The next NGO I met with was not what I was expecting! It is a student run newspaper at the major university in MK- Sv. Kiril i Methodi. The newspaper is called Излез/Izlez. They were started 2 years ago, upon the founder’s return to MK from a year abroad. Her grant required her to start a project upon her return. She chose, with a few friends to start a newspaper that is critical of the educational system in MK.
They decided to focus on this because there are many problems with the educational system in MK according to the students in it. This is not the only thing the newspaper focuses on, they also do articles on then environment or other issues that students care about. The newspaper/journal promotes social activism. They will publish articles on local culture or investigative work. They aim to produce 2 issues per semester. This has created a total of 6 issues so far.
When the newspaper started there was no student run media at all (now there are 2 radio stations). People were complaining all the time, but no one was doing anything. They hoped to empower their peers and prove that students can be responsible. There are 8 people on the editorial board, who came together out of a series of meetings about how to best serve the community. (Last year there were 5 editorial board members.)
They have not only worked on the newspaper, but they have also worked on other projects. They helped to digitize the library through a grant they received. They have also donated books to their collection from a grant they recieved. They have applied to other grants, but haven’t heard back yet.
All of the funding sources that they had mentioned so far were foreign, and they stated that finding local sources is very hard. They want to try to stay independent, so that their research and comments are not taken to be one party or the other. They are afraid that if they take money form the university or government or party they will be forced to dumb-down their criticism to satisfy their donors. They want to be able to say what they find or want to say without fear of having their funding cut (a very real possibility here). They are also trying hard not to be labeled in anyway. They want to keep it independent.
Thus, they haven’t attempted to gain money or support from the government or any student organizations (the Student Government in MK is apparently very different than in the US and “un-officially” sponsored by the government.
They want to start engaging younger students as many of the original editorial board members are leaving (aka graduating). The newspaper has had positive results and responses to their reports, but to get anyone to actually take responsibility for the organization will be difficult (and has been up until this point). When they distribute the newspaper, they do so both online and in person. Sometimes leaving it around university hot spots, or physically handing it to people.
Their goals for the future are to keep the newspaper open and sustainable. They want to expand to hosting events for students. They also want to help any student that comes to them with a workshop or help in applying for a project. They really want this to become a force for the students.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
In My World
In My World, an NGO that works for children with Autism, Asperbergs, and ADHD. Their website is only in MK, by the way. They have only been registered about 10 months, and only working less than a year. But in that year, have they been busy! They have averaged about 1-2 events/month since beginning their work. They are the largest organization that works with autism. They have the largest personnel as well as the largest membership of parents and people with autism.
They are working on raising public awareness. They have applied for a 2 year grant that would raise awareness through TV commercials as well as ads online. They want people to start using the new terms and definitions. They want to help throughout MK not only in Skopje. While they think it would be too ambitious to work in all 120 cities, but they want to work near all the larger ones with outreach to the smaller ones. They are currently working with some local kindergartens that have about 1,300 children in them. They are training the teachers on how to respond to children with disabilities. They are hoping to create a workshop for ADHD that will help distribute pamphlets/brochures. They hope to create a booklet that is about 70-80 pages long.
They want schools to allow for children with disabilities and allow students with disabilities to be in regular classrooms. There are many problems, such as money, that they have to overcome to reach these goals in public schools. They work directly with the children to help them integrate into a normal classroom. (There are people that are called “Shadows” that follow the kids around all day in school and help them complete tasks. The goal is to decrease the time needed as a shadow.) Currently they try to help the children out as much as possible, but they often only have one hour a week at the child’s home. This is not enough time to make a quality difference in their life.
In addition to raising awareness in the community, they also help through service to children with these disabilities. There are problems with treatment. Early diagnosis is poor, and many parents don’t want to admit that their child might have a disability. (It is still seen as something to hide in MK.) So when parents do come in seeking help, they try to provide them with the necessary means to help their children. They inform them of the different laws that they have to follow and what services they are allowed from the state . They also inform them of the changes in any relevant laws and provide advice on what the parents can do to help their children.
While their main focus is service to the community, they also work a little in advocacy. They work with other NGOs telling them what problems they are facing in their service, allowing them to lobby more effectively. They also provide information about what works in other countries, and how MK could improve its services.
They hope to expand from their current office into a daily center for kids to come in to like a “normal” school. This center would have a physical therapy area as well as a small classroom. However, they are currently in the second floor of an office building on one of the main streets in Skopje. Their office consists of a large conference room and a few smaller offices.
They, like every other NGO, have a problem with funding. They have received a small grant from the US Embassy for help with a symposium. They are currently working in negotiations with the government to receive more funding as well as searching for international donors They have never received funding from inside of MK. (Although they have only been around for less than one year, so it might not be very representative.) They are negotiating with the government, but it is not a smooth connection. The government is trying to consider a lot. In My World has meet with a few ministers (in related areas, such as MoSLP or Health). They even have the MoSLP interested in opening a daily care center strictly for education.. With the ministry of health, they are working on finding a similar language for their communication in creating this new space. When they do try to work with the government, it varies on which level of government they try to work with. It is easy to get a hold of a minister and get a meeting with them, as long as they have space in their calendar. The problem is the results of the meeting. (Were they able to find the same language? Do they have the same agenda? Is there money in the budget?) It is even easier to set up meetings with the municipality officials, but harder to get results. Every place in the city/town has social workers but it is still a different way to find results. They were able to get a meeting with the First Lady just by asking. There is also a problem with trust in their organization since they are less than a year old. Many donors are not sure if they are a legitimate organization or just trying to gain money off sympathetic causes.
I think that this NGO will do their best to succeed and fill a gap in MK. Those with disabilities are often seen as low class in MK and they are working to help change that.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Interity Alpha Omega
This was the first meeting I had with an NGO not in their office, but for good reason. They are changing offices right now and the new one is not set up. Technically, they are still looking for new office space. They lost their last office due to an inability to pay the bills anymore because of a loss of funding. So we met over tea in a local restaurant.
Integrity Alpha Omega is a varied NGO based in Skopje. According to their website, they aim for the “creation of new opportunities for all people, for development and improvement and for education. This organization invests in people, in their capabilities, interests and in their will. The creation of strong integrity among the people, people who will be independent, fulfilled and with healthy character, is the main goal for this ngo.”
They began 4 years ago when they realized that people were complaining without doing anything about it. They constantly heard people state that “you have to be close to the parties” to receive any help from the government. They had a shared vision to face the problems that trouble society head on. When they began searching for donors and projects that interested the founders, they began to narrow down their ideas from “helping society” to their current specific focus. They focus mostly on healthy living and an active lifestyle. They believe that this is key to a successful future. As part of this, they also help with youth empowerment. When they saw that no one was challenging these kids, they wanted to help them become a better person. They also help with renovation in local schools or hospitals when it is needed. Ideally, they told me, they like to respond to the different problems they see every year.
They have completed many different projects over their four years:
They find it hard to find sponsors in MK because, they claim, many people still have the mindset of “money laundering” organizations. They try to fight this perception by being completely transparent in their use of any money they receive as well as filing timely reports with their donors. In addition, if they (or other NGOs) receive funding it might only be for the specific projects but not for overhead costs. Also, they claimed that due to their local nature it is even harder to get funding for their operational costs. They have run into positions where they are offered services or “things” instead of money for them to provide services.
When asked about the government, they said that in the beginning it was really difficult because they weren’t part of any specific political party and they wanted to keep it that way. Eventually through, according to them, their dedication to their cause and not giving in convinced the locals and government that they were here to stay. Their main issues have been with other city governments (not in Skopje) wanting a cut of the grant; specifically asking as a bribe. (Struga, however, was very supportive and easy to work with.) They haven’t received funding from the MK government, but have had numerous grants from foreign embassies. The US embassy was apparently very helpful in their beginning stage in convincing others that this NGO was important.
They were offered space in the NGO center here by the goverment, but they turned it down. The space is shared with any other NGO that wants to use it. Basically it has free internet and desks, as well as a conference room. But this is not what they were looking for, they wanted a separate space.
They do have big goals for the future. If they can get funding they want to open a day center for youth. They also want to start a program for those youth in an orphanage to provide them with the skills that they will need to live on their own after they turn 18. They want to continue the programs that they have created (such as Weekends of Change) as well as address new problems that they see. But they are currently searching for more funding in order to make these goals come true.
Integrity Alpha Omega is a varied NGO based in Skopje. According to their website, they aim for the “creation of new opportunities for all people, for development and improvement and for education. This organization invests in people, in their capabilities, interests and in their will. The creation of strong integrity among the people, people who will be independent, fulfilled and with healthy character, is the main goal for this ngo.”
They began 4 years ago when they realized that people were complaining without doing anything about it. They constantly heard people state that “you have to be close to the parties” to receive any help from the government. They had a shared vision to face the problems that trouble society head on. When they began searching for donors and projects that interested the founders, they began to narrow down their ideas from “helping society” to their current specific focus. They focus mostly on healthy living and an active lifestyle. They believe that this is key to a successful future. As part of this, they also help with youth empowerment. When they saw that no one was challenging these kids, they wanted to help them become a better person. They also help with renovation in local schools or hospitals when it is needed. Ideally, they told me, they like to respond to the different problems they see every year.
They have completed many different projects over their four years:
- Weekends of Change: They group youth of different ethnicities together to show them the common language of sports. They help form multi-ethnic clubs that are sports related over these weekends. The kids will spend time together and learn new sports together.
- Go Pink: A walk against breast cancer that they host every May
- Run Towards the Goal: A running fundraiser for different charities. They have sponsored special needs and Roma charities, and school/hospital renovations with this money.
- A triathlon in August to just get people out and about in a healthy way.
- Orphanage Sports Camps: A sports camp for those children in an orphanage. They believe that most of the time the orphans are ignored and with this camp they were able to reach out and not only empower them, but teach them more about sports!
They find it hard to find sponsors in MK because, they claim, many people still have the mindset of “money laundering” organizations. They try to fight this perception by being completely transparent in their use of any money they receive as well as filing timely reports with their donors. In addition, if they (or other NGOs) receive funding it might only be for the specific projects but not for overhead costs. Also, they claimed that due to their local nature it is even harder to get funding for their operational costs. They have run into positions where they are offered services or “things” instead of money for them to provide services.
When asked about the government, they said that in the beginning it was really difficult because they weren’t part of any specific political party and they wanted to keep it that way. Eventually through, according to them, their dedication to their cause and not giving in convinced the locals and government that they were here to stay. Their main issues have been with other city governments (not in Skopje) wanting a cut of the grant; specifically asking as a bribe. (Struga, however, was very supportive and easy to work with.) They haven’t received funding from the MK government, but have had numerous grants from foreign embassies. The US embassy was apparently very helpful in their beginning stage in convincing others that this NGO was important.
They were offered space in the NGO center here by the goverment, but they turned it down. The space is shared with any other NGO that wants to use it. Basically it has free internet and desks, as well as a conference room. But this is not what they were looking for, they wanted a separate space.
They do have big goals for the future. If they can get funding they want to open a day center for youth. They also want to start a program for those youth in an orphanage to provide them with the skills that they will need to live on their own after they turn 18. They want to continue the programs that they have created (such as Weekends of Change) as well as address new problems that they see. But they are currently searching for more funding in order to make these goals come true.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Disabilities in MK
The meeting with Polio Plus (only in MK, the EN page is not working) was a bit different than my other meetings. I recently met a Political Officer at the Embassy who has been giving me some more contacts with NGOs. She had a meeting scheduled with Polio Plus, who I had been trying to meet with for about 2 months, and invited me along. This made for some different observations and discussions that I usually had. They were more direct in asking the US government for help, specifically stating that “we” should help them lobby. At the same time, they were much more critical of the current government and their actions regarding people with disabilities than many NGOs I had visited. I was able to learn most of what I would by myself. I might try to email them a few more questions soon. As I was typing this up, I realized that I actually learned more about how disabilities are treated in MK than I did about Polio Plus, so this is more about that than the organization (thus the reason I am putting it on my travel blog and waiting to publish it on my research blog!).
They had one of the larger offices that I had seen in Skopje. The had one large office room/entry way where there were three desks and a seating area set up, then there were two smaller rooms off to the side, with a conference room in the back. We met in the conference room.
They tend to focus on policy implementation and legislative changes, rather than services to the people. They do help those who are disabled fight for their legal rights. They do provide some services, such as mediation in the labor market, providing legal advice (such as how to make complaints), and helping them write business plans.
They are mainly funded from international organizations or embassies. The funds are small for NGOs in MK especially if you are focused solely on one issue. Even further, disability is lower on the funding tier in all locations, according to Polio Plus. Disabilities have received some funds from the state, roughly 2 million Euros, but it only goes to the older Union of Disabilities that was set up by the state. In the Union of Disabilities, there are 7 separate organizations that provide services to the disabled. The regulations, however, are from the Yugoslav era. The funding also only goes to the traditional organizations that use the medical approach.
Like in the US and elsewhere, disabilities still face harsh discrimination. Although in MK people with disabilities are almost all treated as if they are “crazy” or “have something wrong” or “aren’t normal and need to be excluded from daily life.” There is a law on discrimination that, according to Polio Plus, is actually discriminatory. In order to be hired as a manager or someone above the bottom level of employment, you have to be tested if you have a disability. The person with a disability, be it mental or physical, has to prove that they are mentally capable by going to a medical commission that examines their ability to work. All people with a disability are grouped together, in the guise of protecting those with mental disabilities.
There is no “gate-keeping” for disability status in MK. Almost any one can be declared disabled. The government then provides a subsidy for the disability (roughly 7,000 MKD/month minimum[$150]). However, with all of the “extras” that people might qualify for, they could end up getting 15-16,000 MKD/month [$318-340]. This is a decent salary in MK, and thus provides no incentive for them to go out and search for work on their own, especially if they are employed at all (even part time), they only get the lower 7,000 plus their salary.
Polio Plus submitted the first (and only so far) Citizen’s Initiative law to the MK parliament. It was essentially a law to retrofit all building to make them handicapped accessible. In order to do this, you have to get 10,000 signatures. To get these, you can’t just sign them with a notary, oh no, you have to go into your local governmental office with an official register and sign there after proving that you are who you say you are. They submitted this law a while ago, but there has been no movement on it in the Parliament. The word is that this law would be too expensive to implement, so they aren’t voting on it.
In the years that Polio Plus has been around (12), there has been a change in the attitudes of people towards those with disabilities, but it is slim to none. The example they gave, is that if in 1991 those with disabilities were considered at step 1 to the rest of society being at step 5, now they are at 5 while the rest of society is at 10.They were trying to show that while changes have been made, those with disabilities are still the last considered group of people. Many people here do not have a creative mentality, and they believe that change is taking too long to occur. While many work to solve the issues that people with disabilities face, no real progress is being made. There has been a shift from institutionalization to community based care, but not enough of one.
They claimed that almost no one is motivated to learn to work with those with disabilities because it takes too much work. There is some training available, but mostly it is in the medical approach. (which is a way of thinking about “what they can NOT do” rather than what the CAN do. According to BFI’s educational resources, the medical approach sees the disabled people as the problem. That the people who are disabled need to be adapted to fit in the world as it is, and if this isn’t possible, they need to be hidden. I had to look this up as I was not quite sure what she meant by the medical approach).
They have tried to work closely with different Members of Parliament, and different governmental bodies, but the others often do not want to work with those with disabilities (they don’t make as good of a picture story). Polio Plus isn’t sure how to change the system. They have to be extra cautious on how they try to change things.
There is also a group of companies called “Shelter Companies” (this lead to a bit of miscommunication in the beginning of the description), because they “shelter” those who are disabled. In these companies they must meet a few regulations: have a minimum of 10 people working, with 4 of them with disabilities. They must also keep the people with disabilities employed for 3 years, and in the second company where the person is hired, they have to be employed for 5 years. They get the following benefits as a way of getting companies to hire more people with disabilities:
The companies can request this after 9 months of employing the people with disabilities. Mainly the companies in graphics and printing take advantage of this program. However, there is a large scale abuse in this program. There is a commission that has to determine if you meet the standards for receiving this aid, and it is staffed by those who are connected. They often run the companies that are already receiving this aid and therefore have no desire to allow more companies into this special tax zone.
They had one of the larger offices that I had seen in Skopje. The had one large office room/entry way where there were three desks and a seating area set up, then there were two smaller rooms off to the side, with a conference room in the back. We met in the conference room.
They tend to focus on policy implementation and legislative changes, rather than services to the people. They do help those who are disabled fight for their legal rights. They do provide some services, such as mediation in the labor market, providing legal advice (such as how to make complaints), and helping them write business plans.
They are mainly funded from international organizations or embassies. The funds are small for NGOs in MK especially if you are focused solely on one issue. Even further, disability is lower on the funding tier in all locations, according to Polio Plus. Disabilities have received some funds from the state, roughly 2 million Euros, but it only goes to the older Union of Disabilities that was set up by the state. In the Union of Disabilities, there are 7 separate organizations that provide services to the disabled. The regulations, however, are from the Yugoslav era. The funding also only goes to the traditional organizations that use the medical approach.
Like in the US and elsewhere, disabilities still face harsh discrimination. Although in MK people with disabilities are almost all treated as if they are “crazy” or “have something wrong” or “aren’t normal and need to be excluded from daily life.” There is a law on discrimination that, according to Polio Plus, is actually discriminatory. In order to be hired as a manager or someone above the bottom level of employment, you have to be tested if you have a disability. The person with a disability, be it mental or physical, has to prove that they are mentally capable by going to a medical commission that examines their ability to work. All people with a disability are grouped together, in the guise of protecting those with mental disabilities.
There is no “gate-keeping” for disability status in MK. Almost any one can be declared disabled. The government then provides a subsidy for the disability (roughly 7,000 MKD/month minimum[$150]). However, with all of the “extras” that people might qualify for, they could end up getting 15-16,000 MKD/month [$318-340]. This is a decent salary in MK, and thus provides no incentive for them to go out and search for work on their own, especially if they are employed at all (even part time), they only get the lower 7,000 plus their salary.
Polio Plus submitted the first (and only so far) Citizen’s Initiative law to the MK parliament. It was essentially a law to retrofit all building to make them handicapped accessible. In order to do this, you have to get 10,000 signatures. To get these, you can’t just sign them with a notary, oh no, you have to go into your local governmental office with an official register and sign there after proving that you are who you say you are. They submitted this law a while ago, but there has been no movement on it in the Parliament. The word is that this law would be too expensive to implement, so they aren’t voting on it.
In the years that Polio Plus has been around (12), there has been a change in the attitudes of people towards those with disabilities, but it is slim to none. The example they gave, is that if in 1991 those with disabilities were considered at step 1 to the rest of society being at step 5, now they are at 5 while the rest of society is at 10.They were trying to show that while changes have been made, those with disabilities are still the last considered group of people. Many people here do not have a creative mentality, and they believe that change is taking too long to occur. While many work to solve the issues that people with disabilities face, no real progress is being made. There has been a shift from institutionalization to community based care, but not enough of one.
They claimed that almost no one is motivated to learn to work with those with disabilities because it takes too much work. There is some training available, but mostly it is in the medical approach. (which is a way of thinking about “what they can NOT do” rather than what the CAN do. According to BFI’s educational resources, the medical approach sees the disabled people as the problem. That the people who are disabled need to be adapted to fit in the world as it is, and if this isn’t possible, they need to be hidden. I had to look this up as I was not quite sure what she meant by the medical approach).
They have tried to work closely with different Members of Parliament, and different governmental bodies, but the others often do not want to work with those with disabilities (they don’t make as good of a picture story). Polio Plus isn’t sure how to change the system. They have to be extra cautious on how they try to change things.
There is also a group of companies called “Shelter Companies” (this lead to a bit of miscommunication in the beginning of the description), because they “shelter” those who are disabled. In these companies they must meet a few regulations: have a minimum of 10 people working, with 4 of them with disabilities. They must also keep the people with disabilities employed for 3 years, and in the second company where the person is hired, they have to be employed for 5 years. They get the following benefits as a way of getting companies to hire more people with disabilities:
- they don’t have to pay taxes for any of the people working for them
- The state can pay between 20-100% of the salaries in the form of a grant (less common)
- The companies do not pay the profit taxes.
- The customs fees are free
- they get reimbursed for 10,000 MKD for equipment.
- The social packages are covered by the government for all workers
The companies can request this after 9 months of employing the people with disabilities. Mainly the companies in graphics and printing take advantage of this program. However, there is a large scale abuse in this program. There is a commission that has to determine if you meet the standards for receiving this aid, and it is staffed by those who are connected. They often run the companies that are already receiving this aid and therefore have no desire to allow more companies into this special tax zone.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
All 4 Fair Trials
Back in Skopje, after a few weeks off from interviews, but working on writing the blog post you have been (enjoying) reading, I meet with All 4 Fair Trials. They are located in Skopje, right in the heart of downtown.
They were founded in 2003 as a coalition of NGOs across the country to fight corruption simply by observing and reporting. Their main activity is to monitor the courts, and see how well they follow procedure in prosecuting cases. They focus on the corruption in courts. As part of this observation, they have a sub focus on journalistic cases that focus on defamation and libel. They also have some other smaller projects.
At their own offices, there are currently 10 people who mostly have a law background. One has a sociological background, as well as a webmaster. The Coalition also has an executive board of 7 people.
Their funding mostly comes through foreign donations. (The US Embassy is the most stable funding source). They get some money from the MK government, but it was only for the trafficking case. It was the small (their word) amount of $7,000.
When asked if they work with the government, they stated that they do not work closely, due to their monitoring procedures. If they do work with some form of government, it is usually with judges or prosecutors who are active in the courtroom. They organize workshops for the people involved in court cases (not those being prosecuted.) They invite experts to lecture about international experience related to the law.
Since I do not know anything about the corruption or how bad it is in Macedonia, I asked them about corruption. They stated that after ethnic problems, corruption is the main problem. Especially for democracy, because corruption is deeply routed in all aspects of MK life. They gave examples of the emergency room, court, education, or university. All 4 Fair Trials follows all cases with a high level of possibility of corruption. They try to see how correctly the laws are followed.
They have 55 people who monitor cases on a voluntary basis. There is a questionnaire so that the monitoring is similar all across the country. They follow cases from day one in court to the final judgement. They specifically follow the case: what do the lawyers say? What are the other’s reactions? There are 75 questions to work with. They will then analyze the data and produce a report about the cases. They are currently producing a report on last year.
They (along with a lot of other NGOs) have given me some materials to read. If I have time (and I really hope I have time) I want to read these materials and analyze them for you all/myself.
They were founded in 2003 as a coalition of NGOs across the country to fight corruption simply by observing and reporting. Their main activity is to monitor the courts, and see how well they follow procedure in prosecuting cases. They focus on the corruption in courts. As part of this observation, they have a sub focus on journalistic cases that focus on defamation and libel. They also have some other smaller projects.
At their own offices, there are currently 10 people who mostly have a law background. One has a sociological background, as well as a webmaster. The Coalition also has an executive board of 7 people.
Their funding mostly comes through foreign donations. (The US Embassy is the most stable funding source). They get some money from the MK government, but it was only for the trafficking case. It was the small (their word) amount of $7,000.
When asked if they work with the government, they stated that they do not work closely, due to their monitoring procedures. If they do work with some form of government, it is usually with judges or prosecutors who are active in the courtroom. They organize workshops for the people involved in court cases (not those being prosecuted.) They invite experts to lecture about international experience related to the law.
Since I do not know anything about the corruption or how bad it is in Macedonia, I asked them about corruption. They stated that after ethnic problems, corruption is the main problem. Especially for democracy, because corruption is deeply routed in all aspects of MK life. They gave examples of the emergency room, court, education, or university. All 4 Fair Trials follows all cases with a high level of possibility of corruption. They try to see how correctly the laws are followed.
They have 55 people who monitor cases on a voluntary basis. There is a questionnaire so that the monitoring is similar all across the country. They follow cases from day one in court to the final judgement. They specifically follow the case: what do the lawyers say? What are the other’s reactions? There are 75 questions to work with. They will then analyze the data and produce a report about the cases. They are currently producing a report on last year.
They (along with a lot of other NGOs) have given me some materials to read. If I have time (and I really hope I have time) I want to read these materials and analyze them for you all/myself.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Youth Forum Bitola
My next meeting in Bitola was with Youth Forum. I do not have as much information about this NGO mainly because they were mostly uncooperative in the interview, in fact insulting myself and my research technique. They barely volunteered any information outside of a direct answer to my broad question.
Youth Forum began in 1999 by young people to meet the needs of the disadvantaged youth without an ability to express themselves artistically. It was very difficult to get started (finding office space mainly). They want to give information to young people about culture, arts, and the protection of human rights. They wanted to be able to give information that people would need when they need it. They are a grassroots organization, and claim, that their people are very enthusiastic. It was very difficult for them to implement any changes in the beginning, but now things are different. Some things can’t be helped, but the majority of the problems are with a lack of enthusiasm. Many people are depressed, and it is difficult to push for them to become more active. Especially with no cooperation from the municipal government.
They do most of their activism in Bitola, but some of there members also act as a journalist in other parts of MK. They began with a researching of problems in Bitola for the youth. The youth there are very diverse but many are interested in the same thing (such as theater and sports). Thus it became easy to direct them to create a play together, or play a game. And once you can bring them together, it is easier to share how similar people are. Some people still cause problems, but Youth Forum feels they are gaining ground.
Youth Forum sponsors shows, concerts and publishes a magazine. They have also completed two “docu-movies” about Bitola and the surrounding areas. They stated that it is very difficult to provide these services because the space for public theater is missing in Bitola. They want bigger support from foundations, donors, and other small NGOs.
There was more interest in the past, but now only a few connected people are interest. They feel like since there is no real violence going on now, no one is interested. Youth Forum likes to help the Roma, Albanian, and Turkish NGOs, but is afraid that they will collapse within the next few years. These NGOs need more support. There is really no ethnic violence now, there was violence in the past (particularly around 2001). According to Youth Forum, the Roma were really discriminated against with jobs that were really forbidden for them to enter. Some coffee bars refuse to serve the Roma. With no interest from the government, the discrimination continues.
They haven’t received national government funding but the municipality helps to cover the rent or electric bills. The Agency for Sports helps some, with $1000, but that allows some publications to be made. Mostly they receive foreign aid. Without this aid they wouldn’t be able to survive, some have been from local embassies.
Youth Forum would like to be able to work in the schools, but they are unable to do so. They do promote the EVS volunteering at local universities. Youth Forum is both a sending and receiving organization.
They are working closely with a new program “Open Municipality” that aims to make the municipality more open to the public.They cover the meeting of the local city council. Then they investigate how they work and publish the findings. They claim that their coverage is different than the local newspapers. They claim that the newspapers often just say “There was a meeting.”
They host 2-3 events a month and a few annual activities. They are trying to gain a interest from the community. They are always open to the community to discuss their work and plans. They have a lot of ongoing projects, including conferences and seminars. They try to do everything to benefit the youth. They have more than 100 members, but only 15 are generally active at one time on a certain project.
They have faced many problems in their years. According to Youth Forum, there is no mentality on volunteering, or thinking it is ok (they want jobs, and therefore shouldn’t volunteer). There is an NGO forum of civil organizations, but it doesn’t work properly. They try to help with minority NGOs, such as including them in the documentaries. Youth Forum was told to be quiet before the election, and they would receive cash after the election. No one reacted to Youth Forum going public with this information.
They also fight against the perception that the NGOs are created to cause the problems in society. The real problem is that the people spending the money are not receiving truthful or good reports. There are some NGOs who didn’t use the money correctly. In the past it was easier to gain funding, due to the Kosovo crisis. Some NGOs didn’t use the money correctly. They fight the perceptions by being diligent. According to them, the difficult problems are with personal mistakes, but most people have an agenda. Be it political basis or even “trying to help.” There were more integration with the NGOs, there wouldn’t be as many problems.
Youth Forum began in 1999 by young people to meet the needs of the disadvantaged youth without an ability to express themselves artistically. It was very difficult to get started (finding office space mainly). They want to give information to young people about culture, arts, and the protection of human rights. They wanted to be able to give information that people would need when they need it. They are a grassroots organization, and claim, that their people are very enthusiastic. It was very difficult for them to implement any changes in the beginning, but now things are different. Some things can’t be helped, but the majority of the problems are with a lack of enthusiasm. Many people are depressed, and it is difficult to push for them to become more active. Especially with no cooperation from the municipal government.
They do most of their activism in Bitola, but some of there members also act as a journalist in other parts of MK. They began with a researching of problems in Bitola for the youth. The youth there are very diverse but many are interested in the same thing (such as theater and sports). Thus it became easy to direct them to create a play together, or play a game. And once you can bring them together, it is easier to share how similar people are. Some people still cause problems, but Youth Forum feels they are gaining ground.
Youth Forum sponsors shows, concerts and publishes a magazine. They have also completed two “docu-movies” about Bitola and the surrounding areas. They stated that it is very difficult to provide these services because the space for public theater is missing in Bitola. They want bigger support from foundations, donors, and other small NGOs.
There was more interest in the past, but now only a few connected people are interest. They feel like since there is no real violence going on now, no one is interested. Youth Forum likes to help the Roma, Albanian, and Turkish NGOs, but is afraid that they will collapse within the next few years. These NGOs need more support. There is really no ethnic violence now, there was violence in the past (particularly around 2001). According to Youth Forum, the Roma were really discriminated against with jobs that were really forbidden for them to enter. Some coffee bars refuse to serve the Roma. With no interest from the government, the discrimination continues.
They haven’t received national government funding but the municipality helps to cover the rent or electric bills. The Agency for Sports helps some, with $1000, but that allows some publications to be made. Mostly they receive foreign aid. Without this aid they wouldn’t be able to survive, some have been from local embassies.
Youth Forum would like to be able to work in the schools, but they are unable to do so. They do promote the EVS volunteering at local universities. Youth Forum is both a sending and receiving organization.
They are working closely with a new program “Open Municipality” that aims to make the municipality more open to the public.They cover the meeting of the local city council. Then they investigate how they work and publish the findings. They claim that their coverage is different than the local newspapers. They claim that the newspapers often just say “There was a meeting.”
They host 2-3 events a month and a few annual activities. They are trying to gain a interest from the community. They are always open to the community to discuss their work and plans. They have a lot of ongoing projects, including conferences and seminars. They try to do everything to benefit the youth. They have more than 100 members, but only 15 are generally active at one time on a certain project.
They have faced many problems in their years. According to Youth Forum, there is no mentality on volunteering, or thinking it is ok (they want jobs, and therefore shouldn’t volunteer). There is an NGO forum of civil organizations, but it doesn’t work properly. They try to help with minority NGOs, such as including them in the documentaries. Youth Forum was told to be quiet before the election, and they would receive cash after the election. No one reacted to Youth Forum going public with this information.
They also fight against the perception that the NGOs are created to cause the problems in society. The real problem is that the people spending the money are not receiving truthful or good reports. There are some NGOs who didn’t use the money correctly. In the past it was easier to gain funding, due to the Kosovo crisis. Some NGOs didn’t use the money correctly. They fight the perceptions by being diligent. According to them, the difficult problems are with personal mistakes, but most people have an agenda. Be it political basis or even “trying to help.” There were more integration with the NGOs, there wouldn’t be as many problems.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Sfera, Voluntary Fire Fighters Association in Bitola
Bitola is a mid-sized town in southern MK about 10 km from the Greek border about three hours away by bus. I had arranged two interviews with NGOs there, so I spent the night before at Lizze’s (ETA Fulbright) who lives there.
Sefera Bitola is a voluntary firefighter organisation, the first of it’s kind in MK(others are in St. Nikola and ‘Polila’). They were formed in May of 2007 as a project started in another NGO in Bitola. It was the student’s intuitive to form a volunteer firefighting force to help spread awareness about fire prevention. They applied to foreign grants to make the youth fire brigade, and were granted the funds. In 2009, they separated from the original NGO and formed their own. They have partnerships with organizations in Sweden, Finland and Bosnia.
Sfera focuses more on the theory than the practical fighting of fires. They offer trainings in elementary schools about how kids should respond to a fire in their house or school. They have a (really cool-personal bias) new program for training in schools. They go in one week and pass out handouts about earthquakes, fires, etc and provide a “what to do training” for the kids and teachers. Then a few days later they go back in. But this time with fog machines- and do a fake fire “drill” complete with alarms and “smoke!” They say that even though the teachers know it is coming, some still freak out. However, in the first attempt of this sort they evacuated 450 students in 5 minutes! They call this a great success!They plan to do this in every high school in Bitola soon.
While there is teaching on fire safety, there are no free alarms. In fact, when Sfera tried to order a fire alarm it took them 3 months to find where you could buy one in Bitola. Alarms are not in hotels or shopping centers.
They have 110 members that have passed the basic fire training. They train with professional firefighters on fighting fires. Sfera and the professional fighters have an agreement to share equipment for training activities. When Sfera gets new equipment, they donate it to the professionals and then are able to use it when needed (if the professional aren’t using it at the moment). Sometimes they do go with the professionals to fight fires on the mountains, if they are 20 and up. (side note-- you have to be 18 to join the professional association.)
They also provide training on leadership development and democracy, since firefighter must lead. Their main training is a 2-3 day seminar with monthly followup meetings that they try to hold 2 times per year. Some of what they teach are the different styles of leadership. They also work with the Red Cross for first aid training.
They work with EVS, as both a sending and receiving location. They have gotten 4 volunteers and sent 5 outside of MK. They also participate in youth exchanges and trainings. The exchanges are more like camps, however, where people stay for either 6 or 14 days. There are a few regulations, but they are not strenuous. Sfera themselves, have put on 11 trainings in the past two months!
They are currently making a comic strip for kids that they will print in color to hand out. They will publish in both Macedonian and English, for now. On the local level, they promote volunteering and youth mobilization. They want to inspire the youth to mobilize around things they care about. They also help young artists put on shows. Recently they have done it for a singer and a painter.
They have also started a new project that helps raise money for a charity fund for young children with life threatening diseases (such as cancer). They help with providing free or reduced prices in surgery. Over 7,000 people attended their first charity concert for the fund. They are planning 2 other concerts now. They also raise money by completing Cocktails4Charity, with different VIPs from Bitola.
In the Bitola Summer Festival, which is for cultural events, NGOs can help sponsor/put on an event. They are allowed to last between 1-3 days, and are fully sponsored by the local government. The goal is to connect citizens to culture and let them enjoy some leisure time. The municipality provides projectors, help organizing the events, and advertising. But only 3-5 NGOs apply. Sfera has cooperation with other NGOs in Bitola. They help preform a street theater, presentations on EVS, Peace Corps, and even flash mobs!
However, when discussing cooperation with the government, they have none with the national government. The municipality, however, is a different story. The municipality helps them out with about 10% of the time, such as when using the trucks (for fuel and water) or supplies.
The municipality does have a fund for NGOs, but it is split equally between all who apply. There are 136 registered NGOs in Bitola, but, according to Sfera, only about 8 actually function- but they all apply in February! Sfera and a few others are trying to show that the others are not actually working. The fund, upon being split comes to about 350 Euros yearly. But Sfera pointed out that it would be about 13, 500 Euros if it was split between those who actually worked.
Sfera’s yearly budget comes from the following sources: 90% EU and their partners, 2% sponsors, 8% Macedonia. It is really hard for them to find a sponsor in Bitola, as most of the companies are located in Skopje. There are 5 companies that regularly help the NGOs in MK, but they are still mainly located in Skopje.
Sfera is hopeful for the future and believe they will continue to make a positive impact in Bitola.
Sefera Bitola is a voluntary firefighter organisation, the first of it’s kind in MK(others are in St. Nikola and ‘Polila’). They were formed in May of 2007 as a project started in another NGO in Bitola. It was the student’s intuitive to form a volunteer firefighting force to help spread awareness about fire prevention. They applied to foreign grants to make the youth fire brigade, and were granted the funds. In 2009, they separated from the original NGO and formed their own. They have partnerships with organizations in Sweden, Finland and Bosnia.
Sfera focuses more on the theory than the practical fighting of fires. They offer trainings in elementary schools about how kids should respond to a fire in their house or school. They have a (really cool-personal bias) new program for training in schools. They go in one week and pass out handouts about earthquakes, fires, etc and provide a “what to do training” for the kids and teachers. Then a few days later they go back in. But this time with fog machines- and do a fake fire “drill” complete with alarms and “smoke!” They say that even though the teachers know it is coming, some still freak out. However, in the first attempt of this sort they evacuated 450 students in 5 minutes! They call this a great success!They plan to do this in every high school in Bitola soon.
While there is teaching on fire safety, there are no free alarms. In fact, when Sfera tried to order a fire alarm it took them 3 months to find where you could buy one in Bitola. Alarms are not in hotels or shopping centers.
They have 110 members that have passed the basic fire training. They train with professional firefighters on fighting fires. Sfera and the professional fighters have an agreement to share equipment for training activities. When Sfera gets new equipment, they donate it to the professionals and then are able to use it when needed (if the professional aren’t using it at the moment). Sometimes they do go with the professionals to fight fires on the mountains, if they are 20 and up. (side note-- you have to be 18 to join the professional association.)
They also provide training on leadership development and democracy, since firefighter must lead. Their main training is a 2-3 day seminar with monthly followup meetings that they try to hold 2 times per year. Some of what they teach are the different styles of leadership. They also work with the Red Cross for first aid training.
They work with EVS, as both a sending and receiving location. They have gotten 4 volunteers and sent 5 outside of MK. They also participate in youth exchanges and trainings. The exchanges are more like camps, however, where people stay for either 6 or 14 days. There are a few regulations, but they are not strenuous. Sfera themselves, have put on 11 trainings in the past two months!
They are currently making a comic strip for kids that they will print in color to hand out. They will publish in both Macedonian and English, for now. On the local level, they promote volunteering and youth mobilization. They want to inspire the youth to mobilize around things they care about. They also help young artists put on shows. Recently they have done it for a singer and a painter.
They have also started a new project that helps raise money for a charity fund for young children with life threatening diseases (such as cancer). They help with providing free or reduced prices in surgery. Over 7,000 people attended their first charity concert for the fund. They are planning 2 other concerts now. They also raise money by completing Cocktails4Charity, with different VIPs from Bitola.
In the Bitola Summer Festival, which is for cultural events, NGOs can help sponsor/put on an event. They are allowed to last between 1-3 days, and are fully sponsored by the local government. The goal is to connect citizens to culture and let them enjoy some leisure time. The municipality provides projectors, help organizing the events, and advertising. But only 3-5 NGOs apply. Sfera has cooperation with other NGOs in Bitola. They help preform a street theater, presentations on EVS, Peace Corps, and even flash mobs!
However, when discussing cooperation with the government, they have none with the national government. The municipality, however, is a different story. The municipality helps them out with about 10% of the time, such as when using the trucks (for fuel and water) or supplies.
The municipality does have a fund for NGOs, but it is split equally between all who apply. There are 136 registered NGOs in Bitola, but, according to Sfera, only about 8 actually function- but they all apply in February! Sfera and a few others are trying to show that the others are not actually working. The fund, upon being split comes to about 350 Euros yearly. But Sfera pointed out that it would be about 13, 500 Euros if it was split between those who actually worked.
Sfera’s yearly budget comes from the following sources: 90% EU and their partners, 2% sponsors, 8% Macedonia. It is really hard for them to find a sponsor in Bitola, as most of the companies are located in Skopje. There are 5 companies that regularly help the NGOs in MK, but they are still mainly located in Skopje.
Sfera is hopeful for the future and believe they will continue to make a positive impact in Bitola.
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