Annoncements
 

ECMI’s Romani Expert Groups research

In 2005, the Romani Expert groups on integration conducted field research in Romani communities based on which they produced Reports. At the end of September, the research reports were presented to a wider public.

In 2006, the Romani Expert groups continue with their activities amongst which research in the field of Romani integration. In the period of October 2005-February 2006 the groups have been working actively on the preparations for the new series of research projects. The field research to come will be conducted between March and July 2006. In this light, the Romani Expert groups will, during the coming official joint meeting in March, introduce their new research topics to the representatives of international organisations, Macedonian government, Romani political parties, NGOS, media etc. The March meeting will furthermore be an opportunity for all future actors of Romani integration to make first steps towards creating synergies for the improvement of Romani situation in Macedonia.

Here below follow the research projects as to be executed by the members of Romani Expert groups on Integration:

Expert Group on Civil Rights

  • Social Status of Roms in Macedonia before and after the Ohrid Framework Agreement: Roms’ Subjective Feelings Regarding the Ohrid Framework Agreement
  • Roms’ Attitude Towards Political Parties and Reasons for their (Non)-Participation

Expert Group on Employment

  • Active Employment Measures and their Effect within the Romani Community

Expert Group on Health

  • Confidence in Healthcare Institutions: Personal Experiences, Knowledge of Rights and Awareness of Health Insurance and Protection
  • The Romani Population and its Level of Information on Family Planning and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Expert Group on Education

  • Refugee Children and their Integration in the Educational System
  • Better Schools: Through the Eyes of Romani, Macedonian and Albanian Children
 


Conference “Minorities in Democracy“
The third conference “Minorities in Democracy“, organized by the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), was held on 7 December 2005 at the Parliamentarian’s Club.

Bringing together academics, experts, representatives of local and national authorities, media, NGOs and universities, the conference started with a brief overview of its aim and history from KAS’s and ECMI’s representatives in Skopje.
The keynote address was given by Mabera Kamberi of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, outlining the launch and present activities of the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015. The main conference programme was organized in three sessions, each followed by a discussion between the panelists and the audience.

The first panel, entitled “Where minority is majority”, gave a summary of the implications of the process of decentralization and the Law on Local Self - government on the municipalities in the Republic of Macedonia. Chairing the session was Pande Lazarevski of the Institute for Sociological, Political and Juridical Research, with panelists including Imer Selmani, Mayor of the Municipality Saraj; Nuzi Shahin, Mayor of the Municipality Župa; Erduan Iseini, Mayor of the Municipality Šuto Orizari; and Gordana Siljanoska, Professor at the Faculty of Law.
The second panel - “What is identity?”, was chaired by Mirjana Najčevska, Helsinki committee of Human Rights. Panelists were Iso Rusi, editor in chief at the Albanian weekly Lobi; Židas Daskalovski, Centre for Research and Policy Making; Veton Latifi, SEE University in Tetovo; and Dimitar Mirčev, Faculty of Social Sciences.
“Media and Minorities” was the title of the third panel, where Dragan Antonovski, a journalist from television Kanal 5; Zoran Dimov of BTR television; and Daut Dauti of the Macedonian Institute for Media discussed issues concerning whether media in Macedonia contribute to information or disinformation; integration or segregation; and speaking to each other or speaking past each other. Chair of this panel was the journalist Zoran Bojarovski.
 

 

Conference “Minority Participation – Striking the Balance”
The conference “Minority Participation – Striking the Balance” was held on 6 December at Hotel Arka in Skopje. The Conference was organized by the European Centre for Minority Issues and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
The conference dealt with problems related to implementing minority participatory rights and the interconnection of the decentralization process in SEE and the improvement of minorities’ participation in political and societal life.
Mr. Vincent DE GRAAF, Legal Officer, Office of OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and Ms. Stéphanie MARSAL, Administrator, Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Council of Europe spoke on the first panel “Minority Participation in South Eastern Europe – A Regional Perspective: Developments, Needs and Challenges”.

Panelists at the second session, “National Structures and their Effects – Legal Frameworks Facing Reality” included: Ms. Katarina CRNJANSKI, Expert, Ethnicity Research Centre, Belgrade; Ms. Lidija Georgievska, Office of the Ombudsman, Macedonia; and Mr. Gjergj SINANI, Albanian Helsinki Committee.

“Decentralization and Minority Participation: A Tool for Increased Participation of Minorities – Theory and Practical Experience” was the third panel. Panelists were: Mr. Florian BIEBER, ECMI; Mr. Nevzat BEJTA, Mayor of Gostivar, Macedonia; and Mr. Tamas KORHECZ, Vice President of the Executive Council of Vojvodina and Provincial Secretary of Regulations, Administration and National Minorities, Serbia and Montenegro.
 

 



European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) marked the successful conclusion of the initiative NGO Network for the Improvement of Interethnic Relations in the Republic of Macedonia

The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) marked the successful conclusion of the initiative NGO Network for the Improvement of Interethnic Relations in the Republic of Macedonia, on 30 August at the hotel Holiday Inn, through brief presentation of the activities and results of the projects by Ms, Ewa Chylinski, ECMI Deputy Director and Mr, Robert Schupp, Head of South East Europe Programme. Furthermore, the representatives of the established Regional Coalitions from Kumanovo, Bitola and Tetovo presented their mission, aims and activity plans.

From its establishment in 2001, ECMI NGO Network as a member-driven Network aimed at improving interethnic relations by development of cooperation among member NGOs in identifying common ground for action on issues related to advancing interethnic dialogue in the Republic of Macedonia . Furthermore, this Network of 78 grass-root NGOs aimed at enhancing the credibility of the NGOs among their local communities and at strengthening the capacity through conceptualization and implementation of joint projects.

Last year, the Coordinative Body cooperated with the ECMI as facilitator in elaborating a strategy for the upcoming period in order to outline the Network future development and maintenance. The initiated discussion among the Network members led to:

  1. The establishment of Regional NGO Coalitions in Bitola, Tetovo and Kumanovo as formal coalitions that will primarily operate at the local level and,
  2. The creation of an independent national NGO network – the Initiative for Society Development, which will operate with a new mission focusing on economic development through participation, integration and equal opportunities.
  3. The development of sector based networks (an environmental network, a youth multicultural initiatives network, an educational network and a working group for minority issues).

For more information please contact: grdanoska@ecmimacedonia.org
 

 

 

ECMI’s Romani Expert Group research

The Expert Groups for Romani Integration have started with their research activities and expect to finish with their field research by the end of May.
The Expert Groups are divided in seven research teams and research topics are in four areas (health, education, employment and civil rights). After the field research, selected members of the Expert Groups will receive training data processing, and all members will be trained in report writing. After the trainings, each research team will conduct data processing and will write a report which will include recommendations for the government on improving the situation of Roms in Macedonia.

 

 

 

Presentation of ECMI's Project "Romani Expert Groups on Integration"

In the light of the Roma Decade launching and the celebration of the 8 of April, the International Romani Day, ECMI organized the one official joint meeting of Romani Expert Groups on Integration. The ECMI project was officially presented to a group of relevant future actors of Romani integration, namely representatives of various Ministries, political parties, media, international organizations etc. During the project presentation and overview of the past and current activities was given as well as a glimpse at activities beyond September 2005. The Expert Groups have proven themselves as competent and professional experts who announced their research projects, as follows:

ECMI’s Romani Expert Group on Education will conduct the following research topics in the period of April-June 2005:

  • Drop-out of Romani Children in Education
  • Parents’ Role in the Education of Romani Children

 ECMI’s Romani Expert Group on Civil Rights will conduct the following research topics in the period of April-June 2005:

  • To which Extent Is Romani Population Informed about Human Rights and Freedoms
  • The Position of Romani Students in Higher Education

 ECMI’s Romani Expert Group on Health will conduct the following research topics in the period of April-June 2005:

  • The Most Frequent Diseases and Their Reasons within Romani Population
  • Vaccinations Amongst Romani Children

 ECMI’s Romani Expert Group on Employment will conduct the following research topics in the period of April-June 2005:

  • Identification of profiles of Unemployed Roms within the Republic of Macedonia
  • The Reasons for Unemployment and Motivation amongst Romani Population

September will be the month of the final research results when the broader public and key-actors in Romani integration will be invited. The groups will in the future be a link between the Government, political parties and international organizations – together they can play a role as future agents of change.
For more information please contact: ibrahimi@ecmirom.org

 


Presentations of the PDI Working Groups Recommendations on regional and local level

The Local Forum in Tetovo was held on March 29, 2005, on the premises of the Southeastern Europe University. The Local Forum was organized in cooperation with the local coalition of NGOs from Tetovo to identify the relevant stakeholders in the local community as target groups for promoting the recommendations. Presenters at the Local Forums were: Vebi Bexheti (education), Blagoja Nanevski (economy), Suzana Saliu (human rights) and Donco Donev (health).
Around 50 people attended the forum among them, the new members of the City Council (elected two weeks before in the local elections), principles of the primary and secondary schools in Tetovo, academics from both universities in Tetovo, health practitioners and the managerial team from the Tetovo City Hospital, as well as businesspersons from Tetovo and the region.
All local media (Albanian and Macedonian) were present at the event and the Forum was well covered in the electronic and printed media.

The Local Forum in Kumanovo was held on March 30, 2005 at the restaurant “Rim-Paris” in Kumanovo. More than 70 people attended the event and the relevant stakeholders were identified in cooperation with the Coalition for Multiethnic Cooperation as local partners for ECMI. Presenters at the event were Sonja Arsovska (education), Suzana Saliu (human rights), Marija Zarezankova-Potevska (economy) and Vladimir Lazarevik (health).
Among the attendees were the potential new Mayor of Kuamnovo, members of the City Council, high officials of the Ministry of Interior, representatives of the Macedonian Parliament from Kumanovo and Ministry of Education as well as Bureau for the Development of Education.
Local electronic and printed media in Macedonian and Albanian covered the event

The Local Forum in Bitola was held on March 31, 2005 on the premises of hotel “Epinal”. The invitations were sent to all relevant institutions and local media identified by the Secretary of the ECMI Regional Center and the local partner, Center for Democratic Initiatives-Bitola.
Presenters at this forum were Tihomir Jovanovski (economy), Dijana Gorgievska (health), Miroslav Stojanov (education) and Filip Siljanovski (human rights).
Around 50 people attended the event, among them representatives from the University in Bitola, Ministry of Interior, NGO representatives that work in some of the fields covered by the recommendations. Local printed and electronic media covered the event.

A public presentation of the recommendations elaborated within the framework of the ECMI Initiative for Strategic Dialogue was held at the Hotel Turist in Kriva Palanka. The presentation is part of the promotional campaign to inform the public about the recommendations and possibilities of implementing them at the local level. Lidija Ilievska presented the recommendations on education, Zivka Hristovska covered health, Nako Nikolovski presented the recommendations on human rights and Sveto Stojanovski presented the recommendation on economy. All presenters were representatives of the Coalition for Interethnic Cooperation of Kumanovo.

A public presentation of the education recommendations for the improvement of the educational system in Macedonia was held on 14 March at the Hotel Bitola. The representatives of the working group on education of the ECMI Initiative for Strategic Dialogue, Miroslav Stojanov, Dr. Metodija Stojanovski and Dr. Dijana Gorgievska, presented the recommendations on education. The audience comprised over 40 residents of Bitola, directors and teachers of secondary and elementary schools, professors and students of the Faculty for Pedagogy, and representatives of NGOs and local media. The public event was part of the promotional campaign to inform the public about the recommendations in the areas of human rights, education, health and economics, which were elaborated within the framework of the ECMI Initiative for Strategic Dialogue.

The NGO Coalition “Centre for Democratic Initiatives” organized a public presentation of the health recommendations in the high school for medicine in Bitola on 18 March 2005. The recommendations of the working group for health, which is part of the ECMI Initiative for Strategic Dialogue, were presented at this event. Dr. Dijana Gorgievska and Dr. Susana Sulejman, who are members of the working group for health, presented the recommendations to health workers, representatives of NGOs and media in Bitola. During the discussion, the attendees expressed their positive opinion on the recommendations and offered several proposals for the implementation at the municipal level.

Feat Kamberovski and Sonja Arsovska of the Coalition for Interethnic Cooperation of Kumanovo were invited as guests to the TV show “Open for” at RTV Kumanovo. They presented and discussed the recommendations of the working group on education, which is a part of the ECMI Initiative for Strategic Dialogue. During the broadcast the goals and activities of the Coalition for Interethnic Cooperation were also presented. The Coalition operates at the local level in the municipality of Kumanovo.

 

The association of non-governmental organizations of Tetovo presented the recommendations of the working group on education at a public event on the premises of the Mosa Pijade high school on 16 March 2005. The public debate was part of the activities of the ECMI, which presents the recommendations of the Initiative for Strategic Dialogue at the regional and municipal level.
The public event was attended by representatives of the Office for Education, directors of secondary and elementary schools, university professors and the local media. All attendees agreed that the recommendations were of great relevance, which stemmed from the expertise of the members of the working group for education, and that the recommendations presented a new step towards educational reforms. Branka Markovic and Gzime Hajredini presented the recommendations at this public event.

For more information please contact: nasokovska@ecmimacedonia.org

 

 

Workshops on local level with the Regional NGO Association
In order to disseminate the recommendations developed within the Policy Dialogue Initiative, at the beginning of February, ECMI has started with the implementation of promotional activities on national and local level. ECMI program team implemented three workshops on local level with the Regional NGO Associations. The workshops were held on February 01, in Bitola with the Center for Democratic Development, in Kumanovo on February 02 with the Coalition for Interethnic Cooperation and on February 03 in Tetovo with the Association of NGOs from Tetovo.
During the morning sessions of the workshop, participants were introduced with the recommendations in the fields of education, health, economy and human rights. In the second part, regional NGO Associations and program team have developed Action plans for promotion of the recommendations to the citizens and stakeholders. Action plans consists TV and radio promotions, promotions in the printed media, debates and working meetings with local stakeholders as well distribution of various promotional material. The implementation of the Action plans will take place February 20 th - March 31 st. 2005.
For more information please contact: markovska@ecmimacedonia.org
 

 

Training as part of the initiative “Romani Expert Groups
for Romani Integration”
As part of the ECMI ongoing initiative “Romani Expert Groups for Romani Integration”, a two days training was held at Sandanski, Republic of Bulgaria. The participants went through 5 modules:

· Communication Skills
· Presentation Skills
· Facilitating and moderating
· Leadership
· Skills for writing reports

Professor Cvetko Smilevski from Detra center, was trainer on this training.
For more information please contact: ibrahimi@ecmirom.org
 

 

Meeting between ECMI and the  Secretary of the Parliamentary
Committee for Health
ECMI Policy Advisors Ms. Marija Nasokovska and Ms. Jasminka Blazeva together with the Acting Head of Office, Ms. Leza O’Flaherty had a fruitful meeting on Thursday January 27th with the Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee for Health, Ms. Vasilka Ilievska at the Parliament buildings,Skopje.
The purpose of  meeting was to inform  Ms. Ilievska of  the successes of  ECMI’s Policy Dialogue Initiative  in 2004, to formally present her with copies of the Policy Recommendations produced by the members of t he Health Working Group. ECMI and Ms. Ilievska then engaged in a brief discussion about the nature and content of these recommendations and, Ms Ilievska was happy to offer her support to ECMI in assisting to organize a follow up formal Presentations of the recommendations of the Health Working Group to the Parliamentary Committee for Health,  in the upcoming period.
For more information please contact: nasokovska@ecmimacedonia.org
 

 
 

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