From a tent settlement in Vrela Ribnička to completing a Master’s degree at the Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, the life story of Serđan Baftijari is a true inspiration and a guiding example.
He remembers his childhood as extremely difficult.
Serđan’s early years were abruptly interrupted by the war events in Kosovo in 1998–1999, followed by life in a tent settlement in Vrela Ribnička.
His interrupted childhood continued in a branch of the primary school “Božidar Vuković Podgoričanin”, in what was then Camp 2.
After transferring to the main school, Serđan faced a new form of oppression — violence from other children.
“It happened countless times that children from the majority community would harass Roma children (both physically and psychologically) without reason,” Baftijari said.
Through various workshops, seminars, and training sessions, Serđan became aware of how important education is — not only for him, but for the entire community in the fight against anti-gypsyism and in building a society where human dignity is not violated on a daily basis.
Today, Serđan is a successful Roma activist, a political scientist, and an Inclusion and Community Empowerment Officer (NUNV).
“If we want more stories like mine, it is essential to invest in children’s education, family support, and equal opportunities from the earliest age,” he said.
Baftijari emphasises the need to break down stereotypes and truly live inclusion.
“It is necessary to demystify the negative narrative created through centuries of oppression against my people, and to reduce ethnic distance, which research shows is most pronounced towards Roma,” he concluded.
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