HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Declaration on the Common Language ( sh, Deklaracija o zajedničkom jeziku / ) was issued in 2017 by a group of intellectuals and
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s from
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
,
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
,
Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...
and
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
who were working under the banner of a project called "Language and Nationalism". The ''Declaration'' states that
Bosniaks The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
,
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...
,
Montenegrins Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro. Genetics Accordin ...
and
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
have a common
standard language A standard language (also standard variety, standard dialect, and standard) is a language variety that has undergone substantial codification of grammar and usage, although occasionally the term refers to the entirety of a language that includes ...
of the
polycentric Polycentric is an English adjective, meaning "having more than one center," derived from the Greek words ''polús'' ("many") and ''kentrikós'' ("center"). Polycentricism (or polycentricity) is the abstract noun formed from polycentric. They may r ...
type. Before any public presentation, the ''Declaration'' was signed by over 200 prominent writers, scientists, journalists, activists and other public figures from the four
countries A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state (polity), state, nation, or other polity, political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, so ...
. After being
published Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
, it has been signed by over 10,000 people from all over the region. The ''Declaration on the common language'' is an attempt to counter nationalistic factions. Its aim is to stimulate discussion on language without nationalism and to contribute to the
reconciliation Reconciliation or reconcile may refer to: Accounting * Reconciliation (accounting) Arts, entertainment, and media Sculpture * ''Reconciliation'' (Josefina de Vasconcellos sculpture), a sculpture by Josefina de Vasconcellos in Coventry Cathedra ...
process.


Contents of the Declaration

The ''Declaration'' states that
Bosniaks The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
,
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...
,
Montenegrins Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro. Genetics Accordin ...
and
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
have a common
standard language A standard language (also standard variety, standard dialect, and standard) is a language variety that has undergone substantial codification of grammar and usage, although occasionally the term refers to the entirety of a language that includes ...
of the
polycentric Polycentric is an English adjective, meaning "having more than one center," derived from the Greek words ''polús'' ("many") and ''kentrikós'' ("center"). Polycentricism (or polycentricity) is the abstract noun formed from polycentric. They may r ...
type. It refers to the fact that the four peoples communicate effectively without an interpreter due to their
mutual intelligibility In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. It is sometimes used as an ...
, which is a key notion when talking about languages. Furthermore, it points out that the current
language policy Language policy is an interdisciplinary academic field. Some scholars such as Joshua Fishman and Ofelia García consider it as part of sociolinguistics. On the other hand, other scholars such as Bernard SpolskyRobert B. Kaplanand Joseph Lo Bianco ...
of emphasizing differences has led to a number of negative phenomena,Alt URL
/ref> and linguistic expression is imposed as a criterion of ethnonational affiliation and a means of affirming political
loyalty Loyalty, in general use, is a devotion and faithfulness to a nation, cause, philosophy, country, group, or person. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty, as some argue that loyalty is strictly interpersonal and only another h ...
. The ''Declaration'' states that language and people do not have to coincide, and that each
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
or nation may independently codify its own variant of the common language, and that the four standard variants enjoy equal status. The ''Declaration'' calls for abolishing all forms of linguistic segregation and
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
in educational and public institutions. It also advocates for the freedom of individual choice and respect for
linguistic diversity Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
.


International project "Languages and nationalisms"

The ''Declaration'' followed the international project Languages and Nationalisms,Alt URL
/ref> (founded by two German
foundations Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
: Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst and Allianz Kulturstiftung), within which
conferences A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...
were held in the four countries during 2016, thus providing an insight into the current situation and problems. The project was inspired by the book '' Language and Nationalism'', and was organized by four non-governmental organizations from each of the countries included:
P.E.N. PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internatio ...
Center Bosnia-Herzegovina from
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, the Association Kurs from
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...
,
Krokodil ''Krokodil'' ( rus, Крокодил, p=krəkɐˈdʲil, a= Ru-крокодил.ogg, ) was a satirical magazine published in the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1922 as the satirical supplement to the '' Workers' Gazette'' (called simply «Прил ...
from
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
and the Civic Education Center from
Podgorica Podgorica (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; Literal translation, lit. 'under the hill') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd ...
. An interdisciplinary series of expert conferences in Podgorica, Split, Belgrade and Sarajevo took place under participation of
linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
s, journalists,
anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...
s and others. Numerous
audience An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature (in which they are called "readers"), theatre, music (in which they are called "listeners"), video games (in which they are called "players"), or ...
s were also included. The titles of
debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...
s on the conferences were:


The creation of the Declaration

More than thirty experts participated in the drafting of the ''Declaration'', half of whom were linguists of different
nationalities Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a ''national'', of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the ...
from the four states. The process of writing lasted for several months. The
initiative In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a pu ...
emerged just after the last conference in Sarajevo, when young people from Bosnia-Herzegovina who experienced the educational segregation in the so-called " two schools under one roof" min 14.00 came up with the idea of composing a text that would encourage change of the
language policy Language policy is an interdisciplinary academic field. Some scholars such as Joshua Fishman and Ofelia García consider it as part of sociolinguistics. On the other hand, other scholars such as Bernard SpolskyRobert B. Kaplanand Joseph Lo Bianco ...
in all four countries. They entitled the text ''Declaration on the Common Language'' and gave it for rewriting to professional linguists, so that the ''Declaration'' was redrafted in Zagreb in the following months and can therefore be called the "Zagreb Declaration." As a continuation of the project Languages and Nationalisms, a
committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
of experts of different nationalities from all four countries was formed that worked on the final version of the ''Declaration'' on 16 and 17 January 2017 in Zagreb. After the
meeting A meeting is when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal or business setting, but meetings also occur in a variety of other environments. Meetings can be used as form of group decision making. Defini ...
, the text was sent to some twenty consultants, whose proposals are then embedded in the final form of the text.


Presentation of the Declaration

The ''Declaration on the common language'' with more than two hundred signatures of prominent intellectuals from Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia was simultaneously presented to the public on 30 March 2017 in Zagreb, Podgorica, Belgrade and Sarajevo, where a press conference was held and two
panel discussion A panel discussion, or simply a panel, involves a group of people gathered to discuss a topic in front of an audience, typically at scientific, business, or academic conferences, fan conventions, and on television shows. Panels usually include a ...
s with titles "What is a common language?" and "Language and the Future". Then the ''Declaration'' was opened for signing to other people. Over the next few days, more than 8.000 people signed it. Two months later, in the framework of the 10th
Subversive Festival The Subversive Festival is an annual international fortnight of political, activist, cultural, educational, literary and artistic events that takes place in Zagreb, Croatia every May. Its activities are divided into the Subversive Film Festival ...
in Zagreb, a
round table The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...
on the ''Declaration'', titled "Language and Nationalism", was held. Then a debate "About the Declaration on the Common Language and Other Demons" was held at the Crocodile Literature Festival in Belgrade. After that, in
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...
, a panel discussion "Whose is Our Language?" at the Exit festival and a forum "What are the Achievements of the Declaration on the Common Language?" at the International Literary Conference Book Talk were organised. In Montenegro, there was a round table on the ''Declaration'' in the framework of the 7th Njegoš's Days. At the end of 2017, a discussion "What to do With the Language: Who speaks (or does not speak) the common language?" was organised at the 6th Open University in Sarajevo. During 2018, a series of plenary lectures on the ''Declaration'' was held at
conferences A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...
at the universities of various EU countries, and then at the universities in Japan. On the occasion of the second anniversary of the ''Declaration'', two round tables were held: in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
"Language and Nationalisms: Do We Understand Each Other?" and in Zagreb "One Language or Several Languages: Discussion on the Declaration on the Common Language", organized by the Union of Student Associations of the
Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences or the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb ( Croatian: ''Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu'') is one of the faculties of the University of Zagreb. History The Faculty of Philosophy is the oldest fac ...
, which later also organized a plenary lecture on the ''Declaration'' at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb.


Text and signatories


Text

Source: '' Novosti''


Signatories

The British
sociolinguist Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any or all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and society's effect on language. It can overlap with the sociology of l ...
Peter Trudgill Peter Trudgill, FBA (; born 7 November 1943) is an English sociolinguist, academic and author. Trudgill was born in Norwich, England and grew up in the area of Thorpe St Andrew. He attended the City of Norwich School from 1955. Trudgill studie ...
notes that "''linguists are well represented on the list of signatories.''" The most famous linguist "''
Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...
has signed the Declaration on the common language''", which has been particularly resounding. The Declaration has been signed by "over fifty other linguists, including Anders Ahlqvist, Ronelle Alexander, Nadira Aljović, Bojan Anđelković, Boban Arsenijević, John Frederick Bailyn, Josip Baotić, Ranka Bijeljac-Babić, Ranko Bugarski, Vesna Bulatović, Daniel Bunčić, Costas Canakis, Greville Corbett, Oliver Czulo, Natalia Długosz, Ljiljana Dolamic, Nicholas Evans, Rajka Glušica, Radmila Gorup, Senahid Halilović, Camiel Hamans, Mirjana Jocić, Jagoda Jurić-Kappel, Dunja Jutronić, Dejan Karavesović, Jana Kenda, Ivan Klajn, Snježana Kordić, Svetlana Kurteš, Igor Kusin, Zineta Lagumdžija, Igor Lakić, Gordana Lalić-Krstin, Mia Mader Skender, Alisa Mahmutović, Olga Mišeska Tomić, Vladimir Miličić, Spiros Moschonas, Joachim Mugdan, Zoran Nikolovski, Miloš Okuka, Tatjana Paunović, Dušan-Vladislav Pažđerski, Mira Peter, Tanja Petrović, Enisa Pliska, Milena Podolšak, Luka Raičković, Katarina Rasulić, Marija Runić, Svenka Savić, Marko Simonović, Ljiljana Subotić, Danko Šipka, Dušanka Točanac, Neda Todorović, Aleksandar Trklja, Peter Trudgill, Mladen Uhlik, Hanka Vajzović, Vera Vasić, Elvira Veselinović, Đorđe Vidanović, Ana Ždrale, Jelena Živojinović." Signatories of the ''Declaration'' include: Greville Corbett Ivana Bodrožić
Mirjana Karanović Mirjana Karanović ( sr-cyr, Мирјана Карановић; born 28 January 1957) is a Serbian actress, film director and screenwriter. Considered one of the best Serbian and Yugoslavian actresses of all time, she is probably the best known f ...
Rajko Grlić Rajko Grlić (born 2 September 1947) is a Croatian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is a professor of film theory at Ohio University and artistic director of the Motovun Film Festival in Motovun, Croatia. Biography Rajko Grlić w ...
Željko Komšić Željko Komšić (; born 20 January 1964) is a Bosnian politician and diplomat who is the 6th and current Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is also its current chairman, since 2021. Previously, he was a member of the na ...
Svetislav Basara Svetislav Basara ( sr-cyr, Светислав Басара; born 21 December 1953) is a Serbian writer and columnist. Biography Basara grew up in Užice, attended the Gymnasium of the town and graduated with maturity diploma, then he began study ...
Jurica Pavičić Jurica Pavičić (born 2 November 1965 in Split) is a Croatian writer, columnist and film critic. Pavičić's screenplay for ''Witnesses'' (''Svjedoci''), Vinko Brešan's 2003 film, won the Golden Arena for Best Screenplay in the 2003 Pula Film Fe ...
Vedrana Rudan Olja Savičević Ivančević
Dejan Jović Dejan Jović (; born 12 April 1968) is a political scientist from Croatia. He is a full-time professor at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Zagreb. From 2012 to 2020, Jović was editor-in-chief of the '' Croatian Political S ...
Igor Štiks Igor Štiks (born 17 September 1977 in Sarajevo) is a novelist and scholar. His novels ''The Judgment of Richard Richter'' and ''A Castle in Romagna'' have earned him multiple awards; the former has been translated into 15 languages. Biography ...
Nadežda Čačinovič Nadežda Čačinovič (born 1 April 1947) is a Croatian philosopher, sociologist and author. She was born to Slovene parents in Budapest in 1947 where her father Rudolf Čačinovič was serving as a military attache. She graduated in philosoph ...
Ivan Ivanji Ivan Ivanji (; born 24 January 1929) is a Serbian author of many internationally renowned novels. He was held in Auschwitz concentration camp, Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camp, Buchenwald during 1944 and 1945. He was Secretary Genera ...
Lenka Udovički
Filip David Filip David ( sr-cyr, Филип Давид; born 4 July 1940) is a Serbian writer and screenwriter, best known for penning essays, dramas, short stories and novels. In 2015, he won the NIN Award for best Serbian novel of the year 2014 for his nov ...
Ognjen Sviličić Ognjen Sviličić (born 1971 in Split) is a screenwriter and film director, based in Berlin noted for his critically acclaimed 2007 films Sorry For Kung Fu, '' Armin and These Are the Rules'' Career Sviličić was born 1971 in Split, in a fami ...
Vladimir Arsenijević Vladimir Arsenijević ( sr-cyr, Владимир Арсенијевић, born 1965) is a Serbian novelist, columnist, translator, editor, musician, and publisher. He lives and works in Belgrade. Arsenijević won the prestigious NIN Award for the Y ...
Srećko Horvat Srećko Horvat (born 28 February 1983) is a Croatian philosopher, author and political activist. The German weekly ''Der Freitag'' called him "one of the most exciting voices of his generation" and he has been described as a "fiery voice of dissen ...
Rada Iveković Štefica Galić
Pjer Žalica Pjer Žalica (born 7 May 1964 in Sarajevo) is a Bosnians, Bosnian film director, screenwriter and a professor at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. His father Miodrag (1926–1992) was a noted dramaturgist and poet who scripted several T ...
Snježana Kordić Snježana Kordić (; born 29 October 1964) is a Croatian linguist. In addition to her work in syntax, she has written on sociolinguistics. Kordić is known among non-specialists for numerous articles against the puristic and prescriptive langua ...
Dubravka Ugrešić Dubravka Ugrešić (; born 27 March 1949) is a Yugoslav and later Croatian writer. A graduate of University of Zagreb, she has been based in Amsterdam since 1996 and refuses to identify as a Croatian writer. Early life and education Ugrešić ...
Ante Tomić
Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...
Boris Dežulović Boris Dežulović (born 20 November 1964) is a Croatian journalist, writer and columnist, best known as one of the founders of the now defunct satirical magazine ''Feral Tribune''. Biography Dežulović studied art history at the University of S ...
Dragan Markovina Dragan Markovina (born 6 February 1981) is a Croatian historian, author and former president of the New Left Croatia party. Early years and education Markovina was born in Mostar and there he attended the first 5 grades of primary school. In 19 ...
Enver Kazaz
Viktor Ivančić Viktor Ivančić (born 8 October 1960) is a Croatian journalist, best known as the founding member and long-time editor-in-chief of satirical weekly ''Feral Tribune''. A native of Split, Ivančić edited the student paper of the Faculty of E ...
Oto Horvat Oto Horvat (born 1967) is a Serbian poet and writer. He lives and works in Florence, Italy. Recent activity In 2017, Oto Horvat has signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins. Works * ''Gde nest ...
Maja Herman Sekulić
Tomislav Jakić Tomislav Jakić (born 23 March 1943, Zagreb) is a Croatian journalist, TV reporter and former advisor to the 2nd Croatian president Stjepan Mesić. Early years Tomislav Jakić was born on 23 March 1943 in Zagreb, Independent State of Croatia d ...
Željko Ivanković Željko Ivanković (born August 29, 1954 in Vareš) is a Yugoslavian and Bosnian poet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, translator. Recent activity In 2017, Željko Ivanković has signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Cro ...
Svetlana Lukić Svetlana Lukić (born December 14, 1958) is a Serbian journalist. She was born in Belgrade and received a degree in journalism from the Belgrade College of Political Sciences. Lukić hosted the radio show ''Niko kao ja'' on Radio Belgrade from 198 ...
Dejan Tiago Stanković
Nihad Hasanović Nihad Hasanović is a Bosnian writer and translator born in Bihać (Yugoslavia, now northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina) in 1974. His published works include the plays ''Podigni visoko baklju'' (''Raise high your torch'', 1996) and ''Zaista?'' ( ...
Srđan Srdić
Vesna Teršelič Vesna Teršelič (born in 1962) is a peace activist who founded the Anti-War Campaign of Croatia. In 1998, she was joint recipient of the Right Livelihood Award along with Katarina Kruhonja of the Centre for Peace, Non-violence and Human Rights, ...
Ivan Klajn Ivan Klajn ( sr-cyr, Иван Клајн, ; 31 January 1937 31 March 2021) was a Serbian linguist, philologist and language historian, with primary interest in Romance languages and Serbian. He was a regular member of the Serbian Academy of Scie ...
Borka Pavićević Borka Pavićević (5 June 1947 – 30 June 2019) was a Yugoslav-Serbian dramaturge, newspaper columnist, and cultural activist. She was also described as a "dramatist, Belgrade liberal and pacifist intellectual". She founded the Centre for Cultu ...
Jasna Šamić Jasna Šamić (born 1 April 1949) is a Bosnian and French writer, author of books (poetry, novels, short stories, essays, research work, theater plays) written both in the French and Bosnian language. Biography Jasna Šamić was born on 1 Ap ...
Slobodan Šnajder Slobodan Šnajder (; born 8 July 1948) is a Croatian writer and publicist. Šnajder was born in 1948 in Zagreb, where he graduated in philosophy and English studies from the Faculty of Philosophy. He was co-founder and editor of the theatre jour ...
Senahid Halilović Senahid Halilović (22 March 1958 – 24 April 2023) was a Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Linguistics, linguist and academician who was a member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Halilović studied at the University o ...
Daša Drndić Daša Drndić (10 August 1946 – 5 June 2018) was a Croatian writer. She studied English language and literature at the University of Belgrade.Edvin Kanka Ćudić
Rade Šerbedžija Rade Šerbedžija ( sr-Cyrl, Раде Шербеџија, ; born 27 July 1946) is a Croatian actor, director and musician. He is known for his portrayals of imposing figures on both sides of the law. He was one of the best known Yugoslav actors i ...
Biljana Srbljanović Biljana Srbljanović ( sr-cyr, Биљана Србљановић, ; born 15 October 1970) is a Serbian playwright and university professor. She has written eleven theater plays and screenplay for '' Otvorena vrata'' television series that aired ...
Dubravka Stojanović Dubravka Stojanović ( sr-cyrl, Дубравка Стојановић; born February 15, 1963) is a Serbian historian, and professor at University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy. She is a vice-president of the Thessaloniki based History Educat ...
Srđan Tešin
Isidora Žebeljan Isidora Žebeljan (27 September 1967 – 29 September 2020) was a Serbian composer and conductor. She was a professor of composition at the Belgrade Music Academy and a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She won many national a ...
Aleksandar Zograf Saša Rakezić (born 1963 in Pančevo, Serbia), better known by his pen name Aleksandar Zograf, is a Serbian cartoonist. His works focus mostly on life in the former Yugoslavia, such as ''Life Under Sanctions'', ''Psychonaut'', ''Dream Watcher'' ...
Mima Simić Mima Simić (born Ana Marija Simić; 4 February 1976) is a Croatian writer, an awarded film critic, translator and an LGBTIQ+ media activist. She holds degrees in Comparative Literature and English Language and Literature from the Faculty of Humanit ...
Siniša Malešević
Rastko Močnik Rastko Močnik (born 27 August 1944) is a Slovenian sociologist, psychoanalyst, literary theorist, translator and political activist. Together with Slavoj Žižek and Mladen Dolar, he is considered one of the co-founders of the Ljubljana sch ...
Drago Pilsel Drago Carlos Pilsel (born 21 September 1962) is an Argentine Croatian journalist and human rights activist. Early years Drago Pilsel was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to a politically engaged family. His parents were Croatian immigrants who came ...
Peter Trudgill Peter Trudgill, FBA (; born 7 November 1943) is an English sociolinguist, academic and author. Trudgill was born in Norwich, England and grew up in the area of Thorpe St Andrew. He attended the City of Norwich School from 1955. Trudgill studie ...
Vladimir Veličković Vladimir Veličković ( sr-cyr, Владимир Величковић; 11 August 1935 – 29 August 2019) was a Serbian painter who spent much of his adult life in Paris. Biography Veličković graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Bel ...
Srbijanka Turajlić Srbijanka Turajlić ( sr-cyr, Србијанка Турајлић; 25 April 1946 – 25 September 2022) was a Serbian academic and political activist. She was a professor at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Turajli ...
Ermin Bravo Ermin Bravo (born 5 December 1979) is a Bosnian actor. He has appeared in more than ten films since 2001. He is most known for starring in the 2003 Bosnian film '' Remake''. Bravo is also remembered as a unique character in the 2017 film ''Men Do ...
Nenad Veličković Nenad Veličković (born 1962) is a Bosnian writer and playwright. He lives in Sarajevo. Recent activity In 2017, Nenad Veličković has signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins Montenegrins ...
Ranko Bugarski Ranko Bugarski () is a Serbian linguist, academic and author. Life and career He was born on 1 January 1933 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, where he completed his secondary education and graduated in English and German languages and literatures at the F ...
Dritan Abazović Dritan Abazović (, sq, Dritan Abazi; born 25 December 1985) is a Montenegrin politician who has been the prime minister of Montenegro since 28 April 2022. An ethnic Albanian, he heads the United Reform Action party. He previously served as de ...
Izudin Bajrović Izudin Bajrović (born 9 February 1963) is a Bosnian theater, film and television actor. He has appeared in more than forty films since 1986. Recent activity In 2017, Bajrović signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, ...
Jasmila Žbanić Jasmila Žbanić (; born 19 December 1974) is a Bosnian film director, screenwriter and producer, best known for having written and directed ''Quo Vadis, Aida?'' (2020), which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Languag ...
Danko Šipka
Balša Brković Balša Brković (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Балша Брковић) (born 25 April 1966) is a Montenegrin writer, essayist and theatre critic. He is also editor of cultural section of daily newspaper Vijesti, and one of the prominent members of the p ...
Asim Mujkić
Florian Bieber Florian Bieber (born 4 October 1973) is a Luxembourgian political scientist, historian and professor working on inter-ethnic relations, ethnic conflict and nationalism, focusing primarily on Balkans. Education In 1991–1992, he studied Hist ...
Jasna Diklić Jasna Diklić (born March 8, 1946) is a Bosnian theatre and film actress. She was born in Sarajevo. Her mother was also an actress and a puppeteer. Diklić's first theatre experiences began at MESS Festival's experimental theatre studio, after wh ...
Vesna Pešić Vesna Pešić ( sr-Cyrl, Весна Пешић, ; born May 6, 1940) is a Serbian politician and sociologist. In February 2012, Vesna Pešić announced she would leave politics after parliamentary elections on 6 May 2012. Biography In the early ...
Goran Marković Goran Marković ( sr-cyr, Горан Марковић, ) (born 24 August 1946) is a Serbian film and theatre director, screenwriter, writer, and playwright. He has directed approximately 50 documentaries, 13 feature films, and 3 theatre plays. ...
Vladislav Bajac Vladislav Bajac ( sr-Cyrl, Владислав Бајац, born 2 June 1954) is Serbian writer, poet, journalist and publisher. Biography He was born in Belgrade in 1954 and later studied philology at the University of Belgrade. In 1993, he ...
Stevan Filipović Stevan Filipović ( sr-cyr, Стеван Филиповић; born 1981) is a Serbian film editor, director and lecturer. Best known for his box-office successes, such as ''Šejtanov ratnik'' (2006), ''Skinning'' (2010) and '' Next to Me'' (2015), ...
Igor Kusin Igor Kusin (born 27 June 1963 in Zagreb) is a linguist and author from Zagreb. Biography Igor Kusin was born to a bilingual family on 27 June 1963. He finished his primary education at the Krajiška elementary schoolToday thPetar Zrinski elem ...
Feđa Stojanović Feđa Stojanović (31 January 1948 – 5 May 2021) was a Serbian actor. He appeared in more than eighty films since 1962. In 2017, Feđa Stojanović signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins.
Tatjana Bezjak
Dragoljub Mićunović Dragoljub Mićunović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Мићуновић ; born 14 July 1930) is a Serbian politician and philosopher. As one of the founders of the Democratic Party, he served as its leader from 1990 to 1994, and as the president of ...
Stanislava Staša Zajović
Goran Dević Goran Dević (born 1971) is a Croatian film director and screenwriter. Born in Sisak Dević was formally educated at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (archeology department) and the Acad ...
Miloš Okuka
Igor Galo Igor Galo (born 5 December 1948) is a Serbian and Croatian actor, perhaps best known for his work in Sam Peckinpah's ''Cross of Iron''. He was born on 5 December 1948 in Ćuprija, SR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia. After moving around Yugoslavia his fa ...
Faruk Šehić Faruk Šehić (born 1970) is a Bosnian poet, novelist and short story writer. He was born in Bihać and grew up in Bosanska Krupa. He studied veterinary medicine in Zagreb until the outbreak of the Bosnian war in which he was an active combatant. ...
Zvonimir Jurić Zvonimir Jurić (born 4 June 1971) is a Croatian film director and screenwriter. In 2009, he co-directed and co-wrote the 2009 psychological war drama titled '' The Blacks''. Early life Born in Osijek, SFR Yugoslavia, on 4 June 1971, Jurić fin ...
Nicholas Evans Nicholas Benbow Evans (26 July 1950 – 9 August 2022) was a British journalist, screenwriter, television and film producer and novelist. Biography Nicholas Benbow Evans was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, son of Anthony Evans, director of ...
Srđan Karanović Srđan Karanović ( sr-Cyrl, Срђан Карановић, , born 17 November 1945) is a Serbian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 17 films since 1968. His film '' Miris poljskog cveća'' won the FIPRESCI prize at the 1978 Can ...
Zdravko Grebo Zdravko Grebo (30 July 1947 – 29 January 2019) was a Bosnian law professor at the University of Sarajevo's Law School. He was born in 1947 in Mostar. Zdravko is the founder of Open Society Foundation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Soros Foundation ...
Lana Barić Lana Barić (born 11 December 1979) is a Croatian actress. She appeared in more than twenty films since 2001. In 2017, Lana Barić has signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins Montenegrins ...
Aleksandar Novaković Maša Kolanović


Signatories about the ''Declaration''

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * min 19:34 * * * * * * * *
Alt URL
min 84:14 * * *
Alt URL
* * * * * * * min 17:36 * * * * * * * min 13:00 * * * * * * *
Alt URL
min 15:47 *


See also

*
Serbo-Croatian language Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and ...
*
Illyrian (South Slavic) Illyrian and Slavic were the commonly used names of the proto-Serbo-Croatian lects spoken in Dalmatia, or, sometimes, of the South Slavic languages as a whole, used especially in the territories that are now Croatia throughout the Early Modern P ...
*
Sociolinguistics Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any or all aspects of society, including cultural Norm (sociology), norms, expectations, and context (language use), context, on the way language is used, and society's effect on languag ...
* Novi Sad Agreement *
Vienna Literary Agreement The Vienna Literary Agreement (Serbo-Croatian: ''Bečki književni dogovor'', Бечки књижевни договор) was the result of a meeting held in March 1850, when writers from Croatia, Serbia and Carniola (Slovenia) met to discu ...
*
Dialects of Serbo-Croatian The dialects of Serbo-Croatian include the vernacular forms of Serbo-Croatian as a whole or as part of its standard varieties: Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian. They are part of the dialect continuum of South Slavic languages that ...
* Serbo-Croatian standard language *
Serbo-Croatian grammar Serbo-Croatian is a South Slavic language that, like most other Slavic languages, has an extensive system of inflection. This article describes exclusively the grammar of the Shtokavian dialect, which is a part of the South Slavic dialect contin ...
*
Serbo-Croatian phonology Serbo-Croatian is a South Slavic language with four national standards. The Eastern Herzegovinian Neo-Shtokavian dialect forms the basis for Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian (the four national standards). Standard Serbo-Croatian ...
*
Shtokavian Shtokavian or Štokavian (; sh-Latn, štokavski / sh-Cyrl, italics=no, штокавски, ) is the prestige dialect of the pluricentric Serbo-Croatian language and the basis of its Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin standards. It ...
* Serbo-Croatian pluricentric language * Croatian variant *
Serbian variant Serbian (, ) is the standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Serbs. It is the official and national language of Serbia, one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina and co-official in Montenegro and Kos ...
* Bosnian variant * Montenegrin variant *
Comparison of standard Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian Standard Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian are different national variants and official registers of the pluricentric Serbo-Croatian language. History In socialist Yugoslavia, the language was approached as a pluricentric langua ...
* Language secessionism in Serbo-Croatian


Notes

a. Participants:
Borka Pavićević Borka Pavićević (5 June 1947 – 30 June 2019) was a Yugoslav-Serbian dramaturge, newspaper columnist, and cultural activist. She was also described as a "dramatist, Belgrade liberal and pacifist intellectual". She founded the Centre for Cultu ...
, Rajka Glušica and
Snježana Kordić Snježana Kordić (; born 29 October 1964) is a Croatian linguist. In addition to her work in syntax, she has written on sociolinguistics. Kordić is known among non-specialists for numerous articles against the puristic and prescriptive langua ...
; Moderator: Sandra Zlotrg b. Participants: Ivana Bodrožić,
Balša Brković Balša Brković (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Балша Брковић) (born 25 April 1966) is a Montenegrin writer, essayist and theatre critic. He is also editor of cultural section of daily newspaper Vijesti, and one of the prominent members of the p ...
and Asim Mujkić; Moderator:
Igor Štiks Igor Štiks (born 17 September 1977 in Sarajevo) is a novelist and scholar. His novels ''The Judgment of Richard Richter'' and ''A Castle in Romagna'' have earned him multiple awards; the former has been translated into 15 languages. Biography ...
c. Participants: Nerzuk Ćurak and
Vladimir Arsenijević Vladimir Arsenijević ( sr-cyr, Владимир Арсенијевић, born 1965) is a Serbian novelist, columnist, translator, editor, musician, and publisher. He lives and works in Belgrade. Arsenijević won the prestigious NIN Award for the Y ...
; Moderator: Žarka Radoja d. Participants: Tomislav Longinović,
Viktor Ivančić Viktor Ivančić (born 8 October 1960) is a Croatian journalist, best known as the founding member and long-time editor-in-chief of satirical weekly ''Feral Tribune''. A native of Split, Ivančić edited the student paper of the Faculty of E ...
, Snježana Kordić, Boris Buden and Mate Kapović; Moderator: Katarina Peović Vuković e. Participants: Teofil Pančić,
Dragan Markovina Dragan Markovina (born 6 February 1981) is a Croatian historian, author and former president of the New Left Croatia party. Early years and education Markovina was born in Mostar and there he attended the first 5 grades of primary school. In 19 ...
, Snježana Kordić and Igor Štiks; Moderator: Vladimir Arsenijević and Ana Pejović f. Participants:
Dragan Bjelogrlić Dragan Bjelogrlić "Bjela" ( sr, Драган Бјелогрлић, ; born 10 October 1963) is a Serbian actor, director and producer. Career Bjelogrlić made his acting debut as a 15-year old, playing Sava Jovanović Sirogojno in ''Boško Buha'' ...
, Snježana Kordić, Marko Šelić Marčelo, Vladimir Arsenijević and Vlatko Sekulović; Moderator: Milena Bogavac Minja g. Participants:
Ivan Ivanji Ivan Ivanji (; born 24 January 1929) is a Serbian author of many internationally renowned novels. He was held in Auschwitz concentration camp, Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camp, Buchenwald during 1944 and 1945. He was Secretary Genera ...
, Goran Miletić, Mirjana Đurđević, Srđan Tešin and Pero Zlatar; Moderator: Eržika Pap Reljin h. Participants: Rajka Glušica,
Ivo Pranjković Ivo Pranjković (born 17 August 1947) is a Croatian linguist. Pranjković is a Bosnian Croat, born in Kotor Varoš in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the classical secondary school in Visoko, he received a BA degree in Croatian from the Faculty ...
, Snježana Kordić,
Ranko Bugarski Ranko Bugarski () is a Serbian linguist, academic and author. Life and career He was born on 1 January 1933 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, where he completed his secondary education and graduated in English and German languages and literatures at the F ...
, Vladimir Arsenijević and
Svein Mønnesland Svein Karl Mønnesland (born 26 October 1943) is a Norwegian Slavist. He was born in Skien. Since 1979 he teaches as a professor of Slavic languages at the University of Oslo. He is considered an expert in Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian, Croatian and Se ...
; Moderator: Nikola Vučić


References


External links


Text of the Declaration

List of signatories
* * {{in lang, sh Serbo-Croatian language Petitions Scientific documents Croatian documents Serbian documents 2017 documents Manifestos Science activism Academic controversies Sociolinguistics Standard languages South Slavic languages Slavic studies Education activism Citizen science Volunteering Language activists Language policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia Protests in Croatia Protests in Serbia Protests in Bosnia and Herzegovina Protests in Montenegro Linguistic discrimination Anti-nationalism in Europe Croatian nationalism Serbian nationalism Bosnian nationalism Croatian nationalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina Montenegrin nationalism Croatian culture Serbian culture Bosniak culture Montenegrin culture Linguistic controversies Linguistic purism Croatian language Serbian language Bosnian language Montenegrin language Naming controversies Languages of Croatia Languages of Serbia Languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina Languages of Montenegro Comparison of Slavic languages Projects in Europe Projects established in 2016 2017 in Serbia 2017 in Croatia 2017 in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2017 in Montenegro Serbo-Croatian-speaking countries and territories Linguistics Language varieties and styles Varieties and styles by language