CURRENT EVENTS

The Slovenian Emigrant Association entering 2026 with stable operations and new projects

At 5 p.m. on 26 March 2026, the Slovenian Emigrant Association held the 52nd General Annual Meeting. President Boris Jesih gave a welcome address to the members of the Association, highlighting that the Association is celebrating its 75th anniversary, which it will commemorate by holding a grand exhibition at the Jakopič Avenue in Ljubljana. He also expressed his pride with the increasing number of new members, as well as content with the stable financial situation thanks to project applications. “We are sparking connections with other associations, for instance the Primož Trubar Association from Murska Sobota,” Jesih explained. At the General Annual Meeting, the new business and substantial report was approved, Darinka Kozinc was appointed a new member of the Monitoring Committee, and proposed amendments to the Statute were made. Following the official part of the gathering, members of the Association had the privilege to witness the presentation of Zgodbe slovenskih izseljencev v sliki in besedi, 2. del (Stories by Slovenian emigrants in image and text: Second part) by Janez Rogelj.

Two decades of the Lipa Zadar Slovenian Cultural Society

The Lipa Zadar Slovenian Cultural Society celebrated the Slovenian Cultural Holiday, also known as the Prešeren Day, at the multimedia hall of the Zadar City Library, where they also held the 21st Annual Meeting of the Society, thematically titled Brought together by Culture.

In introduction, President of the Society Darja Jusup walked the attendees through the projects successfully implemented in 2025. She highlighted the 20th anniversary of the Society and announced all upcoming projects and activities to be implemented in 2026, while the 2025 Financial Report and 2026 Plan were presented by President of the Monitoring Committee Katarina Bezić.

In 2025, the Society celebrated 20 years of operations, which it commemorated with the publication of a monography titled Slovensko kulturno društvo Lipa Zadar (The Lipa Zadar Slovenian Cultural Society in English). “We will keep connecting at the international level and stay true to Slovenian customs,” President Darja Jusup assured.

The Lipa Zadar Slovenian Cultural Society has 95 members and a modest budget, which it complements with love for the Slovenian language and tradition. Addressing the guests on behalf of the Slovenian Emigrant Association was Ženja Simonič, who humbly accepted a painting created by Stanka Novković at the Artists’ Colony, which she received as a token of gratitude.

KULTURA

Klaudija Sedar uncovers traces of Prekmurje across the pond

On 19 March 2026, the Evangelist Center in Murska Sobota housed a presentation of Sledi Prekmurja čez ocean (Traces of Prekmurje across the pond). The publication is a collection of stories by Slovenians who emigrated from Prekmurje to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – a city that due to industrial development and growing number of job posts came to be a major hotspot for emigrations from Prekmurje. The stories have been edited by Klaudija Sedar from the Primož Trubar Society, who collected them last year in Betlehem together with colleague Jože Glažar. The stories are based on testimonials, memories recollected by descendants of the emigrants, family archives, folklore. The author spoke about her research in an interview for Rodna gruda.

GENERATIONS

Jurij Rosa: “I loved my job and I fulfilled my mission”

In December 2025, the Slovenian Emigrant Association was visited by Jurij Rosa, a retired archivist from the Nova Gorica Regional Archives. Holding a deep interest in emigration, he borrowed calendars by Slovenian emigrants at the library of the Slovenian Emigrant Association. With the Association being more than happy to share any information with Rosa in the future, we decided to present him to the readers of Rodna gruda.

Danijela Hliš:  Bridging the gap between Slovenia and Australia with poetry

Danijela Hliš is a writer and translator, who has lived in Australia – both Melbourne and Sydney – since 1979. There, she finished her degree in business and management, worked at the employment office, ran a private tourist facility called the Bicheno Hideaway, and translated from Spanish, French, Italian, Serbian-Croatian and Slovenian to English. Now, a retiree, she works in elderly homes, where she helps people with dementia and those who do not speak English. She used to be active in business and tourism, and she is still engaged in international literature and culture. She writes in Slovenian and English, producing poetry, short stories and travelogues published in Australia as well as by emigrant publishing houses from various countries.

SLOVENIANS IN BUSINESS

Ana Tori: Sustainable architecture from Slovenia to Germany and back

Ana Tori holds a master’s degree in architecture. Excellent Erasmus programs, her curious nature and love for Architecture took her from Slovenia to Munich, Germany, as well as to Norway. “I took part in a student exchange program and studied at the Munich Technical University, which I chose for its excellent Chair of Timber. Then, I did a one-year internship at the Helen&Hard architectural firm, Architecture from Stavanger, Norway, which is famous for creative solutions in timber architecture. After completing my studies in Ljubljana, I returned to Munich, where I stayed for almost a decade,” she began her story for Rodna gruda.

SLOVENIAN LANDSCAPE

Electoral aftermath: Slovenia divided, another election might be necessary

Following little substantial discussion, numerous scandals involving the publication of wiretapped recordings, and allegations of foreign interference in the elections, Slovenia awaited the the election results on 22 March 2026 with unusual anticipation. Seven parties made it into the National Assembly, with the relative winner being Gibanje svoboda (the Freedom Movement in English) with the current Prime Minister Robert Golob, which won 29 seats. While the situation initially looked even more favorable after the release exit polls, Golob’s party can still be satisfied with the marginal victory as they had been polling 10 to 15 percent lower just a few months earlier. What they will be able to do with these results is another story though, as not all strings are in their hands.

Kristijan Radikovič