About 250 Croats and their descendants gathered at the Dubrovnik association’s premises in the capital Lima for a “cocktail of unity”.
“The event was a reflection of the spirit of unity and Croatian identity,” Kuljevan told Hina.
The leadership of “Dubrovnik”, an association founded in 1906, confirmed its commitment to strengthening ties among the descendants of Croats and promoting the culture, traditions and values inherited from ancestors.
In Lima, Kuljevan presented the digital platform Naša veza – Peru (Our Connection – Peru), which contains historical documents, photographs and institutional records that testify to the presence of Croats in Peru. The platform offers descendants a modern tool for searching surnames, discovering family history, and soon the possibility of making their own family trees.
Kuljevan received the Croatian Women’s Network award in the category of Leadership and Innovation for this project.
The National Migration Office of Peru is set to soon submit official records from fifteen Provincial Council Records on Naturalization covering the period from 1866 to 1960. These archives include passports, foreigners’ files, citizenship certificates, testimonies and photographs that should reveal unknown information about the settlement of Croats in Peru.
The research and cataloging work is being carried out under the supervision of the historian and former director of the General Archives of the Nation – Peru (AGN), Jorge Ortiz. At the same time, he is preparing a book on Croatian migration to Peru, based on documents from official institutions.
The platform, available in Spanish, English and Croatian, was created based on an open-source model, with the aim of replicating it in all countries with Croatian migration, especially in Latin America. Its ultimate goal is to build a global network of interconnected digital archives that will allow descendants to track the traces of their ancestors through different countries.
“Every detail was carefully worked out in the project,” notes Kuljvan.
The Naša veza logo has been officially registered, and the terms and conditions of data protection have been drawn up with the assistance of an expert team of lawyers specializing in data protection.
“These elements guarantee that the platform meets the highest ethical and legal standards,” said the consul.
The Management Board of Dubrovnik and Kuljevan invite all descendants of Croats and all those interested in Croatian history to visit www.nasaveza-peru.com and join this initiative that connects generations, continents and memories.
Text and photo: HINA
