SLIKA UDRUŽENJA – UGIP

PICTURE OF THE ASSOCIATION

Although the arrival of Italians in Tuzla dates back more than 140 years, until 1993, Italians were not organized into an association, society or any other form of organized gathering of citizens. They did not organize themselves to work to protect the cultural heritage of the areas from which they came, or to protect their own rights, unlike the Germans who had their own national society founded in Tuzla in 1911, and the Jews had three societies founded in 1902 and 1911.

The association of Italians in the area of Tuzla and its surroundings took place in three phases that existed without interruption in the activities of the association. In different stages of activity, the association had a variable level of activity, number of members and presence in the public.

FIRST PHASE OF THE ASSOCIATION

The first phase lasted from the founding of the association in 1993 until 2000, when the association was called the "Association of Citizens of Italian Origin and Friends of Italy" in Tuzla, whose president was Brano Mott. The founding assembly was held on May 8, 1993, in the Congress Hall of the Tuzla Hotel. The first decision on registration was issued by the Court in Tuzla on May 21, 1993. In the first phase, the basis of the association's activities was the distribution of humanitarian aid coming from Italy to members of the Italian community in Tuzla. The first headquarters of the association was in the house of Stella Savičić Mott, and the photo shows the location of the association in 2022, where Jakov Mott is standing in front of the house.

SECOND PHASE OF THE ASSOCIATION

In the period from October 1999 to April 2001, preparations were made for the re-registration of the association "Association of Citizens of Italian Origin and Friends of Italy" in Tuzla. The founding assembly was held in the classroom of the primary school in Miladije on 11.4.2001, and 36 members were present. Support for the establishment of the new association was also given by Rino Zandonai, then director of the association Trentini nel mondo (Trentinians of the World), which is based in Trento, Italy. The persons responsible for presenting and representing the association in the management structure were Karlo Segat, president of the association, Gordana Segat, deputy president, Zdenko Gardaš, secretary of the association, Josip Montibeller, president of the board of directors, Vlado Zamboni, member, Ivica Segat, member and Petar Simala, member. The Decision of the Ministry of Justice and Administration approved the registration of the CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION "TRENTINI" from Tuzla, where the Association is legally represented by Karlo Segat, President of the Association, and Josip Montibeller, Member of the Board of Directors. The Association was officially formed, and became a legal entity, on September 25, 2001.

In the second phase, the Association provided premises for work in the Kreka Local Community, in Miladije, which were renovated and adapted to the needs of the Association. The renovation and furnishing of the premises was financed by the Trentini nel mondo association. The opening ceremony of the renovated premises of the Association was held on 12.4.2003. at 12 o'clock in the presence of numerous guests from Italy and Tuzla. The Association - Club Trentina started the Solidarity Fund program (a program of financial assistance for Trentino residents in social need) which is still current today. Italian language courses were organized, closer cooperation with the Trentini nel mondo association began, youth exchanges began, visits to Štivor were established, and the first library of Italian literature was formed.

THIRD PHASE OF THE ASSOCIATION

The third phase of the association's activities is from 2010 to the present. In the third phase, the name of the association was changed to the Association of Citizens of Italian Origin "Rino Zandonai" Tuzla, and Tihomir Knežiček was elected president. The electoral assembly was held on 16.3.2008. in the Blue Hall of the Bosnian Cultural Center of the Tuzla Canton, and the Decision on the changed registration was made on 20.9.2010. In the third phase of its activities, the association changed its name so that all members of the Tuzla Italian community could equally be members of the association, but also participate in the governing bodies of the association and the activities that the association implements. In the third phase, the association positioned itself through its activities as one of the most important civil society organizations in Tuzla, has significant representation at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has maintained its reputation to this day.

The Solidarity Fund program for members in social need continued, members of the association participated in trainings and seminars, and quality cooperation was established with the Trentini nel mondo association, associations of Italians in Sarajevo, Štivor and Banja Luka, civil society organizations in Tuzla and BiH, the media, the private sector, international organizations and local institutions. The association, according to its legal orientation and the mission it performs, has never been involved in any form of political activity, nor has it represented the interests of any political option in Tuzla. In terms of financial sustainability, the association operates in accordance with the legal regulations for financial operations, has never had a negative balance, pays all tax policy obligations, and finances its activities through the implementation of project activities and a smaller part of the membership fees paid by members of the association. The association has had an active website since 2012, organizes important gatherings attended by officials from BiH, Tuzla Canton, Tuzla, and the Autonomous Province of Trento, has a fruitful publishing activity, organizes events, the most important of which is the Day of Italian Cuisine in Tuzla, which has been implemented every year since 2010. The association applies to public calls and annually, on average, implements 3-5 project activities, but also a significant number of activities that are not planned as projects. The president of the association was the Chairman of the Council of National Minorities of BiH for 6 years, and close cooperation has been established with national minority associations operating in BiH, especially in Tuzla. It organizes exhibitions, literary meetings, international conferences, celebrates the Day of the Republic of Italy, organizes film screenings, and participates in other ways in events in Tuzla and BiH. For more than a decade, he regularly participates in EZA seminars organized by Trentini nel mondo, attends meetings of European clubs of Trentino, publishes articles in Trentini nel mondo magazine and permanently builds a positive image among the members of the association, in the local community, and internationally.