Story: One hundred years of civic activism in Macedonia

Century of struggle for identity and democracy

The dream expressed with the Krushevo manifesto – a state where Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Romas and everyone who has roots on this land will live equally, has become true. How much has the civic initiative contributed to this, is a question we wanted to tackle with this text, and maybe to provoke a detailed research on this topic.

By Marijana Ivanova

Didn't it all start with all those groups of intellectuals gathering around Dame Gruev, Goce Delchev, Petar Pop-Arsov and others and talking about the great desire for a Macedonian state, at least shortly realized on Ilinden 1903? Or even before that, when the high-school students Gjorche Petrov, Pere Toshev and their friends rebelled "against the Jesuitical system of education"? Or with the craftsmen who joined the youth in the rebellions against the exarchate?

Maybe it all started even before, when the so-called Slavic-Macedonian literary society of Gjorgji Pulevski set a goal to revive the Macedonian folk literature. Or even before, when some anonymous citizens, from the "infidels," slowly but surely, by some komitadji actions, established the idea of a free Macedonian state and built Macedonian people’s identity.

The celebration of one hundred years of the big Macedonia epic for its own identity made us think in that direction – how much influence has the impelling force of the civic initiative had in the fight for the Macedonian state. If we see things wider from the frame offered by the archives and historians, we can easily recognize civic activism in the initiators and impellers for the realization of that desire, which had been smoldering in the soul of the Macedonians for a long time.

The power of self-initiative

The secret associations and circles, which as a counterpart to the present civic associations were formed during the 18th-19th century, were oriented towards the then most essential question – establishing the state of Macedonians and liberation from the aspirations their country and they themselves to present as Bulgarians, Serbs or Greeks. The young Macedonians who studied in Sofia towards the end of the 19th century, gathered around Petar Pop-Arsov and Gjorgji Balaschev, established the "Young Macedonian Literary Association" which issued the newspaper Loza (Vine), today known as a propagator of the Macedonian language, using its elements and characteristics which clearly made it different from the Bulgarian language. The "viticulturists" were actually civic activists, gathered around a few civic leaders, who carried out their clearly defined goal. They wanted to realize their project, which was a step towards realizing their vision.

Those associations functioned on a principle which was not different from the principle on which companies function anywhere or whenever – they are all forms of associating civic ideas, energy and wishes to change and improve something of, more or less, wider social interest. The key words – activists, leaders, goal, project, and vision – are a part of the well-known terminology of civic associations.

Kuzman Shapkarev collected the folklore heritage of the Macedonian people on his own initiative. Marko Cepenkov – another big citizen, did the same. The man from Galichnik, Gjorgji Pulevski, got down to a hard work and published dictionaries, grammar and a songbook in Macedonian language. They, as many others, with their civic initiative, contributed to strengthening self-confidence and building Macedonian people’s identity.

All these initiatives inevitably led to 1903 and its biggest contribution – the Ilinden uprising and the short lasting, but big Krushevo Republic.

Youth activism

If we can consider the Ilinden uprising to be a result of a civic initiative, and Goce Delchev, Dame Gruev, Jane Sandanski, Krste Petkov-Misirkov, Gjorche Petrov, Nikola Karev, Petar Pop-Arsov, Pere Toshev and many others, civic leaders, then the civic movement slowly circulated even after the bloodily suppressed uprising.

Inevitably, in the period before and after the Ilinden uprising, civic associations were politically colored. Similarly, as today the civic associations strive towards social changes – society democratization, social justice, good governance, integration of the margin groups, reconciliation and cooperation, the then activities were directed towards key changes, but at that time they could most often be carried out by political methods or by a revolution.

Such were the socialistic groups of Vasil Glavinov, Dimo Hadzi-Dimov and others who united and motivated workers, organized strikes, seeking social justice. There were shoemakers’ union, metal workers’ union, tradesmen’s unions and other syndicates which represented workers’ rights. The stormy history led to the revolution of young Turks with its relative peace, where meaningful cultural-educational movement occurred, a lot of teachers’ associations and cultural associations were formed, and printing developed. The Balkans wars, with the London peace conference, and especially the Bucharest peace agreement, again brought big disappointment for the Macedonian people and other ethnic groups which lived in this area.

Then there was the World War I and the period between the two world wars was characterized by youth activism. Young workers and students formed a lot of syndicates, cultural-artistic and sports associations. Socialistic ideas spread in them and later they became the central point of a strong movement, with some progressive and avant-garde young intellectuals. They constantly, as a motif, presented the Macedonian national question, which was the most strongly expressed within the organization comprising students and young intellectuals – the famous MANAPO (Macedonian National Movement), where there was a strong anti-fascist activity.

The World War II was again under the sign of a strong civic activity. The partisans’ fight, although run politically, was supported by the wide citizenship. Citizens got involved in the liberation and anti-fascist fight in many different ways and it eventually resulted in the desire – a Macedonian state. The dream presented in the Krushevo manifest – a state where Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Romas and everyone who has roots on this land will live equally, has become true. How much has the civic initiative contributed to this, is a question we wanted to tackle with this text, and maybe to provoke a detailed research on this topic.