Jelena Šantić
2006-11-10
The founder of Group 484 Jelena Šantić was one of the most important peace activists in Serbia. Since 1991 she was the initiator of many peace demonstrations, founder of numerous networks for cooperation between nongovernmental peace organisations in the country and region and the manager in projects for assistance to refugees and reconciliation of warring factions. She was a member of Belgrade Circle, participated in founding of European Movement in Serbia and Centre for Antiwar Action. For her peace activities, she was awarded Pax Christi International annual peace award in 1996.
Being a prestigious ballet artist, during her exceptionally successful ballet career Jelena Šantić played the most important roles in a large number of performances. She also created choreographies for numerous plays and films. She was a member of CID/UNESCO, Dance History Scholars, ELIA as well as an associate to many international and domestic specialised magazines. She was the author of Dušan Trninić Monograph and the book on Maga Magazinović My Life.
Berlin peace activists, honouring Jelena’s work founded the humanitarian organisation called Group 485. Upon their initiative, on March 2003, Berlin Parliament decides to name a park in Berlin’s Hellersdorf district »Jelena Šantić Peace Park«, marking the third year of her untimely death.
»Humanitarian activism is the other side of me. My life has always been an intersection of intuition and rationality, stability and instability, peace and upheaval. Then, at one moment I felt a strong desire to help people who suffered because of the war. My humanitarian trait in a way relates to art. They both connect different worlds.«
