Integration combined with inspiration

This week The Dubrovnik Times caught up with Christiane Mandukich the new/old president of the Dubrovnik Foreign Circle. Born and raised in Germany Mandukich has spent most of her life in America, before moving to Croatia and her new home by the seaside. She has been instrumental in the Dubrovnik Foreign Circle (DFC), a non-for-profit organisation that has been engaged in the Dubrovnik community since 2009. Mandukich has recently been re-elected as the president of DFC for a second term. The Dubrovnik Times wanted to know what plans the organisation has for the future, how DFC has been successful inside the local community and why such an organisation is important for Dubrovnik. You have just been voted in for another mandate as the President of the Dubrovnik Foreign Circle what are your main goals for this new term? The Dubrovnik Foreign Circle has accomplished a lot in these last two years and we will work even harder this time around. I personally, and I believe the board agrees with me, would like to continue serving the community by organizing fundraisers. All our fundraising efforts benefit needy children in Dubrovnik. This is our mission and vision. We want to serve the community by contributing to the health and vitality of the Dubrovnik Region. One of our important tasks will be to acquire younger members and we would love to see a few Croatian nationals among our midst. It is nice to have a few Croatian voices in our midst. We increased our social events for the membership (DFC luncheons and morning coffee gatherings) and organised a successful archaeological tour of Dubrovnik. I would like to see more of such membership benefits.Why do you believe that such an organisation as DFC is important for Dubrovnik? We are all foreigners who decided to make Dubrovnik their home whether retired, working or raising a family. We happily integrate with locals whether being married to them or calling them our friends. This makes Dubrovnik a unique and perhaps international town. Dubrovnik has always had a strong connection with the outside world, an international touch if you like; our organisation is a modern day international connection. Many larger cities throughout the world have similar organisations, they are important links between the foreign and local community.What successes are you most proud of as the President of DFC? With the tremendous support and backing of the local community, DFC’s fundraising efforts of its Annual Second Hand Sales (in partnership with Art Lazareti) and other fundraising endeavours have been very successful. In the last two years, I have been able to connect with organizations abroad (UK, USA and Germany) who in turn were very gracious in supporting our efforts with generous contributions. DFC was able to purchase an asthma machine, a spirometer, doors and windows benefiting the Dubrovnik Hospital’s Children Ward. In the last two years, DFC has also funded heating oil for the muscular dystrophy society in Dubrovnik. Last year, DFC organized an outing for the Dom Maslina children’s home to the “Adrenalin Park” in Konavle. Just 2 weeks ago we sponsored a full day sailing trip to Koločep thanks to the Orsan Yacht Club skippers, two German organisations and Smiles to Sail. That is what I am mostly proud of.Can you explain the history of the Dubrovnik Foreign Circle and some highlights of the organisation until now? In the summer of 2007 I was invited to dinner in Soline by a Croatian family. The lady of the house was and is still today the President of the Europe House. She was interested in forming a “foreign circle” and I enthusiastically agreed. We met at the Europe House location in Lazareti for meetings and increased the membership rather rapidly. In 2009, about 10 members of our circle decided to form our own NGO and the Dubrovnik Foreign Circle was born. We became a Croatian registered NGO. Our first President was Carol Ann Kelsey followed by Michelle Kojakovic and then myself.Have you managed to connect your organisation with other foreign organisations? Yes, as I have already mentioned we have been able to work with similar organisations from the UK, the USA and Germany. These very organisations have been extremely generous with their help. I have also started to exchange emails and will soon talk to the President of the International Women’s Club in Zagreb to see whether we can cooperate and assist each other in some way or the other.What feedback have you received from the local community?The Dubrovnik media has been very helpful and supportive in spreading the DFC word. Locals are more and more getting to know us by reading and hearing about DFC. I have been personally thanked by many people in the local community for what our organization has accomplished. It was made clear to me that locals believe in what we are doing; believe that we always deliver and that we are rather nice people trying to integrate.Come and join usWant to get involved with the Dubrovnik Foreign Circle; they are always on the lookout for new members. Contact the DFC through their website www.dubrovnikforeigncircle.com.