Motto: Be the change.
Interests: writing, reading, composing music, spending time in nature, collecting CDs and records, going to pub quizzes.
About me: My name is Marino. I have lived in Đakovo since the third or fourth day of my life. For years I have been trying to make the image of our town as beautiful as possible through various institutions and associations. I have been working at many organisations, such as the Youth Association, Good Samaritan Volunteer Club and ARLA Organisation. I am especially proud of “Tinta”, a young amateur writers’ club established by the Đakovo Town Library and Reading Room, which I have been running for four years.
I have participated in launching various activities and events, and often even organised them myself. What motivates me again and again is my desire for a better, nicer and more productive everyday life as well as the beautiful feeling I have after every successful activity.
My work with Tinta is my biggest pride. We are a young team which sets an example for others by promoting the beauty of writing among young people and in the community in general. It feels very rewarding when you and your team manage to break down barriers, overcome prejudices and create new enthusiasts in this rather sensitive region. Having such a club is important for every community, especially for small towns like Đakovo. I also believe that in times of growing apathy and pessimism, having young, affirmative people has a double value.
Working with people and going through different and often even unpleasant experiences through the years has made me realise how important healthy collaboration, mutual respect and understanding are for a sustainable community. This is true for any community, from families and social organisations all the way to local communities. As its leader, I try to translate all this knowledge and experience into Tinta as well as I can.
Besides that, I am also proud of my three lectures on blindness and visual impairment, which were based primarily on my own experience. My wish was to talk in an unusual, unpathetic, emotional and funny way about the challenges I face in life due to visual impairment, but also about all the beauties and qualities that can be achieved through hard work, commitment, openness and perseverance.
We all have a right to criticise situations and events around us. However, it is also our obligation to react or at least try to change the things that make us unhappy. Reaction is the best criticism, so I try to be a part of that (re)action as much as I can. First of all, I try to change things I do not like in the community as an individual and to surround myself with people who share my vision – a healthy reaction and affirmation aimed at creating, maintaining and improving the healthy community we live in.
Folllow: Marino Barišić