
  • Sofija Pavlović
  • Sofija Vujaklija
  • Sonja Čuturilo
  • Sonja Lukić
  • Sonja Pejić
  • Srđan Toljagić
  • Srđan Žiža
  • Stefan Ćirić
  • Stefan Čubrlio
  • Stefan Potkonjak
  • Strahinja Serbula
  • Strahinja Sudarov
  • Suzana Jusufović
  • Svetlana Backalić
  • Svetlana Kebić
  • Svetlana Popov
  • Svetlana Tanurdžić
  • Svjetlana Nikitović
  • Szilvia Dudas
  • Tamara Bogdanović
  • Tamara Broćić
  • Tamara Čubrilo
  • Tamara Kaliterna
  • Tamara Zablocki
  • Tanja Jovanović
  • Tara Đorić
  • Tatjana Đuričić
  • Tatjana Karg
  • Tatjana Petrović
  • Tatjana Petrović
  • Tatjana Petrović
  • Tena Rak
  • Teodor Šćepanović
  • Tihomir Leka
  • Tihomir Živković
  • Tijana Bajić
  • Tijana Ćuk
  • Tijana Dragas
  • Tijana Jurišić
  • Tijana Radnov
  • Tijana Savić
  • Tijana Stanković
  • Tijana Vujanac
  • Tomislav Bukatarević
  • Toni Bodonji
  • Una Galečić
  • Uroš Radenković
  • Uroš Radujkov
  • Uroš Stanisavljević
  • Valentina Božović
  • Vanja Lebović
  • Vanja Stanojević
  • Varga Mátyás
  • Vasko Lukinić
  • Vedran Dolašević
  • Velimir Mutuc
  • Vera Vasiljević
  • Vesna Perović
  • Vesna Stanković
  • Vesna Stevanov
  • Vesna Tomić
  • Vicsek Annamaria
  • Victoria Maghanoy Wilson
  • Violeta Radović
  • Višnja Nežić
  • Vlada Jeremić
  • Vladimir Cvijetićanin
  • Vladimir Obradović
  • Vladimir Radišić
  • Vladislava Bogatinovska
  • Vladislava Keravica
  • Vojin Jovičić
  • Vojislav Martinov
  • Vojislav Vidović
  • Vuk Vukmirović
  • Vukašin Zlatek
  • Žare Karanović
  • Zdenka Dunđerski
  • Zdenka Dunđerski
  • Željko Kuvizić
  • Željko Manojlović
  • Željko Popov
  • Željko Stanetić
  • Zlatan Zakić
  • Zora Dolašević
  • Zora Dolašević
  • Zoran Zrnić
  • Zvjezdana Puškara

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