Hi, my name is Andrija. I am 24 years old and I live in Croatia. Currently, I am in the fourth year of my studies at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb.

Since birth, I have been diagnosed with cerebral paralysis and I am moving with a wheelchair. Because of the infrastructural barriers, I encounter in my everyday life, I need an assistant that allows me to overcome those barriers and grants me greater freedom of movement.

Because of this when I need to travel I have a smaller choice of transportation which can increase travel costs. On longer journeys, I have to travel with an airplane because other transport options affect my health due to long hours needed to get to the destination or because sometimes certain types of transportation are not fully adapted for people with disabilities. I also have a narrower choice when choosing accommodation because I need accommodation adapted for my needs.

I started this campaign to raise funds that would allow me to attend and participate in the TLV University Model United Nations conference, which will take place from 18th to 23rd August in Tel Aviv, Israel. 

The main reason for going to this conference is the fifth year of my studies at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, where two subjects are related to the Middle East and Israel: Regional Comparative Studies: the Middle East and Israel, Dr. M. Kasapović and Comparative Ethics Conflict Management Policies, S. Tatalović. Visiting this area, I will have my own experiences, and I would like to focus my graduate thesis on the Middle East and Israel.

As part of this conference, a visit will be organized which will include sightseeing and getting to know the history of Israel. Despite the fact that this four-day excursion increases the cost of my visit, it is important for me to participate in it as it will allow me new insights and perspectives, not just as a student of political science but as a young person as well.

This kind of conference is intended to help students experience how it is like to be a representative of a country and that motivated me to participate. The biggest benefit I received from attending conferences is the improvement of my communication skills which I need in everyday life.

Participation at conferences like this one, no matter how important they are to me, is also important for the awareness of others about the possibility of equal inclusion of people with disabilities in the decision-making process that affects the quality of everyday life. At the five conferences of six which I have attended, I was the sole representative of people with disabilities, and this is an additional incentive for me to participate because young people are awakened to the existence of "different" but also the same young adults. Six international conferences where I participated were: MEUZ 2017 and MEUZ 2018, LDAMUN, MUN SALIENT, and MainMUN Frankfurt.

The total cost of the conference is 18,000.00 HRK. Due to the transaction costs of the platform through which the campaign for co-financing the conference is conducted (2.9%), the costs were rounded to € 2,500.00.

Expenses specification:
- Two return airline tickets = € 1,010.00
- Accommodation in a double room adapted for people with disabilities = 470,00 €
- Food = 300,00 €
- Transport = 200,00 €
- Excursion within conference = € 460.00
TOTAL AMOUNT = 2,440.00 €
KUNE = 18,000.00 HRK

I would be very grateful if you could help me visit this conference.

Thank you,

Andrija Tabak