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NGO Role in the Crisis in Macedonia
Course of the crisis in Macedonia
The crisis has started we the events in Tanusevci, which have been underestimated both by the politicians and the public and assessed as an isolated event. The events in Tetovo in March 2001 however, have brought a new development. Suddenly, confusing and shocking, on the surface came up the intolerance and the violence as a way of solving differences and problems. Events such as Lipkovo, Vejce, Bitola, Leshok, Aracinovo, Karpalak, Ljuboten began to take place. The violence, threats, expulsions, brutalities, anarchy were only strengthening the tensions between the communities and encouraged the mistrust, fear and hatred. In August 2001 we reached the level of mutual demonizing and dehumanizing. It was the threshold of civil war. The Ohrid Agreement happened in moments of quick crisis escalation. We can say that the Ohrid Agreement has marked the beginning of a reverse process that decreases the violence, but it is still too early to return the trust. What was the NGO response? Unfortunately, the escalation of violence in Macedonia has matched an event organized by NGOs, among which the Albanian Women Union in Macedonia (AWUM), Tetovo and the Human Rights Forum, Gostivar. Despite the AWUM denial, this raised many controversies and initial confusion. After that initial confusion, March was marked as “the month of peace messages”. The NGO reactions against violence have arrived from the Open Society Institute, from the Nansen Dialogue Center, the Union of Women Organizations in Macedonia, from El Hilal, from the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation. A great number of other civic associations have raised their voices and agreed that they stand for peace and non-violence, mutual respect and democratic solution of all problems. The spontaneous support from many organizations has been impressive. It came even from those with ethnic Albanian prefix. As the tensions grew, the NGO activities began to reduce. The further appeals, messages and declarations for peace have begun to lose their sense.
In the second half of the year, the activities for civic participation started. There have been several significant activities, such as the campaign DOSTA E supported by a large citizen and NGO coalition and an important Open Society Institute Macedonian Foundation role. The Coalition for Peace, too has organized a media campaign for the Ohrid Agreement support. NGOs on the way of peace The activities for support of the non-violence have been exhausted by appeals, messages and peace declarations. What could have been done on short terms- encourage the public performances of moderate leaders and famous people, encourage those who hold different opinions to stand against ethnic Albanian extremism and violence in public, where civic associations’ leaders should be guided by their personal example – had not been done. We could get the expression that the extremists managed to silence the moderate ones. There was not enough condemnation of the violence from its own group. And when somebody gained courage, such as the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, a fierce attack occurred, as an example for the rest. The public impression might be worse than what has been done for supporting the multicultural cooperation. Even the NGO activists would say, “the NGOs did not do anything”. A national expert for civic society said, “the more projects for interethnic cooperation there are, the worse the relations become.” This is perhaps one of the most incorrect conclusions. Why? The NGOs have done what they could. The NGOs are one of the rare segments in the society that maintained good relations regardless of the belonging. Evident activities are expected, however, those less evident on the level of communities are those that matter. And those are concrete activities where on the basis of mutual questions and problems we build our mutual understanding. No matter if those problems concern the infrastructure or the environment protection, or the family violence, or…Nevertheless, it is possible that the wrong impression has been built on the basis of “projects” that take for granted foreign models that need time to be adjusted and accepted.
Although the results appear to be modes, they are in accordance with the possible and the reality. They are a solid foundation for future work. Perhaps the civic organizations will have the key role on the way of peace. The peace and stability, the prosperity and the democracy are a deed and responsibility of all citizens and their organizations. Thus, they will last longer.
Part:
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2, 3, 4,
5
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