Montenegro.com continues the series of Interviews with personalities from the diaspora. Our desire is to provide the public with first-hand information about people, organizations, events, problems and everything related to the life of our diaspora. Also, our goal is for everyone, everyone's voice and opinion to be heard. That is why we invite those with whom we are not in direct contact to contact us. We don't want anyone to be left out! We also invite you to send us contributions from celebrations, celebrations, visits, parties and other events, to participate in the creation of this section dedicated to all expats wherever you are, whoever you are and however you think or feel. Interview of the week: Vesko Karadžić Webmaster

and public relations director of the Montenegrin Society of British Columbia Vesko Karadžić, the late Branko Milonjić, Nerkeza Anđelić, Zoran Bulatović, Ilija Milačić Montenegro.com: Mr. Karadžić, first of all, we thank you for taking the time for this conversation. As you know, www.Montenegro.com has been following and helping the organization of our diaspora with a special emphasis on North and South America since its foundation. Our website used to provide free web services to all associations in the USA and Canada. Since then, many things have changed both in the diaspora and in Montenegro. What do you think are the best and most concrete ways to raise the level of cooperation with the home country? Vesko Karadzic: Thank you for giving me the chance to express my opinion on your very popular website among Montenegrin expatriates. In order to achieve closer and better cooperation with our parent country, a lot needs to be done in terms of organizing the local diaspora organizations themselves. Secondly, as soon as such a solid and stable organization is created, only then should we move on to the work of establishing contacts with Montenegrin institutions and work on possible projects. It shouldn't be the other way around, because this leads to a situation where when a certain business with our mother is started, there is either no time, no one to carry it out, or no funds, etc. Therefore, the house should be built from the foundation, not from the roof. First, let's consolidate and strengthen our local organizations, collect funds, and only then move on to further projects. Montenegro.com: Tell us more about your newly formed organization Montenegrin Society of British Columbia. What are your plans for the future and connections with other organizations in the world and in Montenegro? Vesko Karadžić: Our local society was founded 7 months ago, and 3 weeks ago we had the first gathering of Montenegrin emigrants in Vancouver. In order to make such a gathering, which can be seen on , it took us a full 11 months, during which we Vancouver expats talked and figured out the best way to come to a common matrix around plans for organizing and organizing gatherings. Our society has plans to organize in a different way than other societies and associations in North America have organized. We have taken into account all the advantages and disadvantages of other societies and created a unique formula on this continent that we want to use to make our society really great. This would allow them to work on cooperation projects with our parent company in a much better way. Because only the mass and motivation of the membership can implement large projects such as the construction of our Montenegrin Orthodox Church, Montenegrin cultural center or something else. In order to achieve mass, we created a multi-ethnic Montenegrin society that includes all nations from Montenegro without exception: Montenegrins, Serbs, Muslims, Bosniaks, Albanians, Croats and others. Therefore, Montenegrins of Serbian origin, Serb-Montenegrins, Montenegrin Serbs, Montenegrins against independence, and people who are lost in time and space, and people who sit on two chairs and don't know which way to lean. We are here as an authentic Montenegrin society to help them decide and sit on our Montenegrin chair. In order to achieve this, we must be as flexible as possible and not make political gatherings that would dissuade them from joining. It is enough for them to come to our gatherings where there is tolerance and respect for other nations and opinions, by which we influence them to understand that the future free and independent Montenegro can function in that way. So by accepting multiculturalism and tolerance towards other peoples, one counterbalances the indoctrination of the Serbian Orthodox Church about one nation, one state and one leader. When it comes to the national and state status of our people, a change in consciousness among some Montenegrin emigrants cannot happen overnight, or even in a few years.It is a process that is much slower than the one in Montenegro, because most of our emigrants of the older generation rarely read and are mostly poorly informed about everything that happens in Montenegro. They mostly rely on word of mouth information from other people and blindly trust them and as a result they are manipulated by Serbian pops in the diaspora which leads to their defection to the Serbian nation. Among the younger Montenegrin emigration, the national consciousness is much more clearly expressed, and among them there is a majority of those who are aware of all the tricks imposed on us by official Serbian politics and the church. Our Montenegrin Society of British Columbia cooperates with all those Montenegrin societies and associations in North America that work seriously and professionally and have honest intentions, namely the Montenegrin Association of America by Blaž Sredanović and the Montenegrin Association from Toronto by Voj Rašović. We also have very fair relations with the Australian association of Misko Mandić. Montenegro.com: What is the situation among our emigrants in Canada today, what are the plans, is there a possibility in the foreseeable future of unifying the existing emigrant organizations on the territory of Canada? Vesko Karadžić: As soon as we formed the first Montenegrin society in Vancouver this summer, we started discussions with leading Montenegrin emigrants from other Canadian provinces. In those talks, there was a will and desire to create a Canadian-Montenegro association. However, that enthusiasm was short-lived. Gentlemen, our compatriots from those other Canadian provinces suddenly changed their plans and their list of priorities did not include the idea of ​​even an informal and loose unification of all Canadian organizations. What is certain is that we need to inject new blood among our emigrants in the east of Canada, where the vast majority of Canadian Montenegrins live. There are some indications that younger expats are taking the lead and that something is finally being done. I really don't know when the Canadian Montenegrin emigrants will be united, but I assume that it will take maybe a few more years to establish and consolidate organizations on both Canadian shores. Montenegro.com: What is your opinion on the relations between organizations on the North American continent, is there still a strong desire to strengthen ties with Montenegro and connect with each other, regardless of the many differences in views that exist quite normally? Vesko Karadžić: The relations between our organizations on this continent are generally correct. We exchange information, books, magazines with which we spread the truth about everything that is happening in our old homeland. Without sincere and normal cooperation, not even a sand tower can be built, let alone something much bigger and more complicated. In any job, including this one, mutual trust and respect play the most important role in joint performances and projects. Because there are very few of us Montenegrin emigrants. We are condemned to be united and united, and we strive for that. An exception is made by one organization called the Montenegrin Association of America and Canada. They are going against the North American system because they are basically disillusioned with the fact that they have to fit into the system like all non-profits on this soil do. They didn't do even 10% of what they had to do and should have done. They sleep in a winter sleep 363 days a year, then wake up to eat and drink at some kind of meetings, which again falsely represent that they are meetings of Montenegrins of America and Canada, and they do not have a single member from our country. And 15-20 people come to that "American-Canadian" meeting, almost twice as many as came to the recent meeting of our local society in Vancouver. However, such an organization will not stand the test of time and I predict that it will shut down by itself within 1-2 years. Their indolence, irresponsibility, frivolity and incompetence in that business are their own judge.Montenegro.com: Many people in Montenegro, and unfortunately there are such people in some important positions in the state administration, neglect the development of relations with the diaspora. Of course, on the other hand, many positive examples can be found. What is your view and experience with this? Vesko Karadžić: Our organization has no personal negative experience with Montenegrin institutions and individuals from Montenegro. Our positive experience is related to the Center for expatriates of Montenegro, which was formed for this purpose. If someone from an important position in Montenegro neglects contacts with our diaspora, then it is not so alarming. There should be official institutions that, like the Center for Emigrants, should be closely specialized in cooperation with the diaspora. Cultural manifestations should also be organized in this area, which would attract many of our emigrants to finally leave the Serbian church and turn to the heritage of our Montenegrin culture. But for all that, you need funds, which are often not easy to get. I fully understand that now is not the best time for the Montenegrin government to finance such projects that will not have a return result in the referendum, but only in the long term. They are most likely now focused on the positive outcome of the referendum, which of course all of us Montenegrins want from the bottom of our hearts, and right now they don't even have time to spend on something that is not at the top of their list. We hope that when our country finally gets its independence, we will be able to organize ourselves with cooler heads and they and we here. We expect a large influx of membership after the international recognition of our country, because we have the impression that many of our Montenegrins are hesitant and will not join because they are waiting for the outcome of the referendum. I am an optimist on this matter. Montenegro.com: How do you like the new concept of our site and what is your view on the role that Montenegro.com played in the late nineties and the beginning of the new century? Vesko Karadžić: I really like your website. It is a multipurpose site: to rest your eyes on it while looking at the natural beauty of our old homeland, to read news, articles, order books, etc. I also like that your site is multi-lingual, ie. communicates in several languages, which gives it added value. I fully agree with that concept because we have to approach people who have our origin even though they don't know our language. There are many of them who would like to learn more about our country and join our diaspora organizations. And why not communicate in a language they understand because of such people. This is how other diaspora organizations of other nations work, so why not us. I know the role that montenegro.com played during the nineties until a few years ago. Personally, I express deep respect primarily for your courage that you displayed during those years. It was certainly not easy to deal with all those obligations to regularly respond to the requests of its visitors. Our society from Vancouver wholeheartedly supports you and wishes you success in your work and I hope that we North American organizers will meet one day all together to celebrate the international recognition of our country. Montenegro.com: Tell us a little more about yourself, what is your profession, hobby and are you planning to come to Montenegro soon? Vesko Karadžić: I am a Geologist by profession. I worked at the Republic Institute for Geological Research in Podgorica and immigrated to Vancouver in 1997. I am married and have two children. Initially when I arrived in Vancouver I worked at the University of British Columbia on a geostatistical project for the calculation of mineral reserves. After the end of the project, I graduated from a college for software development, which improved my qualifications and thus gained experience in creating internet applications, which helped me build the first website of Montenegrin expats in Canada. Last year I worked on a geological gold prospecting project in Nevada. Now I almost started working for the international company HATCH as a Geologist-Programmer-Geostatisticar.My hobby is sports, i.e. basketball, swimming, then the so-called "public speaking" or speaking in front of a group, creating and modifying websites, public relations. I am planning to come to Montenegro in the fall of this year when I will take the opportunity to visit our old capital Cetinje once again. Of course, I will not bypass you, nor the other people and institutions with whom I have been in contact all these years. Montenegro.com Thanks again for the conversation. Next week Interview with Mr. Jorge Luis Machado from Hoover Library - Stanford University California. Apartments in Montenegro