ASK QUESTIONS, DEMAND EXPLANATIONS

Xhabir Deralla
We are making this new attempt to instigate discussion on important issues that torment the Macedonian society. Discuss these issues and put more of them on the discussion board. Democracy and human rights are not gifts, they are not crosswords – they are causes to fight for.

STORIES FOR LITTLE CHILDREN

Ljubomir Kostovski
This selection of issues in the country, no matter how hard we try to make it a moderate one, leads to a conclusion that Macedonia is in a difficult political, social and economic situation, with no tangible solutions in sight. For the time being…

HIGH TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION

If implemented correctly, the Integrated Education Strategy will eventually divert negative trends in the society and the state

The Macedonian society experiences a painful process of fragmentation and ethnic segregation, which is as damaging as visible in the process of education. Ethnic communities are divided, have poor or no knowledge about each other, and look over the ethnic fences with fear, prejudices and hate. Indeed, the ongoing process of ethnic division at official educational system’s level is highly damaging and dangerous for the future of the country as a whole. It intensely affects democracy, human rights, security and the overall development of the country.
The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (OSCE HCNM) worked on creation of the Integrated Education Strategy based on country’s needs and composition. After a series of negotiations and modifications, the Strategy has been adopted by the Macedonian Ministry of Education (end of 2010). The Strategy, as it is adopted, provides solid basis to stop and revert degrading process in the society through improvements in the education system, dealing with the most sensitive aspects of the education system.

Civil - Center for Freedom is committed to support of the Integrated Education Strategy, which is stated in its Annual Program and the Strategy of the organization. Civil’s slogan is Integrated Education = Integrated Society.

SUPPORT PEACE IN MACEDONIA! TODAY! NOW!

Ethnic violence from the beginning of the year have shown once again that the situation in Macedonia is on the edge of control. School days brings fear and uncertainty to many. Civil – Center for Freedom has responded right away with strong support to peace activities and with numerous calls for peace and dialogue in the country, proposing concrete steps for preservation of peace and confidence-building in the country

IF THERE IS NO INFORMATION, THERE IS - DICTATORSHIP!

Zvezdan Georgievski
Trapped in the vicious circle between the daily need to bring bread on the table, societal and political conditions, we see the journalists in a very poor moral and professional condition…

PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Zlatko Dimitrioski
Enabling citizens to vote for the individual candidates on the lists will have several positive impacts for the democracy in Macedonia. This includes the fact that the voters will be offered more choice and after the elections they will be able to accurately locate responsibility

ADVANTAGES OF THE OPEN LIST SYSTEM

The open list system, on one hand, preserves the advantage of the majority systems in personal selection of candidates, and on the other hand is better than the closed list system because it gives more options from which the voters can choose. The candidates elected by this system are more motivated to fulfill their promises given to the electorate in order to differentiate themselves from other candidates. Also, they appear to be more sensitive towards electorate needs and requests.

THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF THE NEW MEDIA

Filip Stojanovski 
Program Coordinator
Metamorphosis Foundation for Internet and Society, Global Voices author and blogger

Filip Stojanovski holds a BSc Degree in Computer Science from Graceland University (USA) and Masters in e-business management from Université Paris 1 - Panthéon Sorbonne (France).
Since 1995 he has been active in the Macedonian civil society through volunteer projects in the area of consumer protection and e-publishing, and through professional involvement as an IT expert. He is also a contributor on information society topics to the traditional and new media in Macedonia.
His responsibilities within Metamorphosis Foundation include project coordination, research and PR. In 2005 served as a member of the Task Force for National Strategy for Information Society Development.
In web development since 1995, blogging since 2003 in English and Macedonian, contributing reports about Macedonian blogosphere for Global Voices and serving as volonteer translatior for GV in Macedonian since 2008. @razvigor on Twitter.

TIME IS TICKING AWAY

The EU has “invented” a new tool to help the Republic of Macedonia move away from serious deterioration of democracy, rule of law, and human rights. That tool is called “high level dialogue”. As stated in the beginning of this process, the EU and the MK government started a comprehensive process and active political dialogue was starting on the rule of law, public administration, freedom of media, election laws and functioning of market economy. What will happen?

Xhabir Deralla

BE HONEST!

Civil - Center for Freedom’s appeal, May 7, 2012
Following the latest developments in the Republic of Macedonia, as well as in continuation of the previous appeals and recommendations issued in the past several months, Civil - Center for Freedom expresses high concerns about the situation in the country.

A “BULLETPROOF” ARMS TRADE TREATY

Every day, according to Amnesty International, thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of armed conflict, armed violence, and human rights violations and abuses perpetrated using conventional arms.
Roberto Curtis
Media Global News
http://www.mediaglobal.org

FIGHTING GUNS GLOBALLY

CONTROL ARMS ALLIANCE
Control Arms is a global civil society alliance campaigning for a “bulletproof” Arms Trade Treaty that will protect lives and livelihoods. A “bulletproof” Arms Trade Treaty means an international legally-binding agreement that will stop transfers of arms and ammunitions that fuel conflict, poverty and serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
The idea of an arms trade treaty first came from Nobel Peace Laureates, supported by civil society organizations worldwide.
In 2003, the Control Arms Campaign was launched and has since gathered support for the Arms Trade Treaty from over a million people worldwide.
In 2006, Control Arms handed over a global petition called “Million Faces” to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan 2006.
In December 2006, 153 governments finally voted at the United Nations to start work on developing a global Arms Trade Treaty. Momentum for the treaty has been building ever since.
In 2009 the UN General Assembly launched a time frame for the negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty. This included one preparatory meeting in 2010 and two in 2011, before the final negotiating conference scheduled for July 2012.