Forum
 

Has the civic organizing contributed to the development of the Macedonian state?

This time at the "Civic World Forum we announce an interesting subject for you to reflect upon: Has the civic organizing contributed to the development of the Macedonian state? Is what we call today civic activism and initiative, something that was going on a century earlier and in these hundred years since the Ilinden revolution? How much and in what ways has it contributed to the long and hard process of building the Macedonian state?

WE invite you to send your opinion on this subject at the MCIC address or directly to the Forum on our web pages: www.graganskisvet.org.mk  and www.civicworld.org.mk . Please state you full name and surname and the name of your association, if member of any.

 

From the last month's debate

Are there conditions for development of environmental tourism in Macedonia?

The question from last time was: Are there conditions for development of environmental tourism in Macedonia? We received several calls and letters. We publish one of them, in the form of a mini-reportage:

 

Nikola Kiselinov, president of "Biljana", a tourist association from Ohrid:

The Tourist Association "Biljana" has been working on a strategic project for the development of the eco-tourism at the National Park "Galicica". For that purpose, in cooperation with the non-governmental organization Sport and Mountaineering Association "Magaro"from Ohrid, in winter 2002, we opened the Centre for Development of the Eco-tourism with: alpinism, mountaineering, winter sports, eco-picnic, tours at the NP "Galicica, mountain cycling, educational eco-mountaineering tours, development of the rural tourism, paragliding. The Centre is located in the village Ljubanista, a kilometre from the complex Saint Naum, in the area of NP "Galicica". It can be used for seminars, tribunes, lectures (it has a capacity of 35 participants). TA "Biljana" within its activities for the development of the eco-tourism has opened a Tourist-information office in Ohrid.

For the development of tourism in Macedonia in general, one of the biggest weaknesses is the lack of a national strategy for the development of tourism, which would specially elaborate the eco-tourism. Our organization has developed a local strategy for tourism, and the result is the Centre for the development of eco-tourism. It is an example how two NGOs can work successfully on one project that can lead to a local development - that is, eco-tourism.

 

Gorna Belica - A place for a holiday

Love at first sight


Stojan Kukunesoski, Podgorci, Struga:

I'm entering the debate on "Are there conditions for development of environmental tourism in Macedonia?, by sending a text, which I hope will find space in the "Civic World". The goal - better understanding of our eco-tourist places.

Natural beauty which takes the breath away, pine and beech woods and clean mountain air and the unique possibility to have a view on the Lake Ohrid the moment you wake up. This unique possibility is offered in the village Gorna Belica, a weekend-settlement and air bath, 1310 metres above the sea level. About 180 holiday homes lay in that beauty, under the huge and magnificent granite rock at the top Cuma, 1800 metres above the seal level on the mountain Jablanica.

Belica takes your breath at first glance. All holiday homes are small, but they have big green gardens and many trees. The ambient is wonderful and it offers ideal mountain peace and tranquillity. You can seat there and enjoy all the advantages of the mountain. It is a real mountain tourist settlement, with small houses with sharp steep and high roofs. Almost all of them have been built according to a plan and are of same height and width. The Ohrid Lake panoramic view on the east makes the ambient even more magnificent, while the Cuma top on the north, makes you feel like you are high on the Alps, and not on Jablanica.

The village Upper Belica, with its original Vlach name Bela de Suprima (it was inhabited by Vlachs - cattle breeders), offers many other hidden beauties that you can discover if you decide to spend a weekend or more days in this fairy tail place. The location is attractive because the village is located next to the most important ancient Roman road artery, Via Ignatia. The road was going along the south side of the village, near the locality Vajtos.

And another attractive location that for Macedonia might be even more important is the Saint Clement monastery, with the surrounding night lodgings, where in the past, Saint Clement from Ohrid used to live and work with many of his followers. Due to that, the experts from Archaeological Institute are preparing researches on that locality. Saint Clement's monastery is a kilometre away from the village and is located in a wonderful oak wood. It is a tiny monastery with a bell-tower about five metres high where the bell is still kept. Under the monastery, there are remnants of the night lodgings and the walls that used to surround the settlement. Around it, there are peaces of limestone with regular shape that the monks used to build the night lodgings and the walls. The area in front of the monastery offers a wonderful view on the lake. This mountain settlement is connected to Struga and Vevcani with two roads. The connection to Struga is a 17- kilometre long road, and to Vevcani a 4 kilometre long road - both of them are asphalt roads and go through thick woods.