Parents accuse Duška Jurišić: She did not defend our children's rights, nor did she publicly condemn discrimination at JP Olympic Pool

(Patria) - Parents of children with developmental disabilities reacted to the recent meeting between the Deputy Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, Duška Jurišić, and the director of JP Olympic Pool Otoka, Avdija Hasanović, a meeting to which the parents were not invited or informed, condemning the Deputy Minister's actions and demanding a clear statement from the ministry she represents.

- After months of struggle, protests, open letters, and public appeals, we perceive such an approach as humiliation and confirmation of our invisibility.

Protection of the Most Vulnerable

It is particularly offensive that this meeting is presented to the public as a step towards "inclusion," even though it involves a person for whom the Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms of the City of Sarajevo has established discrimination and violation of the fundamental rights of children with developmental disabilities, writes Faktor.

This is not inclusion, it is an attempt to improve personal image at the expense of our children - states the press release signed by the Informal Citizens' Group Srcem za posebne.

The Institution of the Ombudsmen of BiH, they add, instead of protecting the most vulnerable, acted bureaucratically and unilaterally in the case of prohibiting individual training.
They made conclusions solely based on the statement of JP Olympic Pool Otoka, without hearing the parents whose children are directly affected.

- Our testimonies, submitted evidence, and internal pool regulations that prevent individual work except with trainers employed at JP Olympic Pool Otoka without any alternative have been ignored.

Such an approach is not the protection of human rights, but mere administrative fulfillment of form, without substance.

Deputy Minister Duška Jurišić acted in the same way. Her statements and taking sides are particularly dangerous because they normalize the idea that inclusion can be discussed without those who are excluded daily.

Questioning the justification of our protests with statements like: "I remind you that the parents' demands ranged from allowing children to train with coaches of their choice to the resignation of the pool director" and "The protests, regardless of the justification for the cause, were an incentive" represents a direct belittling of our struggle - states this informal group of citizens.

They ask: Who gives the Deputy Minister the right to question the justification of protests by parents fighting for the basic rights of their children?

- If the representative of the Ministry for Human Rights, an institution paid to protect the interests of all citizens, holds a meeting with the management against whom parents are filing complaints, without their presence, it is not dialogue. It is a political performance. Ms. Jurišić did not stand up to protect the children whose rights are threatened, she did not publicly condemn the discrimination, and she did not open space for dialogue with the parents. Such actions do not contribute to inclusion, they betray it - they claim.

They requested an official statement from the Ministry for Human Rights of BiH, noting that they do not agree to the manipulation of the term "inclusion" while children with disabilities are pushed aside.

We expect systemic solutions, not temporary measures that are applied only when parents raise their voices, they add.

System of Injustice

- The rights of our children are clearly defined by the laws of BiH and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: the right to rehabilitation, inclusion, and equal life.
In practice, these rights are systematically violated daily without any accountability. We are fighting so that our children are not treated as a burden.

A society that does not stand by its most vulnerable children is not a society, but a system of injustice. As in April of this year, when our children were removed from the pool in a stressful and humiliating manner, we now demand accountability from those who violated their rights.

This is not a fight against one pool, one director, or one bad decision. This is a fight for values: the right to access, respect, and visibility. We continue in an organized, determined, and public manner. We do not accept injustice - stated this informal group of citizens.