MCIC INITIATIVE

The peace is every citizen’s responsibility


The Macedonian Center for International Cooperation, in mutual cooperation with the Center for Multicultural Understanding, the Helsinki Watch for Human Rights, El Hilal, the Moon and the Nansen Dialogue Center, has initiated mutual declaration on peaceful conflict resolution. The declaration was directed towards whole population in Macedonia and out if it. This declaration, on the press conference, was announced in front of the journalists. Here is the content of the declaration: A MUTUAL DECLARATION ON A PEACEFUL CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Events that are happening for the last several days force us not to remain without a personal opinion and attitude, because we are dealing with issues that threaten the essence of democracy and our acting as civil organizations.
Having a self opinion and attitude means that we are obliged to present it and to defend it, even in moments when maybe that opinion or attitude is not shared by others in our communities and when it may lead us to confront other opinions and attitudes.

 We believe that avoiding to present our opinions at this moment is the worst possible solution, much worse than the expected confrontation with other opinions. Hence, we would like to present our opinion and attitude.
Our opinion and attitude are based on our belief in total and equal rights for all human beings, i.e. a society of free and equal people, with a developed social justice and with a peaceful resolution of conflicts.
We believe in Macedonia with developed real relations based on the acceptance of differences and the mutual benefit of the inter-dependence.
Such Macedonia cannot be built either by social injustice, or by the use of violent means to resolve the differences, without regard whether it is the militant extremism or the uncontrolled use of state power.
Such Macedonia cannot be built by avoiding the existing problems.
Therefore, we personally dissociate from the use of violent means to resolve conflicts and we condemn such means.
However, we do not dissociate from the community/organization/collectivity because the responsibility can only be personal and individual, both for the militant extremism and for the uncontrolled use of state power. If we do not make the difference, we shall be trapped by the alienation from each other as well as by the intolerance and hostility.
We call for a fast reaction and creation of conditions for the resolution of the conflicts by non-violent means.
The peace and stability, as well as the prosperity and democracy cannot be left only to the political parties, but they are a responsibility of all citizens and citizen organizations.
This is our attitude. You can have your own opinions and attitudes that differ from ours. You are welcome to declare them. That is the only way to open the possibilities for mutual understanding.
Saso Klekovski, Macedonian Center for International Cooperation in Skopje, Kim Mehmeti, Center for Multicultural Understanding and Cooperation in Skopje, Mirjana Najcevska, Helsinki Watch in Skopje, Abdurauf Prusi, El Hilal in Skopje, Rahman Memedali, Moon, Gostivar, Albert Hunny, Nansen Dialogue Center in Skopje.
The mutual declaration was supported by other associations of citizens among which: The Albanian Women Association – Perspectiva; The Citizen Association Multikultura from Skopje; The Citizen Association “OXO” (Okso) from Skopje; The Citizen Association Toleranca from Struga, The Council of the Albanian woman from Macedonia – a branch in Skopje; Peaceful and Civil Initiatives Committee in Skopje and the and the Organization of Turks Women in
Macedonia – Derja.