Vinko Stanišić, the first vice president of the Federation of Croatian Associations of Sweden and the president of HKD Jadran of Malmö, was in Zagreb to meet with CHF director Marić.
Vinko Stanišić, the first vice president of the Federation of Croatian Associations of Sweden and the president of HKD Jadran of Malmö, was in Zagreb on the 11th of December to meet CHF director Mijo Marić. Also on hand at the meeting with our guest from Sweden were CHF deputy director Ivan Tepeš, our general secretary Diana Mašala Perković, the head of the culture department Snježana Jurišić and the head of the emigrant heritage department Ljerka Galic.
The meeting focused on future cooperation with Croatian associations in Sweden, an idea that emerged in the course of the 37th Croatian culture review in Sweden, an event in which Ms Galic participated.
Also discussed at the meeting was the work and activity of Croatian associations and how to improve cooperation and develop relations with the Croatian community of Sweden.
CHF director Marić said that the Croatian Heritage Foundation is certainly open to any and all forms of cooperation in line with its possibilities, a sentiment Mr Stanišić echoed warmly.
HKD Jadran of Malmö (http://www.jadran.se/) was founded in 1976 with the objective of preserving Croatian culture, our language and customs and to pass our cultural heritage on to the descendants of Croatian immigrants in Sweden, in particular through folklore, tamburitza playing and a children’s section.
Since 1978 the Croatian community in the Kingdom of Sweden has been active through the Federation of Croatian Associations (http://hr.kroatiskariksforbundet.org/) the umbrella organisation of our community in this Scandinavian country. Today the federation gathers some twenty-three Croatian associations with a total of some four thousand members. The federation hosts an annual culture review and in this way strengthens unity and links with the Croatian homeland.
Estimates put the number of Croatians presently living in Sweden at over thirty-five thousand, including first generation immigrants and their descendants, most of which reside in Göteborg and Malmö.
By: Naida Šehović; Photos: Snježana Radoš