Editorial

Cooperation and confrontation

At the moment when this issue of the Civic World will be in the hands of the readers, Macedonia will have a strategy for cooperation with the civil sector for 2007-2011. It should be passed by the Government at its session on 26 December 2006. That will be the biggest government devotion to the civil society in the history of Macedonia.

The strategy contains goals and measures for improving the environment (firstly the legal and the tax frame), the relations, the communication and the participation in the public policies. The strategy is followed by an action plan that guarantees its implementation. Another guarantee is the government’s devotion, especially the General Secretariat. Furthermore, the Strategy’s goals are already part of the proposal-laws on profit tax personal tax, and the Law on volunteering is in the process of preparation.

Besides these advances, the mutual lack of trust is still notable.

The Government, especially VMRO-DPMNE, still sees the civil sector as “left-wing” and opponent and avoids the communication with important and relevant organizations. The civil sector is still holds suspicions regarding some concealed games and roles that the government plays, like Transparency Macedonia.

Can we overcome this mistrust? Can we build relations of cooperation regarding the questions of consent (civil society development, education, etc)? And confront each other where our opinions differ (government’s poking around inside the organizations)? The success in that direction, in recognizing our mutual interests and admit there are differences, is an important challenge for both the government and the civil sector.

May 2007 be a year when we will all try!

Happy Holidays!

 

Saso Klekovski