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Reaction by several civic organizations, daily newspapers and institutions to the Council of Europe's regulation
Say MACEDONIA
March 19, 2004 - "Say MACEDONIA" – a campaign initiated by the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC), Euro Balkan Institute, Economics Institute, Institute for Macedonian Language, Institute for National History, Institute for Sociological-Legal Research, OXO, Transparency Macedonia, Association of Historians, Foundation Open Society Institute – Macedonia (FOSIM), daily papers and institutions. The initiators of the campaing held a press conference in the Holliday Inn hotel in Skopje today, announcing the steps they will commence as a reaction to the Council of Europe Note, issued March 2, 2004, concerning "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," and persons belonging to a minority or speaking a minority language outside the country.
According to the organizers, these references directly attack the identity, the tradition and the culture of the Macedonian nation, and are in colision with the international standards and principles.
In the following days, the organizers plan to initiate public activities, aiming to send a message from the citizens of Macedonia to the Council of Europe and its representatives that the Note remains inappropriate and unacceptable. They also sent an open protest letter to Mr. Jan Kleijssen, the Director of the Secretary General's Private Office, requesting withdrawal of the regulation and urging that the respect of the basic principle of the Council of Europe—the respect for human rights—to continue to be the basic direction of the work of this organization.
"Neither the international law nor the ethics allow the right to an organization or another subject of the international community to decide on one nation's identity and origin," states the protest letter.
The Council of Europe 'strongly encourages' its members, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and its independent monitoring mechanisms to use the following:
Republic of Macedonia to be called "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", with the inverted commas as an integral part of the name;
The adjective or nationality to be added to the name "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", for example: the government of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", the police of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", citizen of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia";
Adjective referring to culture to be "Macedonian (Slav)". For example: Macedonian (Slav) tradition, Macedonian (Slav) culture, Macedonian (Slav) organization, Macedonian (Slav) school;
The language – Macedonian (Slav);
Persons/groups belonging to a minority or speaking minority language outside the country: Macedonian(s) accompanied by a footnote reading "Terminology of self-identification used by the person(s) concerned".
Organizers call upon all citizens of Republic of Macedonia, the governmental and nongovernmental organizations and institutions in the country to support this initiative and the open protest letter.
Daniel Medaroski |
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 “Give pleasure to your boss!!!”These days, a new commercial about a new coffee brand appeared on TV. I presume you’ve already seen it. A secretary slips when bringing coffee to her boss, slides down his desk on her stomach to stop in front of him with the coffee in her hand? I am not sure how you react to it, but after I had seen it for the first time I was left with my mouth open. It was a mixed feeling of bewilderment, sickness, disbelief…how could somebody think of something like that? How could nobody react to this commercial?
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“Mesecina” and “Arka” work on registering adults
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The Green Coalition insists on dislocating the polluterIt was so alive on 16 February in Veles! The event “Veleska pastrmajlija” was taking place at the pizza-bar “Snoopy”. The event has a special purpose – collecting money for the Children Ward at the Town Hospital. The action was organized by the “Focus” Foundation, in cooperation with the municipality of Veles. | |
Expeditio, Kotor, Montenegro
Our vision is a quality space for better lifeWe decided to make an unusual interview with three people, as they themselves are unusual, as well as the association they are members of. Aleksandra Kapetanovic, Biljana Gligorovic and Tatjana Rajic are three young architects, who dedicate their creativity, knowledge and enthusiasm to cultural heritage, architecture, spatial planning and the civic sector in Montenegro, particularly focused on Boka Kotorska and its surroundings. | |
Violeta Tanceva – Zlateva
My attitude towards the language“People who are of the same origin and who speak the same words and who live and make friends of each other, who have the same customs and songs and entertainment are what we call a nation, and the place where that people lives is called the people's country. Thus the Macedonians also are a nation and the place which is theirs is called Macedonia.”
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Armenian community in the Republic of Macedonia
About 110 families cherish both the Armenian and the Macedonian cultureThe genesis of the Armenian communities on the territory of today’s Macedonia goes back to the medieval times as can be proved by the numerous papers, traveling notes by foreign travelers who stayed or passed through the towns where among other nations, lived the Armenians. | |
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