On a ceremony held on Thursday, December 12th, 2019 at the Croatian National Theater in Osijek, Prof. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, Ph.D., University of Rijeka Rector, received the “Krunoslav Sukić” Award, for her valuable contribution to recognizing the need for and opening up the space and atmosphere of the academic community’s cooperation with society in the processes of creating, preserving and promoting peace.
With this Award, we hereby thank and support you, as well as the team of the Center for Peace Studies and Conflict Studies in Rijeka, for encouraging the hope that peace-creating efforts at all levels of society, as well as practice learning processes, will have the institutional research and scientific support that is highly missed.
“Krunoslav Sukić” Award for promoting peacemaking, non-violence, and human rights is awarded to individuals, organizations, societies, civic and other initiatives for resisting violence and their commitment to apply non-violent methods in conflict resolution, protection, and promotion of human rights and peacemaking in the local community, through socially engaged art, by encouraging social, ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, non-violent actions and other forms of non-violent social activity in the Republic of Croatia.
“When you do something and act deeply believing that it is right and necessary, i.e. do everything you can to understand and resolve the sources of conflict and spread tolerance and non-violence, given your current position, then it is important to get the confirmation from relevant people”, Madam Rector stated, emphasizing how honored she is by receiving this Award.
“Ever since I became the Rector, I have been trying to realize the long-held idea of establishing an institutional unit at the university level in charge of human rights issues, public use of the mind to expand the space of freedom and to understand the conditions of peace and conflict. We have sought and found academic partners in Norway, Ireland, Germany, Israel, South Korea, and from the Balkans, who have helped us understand that ignorance is the most violent element in society. Institutions need to be actively engaged because they have the ability to contribute to the public good. The virtues of public institutions are much more important than just mere effective management and fulfillment of indicators, and even wider than the crucial job of cultivating the quality and authenticity of academic work. Civil society has an irreplaceable role, public and independent intellectuals are important, but we in the institutions also have to make a public contribution when it comes to resolving disagreements that have dire consequences for society and people”, Madam Rector concluded.