Diaspora Awards or Just a Show?
Every year, Montenegro hands out awards to its emigrants and diaspora organizations. This year, for the fifth time, the Ministry of Diaspora selected winners from 33 candidates and 7 organizations. But is everything really as great as it seems?
Who got the awards?
Awards were given for preserving national identity, contributions to culture, science, economy, sports, and humanitarian work. Among the winners are Marinko Ćulafić from Albania for preserving state identity, Miloš Karadaglić from the UK for culture, Vasilije Mijović from the USA for science, the humanitarian organization Bratska Ruka from Switzerland, and Refik Šabanadžović from Bosnia and Herzegovina for sports. Posthumously, Miodrag Kostić from Serbia was awarded for improving economic partnership.
But where is diplomacy?
Surprisingly, no award was given this year for contributions to diplomacy and promotion of Montenegro. The commission unanimously decided that no proposal met the required level. Is this a sign that the diaspora is failing in diplomacy, or is the commission too strict? Or is there something else going on?
More awards and recognitions
Besides the main awards, certificates and plaques were given for outstanding contributions in various fields, including Čedomir Čupić in Serbia and Vladislav Popović for improving economic partnership.
Ceremony and message
The award ceremony is scheduled for July 25 in Podgorica. The Ministry emphasized that the goal of the awards is to preserve their significance and send a clear message to the diaspora and the public about the importance of their contributions.
Is this really recognition or just political theater?
While praising contributions, the question remains how much these awards truly reflect real work and merit, and how much they are just formalities. As for diplomacy, maybe Montenegro should rethink its foreign policy and the role of the diaspora in it?
If you have thoughts on this, or know someone who deserves an award, drop a comment below. Let the people’s voice be heard, because awards should celebrate real heroes, not just be another bureaucratic paper.
