NGO Fair – 4th Forum of the civil society in Macedonia

Together for one

The NGO Fair – 4th Forum of the civil society in Macedonia was visited by 9,798 visitors, 3,440 of which arrived from the other cities in Macedonia

With the slogan “Together for one”, from 3rd to 5th December 2004 at the Skopje fair the fourth NGO Fair was held – Forum of the civil society in Macedonia.

“The fourth forum of the civil society will be directed towards the future, without unnecessary retrospections and introspections in the Macedonian society. The forum will be directed above all towards the question how Macedonia to become a country candidate for the European Union in 2005, because we consider that the EU membership is  the future of our country”, said Saso Klekovski, executive director of MCIC on the formal opening. “It’s clear that the membership in the European Union doesn’t depend only on solving the political issues, but also on the economic development of the country, and the small and medium-sized enterprises are considerably influential factor for the fast economic development”, pointed out Venko Gligorov, director of “Login Systems” who was a representative of the private sector at the opening.

The opening of the fourth NGO Fair coincided with the world day of people with special needs. We mustn’t believe that as individuals we can’t do anything. “We must believe and join ourselves, that’s the only way to succeed”, pointed out Zvonko Savreski from the Association for people with special needs “Polio Plus”.

At the most so far, 244 civil organizations came to Skopje Fair with the intention to show their activities to the colleagues from the civil sector, to the interested visitors from the private sector, to the representatives from the media, to those who will show interest for that. They came not only to see, but also to talk. To exchange experience for what goes well, but also for what doesn’t go so well. To debate about those things on which they have different opinions, to give their arguments trying to get as many admirers as possible.

And that was actually the intention of the organizers: to improve the informing, communication and coordination between the civil organizations, to promote the civil sector in the public and among the other actors, and to initiate and improve the regional cooperation of the civil organizations.

This year the past and the future were given for examination to the public as well. The past through the activities presented in the exhibition part, and the future through the discussions about where we want to arrive and what we want to do, which was the topic of discussions in the forum part.

News
This year for the first time a cover story and a focus-country were nominated. The cover story was defined as “European integration of Macedonia”, and focus-country was Slovenia. Besides, a special attention was given to the celebration of 3rd December – world day of the people with special needs, and to  three questions which according to many researches are basic social problems that the citizens are concerned about, namely poverty, unemployment and corruption and the strategies for sustainability of the civil sector as a topic that will deal with the civil sector.

Another news was the final plenary session that was organized as a debate on which the conclusions from the ten panels were discussed which covered  important themes for the civil organizing.

Exhibition part
A total of 244 civil organizations presented their work on 98 stalls.The organizations were grouped in the sectors in which they work. Thus the visitors could see the organizations that work on environment; health care; employment and small and medium-sized enterprises; democracy and rule of law; people with special needs; socio-humanitarian works; cultural differences and dialogue; ethnic communities; human rights; women; information; speciality organizations; culture and art; children and youth; education. On the fourth NGO Fair there was one government institution. Separately were grouped the organizations from the region that were 16 this year from  four countries and the international which were represented through five organizations.

This way the visitors and those interested could orientate more easily in the exhibition part.

The exhibition part showed the inventiveness of the activists of the civil organizations this year as well. Apart from the printed materials on which the activities of the organizations were presented, the visitors could inform from the activists themselves about what they had done in the previous period or about their plans for the future.

The most organizations were in the group “ethnic communities”, even 61, and the most stalls were in the group “democracy and rule of law”, 12.

For the first time this year in the exhibition area there was a commercial stall. The stall of MCIC had products that we use daily, but designed with the slogans from the last campaigns. Thus, the visitors could buy  paper napkins “Good morning, Macedonia”, spice “A whole is when there is everything!”, coffee “Good morning, Macedonia”, toilet paper “Erase FYROM” etc.

Forum part
The fourth forum of the civil society in Macedonia offered 66 forum events, of which two plenary sessions, 29 panels, five promotions, 18 presentations and 12 educational sessions.

The events were organized by 34 domestic civil organizations, one organization from Slovenia, the Programme for development of the United Nations – UNDP and the Sector for European integration by the Government of Republic of Macedonia.

The forum part of the Fair didn’t treat only the issues important for the civil sector, but generally issues that are with a substantial interest for the whole society. The participants offered more different topics, as for instance: The role of the civil society in the process of approaching the EU, The influence of the civil sector on the economic development of Macedonia, The Roma decade, The youth and the development, The role of the international student organizations in the process of eurointegration of the university education in Macedonia, Protection of the consumers and the process of eurointegrations etc.

Part of the civil organizations used the Fair to promote their new programmes, new publications or to award prizes.

Socio-cultural events
During the NGO Fair there were 14 socio-cultural events. The smallest etnomuseum from Dzepciste was presented, the poem “Unforgettable” by Paskal Gilevski was performed, there was an exhibition and a short programme for children with impaired hearing and speech from the school “Koco Racin” from Bitola, there was a concert of mystic music, and the chorus of the Association of Macedonian-Slovenian friendship “France Presern” from Skopje had their own performance.

Visitors
The NGO Fair – 4th Forum of the civil society in Macedonia was visited by 9,798 citizens of Macedonia. 3,440 of them came from the cities outside Skopje.

Here is what part of them said about the Fair:

Adem Sarafi, a Macedonian language teacher in the Primary School “Sait Najdeni” in Debar. “Debar is an appendix in Macedonia and because of that we especially appreciate the chance we were given to visit this event. My colleagues and I brought fifty children today from the primary and secondary schools in Debar. There is a lot to see on the Fair, we took some of the advertising materials. I’m familiar with part of the work of the civil organizations through the activities of the organization “Mesecina” which is one of the most active in Debar”.

Albana, 12, Debar: I liked the NGO Fair a lot, I saw interesting things  and I took some materials that I’m going to read at home. So far I haven’t been active in any civil organization, but I would like to, I think that’s something good”.

Ivana, 14, Kumanovo: “I’m on this Fair for the first time, I came together with my friend, his father brought us. It’s not bad, I visited the stalls of the organizations that work with children, I took some prospectuses. I haven’t had a chance to talk to activists of civil organizations, but I would be a volunteer in a civil organization if what they do is good and interesting”.

Adrijana, 18, Skopje: “Last year I participated in the preparations of the stall of the Scout union, but this year I’m just a visitor. So far I have succeeded to see just the third hall and I was at the panel “The role of the international student organizations in the process of eurointegration of the university education in Macedonia”. Taking into regard what our possibilities are, I think this Fair is O.K. I have few remarks, but those are individual opinions. The idea of civil organizing is close to me and my friends. We talk about it, especially on the philosophy classes, they incite us to think and talk about those ideas. I think we could involve actively in a civil organization”.

The media reported more than last year
“The media covered 21.6%  of the events on the NGO Fair which is for 9.9% more than last year’s media coverage”, stated Biljana Bejkova from the NGO infocentre who monitored the national concessors, the public service and the daily printed media in Macedonian. The most interesting for the media, according to the NGO infocentre, were the topics connected to the processes of eurointegration, corruption of the government structures and university education, the activities of the Coordination body for protection of the locality Gradiste-Kale and the International day of the handicapped.

Models of preparing national strategies

-Creating a National programme for development of education and a Strategy for development of informative society are currently going on, whereas the National strategy for  youth is in the final phase.

-In all three national strategies the cooperation with the civil organizations and the expert teams is extremely important, especially in the National strategy for youth where the youth organizations are considerably included.

-In the process of creating the national strategies the representatives from political parties are included, which provides the implementation of these long-term documents.

The organizers, the Macedonian centre for international cooperation, the Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia and the Centre for institutional development, now, after the finish of the 4th Forum of civil society in Macedonia, will sum up the results, will make the assessments of every one of the segments separately, but what was a general impression is that the NGO Fair was organized better than the previous one.

The role of the civil society in the process of approaching the European Union

-         Approaching the European Union is approaching the principles of  “European ruling”: openness, participation, democratic approach, coherence, institutional forms of dialogue, Committee of regions, Economic-social committee.

-         Macedonia, in the process of approaching EU should use all available resources, including the people (staff) from the civil sector.

-         The civil society, including the media, should show visionary ability and courage in changing the consciousness and behaviour of the public towards approaching EU.

-         Seven of the eight questions that were asked refered to what the Government can do for European integration and what the Government can do for the civil organizations.

“In the civil sector I see someone that will manage the process of eurointegration, that will explain to the citizens what the process itself means, sector that will be brave enough to ask questions of crucial importance to the politicians, not only before elections, but also during the elections, sector that will follow what it promised, and what is fulfilled.”-Radmila Sekerinska

Fedor Cerne, Government of Republic of Slovenia, for the role of the nongovernmental sector in eurointegrations

Nongovernmental sector as educator of citizens 

Fedor Cerne, who in the Government of Slovenia is in the part responsible for eurointegrations, was one of the participants in the presentation for the membership of Slovenia in EU as a factor for strengthening the civil organizations.

What was the role of the nongovernmental sector in Slovenia during the application of your country for membership in EU and later when Slovenia became a country candidate?

I must point out that the nongovernmental organizations were part of the negotiations for membership of Slovenia in the European Union. They contributed a lot in two fields. Firstly, the nongovernmental organizations followed excellently and had great knowledge in the area of European legislation and its implementation in Slovenia. The implementation asked for many changes and while implementing the new legal provisions the cooperation with the civil sector was extremely important. The civil sector was at moments eurosceptic in a positive sense. What do I mean with that? It’s good to point out certain irregularities and how to overcome them, it’s good to get over some fears…

What kind of fears did the citizens of Slovenia have with regard to entering the European Union?

The fears were about the economic issues, maybe also about the national identity, but here once again the civil sector played a great role by organizing numerous forums on which the citizens asked question connected with their fears. These forums contributed a lot to break certain rumours and fears.

What is the role of the civil sector now when Slovenia is already a member of EU?

They are still very active, they are part of the Government of Slovenia, their activity did not stop when Slovenia entered EU. On the contrary, it gained whole new dimensions. Now our civil organizations have an approach to grants for which they couldn’t compete before, they cooperate with civil associations from other European countries, so the field of their actions expanded.

M.K.

Decreasing the unemployment through improving the approach of financial services

-         In Republic of Macedonia there is a lack of financial services especially for business beginners. 75% of the unemployed are interested in a small business, but at the same time they have the least chances for getting a credit.

-         In Republic of Macedonia there are more institutions that provide microcredits, and part of the trading banks also have departments for microcrediting.

-         There is a need for institutional support of the private sector and bigger coordination between the actors for support of development (Government, development agencies, guarantee funds).

“Microfinancing has a great role in decreasing the poverty. In Macedonia there is a lack of institutional support, certain legal reductions, but also a joined coordination of the state instances, banks, civil organizations in approaching and successfully implementing the microcrediting with the population”, - Snezana Andova, from Possibilities.\

“Can the civil sector be sustainable without external financing?”

-         Only 4% of the means come from individual donations, there is also 4% from the business-sector, 4% from the central or 8% from the local government, 10% from personal sources, and 74% are financed from grants.

-         The civil organizations don’t make efforts in the mobilization of means at local level and they are not enough promoted in the public.

-         There is a need of amendments in the Law for citizen associations and foundations (the economic activities of the civil organizations, status of the organizations of public interest, privileges in the tax for individual and joined donors, volunteering).

-         The Government of the Republic of Macedonia formed an office for cooperation of civil organizations in the General secretariat.

“Sustainability can’t be established on the whole civil sector but on the individual civil organizations”, recommended to those present Plamen Dimitrov, representative of the organization ZNet from Bulgaria.

Decentralization – departization as a formula for successful local democracy

-         The decentralization should lead towards increased participation. In Macedonia it’s a medium-term priority and one of the important criteria for a status of a country-candidate for EU.

-         The partization of the units of local self-government (ULS) is one of the key disadvantages that hinders the process of decentralization and blocks the process of decision-making in ULS.

-         The relations of ULS and the civil organizations are characterized with mistrust: the civil organizations point out nontransparency, nepotism and corruption on party basis in ULS, and on the other hand – ULS points out unprofessionalism and increased interest for decentralization because of the increased allocation of financial means for the civil organizations.

“The Centre for strategic researches and development ‘Forum’ will start the project ‘Decentralization of Macedonia: to make the government closer to people’. The project will be implemented in Struga, in Kicevo, in Gostivar, in Cair and in Kumanovo”, said Guner Ismail on the panel.

The university education, corruption and student rights

-         The corruption of the university education “incites” some students, for whom it is easier to pay than to learn.

-         The student barrister in two and a half years of working received 160 statements, none of which refers to corruption.

-         There isn’t a case of corruption in university education that ended with effective verdict.

“As an example for fight against these disturbances in the educational system I’ll mention the opportunity for leaving anonimous letters in post boxes that will be placed at the faculties of our universities. Thus there will be basis to check the abuse of certain professors”, said prof. Tupancevski

10 years of civil society in South-East Europe: What have we succeeded to achieve, and what has gone wrong?

-         The development of civil organizations in SEE, same as in the other post-communist countries, depended a lot on the external help from Western Europe and from USA and is directed towards the civil organizations which work in the area of democracy. Based on such a concept, a considerable part of the civil organizations is still in an anti-governmental mood.

-         The civil organizations and the Government should decide for the mutual relations on the basis of the kind of society they want to build.

-         The biggest challenge is corruption of the trust of people in the Government.

The introducers Brenda Li Pirson and John Beclerc agreed that the civil organizations should be the foundation of the values that will be rooted in certain groups of population, i.e. to be someone for whom the organizations will exist and to find a possibility for cooperation with the other parts of society.