Domovina uredništvo
Nakon 35 godina neumornog pomaganja promocije i zaštite hrvatskoj jezika u Australiji, došlo je vrijeme za proslavu i okupljanje svih onih koji podržavaju Zakladu hrvatskih studija, osnovanih na Macquarie sveučilištu. I tako je i bilo: u subotu navečer se u Hrvatskom klubu Punchbowl okupilo nekoliko stotina gostiju, kao i uglednici iz politike, medija, akademije, i naravno predstavnici Republike Hrvatske.
After 35 years of helping to promote, purvey and protect the Croatian language in Australia, it was high time that the Macquarie University-based Croatian Studies Foundation and all those who have supported both morally and financially got recognised for all their hard work.
And so it was last Saturday night at the Croatian Club Punchbowl when hundreds of guests as well as dignitaries from politics, the media, academia as well as the Republic of Croatia came together to celebrate the magnificent work done by the Foundation.
One of the numerous overseas guests was Dr. Milan Bosnjak, the Special Adviser for Croatian National Minorities Issues Abroad who gushing in his praise of all the hard work done by the Diaspora for helping to keep the Croatian language and unique culture not only alive but also thriving in far-way countries like Australia.
“My three colleagues and I saw some 700 children during our visit here and I honestly have to say that we were thrilled at their love of the Domovina as well as how everyone knew how to speak Croatian.”
“It isn’t just a testament to them and their own hard work, but also to their parents and grandparents for all the effort they have put in to ensure Croatian culture thrives here in this faraway Continent.”
“This has given me and also my colleagues great hope for the future,” said Bosnjak.”
Established in 1984 in Sydney, the Croatian Studies Foundation was the first independent, non-for-profit organisation promoting the knowledge of the Croatian language, culture and anthropological studies in the Southern Hemisphere.
Opening the nights festivities, a number high profile guests that included the likes Ivan Spehar, Stephen Klaric, Marko Franovic along with the dignitaries that included Betty Pavelich Sirois (Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Australia), Sanja Putica, State Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia as well as Ivica Glasnovic, Croatian Consul General for NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory were all full of praise and in some cases also pleasantly surprised at the level of connection and love for all things Croatian; a love that has not diminished over the past 70 years since Croatians started coming to Australia in significant numbers.
Perhaps one of the most interesting speeches was by Dr. Peter Hill, who as the head of Slavonic Studies at Macquarie University, who spoke about the “schemkala”- a Croatian term that denotes the non-acceptance of the then ‘fascination’ of the Australian government with the so-called language once known as ‘Serbo-Croatian’.
Dr. Jasna Šeg from the, University of Zagreb noted that “ iako smo fizički udaljeni, sva suradnja nas zbližava”, but perhaps the most telling speech contained niot words but rather numbers.
As head of the Foundation, Luka Budak pointed out, over the past 35 years, some 4124 students has graduated from the Croatian Studies Foundation with a qualification on the Croatian language – a number that we all should be proud of.
And all this from a dream, a wish and a desire some 40 years ago to establish a way to preserve and promote the beautiful Croatian language.
While the stunning sounds of the Klapa Somaona rang through the halls of the Croatian Club, Punchbowl, the words of Dr. Milan Bosnjak became ever poignant: “I think this is a very positive sign for our future.”
One could hardly disagree.
By Branko Miletic
