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The Bosnian Community in Australia Australian government figures in 1996 estimated the number of people of Bosnian background in the country at almost 10,000. By far most of them came to Australia between 1991 and 1996, years of the Balkan War. The conflict, which started in April of 1992, left an estimated 200,000 people dead and more than 2,000,000 refugees. It ended in October of 1995 with the Dayton Peace Agreement, which divided the state into two entities - the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. Arrival and Settlement According to author Dzavid Haveric's historical research, Bosnian migrants began to arrive in Australia in the mid-19th Century. There were significant movements after the Second World War and again in the 1960s and 1970s before the more recent refugee arrivals. Because many fled as refugees, members of the community often lack English language skills. Australian government figures estimate one in three Bosnians here speak little or no English. Circumstances surrounding Bosnian migration to Australia are a significant influence on the production and content of the SBS program. Language issues and Bosnia Herzegovina's cultural complexity are particularly pertinent. The language spoken by Bosnia Herzegovina's diverse ethnic and cultural population is substantially the same, although there are some differences in vocabulary and intonation. However, due to political sensitivities people are free to describe their language as either Bosnian, Serbian or Croatian. This choice is guaranteed by law in post-war Bosnia. Bosnians who migrated to Australia as a result of the war came from Muslim, Orthodox and Catholic backgrounds. They left communities linked by a strong tradition of inter-ethnic and inter-faith marriages, particularly in the cities. Australia, along with Western Europe, the US and Canada has inherited this history as part of the Bosnian diaspora, a network of migrant communities that did not exist before the Balkan War of the 1990s. The SBS Bosnian Language Program attempts to support and stimulate community activities to help keep the Bosnian identity and culture alive and also to provide vital settlement information. The Bosnian migrant population is largely a young group. Only 15 per cent are over 50 years of age. Community Contacts Organisations serving the Bosnian community in Australia: Australia Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 Beale Crescent, Deakin, ACT 2600 Phone: 61 2 6232 4646 61 2 6232 5490 Fax 61 2 6232 5554 E-mail: embaucbr@tpg.com.au Australian Council of Bosnian-Herzegovinian Organisation PO BOX 190 FOOTSCRAY 3011 VIC AUSTRALIA TELEFON: 61+3 9317-7776 FAX: 61+3 9317-7897 Senada@vits.com.au ili odbor@ausbhcouncil.org New South Wales Bosnian Information & Welfare Centre 2a, 36a John Street Lidcombe, NSW Phone: (02) 9749 9177 Fax: (02) 9749 9372 Bosnian Resource and Advisory Centre P.O. Box 856 10/251 Macquarie Street Liverpool, NSW 1871 Phone: (02) 9821 1207 & 9734 9891 Fax: (02) 9734 9917 Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTS) P.O. Box 203 Fairfield, NSW 2165 Phone: (02) 9794 1900 Fax: (02) 9794 1910 Austalian Bosnian Women's Cultural Association Inc 10/251 Macquarie Street Liverpool NSW 2170, PO Box 856 Tel/Fax: (02) 9600 6639 Email: abwca_bosnian@yahoo.com. Victoria Muslim Welfare Organisation "Merhamet" P.O. Box 898 Noble Park, VIC 3174 Phone: (03) 9562 4630 Fax: (03) 9574 1334 Bosnian-Herzegovinian Association P.O. Box 1354 Geelong VIC 3220 Phone/Fax: (03) 5248 1003 Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture P.O. Box 96 Parkville, VIC 3052 Phone: (03) 9388 0022 Fax: (03) 9387 0828 Australian Council of Bosnian Herzegovinian Organizations PO BOX 190 Footscray 3011 www.ausbhcouncil.org Telephone 03-9317-7776 Mobile 0419-329-344 Fax 03-9317-7897 Email Senada Softic-Telalovic - Chairperson National Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 Beale Crescent Deakin ACT 2600 Telephone (02) 6232 4646 (02) 6232 5490 Facsimile (02) 6232 5554 www.bosnia.webone.com.au Australian Federation of Islamic Councils 932 Bourke St., Zetland NSW 2017 P.O. Box 1185 Waterloo 2017 Phone (02) 9319 6733 Fax (02) 9319 0159 Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia, Chairperson: Randolph Alwis PO Box 344 Curtin, ACT 2605 Phone:(02) 6282 5755 Fax: (02) 6282 5734 [mfecca@coombs.anu.edu.au] Special Events Calendar SBS Radio's Bosnian Language Program presents special coverage of the following events throughout the year. January 26 Australia Day March 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina's Independence Day March 8 International Women's Day July 11 National Day of Mourning "Srebrenica" - Bosnian and Herzegovina November 25 Bosnia and Herzegovina's Republic Day Recommended Websites www.bosnet.org/bosnia This site provides information about Bosnian history, culture, literature and organisations www.ohr.int. This is a useful starting point for those looking for information on the current political and economic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina It's the site of what is known as the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The office is responsible for the full implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which is in effect the Bosnian Constitution. [http://www.pbsbih.b� PBS PUblic Broadcasting Service of bosnian and Herzegovina Website of Radio and TV Program in Sarajevo www.dnevni-avaz.com This is the website of a Sarajevo newspaper. A comprehensive coverage of daily news. www.bhdani.com The principal independent magazine in Bosnia. Based in Sarajevo, this weekly magazine offers an alternative insight into the Bosnian political situation. www.rferl.org This is the website of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. Based in Prague, the Czech Republic, this station offers a comprehensive coverage of events in the states of the former Yugoslavia in all South Slavic languages. |
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