The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, director Danilo Marunović and LQBTIQ activist Zdravko Cimbaljević are the winners of the "Dika" award, which is awarded by the NGO LGBT Forum Progres in cooperation with the NGO LGBTIQ Social Center and the NGO Hiperion, the LGBT Forum Progres announced.
In the category "Recognition for an institution/organization/collective" there were 5 organizations/institutions - Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, Action for Human Rights - HRA, Queer Montenegro, Institution of Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro and Civil Alliance.
"Based on the majority of nominations, as well as the tireless support that the Ministry provides to the LGBTIQ community in Montenegro, it was decided that the "Dika" award for 2016 belongs to this institution. The award was received on behalf of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights by Mrs. Blanka Radošević Marović, director of the Directorate for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms," said Forum Progres.
Director Danilo Marunović, LGBTIQ activist Zdravko Cimbaljević, minister Mehmed Zenka and Svetlana Jovanović, mother of an LGBTIQ person, were in the "Recognition for an individual" category.
"The nominations in this category were numerous, and the director Danilo Marunović had the most, whose work is recognized as very significant in the field of promoting human rights and equality of LGBTIQ persons, and therefore the "Dika" award went to him. His selfless contribution is reflected in several productions that have LGBTIQ themes in them, or in some way show the reality and problems of LGBTIQ people in Montenegro," the announcement states.
"The winner in the "Special recognition" category was chosen by the votes of the decision-making bodies in the organizations that established the "Dika" award, and this recognition was unanimously awarded to Zdravko Cimbaljević, as the first publicly recognized gay man in Montenegro, and a kind of founder of the LGBTIQ movement in our country. Zdravko is recognized around the world as an exceptional fighter for human rights and equality of LGBTIQ persons, who continues his work regardless of all obstacles and actively provides support to the Montenegrin LGBTIQ community from Canada," LGBT Forum Progres explained.
"I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of all three organizations, to thank everyone who sent in their nomination and everyone who patiently waited for the final results. We are very proud of the number of nominations, and of everyone who received the award, especially considering that this is only the first year of the award and we did not know what the public's reaction would be. We are glad that all those who have contributed to the visibility of LGBTIQ persons with their work have been recognized, and on this occasion we congratulate them all once again. We hope that next year there will be more nominations, that there will be more people who promote the equality and acceptance of LGBTIQ people with their work, and that "Dika" will become recognized as a worthy recognition." John Barac, executive director, LGBT Forum Progres
"Dika" was established in May of this year, as a social recognition for the contribution to the visibility of LGBTIQ persons in Montenegro.
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