Interview, Nafi Sarachini

Development of civic society is an internal task of the state

NGOs contribution is necessary for solving problems as poverty or unemployment in a more sustainable way, especially if we take into consideration how effective are the classical, traditional measures the Government takes to decrease poverty and which serve mainly as means for putting out fire, not a contribution for permanent solving the conditions. 

Mr. Nafi Sarachini is involved in the civic society in Macedonia from several aspects – at the moment he is a civic society consultant in the Delegation of the European Commission in Skopje, initiator and founder of two non-governmental organisations: CMUC (Centre for Multicultural Co-operation) and Union of pupils’ parents from the primary schools; Member of the Board of the Open Society Institute of Macedonia Foundation, and has some other engagements in this sector.

He is a sociologist, and he has been actively involved in the civic sector since 1993 – first in CRS, then in the PHARE programs. We talked to Mr. Sarachini about his view of the positive and negative aspects of the current condition of the civic sector in Macedonia, and about its perspectives.

 

C.W. – What is your experience from working in the non-governmental sector in Macedonia from a position of a public servant in a European institution? 

N.S. – It is a fact that the non-governmental sector has an important role and is one of the most significant indicators in following the development of the democratic processes in a country – for Macedonia concretely for following the process of integration in the European Union. Unfortunately, the significance of this sector in Macedonia is not appropriately chosen by both the relevant governmental institutions and to a certain extent, by the organisations which belong to the civic sector. There is a positive step which can be seen in both governmental and non-governmental organisations, in a sense of emphasising the necessity for common co-operation and common taking of certain responsibility in the country’s democratisation, which at the moment, is most present on a verbal level, but unfortunately in practice it is not implemented as it should. Namely, in spite of the declarative statements and appeals for co-operation between the governmental institutions and the NGO, unfortunately, there are still things like passing laws or strategic programs without participation of those who are most concerned – without a partnership participation of the civic organisations.

 

C.W. – You have come out in the public and the media a few times, criticising the non-governmental organisations for their inefficiency, opportunistic attitude towards foundations, lack of strategic determination. Why do you think it is so, and in the meantime, has anything changed in positive direction?  

N.S. – Very little has changed in that direction. It is a result of certain conditions, not a cause for itself. Among the reasons which have caused such a condition is the overall socio-economic situation, a key one of which is the unemployment; on the other hand, the donators’ character and behaviour contribute a lot towards creating such climate which in the end creates a fake picture of a great number of activities and big amounts of money spent on the sector development and for improving certain conditions, but without some concrete effects. A lot of activities and events happen, but there are not any concrete changes happening. Such behaviour, as its additional effect, causes a state of discouragement for the NGOs themselves, but also for the donators, building a great dose of distrust towards this sector and the citizens.

 

C.W. – What is to be done in order to change this unproductive behaviour? 

N.S. – There are things where NGOs can act, and there are some, where they cannot do it. I would like to talk about those that they cannot act for – some of the basic civic principles of NGOs acting should be re-examined and brought back to life. NGOs should be back to the basic principle – that they exist for the citizens, not for realising certain personal interests or interests of a certain donor. They should also work on their own expert specialisation and own affirmation as expert institutions for certain fields, not for all fields, thus being creative partners to the governmental institutions. The logic of a foreign donor and dependence on donors should be avoided and the capacities of own sources of donation should be developed, including here the state assets. I consider it very important to reach real co-operation between the NGOs themselves, which work in the same sphere (or different spheres), in direction towards improving the services they can offer. What we have now is complete non-co-operation and fight for conquering donors’ assets, so each organisation is thought to be a competitor. From a perspective of a donor institution, this non-co-operation can be easily noticed when different organisations apply with almost the same project or when the organisation which applies with a project from a certain area, in its application does not show any information on what the other organisations have done or do in a certain sector.

 

C.W. – How can certain self-sustainability and NGO independence be provided in the current situation, with all economic, social, political and other problems in the country? 

N.S. – The fact that the presence of international institutions and their funds is in a process of decreasing is both negative and positive. It is negative because it will probably influence directly the quantity and the quality of the NGOs work, and it is positive because I think it will contribute towards faster sobering up and will act in a direction of creating the necessary climate as well as a legal structure for providing sustainable NGO survival and development. Namely, I have always considered that the development of the civic society is an internal task of the state and it is the only one, which can and should provide and create opportunities for continuous development of this sector. The state has not taken this responsibility yet, partly because it relies on foreign donations, partly as a result of its indifference, but it will inevitably have to happen. In order to happen, the NGOs have to put some great pressure.

C.W. – Do you think that the civic organisations can contribute to decreasing poverty and unemployment to a great extent and give a certain impulse for development of the local communities and the country in whole? 

N.S. – NGO contribution is absolutely necessary for solving the problems in a more sustainable way, especially if we take into consideration how effective are the classical, traditional measures the Government takes to decrease poverty and which serve mainly as means for putting out fire, not a contribution for permanent solving the conditions. NGOs can contribute to permanent solving the problems. NGOs’ greatness is in the principle of self-organisation of those who need certain help or want to change certain conditions. In that sense, the non-governmental organising is a front where the socially endangered, unemployed, can organise themselves and make something for themselves, not to wait for someone else to do something for them. But, unfortunately, this way of thinking is not widely spread yet – at least not on a level it should be. Not only among these people, but widely, among all citizens, and I consider it to be one of the basic disadvantages of the democratic community which we try to build in the Republic of Macedonia. The civic sense of rights and responsibilities is not present in our society and as a result of that, we have situations of dramatic endangering the citizens’ rights, without any reaction by the citizens. The citizens’ non-engagement is often misused by the NGOs, not only by some political and other structures, which additionally burdens the situation with the development of the NGO sector.