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At the Croatian Catholic University, 2. February 2023. the fifth structured dialogue of the Veterans Thematic Network was held, on this "Croatian public opinion about veterans - images created through the media".  On behalf of the organizers, Prof. dr. sc. Željko Tanjić, rector of the Croatian Catholic University, Siniša Troha, president of the Association of Associations of Veterans of the Croatian Guards, Siniša Vinković, vice president of the Association of Veterans of the Homeland War INA-Naftaplina ”FIVE” te Lina Lena Soukup, Head of the Independent Sector for Strategic Planning and EU Projects of the Ministry of Croatian Veterans. General information about the project and its implementation was presented by its leader Ida Maček, stressing the importance of establishing cooperation with the academic community, through which new ones were built, that is, deepening the existing ones, competence, knowledge and skills in civil society organizations. The results of the research entitled "Media analysis of Croatian veterans in the period from 2010. do 2020. years" was presented by Assoc. dr. sc. Mateja Plenković, which she conducted with a team of four other scientists from the Department of Sociology of the Croatian Catholic University – dr. sc. Miriam Mary Brgles (research manager), prof. dr. sc. Gordan Črpić, prof. dr. sc. Roko Mišetić and assistant. dr. sc- Josip Ježovita and Assoc. prof. dr. sc. Ivan Balabanić from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Croatian Studies. The general goal of the research was to gain insight into the patterns of media coverage of Croatian veterans. The research was conducted during 2021. i 2022. The. The content analysis method was used, and the research covers the period from 1. January 2010. year to 31. December 2020. The. The contents were published in five print media and eleven internet portals. The unit of analysis was a media report in which Croatian veterans are the main content topic. The total was analyzed 11849 media attachment, and the most common types of articles analyzed are news and reports from the field. The first research results will be published in a scientific article in a journalMedia, Culture and Public Relations. Antun Plenković, university specialist in political science from the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, he presented the results of scientific research "Research of public opinion about the veteran population on a convenient sample".
-Public sentiment towards war veterans is in many cases dissonant. On the one hand, they are respected, treated as heroes and valuable members of society, s druge marginalized. Therefore, stigmatization is not rare either. The research results show that veterans' satisfaction with their personal life is high despite significant external burdens. It can be concluded that this satisfaction has a sufficient compensatory effect in relation to the action of social and institutional factors that cause veterans' dissatisfaction. However, this does not apply to the entire population. Although in a smaller percentage, in the case of many veterans, the compensatory effect from their personal lives is missing, which is why they remain without support on a personal and institutional level. This significantly disrupts their relationships with the environment and affects their personal and social dysfunctionality, Plenković said. Master's degree in psychology and coordinator of guidelines development, Ivana Maslov, presenting the guidelines, she pointed out that by increasing non-stereotypical representations of Croatian veterans, we can mitigate the effect of negative stereotypical representations, therefore, financial and organizational support is needed for projects that will raise awareness of the multidimensionality and importance of veterans among all citizens of the Republic of Croatia, regardless of political orientation and attitudes. Through the media, but also within the school system, it is necessary to build a realistic picture of the Croatian veterans as honorable fighters who enabled the creation of the free Republic of Croatia, and most of them are still active today in the fight to preserve national identity and improve the living conditions of all citizens, and particularly sensitive social groups.
The view of this topic was also presented by the Master of Psychology, former veteran and initiator of cooperation between veterans' associations and the academic community, Sandra Sucurovic. She referred to the image of Croatian veterans and the Homeland War in the media and how it affects their emotional state and quality of life.
Before opening the discussion, Mario Filipi addressed the audience, Croatian war invalid and veteran and author of the books "Nikola Tesla under the cobweb" and "On the Eastern Threshold of the Homeland", referring to many heroes of the Homeland War, that, unfortunately, today they are not mentioned anywhere nor is the public familiar with their victims.
Project UP.04.2.1.06.0004 "Analysis of social factors affecting the quality of life of the veteran population - guidelines for the future" co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund. The implementation period is 28. 10. 2020. – 28. 10. 2023., and the total value of the project and the amount of EU co-financing 476.577,83 euros. The holder of the project is the Association of Veterans of the Croatian Guards, which, together with partners from civil society and the scientific community, implements a project with the purpose of contributing to the quality of life of Croatian veterans and victims of the Homeland War.

Dana 22. December 2022. The, on the Square of Victims of Fascism 1 in Zagreb in 17:00 i 17:30 hours, in cooperation with the project partner, the Association of Special Police from the Homeland War of the Republic of Croatia, the presentation of the proposal for guidelines for the development of public policies on the topics Work activity of veterans and involvement in social entrepreneurship and Health care of Croatian veterans was held as part of the project Analysis of social factors affecting the quality of life of the veteran population - guidelines for the future, which was co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund. The guidelines were created on the basis of expert research, and they were presented to the target group by the external associate for social entrepreneurship Alen Halilović mag. oec and the adviser of the thematic network for health Stanko Šincek mag. med. tech. In addition to the target population, Croatian veterans, the presentation was attended by parliamentarian Mr. Damir Habijan and representatives of the Ministry of Croatian Veterans and the city of Zagreb. After the presentation of the guidelines, an appropriate reception was held, attended by the Minister of Defense, dr. sc. Mario Banožić. After the welcoming speech of the President of the Association of Associations of Veterans of Croatian Guards, Mr. Siniša Troha and the introductory speech of the project manager Ida Maček, those present were addressed by Stanko Šincek, mag.med.techn., and mag.oec. Alen Halilović, presenting the guidelines proposals. At the end, perspective from the legislative framework was presented by Damir Habijan, BA. During the presentation, the participants learned about the advantages and disadvantages of social entrepreneurship, as well as differences in relation to traditional entrepreneurship. It is a form of entrepreneurship that represents a type of business driven primarily by social goals and the creation of a positive social and environmental impact, and significantly contributes to the achievement of strategic goals, especially social cohesion, fight against poverty and increased employment, creation of new products, resource conservation, valuing heritage and biodiversity and improving the quality of life through business for social welfare. It is a concept that drives the creation of economic and social value through the construction of social changes that meet the needs and offer employment of hard-to-employ and marginalized social categories.. Unlike traditional entrepreneurship, the profit made through this type of entrepreneurship model is reinvested by investing in the community or is used for the implementation of other programs and goals that contribute to the improvement of living conditions, environmental protection and sustainable development. On the same day, the presentation of the proposal for guidelines on the topic of health care for Croatian veterans took place. Great emphasis was placed on the area that deals with health issues of the target population, considering the high morbidity and mortality of Croatian veterans., in order to motivate them to regular systematic examinations and to understand the importance of psychosocial health. Those present were familiar with the results of expert research on the basis of which the guidelines were created. They indicate the importance of maintaining and improving mental health and psychological factors in order to improve the general quality of life of individuals and ultimately create a happier and more functional society as a whole.

During December, two workshops were held in cooperation with the Croatian Association for Suicide Prevention. The workshops were held in Ogulin and Zagreb. The goal of the workshops is to help participants recognize the main causes of stress in everyday situations and learn how to deal with them. Recognize and become aware of "negative" emotions such as anger and inner tension and how you can regulate your own psychophysical state and encourage positive thinking.

During December, two workshops were held with the aim of getting closer to the veteran population, but also to the general public, topics of European funds and Defense cooperatives as a model of social entrepreneurship in the community.
The plans and main guidelines of the ESF+ fund were presented, and the priorities are highlighted as special:
– adaptability of workers to new skills,
– better access to employment
– lifelong learning and vocational training
– providing assistance in the employment of persons from disadvantaged groups (fight against marginalization)
Also, the main goals are also presented, the values ​​and principles of social enterprises, and the positive effects of social enterprises at local levels are also presented.

In the period from 16. do 18. December 2022. representatives of ZUHBLPTSPRH visited the Single Organization of Veterans "Union of Veterans", Sarajevo Canton. On that occasion, they took part in the Round Table, the topic of which was "Cooperation and exchange of membership experiences related to the issue of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder". The representatives of the Community hosted the representatives of the JOB "Union of Veterans" Canton of Sarajevo in Zagreb, and further cooperation and a common approach in solving open issues in the World Veterans Federation, of which both associations are members, was agreed upon..

conference 9. Knowledge center for social development called "Knowledge through the challenges of the future" was held 25. November 2022. in the Academia Hotel in Zagreb. 9. The Knowledge Center for Social Development gathers 14 the association of veterans and victims of the Homeland War and that: Union of county communities, associations and members of HVIDR of the Republic of Croatia, Union of associations of families of detained and missing Croatian veterans, Association of children of dead and missing Croatian defenders of the Homeland War, Association of volunteers and veterans of the Homeland War of the Republic of Croatia, Association of Croatian volunteers of the Homeland War, Association of Croatian Guards Veterans Associations, Association of special police from the Homeland War, Veterans Association 4. Guard brigades, Association 5. guard brigade "Falcons", Croatian Officers' Corps - a community of associations, Union of associations of Croatian civilian victims of the Croatian Homeland War, Association of defenders and veterans of the military police from the Homeland War, Union of associations of Croatian veterans treated for post-traumatic stress disorder of the Republic of Croatia and Association of the Frankopan Battalion. Area of ​​activity 9. The aim of the Knowledge Center for Social Development is to improve the quality of life of Croatian veterans and victims of the Homeland War, and during 2022. year through activities development cooperation and analysisNational development strategies of Croatia do 2030. The, the emphasis is on vand programmatic connection of all Knowledge Centers in creationInclusive and solidary Croatia, Digital Croatia and Green and sustainable Croatia. It's a conference, with an introductory presentation, welcomed by the coordinator of international and intersectoral cooperation of the National Foundation for the Development of Civil Society, g. Pavle Schramadei, emphasizing the importance of connecting all Knowledge Centers, as well as the representative of the Vice-President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Minister of Croatian Veterans Mr. Tom Medveda, head of the independent sector for strategic planning and EU projects of the Ministry of Croatian Veterans, Mrs. Lina Lena Soukup, who then held a lecture on the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia 2030. in the field of action 9. knowledge center. Lecture on the topic of the National Plan for the creation of a stimulating environment for the development of civil society by 2021. do 2027.(models of CD sustainability and resilience) was held by Mrs. Helena Beus, authorized to perform the duties of the director of the Office for Associations of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, while the lecture is on "Accessibility of digital contents and services” held by Mrs. Tamara Horvat Klemen and Mr. Željko Holik, Central State Office for the Development of the Digital Society. On the subject of multi-programme linking of Knowledge Centers in the area of ​​Inclusive and Solidarity Croatia, lecture entitled "Accessibility as a prerequisite for the inclusion of persons with disabilities” was held by Mr. Ratmir Đanić, dipl.ing. – 8. knowledge center, while the lecture on "Solidarity in the community" was held by Drago Lelas from the MoSt Association. Lecture on the topic “Management of material in digital form” was held by Mr. Kristijan Karajić, archival consultant, Head of the Department for Digital Materials –  Croatian State Archives. On the topic of transfer of specific knowledge in the area of ​​Solidarna and inclusive Croatia, lecture entitled "Solidarity and responsibility – humanitarian actions of veterans and victims of the Homeland War, was held by Mrs. Sandra Rapčak Škomrlj, deputy coordinator 9. Knowledge Center of Mrs. Danijela Perić. In the area of ​​Green and sustainable Croatia, the lecture was given by Mr. Dario Duić, Secretary General of the Association of Croatian Homeland War Volunteers Presentation of the activities of the EU project Analysis of social factors affecting the quality of life of the veteran population - guidelines for the future, Thematic network defenders, was presented by the president of the Association of Associations of Veterans of the Croatian Guards, Mr. Siniša Troha. G. Troha also presented guidelines on the Work Activity of veterans, the importance and need for stronger involvement in social entrepreneurship.

The post is funded by the European Social Fund, Operational Program "Effective Human Resources" 2014.-2020. within the project "Analysis of social factors that affect the quality of life of the veteran population - guidelines for the future". The Association of Veterans of Croatian Guards is the project leader, and the Association of Croatian Veterans Treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of the Republic of Croatia is a partner organization. The competition runs from 15.11. do 20.11.2022. The, and full-time employment is based on a certain period of time 4 month (from 01. December 2022. year to 31. March 2023. The). -more here-

At the invitation of the member association UHBL-PTSP "Sveti Vlaho" Dubrovnik Dubrovnik-Neretva County, the representative office of ZUHBLPTSPRH participated 5. i 6. October in Dubrovnik on the program of commemorating the heaviest attack on Dubrovnik and Day of Defenders of Dubrovnik. With the delegations of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, Ministries of Croatian veterans, representatives of the city authorities and associations resulting from the Homeland War laid wreaths and lit candles on the monuments of the fallen Croatian veterans at the City Cemetery in Dubrovnik Boninovo, Dubrovnik fortress and Muslim cemetery.

At the end of October, as part of the project Psychological empowerment of PTSD veterans and their family members, a spiritual renewal of the Community members was held. A pilgrimage to Medjugorje was organized and we are glad that the turnout of the participants was already traditionally high and that a place higher up on the bus was once again sought after.. This is an indication that Croatian veterans and their family members are very eager for such activities.

The fourth structured dialogue of the Veterans Thematic Network was held in the County Palace in Varaždin, on this "Councilor (it is) activity of Croatian veterans and involvement in social entrepreneurship" Structured dialogues are conducted within the framework of the project "Analysis of social factors affecting the quality of life of the veteran population – guidelines for the future" which was co-financed by the European Union as part of the European Social Fund, and the holder is the Association of Associations of Veterans of Croatian Guards together with partners from civil society and the academic community. Today's event was hosted by the partner association of the Special Police Unit RODA, and the organizer Antun Berljak, a former veteran who showed by his example how we can change our social environment for the better, because with quality action at the local level, we also influence positive changes in society as a whole. Those present were greeted at the beginning by Dražen Vitez, the president of the SJP Association "Roda", then the president of the County Assembly, Ph.D. Josip Križanić as well as Deputy Mayor of Varaždin Miroslav Marković. General information about the project and its implementation was presented by its project manager Ida Maček. The purpose of the project is to contribute to the quality of life of Croatian veterans and victims of the Homeland War. Activities include the establishment of a thematic network, public opinion poll, six scientific researches and creation of several scientific and professional articles. The results of the project are guidelines for the development of public policies that are presented to decision makers during six structured dialogues, each organized in a different city in order to achieve regional equality of involvement in the process of creating public policies.. Through the cooperation of organized civil society with the academic community and scientific research institutions, new ones were built, that is, deepening the existing ones, competence, knowledge and skills in civil society organizations that have thus become competent for the quality transfer of social needs into professional analyzes based on arguments and evidence that can be used to advocate the improvement of public policies in various areas of social and economic development. Scientific and professional collaborators on the project, Ph.D. Nenad Pokos from the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, mag. oec. Alen Halilović and mag. psych. Ivana Maslov together came to the conclusion that veterans' cooperatives and associations are recognized as one of the key organizations that can actively contribute to the development of social innovations that will directly affect the employment of vulnerable groups, which include Croatian veterans and victims of the Homeland War. One of the key proposals is the transformation of veterans' cooperatives into social enterprises, which will provide an opportunity for sustainable business, the possibility of employing young staff and reinvesting profits in the development of the local community with the aim of providing equal opportunities to Croatian veterans and victims of the Homeland War and their family members. The biggest obstacles to the business of social entrepreneurs are the lack of financial capital, but also the lack of business skills of social entrepreneurs and the low public visibility of social entrepreneurship, as well as the lack of awareness of social entrepreneurship as a business that creates additional social value in addition to economic value (employment of vulnerable groups, provision of social services, ecological sustainability). The solution to this problem can be seen through the development of a network of support services (the same can be implemented through thematic networks that work with a target group of Croatian veterans and victims of the Homeland War and their family members) which can provide the necessary information, enable education and the creation of necessary skills and the exchange of experiences of good practice. It is also proposed to create special development funds as specific sources of financing. Stjepan Horvat, a veteran veteran entrepreneur who employs Croatian veterans, expressed his opinion on the topic, then Mirjana Jerebić- representative of the city society of the red cross Ludbreg and Branka Šaško - director of the regional office of the HZZ Varaždin. The organizers hereby once again thank all Croatian veterans from the area of ​​Varaždin County who spared their time to participate in survey research and focus groups and to express their opinion on the prepared guidelines with their own relevant suggestions..