Download report for 2008 (PDF format) - Telenor

SILENT SOCIETY PROJECT INSPIRED BY
“INVISIBILITY” OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
October 2008 – A teddy bear on wheels instead of legs is the symbol of the Silent Society exhibition by Mladen
Hrvanović, inspired by everyday challenges faced by children with disabilities. The exhibition was opened in
Belgrade, at a makeshift pavilion over a fountain, constructed especially for this purpose, thanks to partnership with
the Telenor Foundation, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, and SMart Kolektiv.
A chance encounter with a boy in a wheelchair inspired Hrvanović to use his art to draw public attention to the fact
that there are children with disabilities in our midst and that they must not live in silence and be socially invisible.
The teddy bear on wheels, which is unable to negotiate any physical obstacle unassisted, represents their everyday
life and sends a message that we are all equally different.
The Silent Society exhibition was seen by more than 10,000 people in twelve days. Additionally, on November
6, 2008, the Telenor Foundation purchased the teddy bear on wheels, which is more than two meters tall and
is currently exhibited in the hall of the Telenor office building in Belgrade. The funds from the sale and future
purchases of new exhibits will be allocated for providing ramps at public places for children and adults in
wheelchairs.
The Silent Society project will continue with a cartoon where the main character will be the teddy bear on wheels,
and the creation of a Web portal where the public can be informed and educated on the position of persons with
disabilities. The final result of the project will be the installation of ramps in public places throughout the city, which
will facilitate the movement of wheelchair-bound persons.