Even before the adoption of anti-discriminatory law itself, anti-discriminatory terms were included in set of existing Croatian laws (Labour law, Law on same-sex marriage and Law on gender equality). However, rare are the cases that were brought up to Croatian courts which were based on existing anti-discrimination terms.  
 
This situation may be seen as a result of insufficient citizen’s awareness of the existence of such law terms and their lack of knowledge of how to efficiently use them for the protection of their human rights. If we want citizens to use this, by now, already circled anti-discriminatory frame, it is necessary to concentrate the recommended activities around concrete familiarization of citizens with existing laws, as well as to focus on practical usage of those laws in court processes.  
 
Also, executive bodies and courts are not frequently responsible and transparent as they should be. Drafts of laws were usually unavailable, even to civil society organizations that have professional experts for legal and public advocacy. All communication attempts during the development of the drafts and adoption of laws, were faced with numerous obstacles.  
 
Recent example is the case where Codex of positive practice for advising and encouragement of the implementation was not adopted, even though the consultations were made between the Office for Associations of Government of Republic of Croatia and numerous civil society organizations. That speaks a lot about the lack of political will to implement measures from “Operation plan for implementation of National strategy for creation of encouraging environment for the development of the civil society”, which would regulate formal frame for consultations between the State and civil society organizations.  
 
Antidiscriminatory law is today important basis for implementation of democratic principles and without doubt, a tool for struggle against human rights violations. Although Croatia has ratified most of the international declarations, resolutions and has brought up set of laws which regulate human rights protection, marginalized groups of citizens still exist and their rights are still insufficiently protected.  
 
Project activities are focused on issues such as discrimination of excluded groups in Croatian society: national minorities, persons with disabilities, women, youth etc.; raising awareness on their issues; promoting initiatives for more intense participation and tolerance of all marginalized groups in local communities; raising awareness on multiple discrimination. 
 
Women are, although being majority in the society, very frequently victims of various discriminatory practices, and frequently victims of multiple discriminations as well (women members of ethnic minority groups in Croatia, unemployed women, women victims of violence, women with disabilities etc.). Women in rural environment are especially sensitive group, they are almost completely invisible and their voice is almost never heard in local communities.  
 
Youth is Croatia is also marginalized group and they do face with various forms of discrimination. 
 
Ethnic minorities (especially Serbian and Roma population) – inspite of strategies and action plans, even legally elected Roma representative in the Council of Republic of Croatia, still represent the discriminated groups. Roma population is excluded from social and political life of the country of Croatia – unemployment rate of Roma people is still very high, recent research results show that Roma persons older than 15 years and their elders are employed in only 18% cases, while 32% of them do not have elementary school knowledge. The lack of political will in some local communities to finance programs for Roma minority is also present.  
 
Implementation of Constitution Law on National Minorities (UZNM) is too slow and problems are not being solved as planned – most frequent complaints made by representatives of minorities relate to: insufficient number of minority representatives in state administration, courts and police. National minorities (especially Serbs) are generally still seen as separated entity and not as integrated part of the society. It is necessary to establish the tolerance  and eliminate violent incidents and hate speech toward representatives of national minorities.  
 
Persons with disabilities – it is necessary to continuously make the effort in promotion of the acceptance of the persons with disabilities in the society : first of all by elimination of architectonic barriers for their free movement and inclusion of persons with disabilities in everyday social activities. However, because of the limited local and state budget realization of their rights to health, special care and social inclusion in general, is limited as well.  
 
Local and cantonal authorities frequently manage communities without clear strategies and with lack of knowledge, abilities  and interest for European norms and laws. Thus, anti-discriminatory measures need to be presented to them as well as action plans for cooperation on implementations on those measures. Without inclusion of judges, police, social workers and state advocates there is no implementation of anti-discriminatory measures.  
 
Local media are as well one of the target groups which is included in implementation of project activities, since without local media it is not possible to reach to wider public.  
 
Excluded and marginalized groups with high risk of discrimination on all basis, are final beneficiaries of this project. 
 
Activities of the project primarily include local associations since decentralized practice and development of democratic culture on local level is not possible without recognition of the role of local civil society organizations. They will be empowered and included in implementation of nondiscriminatory laws and policies.  
 
It is of outmost significance for this project, the fact that this kind of project activities ensure the space for local organizations to make their voice more powerful and more visible on national level. Local organization that are partners to this project, will enable B.a.Be. staff to have access to representatives of excluded and marginalized groups as well as to representatives of local authorities. By project activities dialogue between local associations and local authorities will be established and empowered. 
 
Until now, activities were implemented in local community Dalj where discussion was organized in partnership with organization Gord, between representatives of local authorities, Council of Serb National Minority, civil society associations. Focus groups were made consisting of 20 women and 24 young persons, representatives of Office of Public Attorney, Human Rights Center Zagreb and Documenta. Lawyers who held two-day free legal consultations for citizens of Dalj, also gave their  opinion on discrimination issues in this community, and more broadly, in Croatia. 
 
Next destination is local community Pakrac, activities will be implemented in cooperation with local association Delfin. 
 
Partners of this project are:  B.a.B.e. (Be active, be emancipated), Center for Support and Development of Civil Society Delfin, Civic Association for Development Dalj, Association of Women of Republic of Croatia Bolja buducnost, Association ZvoniMir and Cenzura plus. Project is financed by European Union through PHARE program.

Documents: