Publications

Very important part of our activities is production of publications and audiovisual materials covering different topics of the process of dealing with the past, as well as documenting pre-war, war and post-war events.

Publications in PDF are free for download. If you want to purchase printed editions, please contact our office.

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Status and rights of victims of crime in Republic of Croatia

Documenta – Centre for dealing with the past, Center for peace and nonviolence from Osijek, White circle of Croatia from Split and Victim and witness support service from Vukovar have been implementing the project „Rights, support, protection and compensation to victims of crime“ for the purpose of contribution of the implementation of the Directive 2012/29/EU on the minimal standards of right, support and protection of victims of crime and the Directive 2004/80/EC on the compensation of victims of crime. Through interviews and meetings with victims of war crimes, hate crime, domestic violence and discrimination, we have come to the conclusion that there is still large number of victims who are not sufficiently informed about their rights, while the system of free legal aid has proved to be ineffective in practice, due to insufficient support from the state, as well as the unsustainability of existing mechanisms through the activities of CSOs and the unwillingness of attorneys to accept more complicated cases due to reduced fees for their work. In the discrepancy between valid norms and the real need for human rights protection, the real, living people, victims of human rights violations are often overlooked.

This report was realized within the Justice programme of EU, and co-financed by Office for cooperation with NGO-s of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and City of Zagreb. The content of the report is the sole responsibility of the publisher and under no circumstances can it be considered to reflect the attitude of the European Union, the Office for cooperation with NGO-s of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb.

 

Zagreb, 2018
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Handbook for victims of crime

 This handbook is intented for victims of crime, with the goal of making it easier for them to exercise their rights guaranteed by national laws. The handbook will help answer the questions: whom to contact, whom to ask for help and what rights they are entitled to.The first part of the handbook consists of general information useful for the victims of all crimes, regardless of the personal characteristics of the victim, while the second part deals more closely with the victims of certain crimes, which are recognized by law as particularly vulnerable. In that sense, the categories which were singled out are dealing with children as victims of crime, victims of crimes against sexual freedom and human trafficking, victims of hate crime, victims of terrorism, victims of crimes against humanity and international law, victims of property crimes and relatives of victims in criminal proceeding.

 

ISBN: 978-953-7872-17-5, Zagreb, 2018
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Prosecuting War Crimes –  Guarantee of the Process of Dealing with the Past and Sustainability of Judicial Reforms in Croatia*

Book was written with intention to summarize general tendencies in the sphere of juridical practice concerning prosecuting war crimes committed on the territory of ex-Yugoslavia in the wars of 90-ies.

 * English summaries of articles

 

 

 

 

 

Zagreb, 2014
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Research report Civilian war victims in Croatia

A right to a legal remedy and reparations for victims of serious violations of international law concerning human rights and severe violations of international humanitarian law. Requirements, practice, recommendations. 

 Research of position of civilian war victims in Croatia in relation to an international, national, legal and political context, was conducted in period from September 2011 to September 2012. The purpose of investigation was to identify needs of civilian war victims in relation to respective rights and obligations emerging from the international law and national institutional legal framework.

ISBN: 978-953-7872-04-5, Zagreb, 2012. 
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Rights of Civilian War Victims

Publication Rights of civilian war victims is part of a project Affirmation of right to compensation of all civilian war victims. In order to create proposition of program for reparations/compensations, Documenta decided to investigate the needs of civilian war victims. Publication describes examples which are worrying, because the victims’ sufferings have not been acknowledged even 20 years after the beginning of war.  

 

 

 

ISBN: 978-953-7872-02-1, Zagreb, 2012
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State Administration Institutions of Republic of Croatia From Independence Until Joining the EU. Part I (1990-2004)

In cooperation with doc.dr.sc. Živana Heđbeli, Documenta initiated a research project on the development of state institutions of Republic of Croatia. This is first book in the series and encompasses institutions of political system such as Parliament, President, Government of Republic of Croatia and state administration bodies in period from 1990 to 2004, by identifying jurisdiction, functions, structural characteristics and providing relevant legislature.

 

 

 

ISBN: 978-953-7872-01-4, Zagreb, 2011
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Antiwar Campaign 1991 – 2011. Untold History

In occasion of twentieth anniversary of establishment of Antiwar Campaign Croatia we edited and published book whose purpose was to map neglected and refuted history of antiwar, women and human rights initiatives during the 90’s. Being aware of the lack of existing traces of our activities, and the need for a systematic research, the book was conceptualized as intersection between subjective and factography, personal memories and documentary materials. In order to fulfill this mission, book was imagined to represent structure and development by using different methods, and to show dispersion of ARK human, material and immaterial legacy.


ISBN: 978-953-7872-00-7, Zagreb, 2011
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War, documenting, and legal status of a victim

During the year 2006 and 2010 Documenta organized two public debates on practices and problems in documenting human losses in wars. This publication contains complete transcripts, conclusions and recommendations which are or will be of assistance in activates of systematic gathering of documentation regarding war activities and establishing facts. We believe this publication will provide significant contribution in this sense, an enhance public debate with aim of strengthening capacities and visibility of organizations and institutions engaged in similar projects, but also to improve and intensify documenting practices of all victims worldwide and advocating necessity of gathering facts on circumstances of war atrocities. 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-8-7, Zagreb, 2011
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Dealing With the Past in Croatia – Attitudes and Opinions of Actors and Public in Postwar Time

Primary goal of this scientific research is to gather information on attitudes and opinions of key actors (creators of public opinion, members of two largest ethnic groups, soldiers) and public on war crimes, processing war crimes, victims of war crimes and violence, support to survivors and other important aspects of dealing with the past. 

 

 

 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-7-0, Zagreb, 2010
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Evacuated From Pakračka Poljana

Memoirs of Đorđe Gunjević, war assistant of Government commissioner for Pakrac, in charge of health and social care, is a text that points to a destiny of individuals in turbulent times of Homeland war, but also to a destiny of a community. Gunjević’s memoirs are not just a book on personal fate. It also a story on how fragile a community can be in times of war, and even more, how it can be forced to dissolve.

 

 

 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-5-6, Zagreb, 2010
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Remembering of War in Pakrac, Lipik and Nearby Places

Publication Remembering of war in Pakrac, Lipik and nearby places, was created as result of Documenta’s efforts to record remembering of people who survived the war in the area of Pakrac, Lipik and nearby places. The goal was to record unwritten stories from not so far history, which will still occupy us, independently from our wishes. We believed that effort to reconstruct war activities on this area an transferring subjective experience of a people who weren’t holders of political power, neither creators of political history, will enable insight to a seemingly concealed aspects of life on a territory of Western Slavonia and deepen knowledge on the nature and origin of war conflict in the 90’s.

 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-6-3, Zagreb, 2010
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Youngsters and the Past – Why Would I Care? 

You must have listened personal stories on torments and suffering in war. Have you ever asked yourself why is there some much talk about generals and criminals, and so little about victims? Have you ever heard that some people still don’t have any information on whereabouts of their sisters, brothers, fathers and mothers? Have you ever met your coevals from Belgrade, Sarajevo or Podgorica? Maybe you have fallen in love with girl or boy from Banja Luka or Ljubljana? This publication addresses these topics. It was written by youngsters of your age who are thinking about these problems and understand they are not guilty for committed crimes, but they do take responsibility in conceiving them. They take responsibility for the future. They ask for the establishment of facts and putting end to manipulation with victims.

ISBN: 978-953-772901-1 Zagreb, 2010
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Consultative Process on Initiative for Establishing RECOM

Publication contains accents and conclusions from 34 public events (consultations) on Initiative for RECOM held in all successor states of former Yugoslavia. Consultations have been held in the period from July to December 2009 with different social groups: local communities, victims’ associations, young people, intellectuals, journalists, women organizations, religious communities, soldiers, civil society organizations and detainees. 

 

 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-4-9, Beograd, 2010
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Consultative Process on Initiative for Establishing RECOM

Report on course of consultation process on instruments for determining facts on war crimes and other serious violations of human rights in post-Yugoslav states, held between May 2006 and June 2009. 

 

 

 

 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-3-2, Beograd, 2009
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One history, several histories - Addendum to Textbook with a publishing chronics 

We decided to publish Addendum to Textbook for newer History in order to contribute to public dialogue on important questions of representation and education on recent wars, and put attention to all the difficulties of writing history down, as the wholeness of past events in history and historiography. Publication was named One history [povijest], several histories [historija], because chaotic history with a multiplicity of meanings and layers we all witnessed to, goes hand in hand with more histories in which we are constantly storytelling what exactly happened to us.

 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-1-8, Zagreb, 2007
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What and How With Civil Society Organizations’ ‘Papers’

Well organized and archived documentation is necessary for a clear overview inside the organization, so its members could conceive it as its own. Many are so overloaded with papers; they just don’t know where to start. This manual is conceptualized in a realistic manner, having in mind exactly this kind of situation, so it offers a way to organize something seemingly close to chaos to a vivid and organized archive. To protect what is important, and to discard pure ballast, and in doing so, acquire maximal information value of material in possession. 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-2-5, Zagreb, 2008
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Transitional justice in states of ex-Yugoslavia, Report for 2007

This report is result of systematic monitoring of introducing and establishing transitional justice mechanisms in countries emerged by dissolvement of Yugoslavia, which is conducted by human rights organizations Humanitarian Law Fond (Belgrade) and Documenta (Zagreb). 

 

 

 

 

ISBN: 978-86-7932-016-2, Beograd, 2008
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The Records of NGOs, Memory... To Be Shared. A Practical Guide in 60 Questions

This publication is translation from English version of guide The Records of NGOs, Memory... To Be Shared. A Practical Guide in 60 Questions. Joan van Albada, general secretary of International Council on Archives granted Documenta permission to translate guide in Croatian on December 23th 2005. Publication is not literal translation of the original version but is has been partially modified in accordance with context of administration practices and relevant legislature in Republic of Croatia.  

 

ISBN: 978-953-95433-0-4, Zagreb, 2006.
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Transitional justice in states of ex-Yugoslavia, Report for 2006

This report addresses dealing with consequences of war and crimes committed in period from 1991 to 1999. Report was made on initiative of Humanitarian Law Fund (Belgrade) in cooperation with Research and Documentation Centre (Sarajevo) and Documenta (Zagreb). The report relates to BiH, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro. 

 

 

 

ISBN: 978-86-7932-016-2, Beograd, 2007
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