THEME FOR DEBATING

Are you Getting “Connections”?

We arAre you getting connections? Do you practice the same old habit to finish a job skipping the regular procedure, do you wait in line or not? Do you consider that “getting connections” is necessary in our society, even when it comes to the NGO sector? Do you consider that corruption is entering through a small door in our sector?

We ask this interesting question, however, it asks for an honest answer. We invite you to participate in our Forum, which is on-line on the web pages of Civic World: www.graganskisvet.org.mk  and www.civicworld.org.mk . For a start, this is what several people active in the NGO sector have to say:

Emilija Todorovska:
Corruption – that is a very strong word. However, getting connections is corruption, at least that is what I think. I think there is no “big” or small” corruption and that the smallest undeserved thing that one gets by paying for it (not necessarily money) is corruption. Nevertheless, it is present in the NGO sector to a very small extent. I personally, have not tried to get connections for anything, a project or a grant. I think that it simply does not work in this sector, we work with foreign DONORS and they do not recognize such things, the decisions are made in foreign countries, which give the foundations. It has happened that we discuss about a certain project in order to explain it better, but that is lobbying, which is different, it is a legal form of acting everywhere in the world. In those cases, it all depends on your power of persuasion, whether you will be able to persuade the interlocutor about something. You do not offer anything, you do not try to “buy” him, you only try to persuade, convince him with the power of your arguments, and that is something completely different…

Biljana Stamenkovska:
I think that “getting connections” and the corruption are least emphasized in the NGO sector. However, I do not believe that this sector is completely “clean” from this negative occurrence, which unfortunately, has been functioning as a way of work in our country for a long time and is especially emphasized in the last years. However, in comparison to the other segments of the social, especially the political life in the country, the NGOs are really much more honest in their work.

Kiril Nikolovski:
Is there anyone who does not get connections in this country? In our environment that is a normal way of work. However, one thing is getting connection and another thing is corruption, which in my opinion means buying, giving money or other material benefit for the one that should do something for us. The latter, I believe, does not exist in the NGO sector. We do get connection, but the NGOs are not corrupted. In our country, most of the NGOs consist of volunteers, people who come into these organizations with great desire and enthusiasm, so this is how they work, too – enthusiastically and honestly, and not in a corrupted manner.

From the Last Month’s Debate
Should the NGOs Be Financed by the Government?

Last month on the Forum we asked you the question: Should the NGOs Be Financed by the Government and should they feel obliged to it? We present several opinions on that subject:

Zvonko Shavreski:
Those NGOs that work for the realization of a public interest should be partially financed by the Government, at least for that part of their work, that is, realizing the public interest. The NGOs can accomplish certain public interest activities cheaper, and sometimes more efficiently than the Government and for that reason it should support them. On the other hand, once the financial independence is lost, one loses its independence in general. For these reasons, our NGO “Polio Plus” did not requested financial help, offered by the Ministry of Finance for the NGOs.

Ida Hrisoho – Lozanovski:
Among other sources of financing the NGO, the Government should also take an active part, by which it will support some general interest activities.
In return, the Government should not expect support from the NGOs if the general opinion is that it should be criticized. That is the only way to develop a true democracy. Thus, the Government will contribute to a great extent in the development of the civic society.