To create a world in which people can live freely wherever they wish and where all their rights and diversities are respected.
Group 484 promotes the values of equity and tolerance. We believe that people of diverse origins and aspirations living together enrich the life in mixed communities. We recognize ourselves as belonging to the value-system of civil society. We work together with others, especially the youth of this country, to empower people to take initiative and fully participate in creating democratic society where rights and diversities are respected.
HISTORY OF GROUP 484
Group 484 is a nongovernmental organization, founded in 1995 by Jelena Šantic, a renowned ballet artist and well-known peace activist, with aim to provide humanitarian, legal and psychosocial help to a large number of refugees who were arriving to Serbia. Our first project was providing humanitarian, legal and psychosocial help to 484 refugee families from Croatia. As a result of this first project, the organization became known as Group 484.
Today, Group 484 has 25 members and 4 volunteers, who implement 13 projects funded by 7 donors. In addition, our organization has 200 associates in 42 municipalities of Serbia working in the youth program (development of civil society).
Our first projects were directed towards urgent humanitarian assistance. Soon after arriving to Serbia, members of Group 484 – refugees themselves, started working in programs, showing by their own example that self-activation and advocacy represent only sustainable solution to refugee problems. In February 1996 we assisted several thousand families in Serbia and Eastern Slavonia through distribution of food, hygiene products, blankets, linen, clothes, and school kits. We also cooperated closely with Croatian NGOs and contributed to establishing the first Centre for Human Rights in Vukovar, Croatia.
Our first projects were directed towards urgent humanitarian assistance. In February 1996 we helped several thousand families in Serbia and Eastern Slavonia by providing them with packages of food, hygiene products, blankets, linen, clothes, and school kits.
In 1997 Group 484 began a small grant program for refugees. It was designed to support our beneficiaries in their efforts to find durable solutions by becoming economically independent. Thus, we were able to reduce the number of recipients of humanitarian packages while continuing to offer humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable beneficiaries. The families used our no-interest grants to start various income generating activities. Within Group 484 we organized craft, weaving and hairstyling workshops etc.
The NATO bombing in 1999 resulted in a new wave of displaced people, this time arriving from Kosovo. Also, the number of local vulnerable people increased as a result of many years of sanctions, the profound economic crisis and bombing. During 1999, using international donors’ funds, Group 484 carried out various activities – mainly providing humanitarian assistance to IDPs and to the “old case-load” of refugees. Due to the changed needs of our beneficiaries and reduction of emergency donor funds, our humanitarian programme was phased out during 2002.
We continue working with refugees and IDPs. However, the main focus is now on finding durable solutions and advocacy at both national and regional levels. In the course of our work, we have gradually involved the local population and expanded our activities.
In order to address the problems of lack of tolerance for diversity and lack of democratic thinking, caused by long-term authoritarian rule, Group 484 started working with youth on peace education and education for tolerance and democracy.
In the course of our work, we gradually involved the local population and expanded our activities. We are currently carrying out our activities in two large programs:
Program of psychosocial, economic, legal and informative assistance to refugees and IDPs and Program for development of civil society.
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