Democracy and human rights
 

A photography exhibition in Skopje The Face of Human Rights

“The Face of Human Rights” is not one man, it is not one woman, one child or one nation – it is all of us”.

With these words the public was encouraged to visit the photography exhibition that was open on 12 October in the City of Skopje Museum.

“The photography, as an artistic form of human expression, very often manages to define and identify the various aspects of human rights. Good photographs speak much more than a speech, and they rarely need to be interpreted. This exhibition portrays the human rights through the selected photographs of the agency Magnum Photos from Paris. They not only picture the violation of human rights, but document the reality of living in peace and dignity”, read the exhibition text, the motive of which is respecting human rights and establishing peace, democracy and sustainable development.

The exhibition was established for the first time after Switzerland joined the United Nations, when the Federal Ministry of External Affairs promoted it under the title “Existence”, at the Nations’ Palace in Geneva, to mark the 60th Assembly of the Human Rights Commission at the United Nations. As a result of the interest shown, began the traveling tour around Swiss cooperation offices outside Switzerland.

Besides the photography exhibition at the Museum of Skopje, there is also a projection of films which express certain aspects of the human rights through their visual form. The project is supported by the Swiss Embassy at the Republic of Macedonia and provided by Magnum Photos – Paris. The Museum of Skopje in cooperation with the Helsinki Committee for Human rights, OHCHR, UNICEF, UNHCR and MASSO are in charge of the organization.

 

K.B.

A photography exhibition in Skopje

The Face of Human Rights

“The Face of Human Rights” is not one man, it is not one woman, one child or one nation – it is all of us”.

With these words the public was encouraged to visit the photography exhibition that was open on 12 October in the City of Skopje Museum. “The photography, as an artistic form of human expression, very often manages to define and identify the various aspects of human rights. Good photographs speak much more than a speech, and they rarely need to be interpreted. This exhibition portrays the human rights through the selected photographs of the agency Magnum Photos from Paris. They not only picture the violation of human rights, but document the reality of living in peace and dignity”, read the exhibition text, the motive of which is respecting human rights and establishing peace, democracy and sustainable development. The exhibition was established for the first time after Switzerland joined the United Nations, when the Federal Ministry of External Affairs promoted it under the title “Existence”, at the Nations’ Palace in Geneva, to mark the 60th Assembly of the Human Rights Commission at the United Nations. As a result of the interest shown, began the traveling tour around Swiss cooperation offices outside Switzerland. Besides the photography exhibition at the Museum of Skopje, there is also a projection of films which express certain aspects of the human rights through their visual form. The project is supported by the Swiss Embassy at the Republic of Macedonia and provided by Magnum Photos – Paris. The Museum of Skopje in cooperation with the Helsinki Committee for Human rights, OHCHR, UNICEF, UNHCR and MASSO are in charge of the organization. K.B.

Initiative of the Macedonian Association for Free Sexual Orientation

Homosexuals demand changes in the Constitution
 
The Macedonian Association for Free Sexual Orientation “ASSO”, is raising an initiative for constitutional changes in the part that refers to discrimination. The organizations demands changes in the article 9 of the Constitution which asks for equal treatment of all citizens on every basis. In fact, what they demand is to introduce a ban for discrimination on the basis of one’s sexual orientation. Besides these remarks, “MASSO”, in the letter to the Vice-Prime Minister, Radmila Sekarinska, and to the political parties and the foreign representatives in the country, emphasize that by accepting the changes in the Constitution and the laws, Macedonia will come closer to the EU standards.

Macedonia has not taken any concrete steps in the legislative referring to the free sexual orientation yet. Although homosexuality has not been treated as criminal act since 1996, generally, these phenomenon is treated as a disease, and male homosexuals and the lesbians are most harshly judged by the environment, are usually isolated and often beaten because of public declaration of their sexual orientation. Such examples have been recorded in the first research on homosexuals in Macedonia which was presented this year.

The Macedonian homosexuals still not brave enough to reveal their identity, although, it is known that their number has risen to over a hundred. For the first time this year, they publicly joined the world trends and organized their week known under the motto “Love is Love”, which was marked with a number of exhibitions and film projections.

“I think that better conditions for the Macedonian population of LGBT (Lesbians, Gay, Bisexuals and Trans-sexual) will be created after we provide a legal frame for making space for their “coming out”, or revealing in public. Until then, the homosexuals will remain stigmatized and will face problems in the environment, their friends or relatives who are not familiar with their sexual orientation”, thinks Koco Andonovski, “MASSO” president.

 

Z.G.