NGO Humanitarian Coordination no.7

MINUTES

of the 7th meeting
Skopje, 04.09.2001

Participants

Savka Todorovska - SOZM; Dragi Zmijanac - PDAS "Medzasi"; Bajram Sulejmani, Zejnula Ademi - Natyra; Artemis Peric - OOZM; Vegim Etemi, Abdurauf Prusi - El Hilal; Dilbera Kamberovska - Daja; Ahmet Jasarovski - Drom; Aleksandar Krzalovski, Emina Nuredinoska - MCIC.

Absent

Milosrdie,Klasje na dobrinata, SAZM (excused), Mesecina (for security reasons)

The meeting was chaird by Dragi Zmijanac.
Minutes person: Emina Nuredinoska

The participants determined the following

Agenda

1. Discussion on the scope of work of the coordination body
   
   a) Determination of the mandate of the representatives of the NGO humanitarian coordination in the work of the NHC;
   b) Access of new members to the coordination body;
   c) Discussion on the possibilities for improving the coordination in Kumanovo and Tetovo.
   
   
2. Information part
   
   a) Report of the 7th meeting of the National Humanitarian Coordination;
   b) Reports of the organisations on the activities carried out in the previous week.
   
   
3. Problems and issues to be discussed

Introduction concerning the Minutes of the 6th meeting of the NGO Humanitarian Coordination was submitted by Dragi Zmijanac, PDAS "Megjasi".

The Minutes of the 6th meeting was unanimously accepted.

Ad.1

The introduction was submitted by Dragi Zmijanac.

a)

Dragi Zmijanac, Megjasi, stressed that the terms of references and the description of the scope of work of the coordination body had already been distributed to the participants.

Abdurauf Prusi, El Hilal, explained how MCIC and El Hilal had been selected to be the representatives of the NGO Humanitarian Coordination in the work of NHC, at the first meeting.

Dragi Zmijanac concluded that there were three possibilities on this issue: 1) MCIC and El Hilal remain representatives in the NHC; 2) the two seats need to be rotating and all organisations of this coordination body should represent it in the NHC; and 3) MCIC remains permanent representative and the other seat shall be rotating.

Bajram Sulejmani, Natyra, stressed that an irrelevant issue is discussed upon and the discussion needs to focus on information and problems of the organisations. In his opinion, El Hilal and MCIC need to remain permanent representatives in NHC.

Abdurauf Prusi suggested that additional consultations need to be made with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy whether the representatives of the NGO Humanitarian Coordination can be changed, and whether a third representative of this body could participate in the work of the NHC.

Savka Todorovska stressed that it is most important for the representatives in the NHC to present all the conclusions of the NGO Humanitarian Coordination and speak on behalf of this body, not on behalf of the organisations.

Ahmet Jasarovski, Drom, stressed that each organisation needed to state its opinion on each of the offered possibilities concerning this issue.

Conclusion

Permanent representatives of the NGO Humanitarian Coordination in the NHC are MCIC and El Hilal. In case they are not able to attend a meeting, they will be substituted by a representative of another organisation who participates in the NGO Humanitarian Coordination meetings.

In case some of the permanent representatives are not able to attend the next meeting of the NHC on 06.09.2001 (Thursday), the substitutes will be Savka Todorovska (SOZM) and Artemis Peric (OOZM).


b)

Aleksandar Krzalovski, MCIC, submitted the introduction and stressed that there were two applications to join the NGO Humanitarian Coordination, there was no need for admission of new members, but the coordination in other regions needed to be improved.

Conclusion

NGO Humanitarian Coordination concluded that the number and the structure of the member organisations are appropriate and should not be changed.


c)

Aleksandar Krzalovski of MCIC stressed that the coordination in Kumanovo needs to be improved and that coordination (if adequate conditions exist) needs to be established in Tetovo.

Conclusion

The work of the regional coordination body in Kumanovo shall be improved (the organisations in Kumanovo need to undertake greater responsibility in the work of this body). The conditions in Tetovo shall be examined and, if appropriate, on the basis of the initiative of the NGO Humanitarian Coordination in cooperation with SAZM and OZ Menada (as organisers) and other organisations from Tetovo, regional coordination shall be established.

The representatives of Milosrdie need to be noted for their absence of the meetings.

Ad.2

a)

Artemis Peric, OOZM, asked whether something was undertaken concerning the need to provide translation at the meetings and whether organisations (donors) considered provision of winter clothes and shoes for the displaced persons for the forthcoming autumn and winter.

Dilbera Kamberovska, Daja, stressed that, since all organisations offer schoolbooks for the children, it might be more efficient if the organisations agreed between themselves and donate schoolbooks (some of them), and other organisations would distribute clothes, shoes, begs, etc.

Bajram Sulejmani, Natyra, stressed that the basic problem (at least in Kumanovo) is the enrolment of 862 children in primary schools (1st-8th grade). According to him, the schools have no capacity to accept the new students. Also, as a possibility and a suggestion to the authorities, he proposed for the schools to work in shifts.

b)

Food / non-food items
The regional humanitarian coordination from Gostivar distributed and supported 250 host families, by providing food, hygienic parcels and flour.

Other activities
On 05.09.2001, the Macedonian Women's Lobby organised a 15 minutes peace march in Skopje, which was organised as a result of the initiative of the international conference on women's solidarity and peace network held in Novi Sad. At this conference, the "Women in Black" organisation from Belgrade initiated 15 minutes of silence expressed in all capitals in Europe for the peace in Macedonia, under the title "Women Build Peace".

El Hilal was awarded the "The Citizen Mother Theresa" award.

Ad.3

UNICEF's questionnaire was distributed concerning the children in the crises areas.

Bajram Sulejmani, Natyra, informed that 150-200 displaced persons from the Lipkovo area, protested in front of Natyra's premises in Kumanovo demanding permission from the responsible authorities to visit their homes in an organised way. If not, about 5.000 displaced persons will return to their homes on their own.

Abdurauf Prusi, El Hilal, stressed that the tragedy of the displaced persons was manipulated with in an attempt so score political points. He also stressed that this coordination body needed to undertake more concrete measures to prevent this and to enable the return of the displaced persons in their homes.

Savka Todorovska supported Prusi's idea and said that experience showed the longer the people are displaced, the more difficult the returning process is.

Aleksandar Krzalovski, MCIC, suggested that, besides operational meetings on Tuesday, additional meeting could be organised, in order to discuss various issues and problems.

After the discussion, the participants reached the following

Conclusions

1. Provision and facilitation of education for displaced persons.
   
   a) Conditions need to be provided for the displaced children to enrol at the primary schools in the place of their accommodation;
   b) Through the representatives in NHC, an appeal shall be made to the all organisations to provide the children in primary schools with school books;
   c) The organisations that have already announced distribution of school books to the displaced children, need to coordinate themselves and, if possible, need to provide clothes, shoes, begs and other school materials. This kind of assistance needs to be provided for children from socially endangered families, as well.
   
   
2. Special shelters for particular groups of displaced persons. Relevant ministries need to be contacted in order to examine whether possibilities exist for a kindergarten in Skopje to be used as a shelter for groups of displaced persons with special needs (such as mothers with young babies), who at the moment are sheltered in inappropriate conditions.
   
   
3. Confidence building among people. NGO Humanitarian Coordination, along with the
   local authorities, needs to act on confidence building among the people, especially concerning the return of minority groups in a particular environment.
   

Previous Coordination Reports

• 6th Coordinative meeting [28 Aug 2001]
• 5th Coordinative meeting [21 Aug 2001]
• 4th Coordinative meeting [14 Aug 2001]
• 3rd Coordinative meeting [1 Aug 2001]
• 2nd Coordinative meeting [25 Jul 2001]