Introduction

How we started

The European Centre for Minority Issues , a German-Danish action-oriented centre of expertise in the field of conflict resolution, has launched a multi-dimensional civil society programme in the Balkans. A central aspect of the programmes is a gradual shift in ownerships of the project to local NGO partners.
The project of an NGO Roundtable on Inter-Ethnic Relations in the FYR of Macedonia seeks to empower local NGOs to generate high quality projects on developing Macedonian civil society. The project therefore invites partner organizations to represent interests of their communities, rather than their ethnic background.

In the year 2001 the project was organized in close co-operation with the Centre for Refugees and Forced Migration Studies (CRFMS) in Macedonia at the Institute for Sociological, Political and Juridical Research (ISPJR) (Sts. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje).
Given the very large number of NGOs in the FYR of Macedonia, not all of which are equally active, the project started with 43 established NGOs who adopted a code of best practice to which others will be subsequently invited to subscribe. NGO members are engaged in joint efforts to generate sustainable and inclusive projects that will have an impact on the diverse Macedonian society. Successful pilot projects are then presented to international funding bodies. Advice and assistance in executing projects is offered once funding has been obtained. Moreover, linking NGO networking initiatives with those in other Balkan states is expected to broaden the impact of the individual projects.

The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) organized the first meeting of the NGO Roundtable on Inter-Ethnic Relations in the FYR of Macedonia in Flensburg, Germany, from 10-13 December 2000. Over 20 domestic NGOs from Skopje and other parts of the country represented the ethnically diverse civil community of Macedonia at the initial meeting. Most organizations deal with issues that touch upon the areas of human rights, civil society and conflict resolution besides women's issues. Media representatives also attended the Flensbug session. In addition, a representative from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe as well as eight international experts on minority issues and networking in the areas of human and minority rights were invited to attend the meeting. The working language of the seminar was English. The output of this meeting was the DECLARATION signed by the 21 participants. This first meeting was held in Flensburg, at the heart of the German-Danish Border Region, in order to offer NGO representatives a neutral environment and an atmosphere, which would foster dialogue, co-operation and the exchange of ideas. This decision was also motivated by the desire of the Macedonian participants to learn more about experiences in minority-majority relations in other regions.

This meeting was first of a series of initiatives within the framework of this project, which was made possible through generous grants from the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretariat for the Peace and Stability / FRESTA) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The idea his project was conceived in December 1999 and it was launched following extensive research, preparations as well as a fact-finding visit to Macedonia in June 2000.

Mission Statement of the ECMI NGO Network for the Improvement of Interethnic Relations in the Republic of Macedonia

Building and development of an NGO network dedicated to the improvement of interethnic relations in the Republic of Macedonia.

The overall aim of the project

The overall aim of this project is to foster constructive discussion between domestic NGOs in Macedonia on the question of interethnic relations in order to identify common ground for action. Two main objectives were set: (1) to encourage the development of joint NGO project proposals which cut across ethnic lines and which are responsive to the needs of local communities; and (2) to establish a network of NGOs committed to working together in order to improve interethnic communication and interethnic relations. One year later, despite major impediments, these aims have been achieved: on 18 December 2001, the "ECMI NGO Network for the Improvement of Interethnic Relations in the Republic of Macedonia" was officially launched in Skopje.

Network Aims

1. Promotion of mutual cooperation through exchange of all available resources.
2. Initiation and implementation of joint projects.
3. Increasing the influence of NGOs in the community.
4. Creation and development of a joint strategy for the improvement of interethnic relations.
5. Expansion of the network.

The Memorandum of Cooperation (PDF,192 KB)

ECMI NGO Network is member driven Network based on its key document the Memorandum of Cooperation whose main guidelines were established in December 2001. The Memorandum for Cooperation included the Criteria for admission in the ECMI-NGO Network, Code of Conduct and an Action Plan of the NGO Network, in the year of the establishment. Since then, additional amendments have been included into the founding document that mirrors the changing needs of the Network. Because member NGOs have to consent to the joint Memorandum of Cooperation every year, members have a strong sense of ownership about the ECMI Network. They feel that their individual needs have to be incorporated while at the same time they bear in mind the interest of all members in the Network.

The ECMI NGO Network Coordinative Body

The Coordinating Body is composed of twelve representatives of NGOs and one representative of ECMI. Six members are representing the multiethnic composition of the Network, the other six are reflecting the regions in which the Regional Centre are based. The Coordinating Body is headed by its elected Chair.
The Coordinative Body takes on the principal responsibility for the implementation of the activities; convening the members of the network; sustainability strategy for the network; joint lobbying for the network; maintaining regular contacts with Regional Centers.

The ECMI Regional NGO Resource Centres

During 2002 six Regional NGO Resource Centres were established as neutral grounds for all NGO members in developing, coordinating and implementing joint projects on issues that cut across interethnic ties.
The centres are in the cities of Skopje, Kumanovo, Tetovo, Gostivar, Bitola and Shtip. The Regional Resource Centers are especially valuable because they provide NGO members with a neutral physical space where they can meet whit the stakeholders and stay above and beyond ethnic politics.
The Skopje Centre also serves as the headquarters for this project and for ECMI in the Republic of Macedonia.

What we do

• enhanceing the capacity of participating NGOs to devise and implement interethnic projects (through training, on-site advice, facilitation of dialogue between NGOs and their beneficiaries, local government and the local media and other capacity enhancing measures);
• strengthen the credibility of participating NGOs by developing and adhering to a common Code of Conduct;
• support the development by participating NGOs of joint interethnic projects, their presentation to donors, and their implementation in strict accordance with these criteria.

2002/2003

Today about 70 grass - roots NGO from Macedonia are part of the Network in a joint effort to identify common ground for action on issues related to advancing interethnic dialogue in the Republic of Macedonia. Their committed work in the community that they are acting made them recognizable and highly respected partners. This leaded to their strong partnership whit the local government and the business sector.

During the existence of the ECMI NGO Network, members have generated over 60 and implemented over 45 joint pilot projects in order to contribute to the improvement of the interethnic relations in the Republic of Macedonia.

Hence in the year 2002/2003 Intra Networks have been established, namely the Youth Multicultural Initiative (YMI), Educational Network, Environmental Network and the Working Group for Minority Rights. Apart from the officially established intra-networks, the numerous Roma NGOs in the ECMI Network also form a spontaneous collaboration among themselves.
The intra-networks are beneficial to their members for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is always advantageous for all NGO members to address issues of priority and common concern at national level. Moreover, the accumulative power of the NGOs working jointly is necessarily elevated comparing to their individual capacities. The intra-network is also more successful in monitoring the government policy on their specific area of work. Lobbying for an established NGO priority can rarely achieve its objective without quantitative or qualitative influence. In addition, NGO capacities as well as networking abilities of NGO members are further enhanced by the intra-networks. Altogether, one can safely claim that intra-networks add a substantial plus to networks because they are expertise oriented and they are an indication of Network sustainability.

Were we are now

During 2004, 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:

This ECMI initiative will result in independent and sustainable structures.