Latest edition Contact Order by e-mail
Editorial
Events
Civil society
Education
Culture
Women
Environment
Calendar
Cover story
Reportage
Interview
Research
Views
Presentation
Publications
History of the civil society
People
Mobilization of resources
Arhive
Home
NGO Fair
2005
Events
Photo Galleries
Arhiva
Archive
Perspectives
Organizational CV
Register of Civil Organizations in Macedonia
Contact


 



ONLINE VERSION
PRINT VERSION

  Issue 35  Views

Views: Ahmet Jasarevski

The Civic Sector Encourages the Solution of Roma Problems

The actual situation in Macedonia is beginning to improve. However, it is followed by problems that need to be prioritised by the country such as the economic, educational, social problems, as well as problems of the ethnic communities. The civic sector in Macedonia is growing more and more active and it proved that it could cooperate with other ethnic communities in the solution and decision-making processes, at the same time balancing the problems with the mutual communication and common work. There has been a lot of criticism regarding the civic organizations that were "money laundries", that they do not work for the benefit of citizens, that they were established for the sole reason of making profit.

However, they proved the complete opposite. They realized a number of projects starting from the infrastructure, education, environment, human rights, through various companies to projects with refugees and displaced people, thus helping the country. A lot of members from the civic sector (unemployed people) take part in such projects and programmes and despite this difficult economic situation in RM, they receive fees and salaries. To illustrate this, in the USA, 5% of the total number of employed people works in the civic sector and they reduce the figure of unemployment in the country.

The former analyses and statements about the Roma issue, referred to the reality in which there is a lack of interest, will, even understanding. From my experience I can state that Roma people can do everything but change their position in any society. We can also freely state that for 50 years, most of our people have lived in Macedonia in the same ghettos, with no infrastructure and no hope for their personal success or the success of their children in their attempts to integrate in the society. The picture was such until the Roma civic organizations began to establish. They initiated the popularisation of the Roma problems in RM and encouraged their solution. There are several Roma civic organizations working on Roma issues. One of them is the organization where I am an active member - Centre of the Roma Community in Macedonia (DROM) from Kumanovo which has been working according to plans and programmes for improving the conditions of the citizens in all aspects of social living with special emphasis on the Roma population problems.

A national conference, organized by several Roma civic organizations, among which DROM, took place on 17-18 June 2003. The conference called "Condition of Roam People in Macedonia" was supported by the World Bank, the Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia and the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation. It was attended by civic organizations, political parties and government institutions' representatives. Conclusions were adopted regarding the actual condition of the Roma people in Macedonia that were supposed to be presented at the Budapest conference "Roma People in the Enlarged Europe". In June 2003 an agreement was signed by the Macedonian Prime Minister for improving the status of Romas with the World Bank and FOSIM partnership. This year a strategy for Roma will be adopted and its implementation will start in 2005 and is supposed to terminate in 2015. Non-governmental institutions, intellectuals and government institutions will all participate in the preparation of the strategy. The whole implementation of this initiative will go through the Macedonian Government.

It is a fact that by involving the Roma civic organizations in the social currencies, the improvement in all spheres of social living and the democratic process in the country started. The government institutions cooperate more and more with civic sector and see them as partners and not competition in the solution of problems of all aspects of social living. The Roma problem is not only a problem of the Roma people, but it affects the whole community, so in the solution of this problem it is necessary that all people take active part. It is the only way to make progress in Macedonia, on cultural as well as political, economic and social field. Only a stable society can make progress and development, a society that uses the energy for promotion of science, technology, politics, health care, etc. Such cooperation will contribute to a faster solution of the problems and help us on our way to European integration.

 

(The author is the president of CRC DROM from Kumanovo)                        

Services
Trainings
Job Vacancies
Announcements











News
PRINT EDITION
Editorial
Events
Calendar
Cover story
Reportage
Interview
Research
Views
Presentation
Publications
History of the civil society
People
Mobilization of resources
Arhive
 

©MCMS - designed by KOMA