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LJUBLJANA - After contracting by an estimated 5.5% in real terms last year, Slovenia's economy returned to growth in the first quarter of the year as GDP expanded at an annual rate of 1.6% in real terms or by as much as 2.3% when adjusted for season. It rose by 1.4% from the final quarter of 2020, data from the Statistics Office show. The year-on-year growth was driven most prominently by gross fixed capital formation, as well as by exports and household consumption expenditure. Investment in construction declined. Commenting on the growth figures, the central bank noted that unlike the eurozone, Slovenia's economy started recovering as early as the first quarter.
Pahor, Rebelo de Sousa talk president role in EU presidency
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor is hosting his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as Slovenia is soon to take over the rotating EU presidency from Portugal. The pair agreed that, despite the EU presidency being managed by the government in both countries, the presidents of the republic played an important role in the process too. Pahor would like to see Slovenia be ambitious in its presidency. Rebelo de Sousa said his country's presidency had set some important foundations, and that further efforts would be required during Slovenia's six-month stint.
Hungary's OTP bank signs deal to acquire NKBM bank
LJUBLJANA - The Hungarian OTP Bank Group announced it had signed a contract to acquire the outright stake in NKBM, Slovenia's second largest bank. The deal is expected to be finalised in the second quarter of next year as the acquirer is waiting approval from relevant regulatory authorities. Owned by the US fund Apollo (80%) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (20%), NKBM controls 20.5% of the Slovenian market. OTP already owns SKB Banka, and combined with NKBM, the new bank would control some 29% of the market, making OTP the biggest player on the Slovenian banking market
Logar expects Slovenian diplomats to make the best of EU presidency
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenian diplomats started their annual consultation focusing on Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency. Foreign Minister Anže Logar said Slovenia was well prepared for the presidency, listing the Conference on the Future of the EU and the progress of Western Balkan countries on their path towards the EU as the key topics. He said the debates should also delve into "how to materialise our views and our commitments from the foreign policy strategy and our presidency's programme, and how to make the best of our presidency."
Pahor appeals for responsibility to make EU presidency success
BRDO PRI KRANJU - President Borut Pahor vowed to make an effort for Slovenia to accomplish its job as the president of the Council of the EU with "maturity, cooperation and responsibility", as he urged a strengthening of pro-European policies in his address to diplomats. After 15 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU will be facing many challenges, but Pahor is confident that Slovenia will make an excellent job out of its EU presidency regardless of the difficult political situation at home.
Vaccination of children could start soon
LJUBLJANA - The head of the national advisory group for Covid-19 vaccination, Bojana Beović, said the group will recommend vaccinating children, especially children suffering from chronic diseases, after the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12 or more. The advisory group will meet this week to adopt recommendations for vaccination of children. The infectologist said that she could see no reason not to use Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine for children after it was approved by the EMA.
Under 100 new coronavirus cases reported for Sunday, one death
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 91 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, up slightly from the week before, as the test positivity rate stood at 6.1%, the lowest in a week. The positive tests came from just over 1,500 PCR tests and almost 7,600 rapid tests, where all positives are double checked with PCR tests. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population dropped by one to 203 and the rolling seven-day average of new daily cases rose by one to 276.
Slovenia's annual inflation at 2.1% in May
LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia increased at an annual rate of 2.1% in May, largely as a result of much higher prices of energy and fuels. Goods prices went up by an average 3.6%, while services prices decreased by an average 0.6%. The largest contributors to annual inflation were electricity, where prices rose by almost 41%, as well as petroleum products, where liquid fuel prices rose by over 41% and the prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport by over 20%, the Statistics Office said.
OECD upgrades GDP forecast for Slovenia
PARIS, France - The OECD has upgraded its forecast for Slovenia's GDP growth in 2021 to 3.5%, up 0.1 percentage points from its December forecast, and to 4.6% for next year, a rise of 1.1 points. It said that new restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic slowed down Slovenia's recovery at the start of this year, but as vaccination progresses, the country's growth should pick up in the second half of the year.
Epidemic decline getting slower, say IJS experts
LJUBLJANA - The latest projections by the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) indicate that the epidemic in Slovenia is subsiding at an increasingly slower pace. The epidemic curve might even be at the point of stagnation, the IJS said, noting that Slovenia was still firmly in tier red according to EU criteria. Its 14-day incidence per 100,000 population is above 200 and for the country to be promoted to tier orange, the figure must fall below 150. Slovenia's basic reproductive number has increased from 0.75 a week ago, currently standing at 0.94.
No appointment needed to get Covid jab in Celje
CELJE - The Celje vaccination centre has invited all adults to get a Covid-19 jab without prior appointment in a move that has already been hailed in the efforts to push up Slovenia's vaccination rates. The centre, operated by the Celje Community Health Centre, has offered slots on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for all those interested.
Pahor sees no convincing reason to repeat EDP procedure
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said he did not see convincing reasons for the government's decision to repeat the procedure to pick candidates for Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors (EDP). He would like the government to reconsider its decision. He noted that he was usually very reserved when it came to commenting the decisions of the government and parliament, but said this time the issue came up just before Slovenia's EU presidency.
Opposition lambastes Pahor for saying Slovenia not in political crisis
LJUBLJANA - MPs of the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Left and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) criticised President Borut Pahor's statement that Slovenia is not in a political crisis, but only in the midst of "heightened political uncertainty", saying that the president was "faking ignorance", that he was pretending or that his assessments were hard to understand.
Gašper Kralj wins Cankar Prize
VRHNIKA - Gašper Kralj, a 47-year-old writer and translator, has won the EUR 5,000 Cankar Prize for the best original literature published over the past year. He was awarded for his novel Škrbine (Stubs), a "story about unwritten stories". The award jury said the novel is a "convincing introspection" about the limitations and possibilities of putting into words bits of life that cannot be converted into a finished story.
Cedevita Olimpija basketball champions for 18th time
LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana basketball club Cedevita Olimpija won their 18th national championship title with a 80:68 win against Krka on Sunday, to make it 3:0 in the final series. The title marks a return to top-level basketball for the club, which was last champion in 2018 and has undergone a profound transformation after a rocky few years, most notably a merger with the Zagreb club Cedevita in 2019.
Air Montenegro to launch flights to Ljubljana in June
LJUBLJANA - Starting on 29 June, Air Montenegro, Montenegro's new flag carrier, will be operating scheduled flights between Tivat and Ljubljana three times a week during the summer season, the Serbian press agency Tanjug has reported, citing the Montenegrin public broadcaster RTCG.
STA, 31 May 2021 - The Celje vaccination centre has invited all adults to get a Covid-19 jab without prior appointment in a move that has already been hailed in the efforts to push up Slovenia's vaccination rates.
The vaccination centre, operated by the Celje Community Health Centre, has offered slots on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for those wishing to get a Covid-19 vaccine without prior appointment.
On Tuesday, they will be able to get the single-dose Johnson & Johnson jab, on Wednesday the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and on Thursday the Moderna vaccine.
This was after last Tuesday, no prior appointment was needed to get the AstraZeneca jab at the Celje vaccination centre, located in Golovec sports arena.
Roman Jerala, a synthetic biology expert at the National Institute of Chemistry who has been involved in the efforts to develop a Slovenian Covid-19 vaccine, hailed the decision to offer the AstraZeneca vaccine without prior appointment as a welcome move in an interview aired by TV Slovenija on the main evening news on Sunday, in particular in light of concerns about the vaccine's safety.
Data from the National Institute of Public Health show that 661,138 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 402,685 have been fully vaccinated, which represents 31.5% and 19.2% of Slovenia's population, respectively.
STA, 31 May 2021 - Gašper Kralj, a 47-year-old writer and translator, has won the Cankar Prize for the best original literature published over the past year. He was awarded for his novel Škrbine (Stubs), a "story about unwritten stories".
The novel's hero sets out to write a story about his grandmother, of whom there are hardly any traces in the archives of the institutions she worked at.
He records bits of his and his grandmother's lives on pieces of paper, stubs that are read by a woman who tries to edit them into a possible story.
The award jury said the novel is a "convincing introspection" about the limitations and possibilities of putting into words bits of life that cannot be converted into a finished story.
The EUR 5,000 Cankar Prize, a tribute to the writer Ivan Cankar (1876-1918), is awarded annually for the best original literary work of the past year, published as an individual book in Slovenian language.
The award-winning work can be from any area of Cankar's creative opus (a poetry collection, a novel, a drama, a collection of short stories or essays).
It was established in 2019 by Slovenian PEN, the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU), the SAZU Research Centre, and the University of Ljubljana.
The first recipient, declared last year, was Sebastijan Pregl for the novel V Elvisovi Sobi (In Elvis's Room), a novel about a generation which was growing up when the former Yugoslavia was slowly disintegrating.
STA, 31 May - Slovenia's EU presidency will try to achieve progress in negotiations on legislation under the framework of the asylum and migrations pact. Strengthening the Schengen zone and security are also high on the list of priorities.
Slovenia wants to make headway on the proposed regulation on the EU asylum agency, which would strengthen the mandate of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO).
Reform of asylum and migration policy is considered one of the most difficult issues in the bloc, as member states have spent years trying to reach a consensus, having widely differing views in particular on the relocation of migrants, mandatory quotas and mandatory solidarity.
Some believe abandoning the package approach would pave the way for a consensus on certain segments of the pact.
The Slovenian Interior Ministry says that on certain issues member states are sticking to their positions, which hampers progress. "This is why a lot of consideration and patience will be required to reach compromises and a convergence of positions."
Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said after a meeting between EU interior ministers and their peers from several African countries in Lisbon in mid-May that a major portion of the pact could be adopted separately during this term of the European Commission.
But mandatory solidarity, "which some see in the relocation of migrants" will "not come to pass," he said in reference to firm negotiating positions of some Mediterranean member states in particular.
Slovenia supports solidarity and does not oppose relocation as one of the measures of "flexible solidarity," but it says this may not involve the regular distribution of migrants, it should be an emergency measure extended only to persons entitled to international protection.
Relocation numbers must be proportionate to country size, GDP, the migration pressure it is subjected to, and its absorption capacity, the Interior Ministry says.
"In our understanding, flexibility means that a member state may replace solidarity with a different measure."
Another issue that is likely to be on the Slovenian presidency's agenda is the external dimension of migrations and efforts to forge partnerships with third countries.
In Lisbon, Minister Hojs said bilateral agreements between individual EU and African countries were a more realistic possibility.
The ministry says the onus is on the Commission and the External Action Service. "We expect a proposal on the formation of mutual partnerships with third countries that will contribute to the common management of migrations and effective returns."
As part of the Brdo-Brijuni Process, Slovenia will attempt to make headway regarding migrations in Western Balkans at a ministerial meeting in June, whereby certain activities planned to be under way during its six-month stint would be wrapped up at an EU-Western Balkans ministerial forum in December.
Slovenia's presidency comes at a time when appeals for the normal functioning of the Schengen zone and the reopening of internal borders are growing louder as the Covid-19 pandemic abates.
The Interior Ministry says debate about the normal functioning of Schengen is expected, but specific legislative proposals by the Commission are not expected before autumn.
"During the presidency we'll continue with debates about the future Schengen strategy, but in June we only expect a Commission proposal on changes to the Schengen evaluation mechanism."
As for the Schengen zone - Croatia has stepped up efforts to put its membership of the Schengen zone on the Council's agenda during Slovenia's presidency - Slovenia is in favour of an expansion of the passport-free zone.
Prime Minister Janez Janša said last week after talks with European Parliament President David Sassoli that Slovenia supported the Schengen zone membership of Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, which he said would strengthen security in the region.
And security is one of the overarching priorities of Slovenia's presidency, in particular regional security in Western Balkans.
Since security in the region affects security in Slovenia and the entire EU, Minister Hojs said efforts would be made to strengthen police cooperation and the exchange of information between the EU and countries in the region, in particular with respect to the investigation and prevention of sexual abuses of children, and on missing persons.
STA, 30 May 2021 - Slovenian President Borut Pahor and his German and Portuguese counterparts, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, highlighted the importance of Europe's unity and the European idea as they held a meeting in Slovenia on Sunday.
The European idea is "the best thing that has happened on the European continent," Pahor told the press, adding that it needed to be nurtured.
"Slovenia is a pro-European country that wedded its creation thirty years ago to the ideas of democracy and Europe. This must guide us when we are at the helm of the 27," he said about the country's upcoming EU presidency.
As the world emerges from the Covid-19 epidemic and life returns to normal, coronavirus will not be the only topic of debate, other issues of concern for the future of Europeans will be too, he said.
Pahor singled out the Conference on the Future of Europe, green and digital policies, the enlargement process, and the EU's role on the global stage.
The Portuguese president mentioned digitalisation, youths and the EU's role in the world as the coming challenges.
Portugal, which is the current presiding country, will hand over these tasks to Slovenia in July, he said, convinced that the Slovenian presidency will be important for Europe and the world.
He stressed that during Germany and Portugal's presidency, several significant steps had been made towards unity in the EU, including the post-pandemic recovery package, improvements in health, and agreement on the green digital certificate.
Steinmeier singled out the financial package, saying it had been adopted only because certain countries made a step back. If the EU has succeeded in achieving that, it will also successfully tackle future challenges.
He said it was not just funding that was important, the commitment to the European idea was as well. This will allow the EU to emerge from the crisis stronger.
Steinmeier recalled how in the past member states would often have different positions. But there is a framework that allows them to find a common solution.
Germany, Portugal and Slovenia form the currently presiding trio of countries.
De Sousa remains in Slovenia until Tuesday, as he continues with an official visit.
STA, 30 May 2021 - President Borut Pahor said Slovenia was not in a political crisis, it was just in the midst of "heightened political uncertainty", as he addressed reporters after a meeting with his German and Portuguese counterparts on Sunday.
There is enough maturity and experience in Slovenian politics that the country may preside the Council of the EU at a level that fulfils the high expectations of all 27 member states, he said.
"My view of the role of politics in these circumstances is that I cooperate with the government, which is appointed by the National Assembly, and of course to cooperate with the National Assembly in the same scope."
If the state of heightened political uncertainty lasts longer and even deepens, Pahor said it would be all the more important to "be aware of our shared responsibility - notwithstanding the political differences among us - that we are responsible not just for our own development but also for running the Council of the EU."
Pahor hopes the sense of responsibility stemming from the fact that as the presiding country Slovenia steers some of the principal debates and resolutions about the EU's common future will prevail. He plans to work towards that as president.
Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.
Slovenian, Portuguese German presidents stress importance of European idea
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenian President Borut Pahor and his German and Portuguese counterparts, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, highlighted the importance of Europe's unity and the European idea as they held a meeting in Brdo pri Kranju. The European idea is "the best thing that has happened on the European continent," Pahor told the press. He singled out the Conference on the Future of Europe, green and digital policies, the enlargement process, and the EU's role on the global stage as some of the things the Slovenian EU presidency will work on aside from the post-pandemic recovery.
Pahor says Slovenia not in political crisis
BRDO PRI KRANJU - President Borut Pahor said Slovenia was not in a political crisis, it was just in the midst of "heightened political uncertainty", as he addressed reporters after a meeting with his German and Portuguese counterparts. There is enough maturity and experience in Slovenian politics that the country may preside the Council of the EU at a level that fulfils the high expectations of all 27 member states, he said. "My view of the role of politics in these circumstances is that I cooperate with the government, which is appointed by the National Assembly, and of course to cooperate with the National Assembly in the same scope."
Janša attends Statehood Day celebration in Zagreb
ZAGREB, Croatia - Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife, Urška Bačovnik Janša, attended a celebration of Croatian Statehood Day on Saturday at the invitation of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Janša noted on arrival how both countries were celebrating thirty years of independence this year and the "brave steps we made to throw off the Yugoslav yoke and establish our own sovereignty and statehood". "And it we compare the time we are currently living with that time, we see that despite the problems we have, and despite the epidemic we are still facing, we're at the end of this struggle and we're successful."
New Celje bishop installed
GORNJI GRAD - Maksimilijan Matjaž was installed as the new Bishop of Celje, almost three months after his appointment was announced by the Vatican. The ceremony was held at the Cathedral of St. Hermagoras and Fortunatus in Gornji Grad, the biggest church in the Celje diocese, which allowed a larger number of guests and believers to attend in person, the Slovenian Bishops' Conference said. The mass was delivered by Apostolic Nuncio Jean-Marie Speich and Prime Minister Janez Janša was among the guests.
135 new coronavirus cases reported for Saturday, two deaths
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 135 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, down more than a tenth over the week before, as two patients with Covid-19 died. The 7-day average of new cases fell by three over the day before to 278 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population dropped to 204 from 211, according to data from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital rose, by nine to 242, with the number of patients in intensive care level at 75.
NLB bank planning competence centre in Belgrade
LJUBLJANA - NLB bank is planning to establish a competence centre in Belgrade, Serbia, after the recent purchase of Komercijalna Banka there, as it struggles to fill R&D vacancies in Slovenia. The bank said the demand for data scientists, data analysts, IT analysts, and software developers has been growing as banking increasingly digitises, but there is simply not enough qualified staff in Slovenia.
Summer is more or less here, and with vaccinations moving fast across Europe things are finally starting to open up again, so it looks like we all may get a season to enjoy. And while it’s the inside activities like going to a restaurant or show that’ll be the big novelty, the good weather means most will be spending their time in the fresh air – whether in street cafés or town parks, gardens or the great outdoors. It’s this last option where Slovenia really excels, with varied topography and landscapes offering a wealth of activities and scenes to enjoy all within close proximity, making it the ideal location for an active vacation.
Which is the perfect introduction to Steve Hartley and his work at Explorer Camps. The Australian native came to Slovenia well over a decade ago and worked in the field of education before moving on to the world of summer camps with offerings for four different age groups – 6-9, 10-12, 13-14, and 15-17 years old – that have attracted children from around 40 different countries. At the camps children enjoy real, 3D adventures outdoors, with the full surround sound and profound sensory stimulation that only nature can provide. A real escape, at least for a few days, from the deadening distractions and look-at-me pings of technology and screens, with a focus on building real-life skills, such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication, through a fun and engaging outdoor summer programs that are run by native English-speaking staff.
As the world gets ready to go out again, we got in touch with Steve and asked him a few questions…
Can you describe Explorer Camps in three words?
Only three words? Wow. OK – Love. Life. Nature.
Love is at the heart of everything do at camps. We honestly love and believe in what we’re doing on camp and that transfers to our campers which helps them develop into more compassionate young adults.
Life is what we’re trying to prepare our campers for. A real-life away from technology and learning skills not commonly taught at school.
Nature is our classroom. Our international campers have real-life lessons on a raft or SUP or on a hike surrounded by the great outdoors.
How are the skills you teach at summer camp different to what’s taught at school?
Schools teach knowledge, but life requires wisdom. In the rush to grade students, education consistently overlooks skills such as independence, critical thinking, creativity, team work, communication, self-confidence, determination. So, there’s this void between what school teaches and what young adults need to start work.
Our Life Skills Program aims to cover that gap. As a result, our parents feel more comfortable knowing their child will return from camp happier, more independent, organised, and better prepared for life. We supplement what school isn’t able to offer.
With a 5 / 5 from 60 Google Reviews it seems that the Explorer community agrees with you about summer camp being the place to learn real-life skills.
You’ve done your homework!
It’s always nice receiving positive feedback from parents so our Google Reviews certainly leaves all of us with an amazing feeling. Considering over 70% of our families come back every year, it certainly does indicate that our camps are doing something right.
There’s a process to bringing this program to life.
The main part is training and creating a particular type of attitude. Our experienced mentors are motivated to actively find ‘teachable moments’ where they guide campers to reach a better understanding of life, themselves and those around them. The old “Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a person to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” is exactly how we see it. We prefer to teach our campers how to fish.
You teach campers to fish. Literally and figuratively! The outdoors plays such an important part of your camps. Why is that?
How much has the average child spent in nature in the past year or so?
Well, according to research, children should spend a minimum of 180 mins per day in nature however in the last few years they’d be lucky to get 1/3 of that. It’s not ideal, but at the same time it’s challenging for children and parents alike to get that time with all of the restrictions that have been in place.
Our vision has always been to help our international parents help their children. Being surrounded by nature, and having very little mass tourism to compete with makes it even easier to do. An average day will see our campers spend a minimum of 8 hours in the outdoors participating in activities such as rafting, hiking, SUPing, biking, paintball, a high ropes course etc.
We believe that the benefits of children being away from their screens and in nature is immeasurable. In these times our children are in desperate need of a stimulating outdoor environment minus technology. Which is what we provide at Explorer Camps.
Clearly your Explorer family feels this ‘love’ you talk about. But how do your first-time parents experience it without having ever gone to a camp?
We love having honest heart-felt discussions with our families. More often than not I have a personal video meeting with first time parents just to hear their own concerns and listen to their expectations. And from there it grows.
This love starts with me, and filters down throughout all of our team and can easily be seen in many of our approaches.
Parents can clearly see love in your approaches. Can you give us an example?
Camper mental health. It’s an unheard of topic not only in Slovenia but in Europe. However, it’s something we take very seriously because we honestly care about all of the children that step onto our camp grounds and see it as our responsibility to ensure they step out of the grounds better, happier and healthier young adults.
What does mental health mean for the children at Explorer Camps?
These unprecedented times have brought unprecedented conditions. Many people are calling it a ‘collective trauma’ in that each one of us have lost something. Whether that be a loved one. Or an important life moment such as a wedding, or graduation, or a birthday. Or income. Or belongings. Everyone has lost something. Children especially.
The reality is that our kids are suffering, and even though this may well be done in silence, they’re still suffering.
On camp we do our best to understand mental health. We’re aware of it, acknowledge it and train for it. We do our best to support all of our campers, their families and each other. We do so by building a warm, caring and positive environment where our campers feel a sense of belonging and trust. All away from electronic devices.
Being a technology-free camp, this helps in dealing with mental health issues?
Well, there have been studies showing screen time amongst teenagers is over 185% more when compared to pre COVID times. And it’s only going to get worse. We want to get away from this dependence on electronic devices, even if it’s just for a week.
Explorer Camps has always been 100% technology-free and this will never change. Face-to-face communication is paramount when it comes to our camp community as we see it as a vital tool to battling mental health issues. And, believe it or not but … the campers actually enjoy it.
Technology addiction is just the tip of the iceberg though, but it plays its part. The key is developing a truly positive atmosphere on camp where our children not only feel a sense of belonging but also can simply just be themselves.
What part do your counsellors play in creating this healthy environment?
“A company is only as good as its employees” definitely rings true at Explorer Camps.
We honestly believe our counsellors are second to none in this region and the part they play in building and maintaining a health camp environment is massive. They’re truly exceptional, and are the key reason why over 70% of our campers come back every year which always comes back to the key point of camp. We love what we do and our attitude shows this.
That being said, continual improvement drives the success of Explorer Camps every year. Our training is paramount, so we take it very seriously. This year our staff have access to an online library with video lessons, quizzes, and readings all created to help them improve as professionals and thus provide a better environment for our Explorer families.
The most important question to ask these days – are you going ahead with camps this summer?
Putting it into simple terms. YES! Most programs in July are full, and August is quickly filling up. We can’t wait.
Where does this confidence about running in 2021 come from?
I guess we look back at closing in 2020 and the reasons why we made that choice then.
At that point no camps around the world had truly experienced a Covid summer. And even though there was a lot of very well researched protocols for successfully running summer camps during the pandemic we didn’t believe Explorer Camps, the hotel nor society were prepared enough for dealing with Covid. So, we made that heart breaking choice to cancel camps with our Explorer families’ health and safety in mind.
However, we learnt a lot from that experience and ensured coming into the 2021 season that our camps are ready under nearly all circumstances. The hotel is better prepared. We’ve already trained our staff in our protocols for camps. Society is in a better place with all of the vaccinations etc.
All of this together gives us this confidence to push forward knowing that we’re in a much better position to ensure our Explorer families stay covid free.
How are you ensuring your children remain safe and healthy this summer?
The key, based on research and practical experience, is to have a multilayered approach to dealing with the virus. We can’t rely on only one method, but put into place a number of overlapping strategies to ensure maximum protection. Some of the main points are:
Small groups (10-14 campers) that stay in the same group throughout whole camp.
Opening day and daily health screenings.
Mask wearing ONLY indoors.
Focus on handwashing and disinfecting.
Social distancing within reason.
Campers coming healthy.
Increased ventilation of rooms.
Maximising time in the outdoors.
Staff training on these measures.
Will the amazing camp experience be affected by this at all?
The reality is actually quite exciting. The magic and power that Explorer Camps is renowned for building will be stronger than ever and go beyond anything we’ve ever created!
In fact, these protocols really don’t impact the structure of the camps other than simply adding a little more focus to hygiene. All of the activities are running as usual whether that be rafting or stand-up paddling or paintball or ziplining. Everything is the same but done only within the smaller groups.
We’ve spent the last two years dreaming, planning, researching and looking for ways to elevate the camp experience even more. We’re honestly so excited about what’s waiting for all of our families in July and August and reconnecting them all with nature!
Lastly. Are you looking forward to the summer?
You can’t tell? YES! Can’t wait to have our campers back on camp having fun, learning, growing, and back to living life! We all love summer camps here in Europe. Can’t wait!
For those interested, make sure you check out our website but remember … July is pretty much full and August only has a few spots left.
STA, 29 May 2021 - A new documentary film Wild Slovenia is coming to cinemas in autumn. As the film makers recently revealed in an online discussion, the film aims to bring the stories of Slovenia's diverse flora and fauna to domestic and international audiences.
Slovenia is home to more than 22,000 animal and 3,500 plant species. More than 800 animal and 300 plant species among those are protected.
Matej Vranič, the film director, explained that the diversity of Slovenian ecosystems will give the film a unique angle.
The film aims to present around 40 animal stories, the result of the director's many years of nature observation.
Vranič, who has already directed one award-winning documentary, Birds of the Lake, said that Wild Slovenia focused on mammals and birds.
The film is aimed at a wider audience, both domestic and foreign. Since foreign audiences are used to big-budget documentaries, it was necessary to reach higher production standards.
Co-screenwriter Marjan Žiberna said that the basic message of the film is the footage itself. The text only complements the visual information with information and emotions.
If the film arouses interest and amazement in viewers about Slovenia's nature, it will have achieved its purpose, he added.
The film was shot over a year on a variety of locations, including the Alps, the Dinaric Alps and the Adriatic Sea. It is almost completed, only the ambient soundtrack remains to be added.
The current plan is to bring it to cinemas in early September and then to TV screens next year. They also want to launch a shorter version for foreign TV stations.
The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 28 May 2021. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here
Mladina: MPs must listen to the people's protests
STA, 28 May 2021 - The left-wing weekly Mladina says in its latest editorial that Slovenia has never had such prolonged and massive protests against the government, and that it is the members of parliament who should acknowledge the increasing discontent among the people.
Under the headline People in Front of the Parliament, Mladina says that the prolonged anti-government protests in the last year have been the largest in Slovenia's history.
"Protests are no joke - when major protests start, authorities have to respond very wisely and proportionately. But Janez Janša is enraged by the protests because the protesters are telling him what he finds so hard to accept: that he is not a good leader, but a divisive and poor prime minister. You cannot run a country like that, it is not acceptable in modern democracies," reads the editorial.
Mladina adds that "Janša is trying to demotivate protesters with fines. In order to crush protests, he has turned the Slovenian police into a violent force over the past year, to the detriment of their reputation."
The weekly also notes that "the level of violence demonstrated by the police in the last year in the name of the Janša government has never been seen in Slovenia under communism or in the past thirty years."
The protests first started at the end of April 2020 and another rally is scheduled for this Friday, with five of the largest trade unions associations endorsing the protests this week.
At the very time when the protests are scheduled on Friday, the National Assembly will hold an extraordinary sitting as the MPs are to vote on the dismissal of the speaker, Igor Zorčič.
According to Mladina, the goal of the protesters is clear: "rallying in Republic Square in front of the National Assembly and conveying a clear message to the MPs sitting inside."
"We wish to say that the members of parliament have a duty to listen to the people. And if the people are making it so clear that they want early elections, it is the duty of the MPs to face up to that and realise that [...] they must act in the interest of respecting the foundations of this country - so as not to damage them with their actions," concludes the editorial.
Demokracija: Growing number of potential terrorists
STA, 27 May 2021 - Demokracija says in its latest commentary about last Friday's anti-government protest that "the usual criminals were now joined by potential terrorists in their fight against the government". And by potential terrorists it means the supporters of Islam.
"It is unbelievable how many Palestinians are suddenly in Slovenia," adds the right-leaning weekly in the editorial headlined Don't Fear Bad Words from Bad People.
"It is now clear that Hamas is no Palestinian resistance movement, but a killing machine that wants complete domination of Islam, which is being quickly exported also into Europe."
The commentary expresses concern that one day, "the terrorist organisations will order these people to pull out their AK-47s and start shooting in our homeland."
It also points a finger to activists, such as artist Jaša Jenull, rapper Zlatko, youth trade union president Tea Jarc and Branimir Štrukelj of the KSJS public sector trade union confederation, who would call this "eradication of fascism, which is like a phantom that they see ever too often."
The paper concludes that those whose opinion is even slightly different from theirs is then publicly condemned and blemished with the help of the mainstream media.
Demokracija thus calls out to the like-minded people not to be afraid and to stand strong in their beliefs.
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