"Knowledge is the universe, and differences make us better" — that was one of the messages from the Quiz without Borders which was organized on the 5^th of April, for the occasion of the International Roma Day at KIC "Budo Tomović" In Podgorica, Montenegro. This event brought knowledge and culture together to celebrate the diversity and richness of Roma heritage.

The main organizers and initiators of the event were the European House, on behalf of the Delegation of the European Union in Montenegro, and the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, in cooperation with partners - the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, the Capital City of Podgorica and the NGO "Civil Alliance".

The knowledge quiz included questions about the Roma people's history, culture, and traditions to draw attention to their contribution to society, both globally and in Montenegro. The participants were students at primary schools attended by children from the Roma and majority communities ("Božidar Vuković Podgoričanin", "Oktoih", "21 May", "Vladimir Nazor", and "Marko Miljanov").

In the introductory part of the event, the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation - Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović, Mayor of the Capital City of Podgorica - Olivera Injac, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro - Oana Kristina Popa and the Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica - Lejla Dervišagić addressed the audience. The students of the Elementary School "Mileva Lajović-Lalatović" from Nikšić were in charge of the cultural and artistic part of the programme.

Minister Jakšić-Stojanović pointed out that by celebrating the rich heritage of the Roma we also emphasize the importance of respecting and understanding diversity. "The quiz we are organizing today aims to entertain us and encourage us to think more deeply about the Roma, their history, culture, and contribution to our society. Through the game, we learn the importance of respecting other cultures and preserving cultural diversity," she said.

"I believe that with dedicated work, we will be able to note progress and positive results every next International Roma Day, and that all members of the Roma and Egyptian population will have better conditions for living and working in Podgorica, because only united in diversity we can build a better society for all of us" - said Mayor Injac. In addition, the event was also attended by President Jelena Borovinić-Bojović, who presented the winners with awards, in front of the Assembly of the Capital City of Podgorica.

Ambassador Popa emphasized this in her address that "Equal treatment and fundamental rights are the basic values on which the European Union was built. We strongly support the 6 million people from the Roma community currently living in Europe".

"The Council of Europe is constantly working on developing new standards and, through joint programmes with the European Union, like ROMACTED and Roma Integration, in cooperation with relevant institutions, it strives to ensure genuine and systematic participation, representation and inclusion of Roma in all areas of society and in decision-making processes that affect their lives at the local and national level" - emphasized Ms Dervišagić.

Although it has been repeatedly pointed out that knowledge is the greatest prize and that all teams were winners, those who showed a little more knowledge and skill were still rewarded. Thus, the first place was won by the team of the Elementary School "Vladimir Nazor", while the second place was Elementary School "Oktoih", and the third place was Elementary School "Božidar Vuković Podgoričanin". For the first three places, prizes in the form of sets of books and writing sets were provided by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, with the support of the Institute for Textbooks and Teaching Aids. The winning team also received telephones, which were provided by the Secretariat for Social Welfare of the Capital City of Podgorica, with the support of "Telekom".

This event in celebration of the International Roma Day was organized also as part of  the Joint Programme of the European Union and of the Council of Europe ROMACTEDII (Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level). Thus, the quiz will be organized in a few more ROMACTED partner municipalities, and this important day will be marked throughout Montenegro with numerous cultural, artistic, sports events and other activities.  The organization of this quiz is in accordance with the Council of Europe's recommendations and in support of including the Roma history in school programs.