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NGO Role in the Crisis in Macedonia

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Questions and dilemmas concerning the humanitarian aid

In the public and among the NGOs themselves several questions and dilemmas were raised concerning the humanitarian aid.

1. Was the humanitarian aid sufficient?

In the public and in the media (especially those in Macedonian language) it was often emphasized that the aid was insufficient, particularly when compared to the aid provided during the Kosovo crisis. Probably, it is difficult to assess the amount of aid that would be sufficient, however, according to certain standards we can conclude that the aid for the displaced people has been appropriate. Most of the negative reactions arrived in the first 24 hours of the displacement due to the problems about facilitating/accepting the displaced. The reconstruction illustrates the sufficiency of that aid. Greatest part of the damaged houses in Macedonia belong to the first and the second category (small) damages and they have already been reconstructed. For comparison, such houses in Kosovo were left for the families to repair them themselves. The fact that might have caused the feeling of difference is the moral as well as the political support and care. During the Kosovo crisis there was a black and white picture for the condition and thus the moral support from the international community was quite clear and obvious and it was expressed through the visits of many important leaders and famous people. In this conflict, the international community was giving some contradictory signals, so there was confusion about who were the good and who were the bad people. There was also a lack of moral support. Unfortunately, the national leadership, too, did not offer moral support, which caused frustrations and feelings of desertedness.

2. Was there any limitation of the right to approach the humanitarian aid?

One of the usual fears is that humanitarian aid will be misused by the war factors for their own benefits or for selling in order to finance the war. Last summer the international community threatened that that they will stop the overall aid, explaining that the government will misuse it to provide weapons. On the other hand, in Lipkovo and Shipkovica, and to some extent in Aracinovo, the authorities, and in Vratnica and Tearce, the so-called NLA, were limiting the citizens’ approach to the basic human needs, such as water, electricity, or humanitarian aid. They were led by the same logic as the international community-humanitarian aid might be taken from the people and used by the “other” side in the conflict. There might be a risk here. The government, thanks to the international aid, could have saved for another tank or helicopter. Some of the medicaments for Lipkovo could have been taken and used by the so-called NLA. The wrong aid can partly damage the peace. But it is better to have the wrong aid than not have any aid at all.

3. Was the humanitarian aid distributed impartially and according to the needs?

The media in Macedonian as well as those in Albanian, and thus  the public, claim that the aid was partial, for the other side. Both claim that the other side was being aided. That will be proved by the governmental support to the collective centers facilitating only ethnic Macedonians or Serbs or by agencies or organizations with Muslim origin, which support only ethnic Albanians,

 
“It is a logical and moral mistake to conclude that since the aid can do damage, the decision not to provide aid isn’t going to do damage. In the reality, the decision not to provide aid for people in need would have some great negative consequences” – says Mary B. Anderson in her book “Do no harm.”
Тhe aid is often provided in accordance with the divisions in the society. Some of the NGOs, although they were organized as Roma, Muslim or Christian and were directed to serve their communities, have also served the others living in the areas of their operation. Some agencies, which canalized their aid through the local NGOs, directed it exclusively towards the group identified by that NGO: a Roma NGO for the Roma people and so on. For example, an UN agency has distributed information materials about risks from mines. This agency gave the materials in Albanian to El Hilal and those in Macedonian to the MCIC. It supports the opinion that El Hilal is Albanian and the MCIC Macedonian organization. In this case, the humanitarian aid enhanced the division.

On the other hand, the NGOs missed the opportunity or failed to emphasize enough their mutual cooperation. The examples are the humanitarian coordination or the cooperation in the Kumanovo-Lipkovo region, where it was demonstrated that what is going on is our concern and that we can aid each other in times of trouble.

4. Was the humanitarian aid misused for supporting (para) military formations?

This is a question related to the right of aid and impartiality. Out of that context is the question whether the NGOs, especially the national, which are not so experienced, have done everything to exclude even the slightest doubts. What could have been, and was not done, is to avoid aid that can be misused for military purposes. For example, instead of medicaments, baby food could have been provided.

5. What did the humanitarian aid achieve?

The humanitarian aid realized its essential goal-it reduced the human suffering. As much as possible, the humanitarian aid reached all the people who needed it. There was a lack of what humanitarian aid cannot provide: security and protection as well as moral support and care from the leaders, international and national.

The mistrust and the fear strengthened by the violence, anarchy, exiles and the military propaganda contributed to the demonizing and dehumanizing the “others”. It is hard to believe that the opposed sides will fully accept the humanitarian principle that the victims on each side of the conflict have equal rights to aid. That led to the periodical limitation of the right of humanitarian aid and partiality. The aid to those who needed it was experienced as reinforcing the “enemy”. When the “enemy” receives some kind of aid, including the humanitarian aid, it is seen as contrary loss of the longed victory.

Delaying any significant aid from the international community and relating it to the political dialogue that was going on in the country, as well as limiting the approach to the humanitarian aid in Lipkovo or Vratnica, did not contribute to the mutual goal – gaining peace. On the contrary, by increasing the suffering of the civil population, the divisions and tensions were intensified, too.

The national NGOs have given their contribution mostly to the citizens with limited approach. In this field, we witnessed models of great contribution. The effects would have been even better if the NGOs, as well as the government, surpassed the lines of division and if they distributed the aid according to the needs, and not according to the belonging or certain political or religious interests.

Non-governmental (civic) organizations (NGO) had significant activities during the crisis in Macedonia. They were directed in several directions: humanitarian help, multicultural cooperation support, non-violent ways of solving the conflicts and civic participation in the decision-making processes. A review and assessment of the NGOs involvement have been done into two series. In the first part we wrote about the humanitarian activities. In this part, we deal with the peace-related activities.

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Next: NGOs on the way of peace

 

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