MSc and PhD scholarships in Economics for Candidates from SEE

Application deadline: 27 January 2006
The Open Society Institute (Budapest), Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Staffordshire University Business School are offering 1-year MSc and 4-year PhD scholarships in Economics for qualified candidates form Bosnia-Hercegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Croatia. MSc scholarships are offered in the first fourcountries/regions and PhDs in all six.Details of the scholarship programme can be found on the University's Business School website at http://www.staffs.ac.uk/business.
For all further information please contact Mrs. Jenny Herbert at j.herbert@staffs.ac.uk

Training course for trainers in human rights education with young people, 6-15 March 2006, Budapest

Application deadline: 9 January 2006
Organised by the Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe, the course aims to develop the competence of trainers in working with human rights education at national and regional level and to enable them to act as trainers or multipliers for human rights education, especially through national or regional training courses and local pilot projects organised by its partners.
For more information on the TC please click here

Call for proposals for national and regional training courses in human rights education for 2006

Application deadline: 31 January 2006
The Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe has been running a European youth programme on human rights education since the year 2000, aiming to bring human rights issues in the mainstream of youth work practice. This programme is designed to achieve wide synergies between human rights education and youth work in the Council of Europe member states and beyond.
The Council of Europe welcomes proposals and expressions of interest from non-governmental youth organisations, other non-governmental and governmental organisations and institutions interested in human rights education with young people.
For all further information please click here

SALTO SEE Activities update

Information concerning support activities organised by SALTO SEE in 2006 on our website has been updated. In particular, you can now find calls for participation and application forms for the following activities:
Training Course on the financial management of YOUTH programme grantsDates and venue of the activity: 17 - 20 March 2006, Sarajevo (BiH)Deadline for applications: 6 February 2006
National Agency staff training and YOUTH programme evaluation workshop on Cooperation with South East EuropeDates and venue of the activity: 24 - 28 May, Mostar (BiH)Deadline for applications: 20 March 2006
Full information can be found or downloaded under http://www.salto-youth.net/tcsee/

Second Call for YOUTH Programme Contact Points in Partner Countries in South East Europe

Application deadline: 25 January 2006
The SALTO SEE Resource Centre is issuing a second call for YOUTH Programme Contact Points in South East Europe to complement the existing Contact Points which were set up in September 2005.
Following a public call for applications in spring 2005, a total of 12 YOUTH programme Contact Points were nominated by the SALTO SEE Resource Centre in consultation with the European Commission, and set up in September 2005 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the fYR of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro.
The SALTO-YOUTH SEE Resource Centre is issuing this second call to invite NGOs from specific regions in South East Europe, which could not be covered after the first call, to apply for this role, in particular:
Albania: Up to 3 YOUTH Contact Points can be established in different parts of the country.
Eastern part of Croatia (Slavonia,...) : One YOUTH Contact Point should be set up to complement the work carried out by the two already existing Contact Points in Croatia (Volunteers Centre Zagreb in cooperation with the Croatian Youth Network, Zagreb, and ZUM, Pula)
Kosovo (UNMIK): One YOUTH Contact Point should be set up.
The main role of the YOUTH programme Contact Points is to assist the SALTO SEE Resource Centre in enhancing the visibility of and access to the YOUTH programme in the Programme's Partner Countries in South East Europe.
The selected NGOs will be sub-contracted as service providers by the SALTO SEE Resource Centre for a period of in total 6 months, starting on1 April and ending on 31 October 2006, and will receive a small fee to support them in carrying out their tasks as Contact Points for the YOUTH programme.
Candidates must apply by sending the completed "YOUTH programme Contact Point application form" to the SALTO SEE Resource Centre, in which they are asked to describe the nature and experience of their organisation, as well as a proposal of how they would fulfill their role as a contact point for the Programme.
Applications must be sent by post to the SALTO SEE Resource Centre by 25 January 2006 (date of the postal stamp).
The full Call for Applications and the application form can be downloaded under http://www.salto-youth.net/seeStrategy. For more information, please contact the SALTO SEE Resource Centre.

Europe scores with the '.eu' !

Did you know that the EU got its own '. eu' internet domain on 7 December? On the eve of the registration day, about 100 000 '.eu' requests had already been registered
If you want to know all about this new saga, pay a visit to the Information Society website of the European Commission!
A general fact sheet, a technical fact sheet and the Frequently Asked Questions will keep you up-to-date with all the '.eu' news.
The registration process will happen in three stages: during the first two months – called 'sunrise' period – the registration of '.eu' names will be reserved to trademark holders and public bodies. From 7 February to 6 April 2006 registration will be open to other applicants, f.i. company names, unregistered trademarks or works of art. Registration will be open to all from 7 April.
How can you register? It is a piece of cake. You just need to get in touch with one of the 779 registration offices around the world, from the United States to Japan. These offices are accredit by EURid, a non-profit organisation which has been selected by the European Commission to manage the '.eu' domain name.
How much will this cost? During the 'sunrise' period the basic fee charged by EURid will be of €10. It will cost an additional €35 for public bodies, €45 for trademark holders and €85 for other types of domain names. '.eu' applicants will also need to pay about €100 to their registration office.
Uptil now the most popular domain names are 'hotel.eu', 'travel.eu', but also 'sex.eu', 'jobs.eu', 'casino.eu' and 'music.eu'.

Enlargement strategy endorsed

The enlargement strategy presented in November by the European Commission received strong endorsement from European Union foreign affairs ministers at their December 12 General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels. In its formal conclusions, the Council welcomed the Commission’s Communication on Enlargement presented on 9 November 2005, and the reports, recommendations and partnership proposals that accompanied it. At the request of several member states, the EU is planning a major reflection next year on the direction, speed and scope of enlargement, in the context of the broad reflections on the future of Europe. The Commission strategy is a good basis for "a necessary, further discussion on enlargement in 2006", the Council concluded. Meanwhile, careful attention was needed to anchor and develop support for the enlargement process across the EU, taking particular account of the views of EU citizens and the absorption capacity of the Union, the Council said. Conditionality should be applied effectively, at all stages of the process, in a fair and rigorous way, the Council added, reiterating at the same time its "strong encouragement to candidate countries, and other countries in the Western Balkans, along the road to reform and stability by reconfirming their European perspective." On Croatia, which started EU membership negotiations in October, the Council underlined its commitment to the accession process, and urged the country to make further progress on all the issues identified in the Commission's November report and in the Accession Partnership that has now been agreed. The Council exhorted Turkey to continue its reforms and preparations. And it reminded the Turkish authorities that there would be an EU verification to ensure "a follow-up in 2006 on the progress made on relevant issues" set out in the EU September declaration – a reference to the formal reminders that the EU offered to Turkey on recognising Cyprus and opening up its ports and airspace to accommodate traffic with the island.
Accession Partnerships set out principles, priorities and conditions to focus candidates' preparations for accession, and provide guidance for EU financial assistance. European Partnerships are similar documents, for countries in the Western Balkans as they move towards the prospect of EU membership. Each country is expected to develop a plan with a timetable and specific measures to address the legislative, budgetary and administrative planning priorities of these partnerships, and implementation is regularly monitored by the EU. The partnerships are updated in the light of developments, and successive versions identify new priorities for action adapted to each country’s specific needs and stage of preparation.
The Council also welcomed the Commission’s November road map for the Western Balkans and the progress reports on the countries in the region. It "drew encouragement from the region’s recent progress that the EU’s policies, based primarily on the fair and rigorous use of conditionality and a clear European perspective, were proving effective." And it reaffirmed its longstanding message that the future of the Western Balkans, with its potential candidate countries, lies in the European Union. Each country’s progress towards the EU would depend on how quickly it establishes respect for and protection of minorities, and other requirements of the links with the EU, including full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the Council confirmed. It particularly urged Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to build on the positive development of the recent arrest of fugitive Croatian general Ante Gotovina, and to "take decisive action to ensure that all remaining fugitive indictees, notably Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić, are finally brought to justice". The Council also gave its political agreement to European Partnerships with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro including Kosovo.

SALTO Upcomming Inclusion activities

• Inclusion - Breaking the barriers of social and physical disadvantages through voluntary service: a contact making seminar to establish partnerships between the organisations from the EU, and Pre-Accession Countries, that will trigger new volunteer exchange projects, enhancing the young peoples' mobility and promoting their participation and inclusion in the development of civil society. Bulgaria 9-12 March 2006. Course Description
• Out! - summercamp 2006: Summercamp for young people, aged 16 to 25. The theme will be "Living in a group is not easy". This theme came up due to the many questions OUT! receives about it. Living in society can be difficult, especially when you are gayminded or face some other identity. This can raise even more questions when you are dealing with different cultures. Who am I within an intercultural group? The Netherlands 27 July-8 August 2006. http://www.outinfo.nl - summercamp@outweb.nl

SALTO Inclusion Training Course 'NO Offence' - Apply now -

No Offence , 3-10 April 2006, Belgium (Flanders) - A Training Course for youth workers (social workers, peer educators,...) working with young ex-offenders, offenders who are currently in prison or youth at risk of offending - about how to use the European YOUTH programme as a tool to create meaningful projects for this target group.
This course will be organised according to the SALTO Inclusion Quality Charter for organising training courses - check them out online at www.SALTOYOUTH.net/InclusionQualityCharter/. This way you know what you can expect when applying for a SALTO Inclusion Course, and maybe you can get inspired by this Quality Charter for the training activities that you are organising, to make them (even) better.
The SALTO Inclusion Resource Centre organises this TC No Offence, within its strategy to promote the inclusion of a variety of specific target groups with fewer opportunties in the YOUTH programme.
Read course description and apply now (www.salto-youth.net/applicationonline/69.html)!

Macedonia – candidate for membership in the European Union

Early today, the European Council in Brussels decided to grant Republic of Macedonia candidate status for membership of EU. The Heads of States and Governments of EU Member States thus recognised the progress that Macedonia has made in meeting the Copenhagen criteria.Following this decision Macedonia has joined the candidate countries Croatia and Turkey.

YOUTH programme - calls for proposals

01.02.2006 (up to 01.11.2006. Deadlines vary according to Action and National Agency.)

Budget line / available budget
15.05.01 / 108.445.000 EUR

Objectives and supported actions in the field of ENARґs work
The YOUTH programme is the EU’s mobility and non-formal education programme targeting young people aged between 15 and 25 years. It offers young people opportunities for mobility and active participation in the construction of Europe. It aims to create a European arena for cooperation in the development of youth policy, based on non-formal education. It also encourages the concept of lifelong learning and the development of skills and competencies which promote active citizenship.
The Programme pursues the following objectives:


Facilitating the integration of young people into society at large and encouraging their spirit of initiative.

Helping young people acquire knowledge, skills and competencies, and recognising the value of such experience.

Allowing young people to give free expression to their sense of solidarity in Europe and the wider world, as well as supporting the fight against racism and xenophobia.

Promoting a better understanding of the diversity of our common European culture and shared heritage as well as of our common basic values.

Helping to eliminate all forms of discrimination and promoting equality at all levels of society.

Introducing a European element into projects which will have a positive impact on youth work at local level.

A key priority is to give young people with less opportunities (from a less-privileged cultural, geographical or socio-economic background, or with disabilities) access to the mobility and non-formal education activities developed within the YOUTH programme (please ask your National Agency for the Strategy for the inclusion of young people with less opportunities into YOUTH).

The European Commission and National Agencies draw up specific priorities each year. We will provide you with more details on the priorities for 2006 as soon as they will have been published. Moreover, individual Programme countries may identify national priorities, too. Please contact your National Agency or the European Commission for further detailed information.

The overall structure of the YOUTH programme promotes crossovers between, and integration of, different Actions:

Action 1 - Youth for Europe:
Youth Exchanges and Youth Encounters offer an opportunity for groups of young people from different countries to meet.

Action 2 - European Voluntary Service (EVS):
Young people aged between 18 and 25 are able to spend up to 12 months abroad as European volunteers helping in local projects in a wide range of fields.

Action 3 - Youth Initiatives:
Through this Action, young people aged between 15/18 and 25 can obtain support to carry out a project at local level. It also aims at providing former EVS volunteers with a concrete opportunity to build upon the expertise and skills acquired during their voluntary service.

Action 4 - Joint Actions:
This Action brings together the SOCRATES (education), LEONARDO DA VINCI (vocational training) and YOUTH (non-formal education) programmes. It provides support for initiatives that build on the complementary nature of these three programmes and others, such as Culture 2000.

Action 5 - Support Measures:
This Action contributes to foster capacity building and innovation and provides a platform to create and strengthen partnerships between youth organisations and to exchange good practice. It also assists in the planning, preparation and use of projects carried out within the framework of the YOUTH Actions 1, 2, 3 and 5 by supporting training, cooperation and information activities.


Applicants
The YOUTH programme primarily addresses young people aged between 15 and 25 who are legally resident in one of 31 European Programme countries: the 25 EU Member States, the EFTA/EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and the pre-accession countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. To a limited extent and under certain conditions, the Actions 1, 2 and 5 of the YOUTH programme are also open to partner organisations from countries in other parts of the world, i.e. "Partner Countries" (Mediterranean Partner Countries, Eastern Europe and Caucasus, South East Europe and Latin America).
The following groups can participate in the Programme:


groups of young people who want to organise a youth exchange or
launch an initiative in their local community

young people who would like to get involved in European
Voluntary Service

ex-volunteers who are looking to build upon their experience

youth organisations

youth leaders

youth workers

project managers or organisers in the field of youth and non-formal education

other non-profit-making organisations, associations or structures.


The applicant may be a group of young people, a non-profit-making non-governmental organisation or association, public authority and others experienced in the field of youth and non-formal education.
European non-governmental youth organisations (ENGYOs), which are based in one of the Programme countries and have member branches in at least eight Programme countries can also participate. They may apply directly to the European Commission or through their national branches to its National Agency.
In order to participate in most types of project co-financed by the YOUTH programme, a partnership must be established with one or more partner(s), depending on the rules prevailing for each Action and varying according to which country the partner(s) come(s) from.

Legal basis
Decision No 1031/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 April 2000.

Community contribution
The Community contribution varies according to the Action of the YOUTH programme and National Agency. Please see also the flat rates and fixed amounts applicable per country for Actions 1, 2, 3 and 5 at europa.eu.int/comm/youth/progr ... (for 2005 only).

Contact
The YOUTH programme is implemented by
The European Commission:
The European Commission is ultimately responsible for its running. It manages the budget and sets priorities, targets and criteria for the Programme on an ongoing basis.
Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) Youth UnitRue Van Maerlant 2B – 1049 Brussels
+32 2 299 11 11
+32 2 299 40 38
youth@cec.eu.int
The YOUTH programme National Agencies:
Their primary role is to promote and implement the Programme at national level.
Please find your National Agencies at europa.eu.int/comm/youth/progr ...
The Euro-Med National Coordinators:
For the Mediterranean partners participating in the YOUTH programme via the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Action Programme, the Euro-Med National Coordinators fulfil a similar role to the National Agencies in Programme countries.
Please find them at europa.eu.int/comm/youth/progr ...

Macedonia should not be held hostage, Denmark says

European liberal leaders have attacked plans to block Macedonia's EU candidate status if there is no budget deal, but showed optimism that a finance breakthrough is near.
See more >

Moment of truth

Macedonia, the EU budget, and the
destabilisation of the Balkans

Executive Summary
France has declared that it is prepared to veto the approval of Macedonia’s candidate status, recommended last month by the European Commission. Instead, it has proposed a new debate as to whether there should be any further EU enlargement at all. The United Kingdom has proposed a new budget for the EU that would preclude any serious pre-accession assistance for the Western Balkans for the next 7-year budgetary period. The UK proposal could shut the door on further enlargement just as forcefully as a French veto. Between France and the UK, there is now a distinct possibility that the European Council meeting beginning on Thursday (15th December) will not just deny candidate status to Macedonia, but throw the entire European strategy in the Balkans into confusion. This would be a disastrous policy error. For this reason, ESI is calling on EU member states not to forget their commitments to the countries of the Balkans, and their vital interest in lasting stability in the region on the eve of Kosovo status negotiations. At the EU summit this week, member states should take the follow steps:
1. They should send a clear signal to the Western Balkans that the promise of Europeanisation is real, by extending candidate status to Macedonia as was recommended by the European Commission. They should confirm that the membership criteria remain the same, and that countries will be treated fairly and objectively according to their progress in undertaking the required reforms.
2. They should ensure that the foreign policy component of the forthcoming EU budget contains sufficient resources to extend pre-accession assistance to all of the states of the Western Balkans before 2013. The budgetary implications of this step are not great, but its significance in locking the region into a virtuous circle of reform and development cannot be overstated. To deny this assistance to the region for another seven years would risk throwing away the vast European investment in the Balkans over the past decade – ultimately, a far more costly approach.

Suspending enlargement
In the wake of the failure of referenda in France and the Netherlands on the new European constitution this summer, a range of prominent European politicians called for a freeze on enlargement. It wasn’t that the citizens of either country had voted against enlargement. In fact, in opinion polls, very few had listed enlargement as a factor in their vote.1 However, amid a widespread sense that Europe’s internal affairs were in disarray, enlargement became a convenient scape-goat. This was particularly true in France. Following the Dutch referendum Dominique de Villepin and Nicolas Sarkozy, today Prime Minister and Interior Minister, quickly announced that any further enlargement needed to be “suspended”.2 Their opposition was qualified by a recognition of the need to honour existing commitments to the candidates Bulgaria and Romania, and the impending candidature of Turkey and Croatia. Although the countries of the Balkans had also been promised ‘a common European destination’ for many years, they were now lumped into the category of ‘new commitments’ – to the dismay of people in the region. Other voices from the European corridors of power were quick to reassure Balkan publics. The vision of enlargement remained alive, Balkan politicians were told by EU Commissioner Olli Rehn, EU High Representative Javier Solana, and envoys in the region such as High Representative Paddy Ashdown in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Over the next few months, a series of small breakthroughs reinforced the notion that the accession process was still moving forward. Talks on Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) were cleared to begin with both Serbia and Bosnia. The long-stalled SAA talks with Albania began once again to pick up. These were not major steps in themselves; SAAs are little more than trade agreements and they bring few new benefits. But they sent an important political signal since they are the very first steps on the road to full EU membership. The EU affirmed its commitment to address the gap between the Western Balkans and its neighbours. Electorates across the region were reassured that supporting progressive, pro-Europe policies was a sound investment. Unfortunately, news from the EU Foreign Minister’s meeting in Brussels this week suggests that the sceptics are winning the political argument. France has declared that it is prepared to veto the approval of Macedonia’s candidate status, recommended last month by the European Commission. Instead, it has proposed a new debate as to whether there should be any further EU enlargement at all. The United Kingdom has proposed a new budget for the EU that would preclude any serious pre-accession assistance for the Western Balkans for the next 7-year budgetary period. The UK proposal could shut the door on further enlargement just as forcefully as a French veto. Between France and the UK, there is now a distinct possibility that the European Council meeting beginning on Thursday (15th December) will not just deny candidate status to Macedonia, but throw the entire European strategy in the Balkans into confusion. The result would be one that many observers – including ESI – have warned against repeatedly in recent years: the consolidation of a Balkan ghetto in the heart of Europe.

Macedonia and the French veto
At a recent international conference in Skopje, politicians from Sarajevo, Belgrade, Pristina and Tirana underlined that people across the region are watching Macedonia’s progress through the accession process to determine whether the door to EU membership remains open.3 The decision to be made at this weekґs European Council meeting is viewed as determining not just the candidature of Macedonia, but the entire EU policy towards the Western Balkans. If Macedonia is refused, the usual diplomatic reassurances about an eventual European future for the region are going to sound hollow indeed. Macedonia represents one of the European Union’s most impressive foreign policy successes. It has moved within a short period away from the brink of ethnic war, implementing even the most challenging provisions of the Ohrid Peace Agreement. To support this process, the EU deployed all of the instruments in its Common Foreign and Security Policy: an EU Military Mission, an EU Police Mission, an influential EU Special Envoy, a European Agency for Reconstruction and, above all, a credible promise of eventual EU accession. These efforts are widely recognised as having laid the foundations for a lasting peace. Importantly, among the EU member states, it was France that played the most prominent role in supporting the EU engagement in Macedonia. France contributed the largest number of troops to the EU Military Mission. It seconded the largest number of officers to the EU Police Mission. A former French Minister of Defence, Francois Leotard, played a crucial role at the Ohrid peace talks as EU envoy. Another French politician, Robert Badinter, became the most influential European voice on constitutional reform.4 The first EU Special Envoy was a French diplomat, Alain Le Roy. In early 2004, Macedonia submitted its application for EU membership. In November 2005, the European Commission assessed Macedonia’s application against the same set of criteria that it had applied to all previous applicants.5 At the political level, it concluded that Macedonia is a functioning democracy with stable institutions which broadly guarantee the rule of law and human rights. Its implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement has contributed to major political and security improvements. At the economic level, the Commission found that Macedonia has taken “important steps towards establishing a functioning market economy”. While it is not yet able to withstand the competitive pressures of the European single market, it has set in place a process of economic reform which, if pursued to its conclusion, would eventually enable it to do so. While a number of important reforms are still underway, particularly to the electoral system, the Commission concluded that Macedonia “is well on its way to satisfy the political criteria” set down by the EU for new members. The Commission also found that Macedonia has begun the process of adopting and implementing the EU legal framework (acquis communautaire). As with all candidates, it will require an enormous amount of work over the coming years to complete this process. However, the Commission concluded that there had been sufficient progress to warrant the grant of candidate status. As the Commission pointed out, candidate status is a political recognition that Macedonia is on its way towards EU membership, and opens the way for an intensification of EU support to help it meet its remaining obligations. In its assessment, the Commission was following exactly the procedures and criteria laid down for all membership applications. These procedures embody the principle affirmed by the European Council in Thessaloniki in June 2003: “the pace of further movement of the Western Balkan countries towards the EU lies in their own hands and will depend on each country’s performance in implementing reforms.” The transparency and consistency of this process has always been its strength. The assessment of applicants was known to be rigorous and fair and, until now, Commission recommendations were always accepted by the European Council. This meritocratic approach to the accession process has won the EU considerable credit in the region. Now, however, it appears that the process has become hostage to political considerations that have nothing to do with Macedonia’s progress in implementing reforms. In a bid to forestall opposition, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn was reassuring sceptics in advance of this week’s Foreign Ministers’ meeting that candidature for Macedonia did not mean an automatic start of membership talks. Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot proposed granting candidate status, but laying down stringent new conditions before negotiations could begin. According to him, “It should be clear that the next step could be very far away.”6 However, with the threat of a French veto, it appears that even this hollowed-out candidate status may be withheld. It is a bitter irony that it is France that is threatening to block Macedonia’s progress. 7 The country that suffered the largest number of peace-keeping casualties during the 1990s is now perceived as the main obstacle to the region’s European aspirations. The French position is not against Macedonia as such – one of the smallest and easiest countries for the EU to absorb – but against the entire enlargement agenda. Behind the scenes at this week’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy posed the question: “Is this the right moment, when everyone knows that the EU doesn't have the solutions to the challenges posed by the current enlargement, neither institutionally nor financially?” The French Foreign Minister offered two justifications for the threatened veto. One is that no new commitments on enlargement can be made until there is an agreement on the EU budget for 2007-2013, and it is clear that the resources to support further enlargement are available. The second argument is that EU public opinion would simply not tolerate a “political signal” indicating that a “new wave of enlargement” is about to begin. The first argument is distinctly unconvincing. Macedonia has a population of 2 million – approximately half that of the Turkish capital, Ankara. Its GDP represents a tiny 0.04 percent of the EU’s own GDP. If Macedonia were offered the same level of support that was provided to previous candidates, this would involve an increase in annual assistance from €45 million8 to €54 million. This is small change by EU standards – less, for example, than the EU’s contribution to the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina. If France is looking to rein in costs for the coming budget period, EU assistance to Macedonia is hardly the place to start. The second argument is equally unconvincing, but carries more disturbing implications for the Balkans. It seems unlikely that a European public which has just come to terms with the opening of negotiations with Turkey would see Macedonia as the beginning of a ‘new wave’ of enlargement. In fact, measured against the yardstick of Turkish or Romanian accession, bringing the Western Balkans (with a total population of less than 20 million without Croatia) into the European Union looks eminently achievable. It would also be a natural extension to a decade of EU engagement in the region. But if the French Foreign Minister is correct, and public opinion in some EU members is now indeed implacably opposed to any new enlargement, then this suggests the need for a complete U-turn in EU policy towards the Balkans. It would not simply be a matter of waiting a year for the budget quarrel to blow over. There is no reason why domestic politics in France would be more open to further enlargement in a year’s time, on the eve of a Presidential election, than it is now. The goal posts would not merely have moved; they would have been snatched away altogether. The signal this would send to the Balkans would be devastating. It would mean that the EU was reneging on commitments solemnly undertaken at Thessaloniki, and that the SAA process had been nothing but an elaborate charade. If Macedonia, which concluded an SAA four years ago and has successfully dealt with the legacy of ethnic conflict, is now rebuffed, what prospects are there for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia or Kosovo, which are far behind Macedonia? A negative decision this week would leave the EU and its members without credibility or leverage in the region. It would be ill-placed to contain the fallout from an eventual decision on Kosovo final status. It would pull the carpet from under the feet of all those Balkan politicians who have staked their political future on Europeanisation. It would represent an extraordinary self-inflicted defeat to a decade of European efforts in the region.

Balkan accession and the EU budget
A French veto on Macedonia is not the only problem facing the Western Balkans at this summit. The budget proposal presented by the United Kingdom9 is just as serious a threat – even if the enlargement question is far from the minds of its authors. The proposal would leave the EU without the means to prepare another round of enlargement. Usually a vocal supporter of Turkish and Balkan accession at the diplomatic level, the UK budget proposal represents a silent reversal of EU strategy in the region. Downward pressures on funding for the Western Balkans have been building for some time. The Commission presented its financial proposal for the period 2007-2013 in early 2004.10 The Commission proposal was unwelcome news for the Balkans, for a number of reasons. Reading between the lines, it implied that the Commission was not planning on offering serious pre-accession assistance to most Balkan states until 2010, and did not see them achieving membership until around 2020 at the earliest. In the meantime, assistance levels in 2007 would slip below 2004 levels, leaving the potential candidates to fall further behind their neighboursUnder the current UK proposal, the position has worsened dramatically. The UK budget effectively precludes any substantial pre-accession assistance to the Western Balkans for the entire 7-year budget cycle. To understand why this is the case one needs to take a closer look at the proposal. In the EU budget, pre-accession assistance is part of the foreign policy budget, under the heading ‘The EU as a Global Partner’. The Instrument of Pre-Accession (IPA) comes alongside a number of other instruments, including the Neighbourhood Policy (ENPI), the development assistance budget and three crisis response instruments. Under the original Commission budget proposal, the budget for foreign policy was set at €92.1 billion, with pre-accession assistance (IPA) taking €14.1 billion. Under the UK proposal, the foreign policy budget falls to €50 billion. Assuming that the allocation across the foreign policy budget lines remains the same, this would leave only half as much (€7.6 billion) in the pre-accession pot for the 7-year period, or just under €1.1 billion per annum. Of this sum, Turkey with its population of 67 million and as a candidate already negotiating with the EU necessarily consumes the lion’s share. As a benchmark, the ten candidates that acceded in 2004 and the current candidates Bulgaria and Romania all received pre-accession assistance at the rate of €27 per capita. It has always been assumed that, because of its size, Turkey would begin at a lower level. In its 2004 proposal, the Commission suggested a gradual increase in support to Turkey towards the level received by previous candidates over the 7-year budget cycle. But even assuming that Turkey receives only 40 percent of the benchmark (€11 per capita), with no increase over the budget period, this would consume €740 million (two-thirds) of the annual IPA funds. As a candidate, now also engaged in membership negotiations, Croatia already receives an annual allocation of €120 million, which will also continue until it becomes a member (presumably at least four years away). This would leave an annual allocation of only €285 million for Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia-Montenegro and Kosovo. This comes to €14 per capita, half the level of support of any previous pre-accession process.The implications of the UK budget proposal for the Western Balkans are stark. The kinds of assistance given to Bulgaria and Romania since 2000 - a full seven years before their projected accession - to prepare for membership and to implement the acquis will not even begin in the Western Balkans until after 2014. The budget makes it extremely difficult even to contemplate offering the most important pre-accession tools – notably the instruments which support agricultural and rural development, infrastructure and human resource development – to the Western Balkans during the next funding cycle. This leaves membership a very distant prospect indeed. However, the accession process is not infinitely elastic. The EU cannot credibly ask the countries of the region to mark time for another decade or more, until the EU is more favourably disposed to further enlargement, while wanting to increase its influence. The resulting frustration – particularly in Kosovo and Serbia - could strengthen dangerous political currents, threatening the achievements of a decade of peace-building. At the economic level, it would condemn the region to remaining a ghetto of underdevelopment and instability surrounded by EU member states. The budget proposal is also incompatible with the idea of a stronger EU role in a post-status Kosovo.

Unlocking the Balkan ghetto
While the threat of a French veto on Macedonia is undermining the principle of a meritocratic accession process, the UK budget proposal is undermining the EU commitment to helping the countries of the Western Balkans through the accession process. It amounts to locking the gates of the Balkan ghetto and throwing away the key for the next budget period. If there is one lesson that European policy makers should have learnt from the past decade, it is that they ignore the problems of the Balkans at their peril. Instability in the heart of Europe carries inevitable costs for the whole of Europe, whether in the form of refugees, reconstruction bills, trans-national crime or damage to the EU’s global credibility. The EU and its members have spent vast amounts of time, resources and political capital on stabilising and rebuilding the region. Much of this has been short-term assistance delivered through ad hoc, post-conflict structures, from reconstructing destroyed housing to monitoring police forces. This kind of support has helped put the region back together in the wake of catastrophic conflict. What it has not yet done is address the vast legacy of social and economic underdevelopment which lies at the heart of political instability in the Balkans. The accession process has the potential to pick up where post-conflict assistance left off, and bring the Balkans permanently within the European sphere of stability and prosperity. The promise of eventual accession underlies all of the EU’s peace-building efforts over the past decade. Within the region, it is the only vision capable of competing successfully with the destructive political currents that are the inevitable legacy of war. Now, for reasons that have nothing to do with progress in the region, the vision of a European future for the Balkans is on the verge of collapse. In the name of minor budget savings or short-term political advantage, Europe’s leaders may be on the point of abandoning a vital EU foreign policy interest, and consigning the Balkans to a very uncertain future. This would be a disastrous policy error. For this reason, ESI is calling on EU member states not to forget their commitments to the countries of the Balkans, and their vital interest in lasting stability in the region. At the EU summit this week, the member states should take the follow steps:
1. They should send a clear signal to the Western Balkans that the promise of Europeanisation is real, by extending candidate status to Macedonia. They should confirm that the membership criteria remain the same, and that countries will be treated fairly and objectively according to their progress in undertaking the required reforms. It may be appropriate to task the Commission with reviewing Macedonia’s progress in addressing the outstanding political concerns (in particular concerning its electoral processes), prior to a later decision on the opening of negotiations.
2. EU member states should ensure that the foreign policy component of the forthcoming EU budget contains sufficient resources to extend the full package of pre-accession assistance to all of the states of the Western Balkans. The budgetary implications of this step are not great, but its significance in locking the region into a virtuous circle of reform and development cannot be overstated. To deny this assistance to the region for another seven years would risk throwing away the vast European investment in the Balkans over the past decade – ultimately, a far more costly approach.

An EU-funded media campaign launched on November 30 will promote activities for young people across the Republic of Macedonia

The aim is to promote tolerance under the banner “together for youth”. The EU will provide €900,000 over the next 18 months for the project, which is managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction. “Youth projects are very important for a country already on its way to reaching European standards and values,” said the country's prime minister, Vlado Buckovski, at the campaign launch in Skopje. “This campaign is an excellent opportunity to show the full potential of our young generation and to ‘Europeanise’ it in its way of thinking and acting.” The campaign will include television spots, billboards, posters, brochures and other materials, targeting people aged 15–24, and will spotlight the most pressing issues faced by the country’s youth. “This project will contribute to the improvement of inter-ethnic understanding and collaboration among young people throughout the country,” said the EU Special Representative and Head of the European Commission Delegation to the country, Erwin Fouere. “It will do so”, he added, “not by lecturing to young people, but by involving them in discussion and action on the issues, which they themselves identify as important. The values which this project promotes are fundamental values of the EU.”

EU member states are due to decide during December on whether to grant candidate status to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Enlargement, lent his strong support on December 8 to the Commission's proposal that it should be considered a candidate, but without any date set for the start of negotiations. And the EU-former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting in Brussels on December 5-6 also backed the idea, arguing that it would "not only encourage the country to achieve further results in the reform process, but also strengthen stability in the region and send a clear message that progress made is rewarded". Meanwhile, the Austrian Presidency of the EU – which will run from January to June 2006 - has already included the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in its priorities.

See who's giving, who's getting grants in your field.

Strengthen your search for funds with the Foundation Center's Grants for Children & Youth.
Descriptions of 28,930 recent grants of $10,000 or more
Over $3.2 billion in distributed grants
Grants from 1,029 foundations
This new Guide is a great resource for grantseekers who focus on any of these areas:
adolescent parent services
adult/child matching programs
child development
children's museums
child welfare, including adoption, foster care, and prevention of child abuse
neonatal care
pediatrics and children's hospitals
pregnancy counseling and prevention programs
prevention of youth violence and rehabilitation for youth offenders
scouting organizations
youth centers and clubs
youth development
Easy-access indexes help you quickly find the information you need. The subject index helps you locate funders for your specific project...the geographic index shows which grantmakers fund programs in your state or country...and the recipient index allows you to track grants awarded to organizations similar to your own.
Grants for Children & Youth is one of 12 new-edition Grant Guides published by the Foundation Center. Click here to see all available Grant Guide titles.

First issue of „Bulletin Europe“ - Прв број на Билтенот Европа

The Secretariat for European Affairs has started to publish “Bulletin Europe”, in the line with the efforts to inform the public administration, local self-government and the wider public about the process of integration of the Republic of Macedonia in the European Union. Bulletin Europe will be published on a monthly bases on Macedonian language and will be distributed to the public administration and the units of local self-government.The Secretariat for European Affairs also prepares electronic edition of the bulletin in Macedonian and English. These issues will be accessible for the entire Macedonian public via internet, and will be distributed to the EU bodies and institutions, international organisations, embassies, think-tanks and international media.
If you want to be added to the distribution list, please register at the following link: contact@avis.gov.mk

Секретаријатот за европски прашања почна да издава гласило со име Билтен Европа како дел од напорите за информирање на државната администрација, локалната самоуправа и јавноста за процесот на интеграција на Република Македонија во Европската унија. Билтенот Европа ќе излегува еднаш месечно и печатената верзија на македонски јазик ќе се дистрибуира во државната администрација и до општините.Секретаријатот ќе подготвува и електронско издание на македонски и англиски јазик. Овие изданија ќе бидат достапни до целата македонска јавност, а ќе се дистрибуираат и до институциите и телата на ЕУ, до меѓународни организации, амбасади, истражувачки центри и медиуми.
Заинтересираните може да бидат вклучени на листата за дистрибуција доколку се регистрираат на следниов линк: contact@avis.gov.mk

Definition of Lobbying

The text here below is the first chapter of a paper entitled ‘Comparative Lobbying Practices: Washington, London, Brussels written by Mr. Conor Mc Grath, Lecturer in Political Communication and Public Affairs at the University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.
The value of this presentation is that it is based on research as well as on the interviews conducted by the author.
In the national context in particular, lobbyists are often seen in a negative light as “pullers off strings” to influence politics out of the public eye. In Brussels on the other hand, in as far as they are playing a constructive role, lobbyists are appreciated as experts. The lobbyist bringing good ideas and convincing arguments to the table is likely to receive undivided attention and positions himself as a proactive partner assisting in solving the problem at stake. Admittedly, there is a problem of definition. Today people in the industry are ‘European Public Affairs Specialists’, ‘EU Public Affairs Professionals’, ‘Government Relations Officers’, ‘Business Communications Officers’, ‘Corporate Affairs Managers’, ‘Specialist Public Affairs Consultants’ probably taking into account that ‘lobbying’ is not more than 15% of what needs to be done. The rest of the time is taken up with monitoring, analysis, networking, strategy formation and a healthy dash of informed guesswork about likely future developments.
See more >

European Policy Summit: Bringing the Balkans into Mainstream Europe, 8 December 2005, Belgium

This high-level international event, the sixth in a series of yearly events on reconstruction and economic development issues in South East Europe, will be held at the Palais d'Egmont in Brussels on Thursday 8 December 2005. The Summit will offer an ideal opportunity to debate the future of the Balkans before an audience of EU policymakers, government representatives, business leaders, NGO representatives, academia and members of the international press.
The debates will be organised around three main questions:
Are the Balkans becoming part of the European Economy?
Which Balkans countries are headed for EU membership?
What are the dos and don'ts of Balkan reconstruction and development?
Please click here to see the full programme of the summit and download the registration form.
The registration form has to be returned either by fax on 02 738 75 97 or by email at info@friendsofeurope.org.
For more information please click here or contact the organizers at +32 2 737 91 45 or +32 2 738 75 97 (fax).

East East Programme: Partnership Beyond Borders

Application deadline: at least three months before a project is due to begin
The East East Program: Partnership Beyond Borders is one of the initiatives implemented by the Open Society Foundation in London (a registered UK charity). The program supports international exchanges that bring together civil society actors to share ideas, information, knowledge, experiences, and expertise and to support practical actions that result from that networking.
The programme provides financial and human resources that enable civil society actors to build and/or strengthen resources and expertise, share best practices/lessons learned in social transformation, collaborate on innovative solutions to common challenges, create and/or strengthen international advocacy coalitions.
The program gives priority to long-term initiatives with clear goals and realistic potential for effecting positive change, for example, by empowering marginalized and/or vulnerable sectors of society, promoting cultural, ethnic, and social diversity; managing the impact of social, economic, and political change; making information accessible and available to the public; encouraging public engagement and empowerment in civic dialogue.
In 2005 the East East Program: Partnership Beyond Borders launched a Subprogram for European Integration. This subprogram will prioritize cooperation among new EU member states, candidate and potential candidate countries, and the EU eastern neighbours. The subprogram is open to Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Application InformationThe East East Program: Partnership Beyond Borders is implemented by the Soros foundations. Applications are received and reviewed by these foundations. For more information, please contact the appropriate East East Program coordinator in the Soros foundation in your country.
Fore more information please click here or contact Geszti Judit, Program coordinator, at geszti@soros.hu.

Conference "Balkan Caucasus Programme", 18-22 December 2005, Macedonia

Community Development Institute - Tetovo starts with implementation of the Balkan Caucasus program. This initiative of collaboration and building partnership between the Balkan and Caucasus region started in November 2002 during the discussion among the participants from the Balkans and Caucasus at the DLP forum organized by the Community Development Institute (CDI) - YIC. In August 2003, at the conference "Building Balkan and Caucasus NGO network" organized by the project partners, a declaration has been signed and the principles for further collaboration were established.
The objectives of the programme are: to establish links and to forge more effective cross border collaboration between young leaders and NGOs from the Balkan and Caucasus countries; to provide training for the DLP alumnus and Balkan Caucasus NGO network Members in mediation and negotiation skills to be used in their further youth work; to create a comprehensive data base about methods, tools and case studies used in the Balkans and Caucasus countries by the youth political leaders for confidence building measures.
The participants are welcomed to propose topics of their interest within the frame of the program described. In general, the topics will cover the following issues:
Youth building peace and intercultural dialogue.
Integration processes and inter-ethnic stability.
Multiethnic society - advantages and disadvantages. Lessons learned.
Case studies.
Issues of common interest and possibilities for joint approach and collaboration.
The training component of the introductory event will cover the following topics: "Negotiation and mediation skills". Total number expected to take part at this meeting, including the participants, local staff members,speakers, translators and others is 40 people.
The target audience will be young leaders; DLP alumnus and BC network members from the Balkans and the Caucasus.
Working language of the conference is English. The travel expenses and accommodation will be covered by the organizer.
The application form is available upon request.
For more information please click here or contact the Community Development Institute Macedonia (www.mic.org.mk). Contact person: Sreten Koceski, tel. +389-70-250-286, e-mail sreten@mt.net.mk.

Training Course "Adventure Education", 8 - 15 July 2006, Luxembourg

Application deadline: 10 January 2006
National Agency of the YOUTH programme from Luxembourg has published a Call for participants for the Training Course "Adventure Education", that will take place at the Youth Hostel Lultzhausen, Luxembourg, 8 - 15 July 2006.The Training Course will touch practical aspects of Youth Work through workshops, presentations, information space, exchange of experience, discussions, learning by experience, intercultural learning. The participants will have the opportunity to present their personal, professional and cultural backgrounds. They will also have the opportunity to share experiences about their work with young people and to see how to transfer their experiences of adventure education to the reality of their everyday work with young people. Working language of the TC: English.
Objectives
to provide a general introduction to theory and practice of experiential education,
to enable participants to implement outdoor projects in their organisations and within the YOUTH programme,
to help contact making between youth workers and youth leaders from the different countries involved,
to share and learn from different experiences and work realities in the different countries,
to enable participants to improve their knowledge and their future work concerning adventure education,
to put questions and find answers to adventure education,
to promote co-operation between youth workers, to initiate projects in the YOUTH programme.
Number of Participants
They are expecting around 23 participants:
7 participants from different Partner Countries of Eastern Europe and Caucasus ( Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine),
6 participants from different Partner Countries of South East Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro, including UNMIK Kosovo)
3 participants from Belgium (Flemish, French and German speaking Communities),
1 participant from France,
1 participant from Germany,
1 participant from the Netherlands and
4 participants from Luxembourg.
Profile of Participants
Priority will be given to applicants:
who come from organisations with a certain knowledge and/or interest of adventure education and want to improve them,
who have the will to set up projects with partner countries and programme countries while using adventure education,
be in a good physical condition and willing to participate in sports activities,
have an organisation commitment/support.
Costs
Board and lodging will be provided and paid by the European Commission. Travel costs will be reimbursed.
Application procedure
All applicants must apply by filling in this application form and sending it back by 10 January 2006 to the SALTO Resource Centres or the different Agencies involved. Participants from Partner Countries (South East Europe, Eastern Europe and Caucasus) must send their application form to the SALTO-Centre in charge of their region. Participants from Programme countries (Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands) must send their application to their National Agency.
For more information and contact details please consult the official Call for Participants and Programme of the TC.

New website exposes recipients of EU farm support

A Europe-wide network of investigative journalists will today (1 December) launch a website with detailed information about the end-recipients of EU farm support.Last year, the European Union spent €43.5 billion on agriculture, more than 40 percent of the whole EU budget. But in most countries information on who gets the money is kept secret.
The new website, FarmSubsidy.org is for the first time offering the public easy access to this information.

Интересен WEB за тоа која земја колку пари добива од фондовита на ЕУ за земјоделство.

Eight countries are waiting in the wings to join the European Union.

Bulgaria and Romania have signed accession treaties and are set to join in 2007 or 2008.
Croatia and Turkey started accession talks on 3 October 2005. Turkey could complete them in 10 years, Croatia in five.
The other four Balkan countries have been told they can join the EU one day, if they meet the criteria. These include democracy, the rule of law, a market economy and adherence to the EU's goals of political and economic union.

Candidates for EU membership

Pre-register now for the International Summer University Macedonia 2006

In the summer of 2006, the Academic Training Association (ATA) togetherwith the Universities of Skopje, Bitola, Tetovo and the SEE Universitywill organise the second International Summer University in Macedonia. It is not possible yet to apply for the Summer University, but you canpre-register now by entering your name and email address on www.academictraining.org We will then inform you by email as soon as theregistration procedure opens. The ISUM 2006 will offer 20 intensive 3-week courses in Law, Economics, Business Administration, Public Administration, Education Science andTeacher Training. Courses will be taught in English and successfulparticipants will receive an official ECTS-compatible "Summer University Certificate". Next to the academic courses, cool parties, weekendexcursions, field trips, sports tournaments, and debates will be organisedfor all participants!
Don't miss your chance for a great summer - visit www.academictraining.org and pre-register for the ISUM 2006 now!

Education, training and youth Grants and loans

Education and training programmes
Youth Programme
Promotion of Active European Citizenship

THE PROGRAMME OF CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES

The Programme of Confidence-building Measures (CBM) in civil society was established following the first Council of Europe Summit held in Vienna in 1993. The upsurge of problems concerning majority-minority relations in specific countries has revealed the need to back up legal standard-setting and intergovernmental co-operation by implementing specific initiatives in particular fields in close co-operation with the majority and minority communities concerned.
The CBM Programme is the only assistance and co-operation programme of the Council of Europe that provides subsidies to civil society projects. The Programme’s budget for projects is each year considerably increased by voluntary contributions from member States.
The CBM Programme is designed to improve tolerance and understanding between communities and to defuse possible tensions between different communities in order to break down the barriers that divide them, both within member or applicant States as well as across borders. The aim is to enable those concerned to engage in dialogue, to learn and to work together so as to share experiences and promote mutual knowledge and understanding.

To conclude, the scope of the CBM Programme’s philosophy and pilot projects goes well beyond the improvement of minority-majority relations. It represents a major contribution to the realisation of the Council of Europe’s values and standards and the Organisation’s political role in preventing the emergence of conflicts, fostering democratic stability and promoting European unity.

Secretariat contact:
Mr Max Gilbert
Fax +33 3 88 41 37 81
e-mail: confidence-building@coe.int

Round-table meeting "Balkans and EU"

A round-table meeting entitled "The Balkans and the European Union" will take place this weekend in Bucharest with participation of 10 countries from the region, including representatives of NGOs and foundations.The meeting will focus on regional co-operation, security-related issues, EU integration process, and EU's role in Kosovo status talks.The event was organized by the Project on Ethnic Relations (PER).The PER was founded in 1991 to encourage the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation.

EU states lose grip on climate change targets

Further efforts are needed to tackle climate change, the UN has warned in a fresh report, with greenhouse gas emissions in many EU states rising instead of decreasing.The Bonn-based United Nations Climate Change secretariat in a report released on Thursday (17 November) warned that the western world is losing its grip on the climate change problem. UN researchers found that overall in the industrialised world, greenhouse gas emissions were down 5.9 percent in 2003 compared to the 1990 levels.But the UN report says a large part of the reductions were achieved in Central and Eastern Europe in the early 1990s, as heavily-polluting industry stemming from the communist era were shut down as these countries restructured their economies.Richard Kinley, acting head of the UN climate change body, said: "What we see is that the emissions from developed countries as a group have been stable in recent years and not decreased as they did in the early 1990s. Moreover, greenhouse gas projections indicate the possibility of emission growth by 2010.""It means that ensuring sustained and deeper emission reductions remains a challenge for developed countries," he added.The EU as a bloc achieved a reduction of 1.4 percent in emissions from 1990 to 2003, still far away from the minus 8 percent target in 2012 that the Europeans have set themselves in the framework of the international Kyoto protocol.Former communist new member states witnessed sizable reductions as dirty plants closed, with the largest cuts reported in Latvia (58%) and Lithuania (66%). However, most "old" member states have seen emissions increasing instead of decreasing. Eleven of the fifteen old member states have reported emissions going up instead of down since 1990, with huge increases seen in Spain (41.7%), Portugal (36.7%), Greece (25.8%), Ireland (25.6%), Finland (21.5%) and Austria (16.5%).Only Germany (-18.2%), France (-1.9%), the UK (-13%), Luxembourg (-16%) and Sweden (-2.3%) managed to cut emissions.Under a "burden sharing agreement" facilitated by an emission rights trading scheme, the EU has set targets for each member state in order for the bloc as a whole to reach the Kyoto targets.According to the agreement, some states like Portugal and Spain are allowed to increase their emissions, but not by the amounts the new UN report has recorded.
By Mark Beunderman

The importance of education

What is education ? Is it maybe a kind of a polite gentleman that softly puts fair-plays manners into greedy human beings ?(… This time the first glance over the topic is given to me by a short article from The Economist: how Europe fails its young, attacking the state-of-the-art of Europe’s higher education….)Definitely education is much more than gentlemen. It regards the fundamentals of a nation, an area or a macro-region, that could strive them to improvements, both cultural and economical.Will there be an European Education System ?I hope and I envisage a time when not only credits are changeable, as now, but when the entire system will move from the same political view: a common financial independence, a variegated degree of freedoms: to get funds, to choose his own research fields, to set up specific academic paths. To be updated and gain competitiveness.

2006 European Youth Campaign for Diversity, Human Rights and Participation

"All Different - All Equal"
This campaign will be organised by the Council of Europe and the European Youth Forum.
In 2006, activities linked to the themes of the campaign will be given priority for EYF funding.
For more information, consult the Youth web site: www.coe.int/youth

The European flag – symbol of Europe's common values and unity

The European flag – symbol of Europe's common values and unity At a ceremony in Strasbourg today to mark the 50th anniversary of the European flag, the leaders of the major European institutions said that the flag, which represented the shared values of the Council of Europe and the European Union, was the symbol of a continent-wide unity that transcended national frontiers. The ceremony was brought to a close by twelve children, who placed the twelve stars on a giant flag spread out on the lawn of the Palais de l'Europe. (more ...)

Video of the event
Photo gallery
Radio and TV Spots
Special file

Coyte Magazine

A magazine on issues around "Youth-Training-Europe", published once or twice a year. Its main target group is trainers and leaders of youth organisations. It contains articles written by experienced youth workers and specialists on issues of European-level youth worker training.
More...

The dog barks

Throughout the prolonged spasm of rioting in France, now in its 17th day, one dog which has been strangely silent is the European Union. Quick to give its opinion – wanted or not – on any manner of issues, it has refrained to commenting, much less offering anything like criticism.Now, that silence is broken. El presidente Barroso has leapt into the foreground, not of course criticising France but actually offering money - €50 million, "to help it tackle problems in its suburbs that have provoked unrest”.According to Reuters, Barroso revealed his offer on Europe 1 radio, stating that the main challenge facing France in dealing with impoverished suburbs was to create youth employment, "The best social politics is to create employment," he said. "When you have 60 percent of youths unemployed in suburbs it is a problem." Interestingly, Barroso said he had offered to make the funds available in a letter to Villepin on Friday. "If the French authorities want to do this with us, it is possible to do it with a rescheduling of credits," he is reported as saying, which seems to suggest that this is not new money. Could it be that Barroso is grandstanding? Perish the thought.

Balkans moving forward…

by Brussels Gonzo
The European Commission released its annual reports on enlargement yesterday, including a recommendation that Macedonia be recognised as an EU candidate. Eagerly anticipated (including by Doug Muir a few weeks back), but also pretty stunning given the difficulties the region has had, and given the general perception of enlargement fatigue.
However in my view this piece of good news is put in the shade by this morning’s Guardian story about likely Bosnian constitutional reform. Apparently a deal brokered by the Americans, but lubricated by the prospect of EU entry, “would give Bosnia the ’normal’ trappings of an integrated, non-ethnic parliamentary democracy: a national parliament with full legislative powers, central government and cabinet enjoying full executive power, and a titular head of state”.

Macedonia backed as EU candidate

The European Commission has recommended that Macedonia become a candidate country for EU membership.
Macedonia will be the third ex-Yugoslav republic to gain candidate status, after Slovenia - an EU member since 2004 - and Croatia.
The Commission did not set a date for starting entry talks with Macedonia, leaving that to December's EU summit.
It said Turkey could now be termed a functioning market economy but said it had to do more to respect human rights.
EU officials say that politically, Macedonia is an incredibly positive story, but that it still has a long way to go in terms of the economy and the public administration.
Weak and divided
The country stepped back from the brink of civil war in 2001, after the EU and Nato helped broker an agreement between ethnic Albanian rebels and the majority Slav population.
"Only a few years after a major security crisis, the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia today is a stable democracy and a functioning multi-ethnic state," a Commission statement said.
"This is a remarkable achievement. The country has also made important progress towards European integration. The Commission welcomes this progress and recommends that the Council should grant candidate status to the country."
The Commission's annual progress reports on applicant countries, released on Wednesday, describe the Balkans as a particular challenge for the EU, a region where states are weak and societies divided.
All of them have been promised eventual EU membership, but the Commission makes clear they can only join once they have met the criteria in full.
It also admits that any further expansion will have to be better explained to the people of Europe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk

Olli Rehn – Candidate status as recognition for the accomplished

The EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn visited Macedonia on 10 November 2005. On the meetings with the highest Macedonian authorities, the Commissioner elaborated the Opinion and the European Partnership Report and evaluated the progress that Macedonia has made and presented recommendation for what has to be done.“You’ve got a one-way ticket”, Rehn agreed with the comment of the Prime Minister Vlado Bučkovski, regarding EC’s recommendation to the EU Council to grant Macedonia status of candidate country for EU membership. The opinion is that Republic of Macedonia has stabile and functionate, democratic institutions respecting their competences and cooperating with each other.Rehn stated that submitting the application was the right step that contributed the process.“EU family will be incomplete as long as the Western Balkan countries remain outside it”, said Commissioner Rehn, reminding that those were his words during his first visit to Macedonia, one year ago.“Twelve months later, I bring you that assessment. It gives a thoroughly researched and carefully weighed analysis of the progress made by the country - as well as of the weaknesses which remain to be addressed before the country can make further progress towards the EU”, Commissioner Rehn said.The Commission has unanimously decided to recommend that the European Union should grant the status of candidate country to your country, in recognition of the country’s major achievements on the legislative framework related to the Ohrid Framework Agreement of 2001, and the progress made in the course of the four years of implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.”, Commissioner Rehn emphasised in his address to the members of the Macedonian Assembly.The Commissioner had meetings with the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Branko Crvenkovski, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, Vlado Bučkovski, Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Macedonia, Radmila Šekerinska and Musa Xhaferi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilinka Mitreva and with the presidents of Macedonian political parties. Rehn attended special sessions of the Government and the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia.
Фото галерија со слики од посетата на комесарот Рен е прикачена на следниот линк
Извор: http://www.sei.gov.mk

Project: “Human rights and freedoms in South-Eastern Europe – problems and solutions”

 

COUNTRY REPORT

ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

REGARDING YOUNG PEOPLE IN MACEDONIA

INTRODUCTION
Stability and respecting of human rights and freedoms are the base of developing an democratic country. The power that moves the country toward progress is youth. Everything that concerns the young people in each society has essential impact on the progress of that society.
The situation in the region, considering the human rights and freedoms is not on a satisfying level.
According to the information of the World Audit Organization (www.worldaudit.org) Macedonia is ranked at 70th position in the worldwide democracy rating (out of 149 observed states in the world). Only 6 other European states (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Moldova, Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine) are ranked lower. In respect of the corruption issue Macedonia in ranked 98th. (in this area only one European state is ranked lower than Macedonia-Albania). As regards the issue of freedom of information, Macedonia is ranked 72nd. Followed by 5 European states (Turkey, Moldova, Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine). There are marks from 1 to 7 (one is the best) for civil freedoms and political rights - Macedonia is ranked with 3 (followed by four European states -Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Russia and Belarus).
 
The youngsters being aware of these problems becoming unmotivated to achieve their ambitions and goals and they are dreaming of immigrating to other countries, where they think their rights and freedoms will be respected.
 
Human rights and freedoms education is very important tool for gaining the freedom, peace and justice by creating atmosphere of tolerance, coexistence and respecting the differences. Those preparing young generations for their future role in the society as responsible citizens whom are taking part in democratic processes in their country.
 
Those were the starting points of our idea to establish Regional Network of Youth Organisations that will work on these topics together.
We found a common ground that the roots of the problems that young people are facing in the region are similar and we want to make wider approach to this issue.
 
Human rights and freedoms and the Youth are crossing topics of our goals:
§  Improving the situation with human rights and freedoms in the region;
§  Recruiting youth activists that will promote human rights and freedoms in the region;
§ Motivating the government to initiate changes in the constitutional law and in the administration organization that will lead to better treatment of the human rights and freedoms;
 
The first step toward improving the situation is making global overview on human rights and freedoms regarding the young people in each country of the region.
 
It is difficult to separate human rights and freedoms addressed to young people from general human rights and freedoms. In order to make the most relevant and realistic picture of human rights and freedoms in Macedonia that are referring to the young people, we decided to use sources that are confident. We used information from organizations and individuals that has professional approach to human rights and freedoms issues.
 
The information in this report are taken from 4 sources:
·       “Baseline study on Youth trends” by Agency For Youth And Sports, 2003
·       Helsinki Committee Reports- 2004
·       Daily newspapers
·       NGO's reports
 
 
 
RIGHTS
 

• Economics, social, cultural

 
1.   The rights to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work, to protection against unemployment, to equal pay for equal work, to just and favorable remuneration;
§  Rights to work and to free choice of employment
In terms of employment the opinion indicates that there is very little optimism that job can be found and there is conviction about nepotistic organization of the society.
Most of the youngsters think that it is almost impossible to find employment. The rest believe that getting employed is possible, but not through employment mechanisms, which are common in societies with stable labor markets. There is almost no trust in the advertisements for job vacancies published in printed media. There is little belief that employment can be obtained through personal contact with companies in need of adequate work force. The confidence in the Employment Bureau is on the lowest level. That’s why two basic ways for getting employment are engagements in political parties and family and friendship relations.
Young people express bitterness of external offers for political involvement and of the politicised environment which puts pressure on them to choose sides and hope to find solution to their life problems, and to employment as one of the basic problems.
Influence of ethnicity on the opinion about employment possibilities is significant. Additional influence in this respect has the concentration of groups by regions.
By the young people who belong to Macedonian community the Employment Bureau, as a symbol of regular way of employment, has very low rate but its not same with the Albanians, in the community where they are majority.
The basic employment channel for Macedonians, and also for Albanians in regions where their representation is not very high is relatives and friends. Skopje is exception to this conclusion, where the influence of this factor is equally big for Albanians.
The pessimism in terms of employment opportunities is most characteristic for members of the Macedonian community. Still, members of the Albanian community in regions where they are minority express large pessimism.
Considering the gender there are no differences. Young females from Skopje think that they have less employment perspective than young males. Only young people from Stip have an opposite view because in the past few years a number of textile factories were open so the opportunity to be employed for the females is rising.
§  Right to equal pay for equal work
Most of employed people are satisfied with their working post.    However, their satisfaction is a result of their awareness that being employed is a privilege that not many people have, than a result of opportunities offered by their job positions for secure life and social promotion. The working post of the most of the employees is not in correlation with their level of education or their residence, because people are working anything just to be paid and be employed.
§  Right to just and favourable conditions of work
Mainly young people do not complain about their working conditions and most of them think that their working conditions are good, and that their work is not boring and monotonous. Some degree of dissatisfaction express people with completed secondary education and big dissatisfaction is showing people with completed primary education.
 
The higher respect of the working hours is related to the higher level of education, and in terms of gender, working hours are more respected in cases of female employees. Strumica is exception, where working hours are not respected in 80% of the cases, and where this has no connection with the level of education1.
Employed ones like and appreciate their work, and they are satisfied of it, not considering the fact that there are many things not in their favours. But the ones that are not employed have different point view towards work. Their sight for the working post is that it should be adequate to the education and valued properly. Only small percentage of the unemployed will accept least valued and any kind of offered work. Engagements as physical workers (in construction business, warehouse, and carriers) or agricultural work would accept most of the young unemployed people. Still, in case they cannot find employment adequate to their education, most of them would continue their education in order to obtain other qualifications.
 
·       Reasons for unemployment of the young people
In order to find the reasons for unemployment we used the information from the “Baseline study on Youth trends” by Agency For Youth And Sports, 2003. According to this study young people stated that major reason for unemployment is rule of friendship relations in employment processes and the corruption and the privatisation and closing of many enterprises in the country.
Also young people are not ready for own initiatives in the economic area, and they are feeling lack of possibilities for self-employment (opening a private firm) because they can’t get the necessary support for realising their ideas.
 
1.    Young people express extreme distrust in the functioning of employment institutions.
2.   Lack of employment criteria is existing, including such regarding to education, qualification, etc. Young people as powerful criteria pointed political affiliation and family and friendship relations.
3.     From a regional aspect, the only region where the Employment Bureau is functional is the Tetovo region. Strumica region is in worst position in terms of possibilities for employment of young people. It is the region with highest representation of the agricultural population.
4.      There are no significant differences noted on the labor market in terms of gender. Only exception from the previous statement is Stip, where females have higher opportunities for employment, which are result of increasing development of textile industry.
5.      The bad condition of the labor market has impact on the criticism of young people with respect to their working post taken and work done. They accept work without demands, such as: its adequacy with acquired education and qualification, meeting certain working conditions, appropriate location of the work etc.
6.      There is no security for the working post for most of young people. Employed young people are mostly without social and health insurance, as well as without permanent employment.
7.      Opportunities for career development are minimal.
8.      Awareness of bad conditions on the labor market minimizes the choice of young people in search of employment. Higher criticism in this respect is expressed by those still in process of education, who, in their projection of the future working post, are not ready to include "any kind of employment", but a kind of employment which corresponds with their qualification.
9.      There is lack of considerable criticism in terms of living conditions. Young people regard their environment as adequate to their living needs.
10.  Young people have accepted a system of value that is very similar to the traditional system of values of their parents. Their life dream is life in accord with the values: love, health, marriage, family and children.1
 
 
2.   The right to housing;
 
Internally displaced persons
 
“It has been after three years since the end of the armed conflict when many families from the conflict regions were forced to leave their houses and never return to their homes. And still there is no solution of the question of the internally displaced persons. Their continued stay in the collective reception centre, i.e. in provisional housing is a non-fulfilment of the obligations by the state that derive from its direct responsibility for the armed conflict and its consequences.
The Helsinki Committee has several times pointed out to the inappropriate treatment on behalf of the Government for the Internally displaced persons during the attempts for their forceful return. Condemning the lack of preparedness of the Government to take the responsibility for the suffered damages during the conflict of 2001, as well as its indolence with regard to the conditions of life in the collective centres. To illustrate, the Helsinki Committee was approached by a person who was forced to leave the State Student Dormitory "Pelagonija" – Skopje, after forcing the door (on basis of the notification of the Dormitory of 04.07.2003, which is based on Conclusions of the Government from the 18th session and lists published on 03.0-6.2003). The same person has submitted a document from the Ministry of Transport and Communication of 23.12.2003, which clearly shows that his home still has no electricity counter installed and the building is still not connected to the water supply!!! After being forced out of "Pelagonija", during the last 6 months the person was forced to seek accommodation with distant relatives.
At these centres were the internally displeased persons are situated the conditions OF life is the worst it can gets. The worst conditions of life are the ones in the Centre "Cicino Selo" where mostly Roma are accommodated. After the performed inspection of the centre, the National Ombudsperson finds that "due to the low level of hygiene in this centre, several months ago among the internally displaced persons appeared mange-cases and were forced to pay themselves for the medication for its treatment."
The latest is that that they done get any food because of the strike of the company that was providing it.
Representatives of the IDP's from Matejce and Lipkovo present their views on the problems. They underlined that:
a)   the local population still does not show positive signs that it accepts the IDP's (on the contrary the desecration of the Matejce cemetery is interpreted as a clear message that they should not return);
b)   thus far none of the Governments have actively participated in the resolution of the demands of the IDP's;
c)   the security situation is still unfavourable (in Matejce, the police station has not been constructed, and there are still no regular bus lines, and most of the private taxi companies refuse to drive the IDP's from the collective centres to the villages;
d)   the traumas of the 2001 crisis of both sides have not been healed 8);
e)   some persons (especially former members of the reserve forces) receive threats not to think of returning to their homes.
According to the information from direct contacts with the internally displaced persons and the examination of the situation in the areas of displacement, the Helsinki Committee concludes that:
-      The security situation in areas of displacement has been improved significantly and this is not the primary ground for the non-return of the displaced persons.
-      Some of the displaced persons (whose houses are reconstructed) would return to the place of living if they would receive minimal material support from the authorities for basic household items (stove, bed, table, chairs).
-      Some of displaced persons would start the return process if they were provided with minimum means for farming (seed material, seedlings, and mechanization rental).
-      Some of the displaced persons wait for the outcome of court proceedings instituted against the state for compensation of damage.
-      Some of the displaced persons (in the families of whom there were police and army officers in the 2001 conflict) do not intend to return to their places of living.
The general conclusion about the situation of the internally displaced persons is that the state does not assume its own responsibilities both in respect of the 2001 events and in terms of the consequences of these events, attempting to shrink the responsibility for appropriate resolution of the problems of the internally displaced persons.”[1]
  
Macedonian youngsters
 
From the research made by the Agency of Youth and Sport, in Macedonia young people of all regions mainly live with their parents (88.9 %) or with their mother (2.4 %). Only 5.7 % live with their spouses. The number of those living with a roommate, only with their father, with other relatives or alone, is extremely small.
In terms of nationality, in rural or urban area, young Macedonians live with their parents (89.9 %), and a smaller percentage live with their spouses (6.85 %). As to Albanian population, the situation is even more drastic: 95 % of the young people live with their parents, while 1.7 % live with their spouses. As to Roma population in rural areas, 100 % of young people live their parents; in urban areas, 73.3 % live with their parents, while there are individuals among the older who live with their spouses, alone, or in another way.1
The lack of the economic possibilities for separate life is giving this kind of situation, not the wish for living with parents. Even married young people are forced to live with parents, as they don’t have the means for individual and independent life (they are unemployed or have low income).
One of the factors contributing to this situation is certainly the cultural sample, where the intensive connection of children with parents is evident throughout a long period of life. In smaller settlements, especially in Albanian families, there is an additional element that reinforced this connection, that is, the feeling of responsibility of children to take care of their old parents. The relation parent-child (child-parent) shows a two-way dependence, financial and emotional.”
 
3.   The right to public health, medical care, social security and social services;
 
The problems such as poverty, unemployment, severe social differences, the deviant occurrences in the society, inefficiency of the administration, the non-existence of "social state" and ambiguity (conflicts of interest, absence of value criteria) of the social system as a whole, have an impact on the social care and the social protection.
 
The economic reform created great differences between the national economies of the states. The reduction of the economic development was characteristic for the countries undergoing the transitional period.
 
Poverty in the Republic of Macedonia continues to be ground for global human rights violations and an obstacle to their exercise by a large proportion of the population. There are no positive changes in the standard of the population, or in the decrease of the number of unemployed. There is neither increase of the production, or better social protection of the population. Instead of designing a global strategy for poverty reduction, there were measures undertaken aimed at limiting the social assistance, health care services and decreasing the number of citizens using any benefits on grounds of unemployment.
All answers expressed bitterness of external offers for political involvement and of the politicised environment which puts pressure on young people to choose sides if they are to stay around and hope to find solution to their life problems, and to employment as one of the basic problems.
Results from the survey "Development of children and young people". The general conclusion, which can be derived from the presented data, is the following:

• The economic situation, according to the opinion of the young people influences the onset and spreading of the pathological phenomena;

• The economic situation in the country has an influence of the criminal behaviour and the prostitution among the young people (68.8 % of the young people think that the economic situation in the country influences the young people to act criminally, a large percentage, or 62.4 % think that the prostitution among the young is closely linked to the economic situation)[2]

The lack of information among the young about the consequences of these phenomena has been identified as the next reason for the spread of these pathological phenomena.
 
Cases when the right to public health, medical care, social security and social services was violated
 
The City Pharmacies case. “The numerous citizens complained against the (un)professionalism of the employees of the City Pharmacies:
- The pharmacist gave false information about the list of subsidized medicines, stating that "there are no quantities of the concerned medicine" (although later it was established that there were 24 packages of the concerned medicine) and that it can be bought (without subsidies) (since there were larger quantities of the same medicine);
- The pharmacist did not want to give information in which other city pharmacy the medicine could be found,
- The pharmacist did not want (refused) to identify herself to the citizen, in order that he can exercise his rights in appropriate legal proceedings.
- The information of unauthorized import of cytostatics, forged receipts of unknown foreign pharmacies, overpaid and not refunded drugs and other medications is only a part of the information that points out the grave problems in the positioning and the functioning of our pharmacies.
The Health fund is instead focused on other issues - the control and sanctioning of the pharmacies, which, apparently do not work according to the law. However, with such an action, it appears that the main issues are being ignored. Namely, do our health organizations have systematic and actual potential to respond to their obligations? It appears that the Ministry of Health, the Clinical Center and the Health Insurance Fund, instead of making efforts to fulfil their legal obligations, decided to "punish" the patients by introducing (or at least announcing) rigorous control over the issuance of prescriptions.
The Helsinki Committee considers that by such behavior, the human rights for adequate health care of the citizens are directly violated, and especially the rights of the children which are the victims of the last case in the department of oncology. The obligations steaming from the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child should seriously be implemented especially in the field of health, where the drop of the quality of treatments and services to the patients is evident.”[3]
 
Surgeon blackmailer
“Surgeon from the Clinic of Urology asked 300 euros from the patient to make urgent surgery.”[4]
 
The girl killed on the New Year’s Eve
Natasa Kmetovska, 19 year old girl from Pobozje, village near Skopje died because of non-professional medical care in the Clinical Centre in Skopje. This young girl was shoot, accidentally, during the New Year’s celebration on the square Macedonia in Skopje. She was took to the hospital immediately but the doctors didn’t predict the injury caused from the bullet inside the body and they didn’t make surgery. Natasa died two days later. So far none took the responsibility for this case. Investigation is still ongoing.   
 
 
The commercial apartments case. “There are citizens who had applied at the public competition for commercial apartments published by the Public Enterprise for Management of Housing and Business Premises (Housing Enterprise).
After the competition for sale of apartments to persons without housing (young couples, single mothers, and parentless children), the selected candidates concluded a preliminary contract for purchase of apartments still under construction with the Housing Enterprise. The problem occurred with the later conclusion of a contract between the Housing Enterprise and the "Stopanska Banka" (Economic Bank) - Skopje for crediting the buyers of the apartments with whom the preliminary contracts had been concluded. Such contracts significantly change the conditions defined by the preliminary contracts. The now dissatisfied citizens could not move into the already constructed apartments unless they sign the new contracts. Otherwise, "the Housing Enterprise threatened to terminate the contracts." The media reported on this case.
 
A Macedonian household of five members, with three children age 13, 18 and 21, from Tetovo, living from the personal income of one parent (teacher), while the other parent is a worker in a bankrupt company "Medicine Plastics". Here is the statement of the father:
We gave up everything; we do not celebrate birthdays, we communicate with our friends only if absolutely necessary, we o not buy anything for me or my wife. Maintaining the house is difficult, and I do not remember when was the last time we went on vacation. At home we always argue with my wife about money. The children are always demanding money: for books, clothes, going out and whatnot. We can not meet their demands although they are modest. Everything is expensive. Consider our middle daughter is a solid student, we have to enable her to go to university. Only God knows how will we manage with two university students. There is nothing more that my wife and me can give up.’[5]
There were similar stories present in the urban and rural areas.
 
4.   The right to education and training;
 
Young people in the Republic of Macedonia participate in 1007 primary and 95 secondary schools, and 4 universities.
The number of children in the classes with programs in Macedonian and Serbian language is not much variable, while the number is increasing in those of Albanian and Turkish. Analyses of the ethnic structure show that highest numbers of children not attending teaching in primary schools are those of Roma nationality.
School dropout of pupils in primary education is about 1%, while about 80% of those enrolled in the first year of secondary schools, finish it. Highest dropout rates are observed in schools of three-year programs and those that offer unattractive vocations.
The most significant problem related to young people is the big percentage of those “getting lost” in the moment of transition from primary to secondary education.
According to 1998/1999 data, the following percentages of the total number of students who finished secondary education applied for enrolment in the faculties: 94.2 % of all Macedonian students, 56.4% of Albanian students and 72% of the Turkish students. Universities accepted enrolment of 51% of the applicants.2
 
The Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia guarantees the right to free of charge primary and secondary education. The students do financing of the high education from two sources - state budget and participation.
It seems that each educational institution is a separate world and that its efficiency and content of young users mostly depend on the quality of management, training of teachers and amount of funds invested in its modernization (most of all with help of foreign donations).
Several groups of issues/problems can be differentiated and situated in a certain educational subsystems, applicable to each educational institution. These directly impact the status and satisfaction of young people in our country. At the same time, pointing of the problems will mean giving priorities for future actions in the education system.
Primary education
Rehabilitation of institutions. The network of primary schools in Macedonia is deteriorated. Very little has been done for school rehabilitation in the past period. Working conditions are not adequate (especially in rural areas and smaller towns), and children work and study in extremely difficult conditions. Equipment and laboratory facilities are minimal.
“Decision made by the Ministry of education which is eager to invest enormous financial resources as a support of one more independent state university, or in the idea of optional tuition on Albanian language for all the students in Republic of Macedonia, but over a long time period it is still avoiding to confront with the miserable condition in which a part of the primary schools are (e.g. in the village Nikustak, where the children not only are unable to fulfil their right of education, but are exposed to direct dangers for their lives and health). The question of the priorities can be also seen through the prism of the government planned budget investments for the year 2004, where one can noticed that the election campaign costs seems to be priority rather than the improving of the educational system in Macedonia. The start of this school year again placed the education related problems high on the agenda.
In large number of schools (such as the schools in the Struga village of Jablanica, in the Tetovo region - the village of Brodec, in the Bitola region - the village of Dolno Orizari, in the village of Matejce in the Kumanovo region, in the Kuzman Josifovski School in Kicevo, in the village of Beli in the Kocani Region and in the Geras Cunev School in Stip), there was a boycott of the instruction because of the disastrous conditions (leaking roofs, damaged floors, bad sanitary facilities) due to which for a longer period it is impossible to carry out the instruction.
In the schools in the villages of Urvic and Jelovjane in the Tetovo region, the instruction was boycotted because of introduction of combined classes (in which pupils from different grades attend instruction together).
The ad hoc decision of the Ministry of Education for dislocation of several hundred pupils of the Secondary Physical Education School in Skopje also caused serious protests 1) that are still underway (current status: the parents of about 300 pupils of the I and II year).
The bad situation of the school infrastructure is set in conditions of increasing impoverishment of parents who have serious problems even in respect of buying of textbooks, manuals and school material. Namely, the minimum funds necessary for buying the above stated items range from three to five thousand denars (app. 50-80€). Compared to the average salary in the country 2) the amount might seem reasonable. However, if one takes into consideration the minimum wages in various branches of the economy where those working in the textile industry, for example, "lead" with monthly wage of 2.700 MKD (app. 44€), this would mean that the costs are more than a monthly salary of these workers!
In a situation when the Government is pursuing restrictive social policy and considering the growing category of employees with minimum salary the free of charge" character of education is put under question. Despite the fact that at the constitutional level Macedonia is declaratively a country in which primary education is "compulsory and free" 3), and although it has accepted obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 4), and ratified a series of international documents such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 5), the Convention against Discrimination in Education 6), Convention on the Rights of the Child 7), the authorities have not considered the question how such citizens, or at least the most impoverished ones, could cover the costs of the free of charge education. There is not a single word about this in the 2005-2015 National Strategy on Development of Education in the Republic of Macedonia and in the Amended Law on Primary Education.
Despite the fact that the Government of the Republic of Macedonia has signed all possible documents that guarantee the right to education and its provision free of charge, as stated in the September Report, it does not offer solutions or a concrete strategy for the full implementation of this right.
Although legally responsible before the citizens in respect of assumed obligations, the state continues not to fulfill its obligations. This month the Ministry has gone a step forward announcing that the state inspectors would punish parents that would not enroll their children or would not "allow" their children to attend school. 2) It is correct that in pursuance with the Law on Primary Education 3) parents may by fined with 5000 to 20.000 MKD if they do not enroll their children in first grade 4) or if their children do not attend classes regularly. However, the question is whether there is an inspector capable of punishing the Government for not abiding by the laws, for not respecting the ratified international documents, for not providing conditions for instruction, not providing minimal working conditions, for not providing funds for free of charge primary education, etc?
The restrictive policy that the Government applies from down up, will not help parents that have difficulties providing subsistence means, or funds for education of their children. Such a policy. i.e. threats are also an overt and evident demonstration of the Government's power.”1
Curricula modernisation according to concept of Learning Outcomes. Analyses show that the existing curricula has number of deficiencies which reflect: the weak connection of contents, lack of complex approach, lack of modern form of education, repetition of subject matters in programs, weaknesses in the evaluation system, weaknesses in defining the activities of pupils and teachers, organizational weaknesses.
Computerization. Supply of schools with modern information technology is minimal.
Teachers training. Teachers are the key problem and one of the highest priorities of the state. Any intervention for improving the teaching quality is impossible unless the problem of low professional and pedagogical preparedness of teachers is solved.
Professional and pedagogic development of teachers. So far, the Pedagogy Bureau of Macedonia covered this area. Despite efforts made, they can not meet the needs of all teachers. A priority issue is providing opportunities for creation and development of alternative forms for professional and pedagogical education of teachers with inclusion of more interested partners (donors, universities, private institutions). But not only theachers are the ones for which the training is needed: despite the efforts for improving the competencies of school directors in the past period, for various reasons (above all, political), these activities are still needed. Still, one of the key reasons for primary education problems is the weak school management.
 
Further more, Macedonia still hasn't established a system for monitoring and evaluation of activities of the key entities in school operation. Without a clear picture of the quality of their work, it is impossible to raise the quality of the education output.
Other problem is the weaknesses in infrastructure and equipment of schools, curricula weaknesses, and the insufficient skills of teachers to use modern models for teaching, have caused weaknesses in realization of the education process.
Regarding the children with special needs (disabilities), they are still on the margins and have difficult access to the regular forms of education. Numbers of them, especially those with lighter disabilities, obtain their education in specialized institutions. Their access to formal education has to be enforced, and the teachers have to obtain better training for working with this category of children.
Regarding support, schools are left on their own and/or depend on the government alone. Additional support for raising their quality is condition sine qua non nonexistent. Apart from some efforts made by the Pedagogy Bureau of Macedonia, which gives modest contribution to overcoming this problem based on predefined working plan set by the Ministry of Education, there are no other defined forms of support for pupils and teachers. This condition is particularly difficult in smaller settlements and rural regions.
Secondary education
 
•       Problems and needs pertaining to secondary education are almost identical as those of primary education. A number of them are part of the programs of PHARE VET reforms and other donors (USAED, FIOOM etc). Gymnasium education, although facing the same problems as the secondary vocational education, is still on the margins of interest of both the Government and the foreign donors.
 
University education
•       A lot has been invested in improvement of infrastructure and equipment in high education institutions in the past years. A serious problem is, however, the modernisation of curricula and introduction of modern forms of work. The major problem is the dominant focus on theory and the weak connection with the economy and real life. Training of university teachers is more than necessary. Furthermore, there is still no system in pace for evaluation/assessment of the work in the high education institutions. Work of professors and other personnel is based on outdated and inefficient methodology.
  
5.   The right equal participation in cultural activities
 
As the poverty in Macedonia is attacking each aspects of the society, the cultural activities are under this influence as well. It seems that the level of the involving in the cultural activities depends on the financial background. This has been shown in the answers of the questionnaire issued by The Macedonian NGO Network “Youth Cultural Initiatives” on the following issues:
On the question “ How the youngsters are satisfying their cultural needs” 916 from 3000 interviewed youngsters answered that they are doing this in the cafeterias where they are exchanging information and experience, or more rarely by watching some performance or event. This is indicating that the cultural offers in the cities are way to poor and the existing cultural institutions are not active or what they are offering is not adequate to the youngsters cultural needs and the last but not least their are too expensive for them. In Macedonian capital rarely there are discounts for young people and students as elsewhere in the world.
About the involvement of the city’s administration for making the cultural life better, the interviewed youngsters are saying that they are not satisfied with their work. 77% of the interviewed youngsters is saying that the city’s administration is not doing enough for improving the cultural life or that they are not doing anything at all.
The question “ What do you need to express your talent and creative abilities?” The majority of the interviewed youngsters said that they all need money for expressing their creative abilities. For example: for playing on some instrument you have to have not only the instrument but also the necessary accessories and equipment needed. Regarding the art expression by painting and drawing, it’s necessary to have materials and painting colors for which money, again, are needed. In fact, for every art activities for individual expression, money is necessary more or less. The conclusion is that the main problem that restricts the participation in cultural life and in art activities is the finances. On these questions a small number of the interviewed youngsters said that they need someone to value their activities. This is very interesting point because is tackling the cultural values and criteria in our society. The nepotism and corruption often are appearing as the only conditions for ones to promote its artwork or to have an opportunity to improve its talent and creative abilities.  
From the interviewed young people 52 % think that without any financial support from the institutions and the city authorities, there is not much that can be done for improving the quality of the cultural life in the city. Finances according to them are main problem that is stopping the initiative and creativity of the young people not only in the filed of their employment but also in the field of their cultural life and expression.     
This is leading us in to conclusion that is not the subjective financial background but the lack of the state budget as well that doesn’t allow the governance to improve the cultural institutions or maybe it doesn’t want to invested the finance in this area. This contributes to the fact that in many Macedonian towns there are many cultural institutions missing. In most of Macedonian city are missing cultural centres that have cultural youth program, sport’s buildings, alternative and underground places for concerts and performance from various areas not to mention the missing of the theatre in many cities.
The conclusion is that in Macedonia there is a trend of the culture of poverty and resignation.
  

• Right of liberty and security

 In Macedonian law the procedure of deprivation of freedom with or without
court order is strictly defined with the Criminal Code. This law, including the acts of the police officers, is explaining in details the cases when one person could be deprived of his freedom.
According to this law the main cases of deprivation of freedom are when the person is suspected of the crime and there is a danger that he/her might repeat the crime again or hide its evidences or run away. Also if the criminal is caught by the police, red handed. But this law determination gives opportunity for law vacuum regarding the basic standards for existing of the basic suspicions and the adequate estimation of the evidence that approve the arrest. The possibility of the abuse of this power is quite high that leads to the situations when the liberty of the person depends on the police officers. In many occasions the police officers are violating this right and this possibility is even higher because the police may call, arrest and deprive from freedom a person without court order and to keep his/her in police custody for 24 hours and then to release him/her. This is restricting the opportunity of person to be taken in front of the court so it can be concluded whether his deprivation of freedom was on arbitrary basis.
The restriction of the right of liberty and security can initiate permanent repercussions for ones dignity, his reputation in the society and the further position of that person in the state and its institutions.
This kind of cases in Macedonia are happening very often, many deprivation of liberty have been made by the police officers without any court orders and non of them haven’t been with negative consequences for the Police even though the cases were reported to its authorities. It seems that the Internal Control Unit of the Ministry of the Interior in many occasions is not taking any necessary measures to institute investigation and sanction the eventual violations of the law.
 
“The Ministry of Interior and Human rights. - At the beginning of 2004, the Minister of Interior has introduced a "Code of Police Ethics" according to which the first goal of the Police in the Republic of Macedonia is "the protection of basic human rights and liberties guaranteed in the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, as well as the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights." (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia 3/04).
It is evident that this is a step forward, although from this, as a normative measure, to its realization in practice - there is a long way to go. Above all, what is important is: the dissemination and acquainting of the Police with this very important act, the quality and fair training of how this should be realized, as well as the most important part - its realization.”[6]
The right of liberty and security after the conflict in 2001, has been violated in much more cases than before.
This is result of the presence of firearms that is on very high level after the conflict.
”Regarding paragraph 2 of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, - cessation of hostilities- there was a cessation of the hostilities and ethnic Albanian armed groups were dismantled, however there has not been their complete disarmament. This means that the change is incomplete (60%) and signifies a lower level of guaranteed security for citizens as compared to the situation before the armed conflict. A practical indicator in this respect is the increased level of use of firearms, increased number of armed attacks and robberies and increased number of murders perpetrated with the use of firearms.”[7]
 
But this is not the only factor for this phenomenon; there are many numbers of other factors that contribute to the violations of this right as well in conditions when the authorities are doing the opposite of what is required in these circumstances.
What happened the last month is the deputy manager of the prison in Idrisovo in the honour of the Islamic holiday, Bajram, have release for the weekend the prisoners that are celebrating this holiday. The result was two murders, one rape of 14-year-old girl and several robberies.
The situation in Kondovo were many armed groups are situated is getting worst. This place is beyond the control of the Ministry of Interior Affairs and other authorities and the security of the ones that are visiting this village is in danger. Kondovo is not only place with these circumstances.
  

• Right of respect of his private and family life

The privacy was disturbed in the case of "banishing monks" from their homes. - The monks David Ninov and Maksim Ristevski, from the village of Markova Susica, Skopje, contacted the Helsinki Committee in respect of protection of the home and privacy upon Police assistance in their banishing from the Marko Monastery, as well as the nun Kirana Parilik in connection with the Police assistance in her banishing from the Monastery of the Holly Mother in the village of Jankovec, Resen region.
The Helsinki Committee forwarded a request to the authorized Internal Affairs Department for information in relation to the legal grounds upon which Police assistance was provided in the banishing of the monks and nun from their homes. The banished persons have identification documents at which the address of the Monasteries is stated as permanent residence.
Taking into consideration that the monks and nuns,  were banished from their homes without documents envisaged in the Law on Housing and without notice of eviction, the Helsinki Committee considers that there are serious indications for violation of the right to inviolability of the home, especially in light of the fact that there was Police assistance[8].
  

• Right to know and access to information

With Europe integration process things are starting to get better concerning this issue. For example the sector for euro integration is in process of implementing its strategy for informing the public about this process. Also on internet you can find page transparency Macedonia even though on other web pages this transparency page was criticized for shortage of information.
The last few years many public institutions have made their work more transparent using internet, so info on many laws and regulation are available on internet.
The Helsinki Committee is also doing well with its reports that on Internet are available for everyone on Macedonian and English version.
But in the everyday life there is still some difficulties for one to gat the needed information, nepotism and corruption is always the easiest way for getting the information. But as mentioned things are getting better and this is a process for which time is needed so we hope that in the future the right to know will be highly satisfied.
Right to marry
The poverty is still having an influence on exercise on human rights and freedoms, so the same is going on with this issue. It seems that the youngsters are prolonging the marriage to some better times.
FREEDOMS
 

• Of movement

 
Within the borders of Macedonia the freedom of movement is inhibited regionally. This especially considers the situation in Kondovo, as the most recent and symptomatic case that is initiating panic amongst Macedonian citizens.
Almost tree months in Macedonian village Kondovo para-army was situated, which didn’t allow anyone to get there. Or at least this is what the Macedonian medium saying and showing. Certain state representatives are saying that “there is no such a thing and what is happening is just few youngsters are protesting because they were not satisfied from the process of implementation of Ohrid framework agreement.” 
However the leader of those armed groups have announced what they are looking for in order to left the village. Some of their demands are a total amnesty for their members, their employment in the Macedonian army and police and financial support for the families of the ones that have been wounded and killed in the conflict in 2001.
In case the Government wouldn’t respond to their demands they wont abandon the village but they were also threatening that they would bombed the central part of Skopje where the Macedonian government is situated.
In the following stage it seemed that there wasn’t any possibility that Kondovo will become a safe place or that these armed groups will give up from their demands. Furthermore, it was thought that nothing could be done if some government representatives think that there wasn’t anything in Kondovo that was worth for any action.
The satiation ended up when, before the New years holidays, they left the village, but how and why no one knows.
 The freedom of movement is also very important for the Macedonian youngsters that would like to travel around the globe.
Is well known that the external politics of the European Union Members are having very strict external politics concerning the youngsters coming from the Non European Union member’s countries.
It seems that the travelling in those countries is just a luxury, that only the reach ones and the dissuasion making representatives of the NGOs, and Government institutions, can afford.  The common youngsters almost never get a chance to travel abroad. This might brings a great deal of frustration to our youngsters especially if we consider the results from one of the latest survey made by the Agency of Youth and Sport were is mentioned that: 38,3% of the interviewed youngsters if are able will temporarily migrate to another country and 26,6% permanently which is total of 64,9% of the youngsters. Just few of them get the chance to realise this. More than half of those 64,9% want to go abroad because of the opportunity of getting better education, but as mentioned the visa regimes are really strict so the youngsters educational and career ambitions are never fulfilled which reflects on the future of our country.
There was interesting show done by the modern ballerinas, called Shengen. 
The ballet was telling a story about how our young artist couldn’t prosper in the world, and how they cant developed further their abilities and talent because of the Shengen regime and shortage of finance.
Concerning the freedom of movement of the foreign citizens that are coning in our countries they are just only individual cases.
“For example- By the end of October the media published information about the several hour keeping of the Serbian Bishop Irinej at the Macedonian-Serbian border. As it was underlined 5) allegedly "our services have not allowed entry into Macedonia to Bishop Irinej, evoking Article 69 of the Law on Stay and Movement of Foreigners, 6), which allegedly applies to religious "uniforms" -mantles.
It is not at all clear why this Article was evoked, if it was truly the grounds for keeping the person and if this was necessary at all, when the Article explicitly refers to a specific group of uniformed (military) persons in given situations. "The promotion" of the mantles into "uniforms" is more than an "exaggerated" interpretation of the law.”[9]
There are several cases were the freedom of movement, of the foreign citizens that want to enter in Macedonia, is violated by the border officers who might make decisions on whether someone should or shouldn’t enter in the country, on non lawful basis.
 

• Thought , conscience and religion

• Of expression

 

• Of assembly and association

 
The social activity through citizen's associations is significant segment of social life.
Here, we are putting the accent on violation of freedom of assembly and association by the associations of citizens in Macedonia. There are 5.300 associations of citizens registered in Macedonia, more than each country in the region. But according the research from the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation (MCIC) only 350 associations of citizens are active. The citizens are complaining that except seminars, conferences and promotional material they haven’t seen anything from NGO sector. Very often the associations of citizens in their reports about their “results” write illogical accomplishments.
Associations of citizens are establishing according the present situation in the country. In the period 1994-1998 the most of the associations of citizens were working on the ecology issues. From 1998 number of associations of citizens that are dealing with interethnic issues is increasing. This year the most actual are Roma issues. In the few past months there were established the most associations of citizens for rights of Roma people.
MCIC point that the enormous number of associations of citizens is consequence of unemployment in the country. People find the way to earn money.
“The international foundations give support to the associations of citizens in order to control us” - said one professor involved in the work of NGO sector for the daily newspaper “Vreme” on 8 December 2004.
Mirjana Najcevska – president of the Macedonaian Helsinki Commetee for the daily newspaper “Vreme” on 8 December 2004 said that some of the associations of citizens are going to close with the politics: “… Politicians want to realize their political interests, especially before the elections”.
 
Following information, according “Baseline study on youth trends”-Agency of Youth and Sport, 2004 is reflection of this situation on the young’s people opinion about associations of citizens. Most of the young people surveyed (65.8%) stated that they are not members of any association of citizens.
This is also in compliance with the insufficient influence of the most of the associations of citizens (and their activities) on the forming of the attitudes about the life of the young population. Thus, only 6.9% of the young people answered positively to the question about the influence of the associations of citizens on the establishment of their life attitudes, while 67.8% answered negatively.
The question about what the young people think is the role of most associations of citizens (non-governmental organisations) in our society, has been raised in the above explained context. Most of the young people - 37.1% answered that the role of the citizen's associations is to fulfil the needs of the citizens that could not be fulfilled by the state. The opinion of the young people that the citizen's associations are used for money laundry is second. Then, the role of the associations of citizens is determined as a corrective to state policy - 8.9%, for spending free time - 8.3%, but also for realisation of career goals - 8.1%, for fulfilment of goals of the political parties - 7.5%, and 6.1% see the citizen's association as means for implementation of the interests of foreign countries. The answers on this question show that the associations of citizens (the non­-governmental organisations) provoke positive and negative impression among the young population, whereby they are either attractive or unattractive to them.”[10]
The results show one divided perception of the citizen's associations in our society between their normal function which is perceived through the roles: realisation of the needs of the citizens which can not be met by the state, than as a corrective of the governmental policy, filling the free time, but also through the utilisation of the state, the policy (domestic and international), the individuals from the associations. Situation which is, from one hand, stress the need for these associations, but also show the non-harmonisation of their activities with the needs of the young people in the local communities and on state level. In favour of these findings also stand the results from the talks realised with the young people. The "exclusiveness" in friendly, familiar circles, which are used for “money laundry”, was many times mentioned. There is lack of action because of the different "trainings" and "seminars" which are mostly wrongly done and only for activity. There is no real action. The one that makes vulnerable most of the citizen's associations and subject to various "political" and "foreign influences" is the economic crisis in Macedonia. In fact, main donors of these associations are various foreign foundations, foreign states (through their diplomatic representations) and in smaller scale the Macedonian state and the domestic foundations. Of course there are successful examples, but the engagement of the young people in the citizen's associations, in order to solve the problems which are rising in the every day's life, is far from the real needs and that shows the need for changes in the organisation and acting of the associations of citizens in Macedonia, especially the ones that are dealing with youth problems.
 
 
 
PROHIBITIONS
 

• Of torture

 
Women trafficking
In 2003 NGO “Open Gate” had intervention in order to help to 19 women-victim of violence. The most of them were Macedonian 63%, 21% were from Moldova, 11% with Serbian nationality and the rest were from other nationalities. The victims are generally young girls age 14-24. Mostly they are coming from poor families from rural areas. The pimps involve girls in this “business” by offering them work in cafe bars as waitresses and afterwards the owners of the bars force them to do various perversions in order to satisfy sick fantasies of the clients.
One young girl from Skopje involved in women trafficking gave statement in daily newspaper “Dnevnik” on 8 December 2004:
“I was desperate because we were poor. We lived from my grandmother’s low pension.
…I wanted to go in big city like Budapest, Prague, Roma or Paris, somewhere to earn money to help my family.
A friend of mine introduced me to a woman who offered me job abroad. She promised me that I’ll work as a waitress and that I’ll have high salary. After 10 days they took me to one bar in western Macedonia.
… First, I was taken with two other girls in Kosovo, illegally, we walked across a river. Some of the girls were sold there… When I arrived in the bar in Tetovo they kept me locked. We were forced to wear thin cloth even in the winter just to satisfy sick fantasies of the clients. They never pay me, “the Boss” became more and more violent. They beaten me and forced me to give sexual services, if I refused they raped me and beaten me. I didn’t have a chance to run away of that nightmare because always some of the girls were following me. Also they threaten me with a gun pointed to my head: ”if you don’t work you’ll be dead in 5 minutes”. He had a gun and a power and I had nothing”. 
This girl succeeded to run away from that bar but she still do have traumas from those days. It is important to point out that the number of Macedonian girls who are included in women trafficking is evidently increased from the last year. The situation isn’t getting better because the Macedonian state representatives claimed that the Republic of Macedonia is only a transit and destination country while the representatives of non-governmental organizations and international organisations warned that the Republic of Macedonia is gradually becoming a country of origin of victims of trafficking in women for sexual exploitation (mainly by forcing them to prostitution).
The claims of the Secretary of the National Commission that the country lacks official information about victims of trafficking (Macedonian citizens) are in direct collision with the information published on the web site of the Ministry of the Interior regarding the undertaken activities for fight against trafficking in human beings
 If one adds the fact that, very often there is silence about the number of court procedures that have ended in legally valid verdicts, it could be concluded that the campaign against trafficking in human beings is faced with serious difficulties.
From all this we can make conclusion that trafficking in human beings in Macedonia is more present than in the past and that this problem became very serious and it requests serious approach to its resolving.
Concerning family violence, in last few years there was an active campaign fighting against this problem. Lately the daily newspapers were writing about this problem in Roma families. The researches are saying that every second Roma wife is physical or psychologically abused by her husband and in many cases by their fathers and mothers in law. The Roma wives are complaining that they don’t get any help from the police because police thinks that that is not a problem under their authority but rather a problem that should be solved in the frames of ones family. In this circumstances what happens is someone get killed, and that is the only time when the police is concern. There were cases when the wife have killed her husband because she could not longer put up the abuse of her husband. Till the police doesn’t take more seriously this matter there isn’t any chance the problem of Roma wives to be solved.
 
 
·       Slavery
 
The most obvious case of slavery are Roma children in Macedonia. They are forced by their parents to ask alms. Even worse is that the parents sign out them from schools in order to have much time for asking alms. There are many cases when mothers left their babies on the street, to sleep alone for people who are passing by to leave them some money. There was one television show “Zevzek manija” on the local television “Kanal 5” where was presented some statistic. Namely according that statistic one Roma child earns (by asking alms) 500-800 denars (9-13 euro) per day, which is approximately 15.000- 24.000 denars (250-400 euro), per month. Knowing the fact that some of the Roma families have more children (5-6) we can conclude that one Roma family earns a lot of money by forcing their own children to slavery.
 
 
·       Abuse  of power
 
In police
The rising number of cases that indicated that the police abused their authority ended up without any result or without an adequate result confirms once more that the Macedonian police definitely have not any controller. The unit for professional standards is far from that. Actually, the international obligations clearly stipulate that there should be an independent research formation for these cases and especially for the cases where allegedly there was a torture. The reforms on this plan, as far as we can see, do not concede such formations. Unfortunately, the only thing left is to contact the competent international instances.
Cases of abuse of power:
 
Isak Tairovski case, Skopje. - According to his statement, at that time juvenile Isak Tairovski was beaten up in the police station in Bit Pazar (on the 24 February 1994), after which he was hospitalized )
 
Ertan Elmazoski case, Prilep. - According to the information handed over to the Helsinki Committee from the Humanitarian Charitable Organization "Mesecina" - Gostivar 2), on April 21, 2004 in Prilep, Ertan Elmazoski was apprehended by the security officers - Prilep in front of the sandwich shop "Stale-Partizan". During this actions, the police inspectors (whose identity is known to Ertan Elmazoski), and a policeman in a uniform, as alleged, without a court order and without stating the reasons for the apprehension, simultaneously using psychological and physical abuse (in front of the sandwich shop), deprived the claimant of his freedom and brought him to the Police station (room 24), where they continued the abuse, finally promising release if he signed "some document". Elmazoski, fearing further maltreatment, did as he was asked. Immediately after he had been released, Elmazoski reported the case to the above-mentioned organization, which helped him get a medical examination for which he has a medical report and photographs that confirm the existence of the inflicted injuries.
 
According to the statement of Mr. Sasko Dragovic, he was detained at the Butel I Police Station, Skopje without being served a warrant, without being explained the rights he has, and with the use of force (when bodily injuries were inflicted) in order to extort a confession of his for perpetration of a theft.
 
According to the statements of Mr. Ivanovski, after the football game (22 August 2004) between the football teams of Vardar and Škendija, there were disorders in the City Park, when the police brutally beat up a minor in front of them. After they attempted to do something for the child, Aleksandar Ivanovski and his friend Aleksandar Pavlovski were attacked by the police officers, when the vehicle of Ivanovski was damaged as well. They were apprehend and taken to the I Police Station (Beko) -Skopje where they were kept for 4 to 5 hours. They both have medical certificates confirming the bodily injuries.
 
The Kostadinovski case, Kumanovo. - according to the statements of Kostadinovski, it is a matter of ill-treatment in the performance of official duties, when police officers of the Kumanovo Internal Affairs Department deprived him of freedom without a court order, without being explained the reasons for the deprivation of freedom, without being informed about his rights, without being taken before an investigative judge and without any criminal proceedings instituted against him. He was ill treated and beaten by two police officers and one reserve officer at the police station, and he has a medical certificate corroborating the bodily injuries.
 
 
In education
In the Universities in Macedonia can be found:

• Bribe to pass the exam;

• Forcing students to bye books from the professors;

• Nepotism;

• No transparency of entering procedure in the faculty (the right to know and access to information) ;

• Sexual abuse of the students in order to pass the exam;

• Bribe for the administrative services.  

 
 

• Discrimination

 
In Macedonia the discrimination is a problem that has been appearing trough the history in different forms. In different periods different forms of discrimination were stronger than others.
The contemporary citizenship is suffering from discrimination on the following grounds: sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, ethnical background, social origin and status, birth, physical handicap and sexual orientation.
Sex discrimination. As Macedonian is still a traditional society that is changing to a modern one, there are certain values that can be categorized as traditional ones. These values tackle the status of the women in the society.
The statistics are indicating that there are many situations were the Macedonian women are discriminated and most of them are regarding hers profession.
The statistics are saying that most of the problems that women have concerning the professional life are based on the sex discrimination,
From 17% of the women are having problems at work, 4,9% are because of the sex discrimination and that they are unaccepted from their male colleges.
Concerning the feeling of the women relating the “senior executive position” women were asked, “ do you have a feeling that the women occupy senior executive positions more rarely than the men” on which 86,2% have answered “yes”. Among the interviewed population widely spread is the opinion that women are not well represented in the local and state government (86,2%, 94,5%), the answers on the questions “why is it so” indicates that there are many reasons, objective, discriminatory and subjective one (personal capability and efforts of the woman) [11]
The datas for the women in Macedonia are indicating that:
-        80% of unpaid housework is done by women,
-        from the total number of employed persons in Macedonia just 38,9% are women;
-        from the total number of employers in Macedonia just 22,86% are women;
-        in parliament just 17,65 of the members are women;
-        from in total 124 city mayors, just 3 are women.
The Macedonian women are not only discriminated in their professional surrounding, but in hers family life as well. In some rural places and ethnical groups were the families are traditional and patriarchal the woman’s status in the family is always a scale under the status of the male members of the family. The researches are showing that every forth women in Macedonia is a subject of family abuse.
 
The discrimination on ethnical basis.
Macedonian situation on this issue is quite positive concerning the Albanian minority, which comes from the implementation of the Ohrid framework agreement. In its elaborated form the Agreement relates to only one dimension of the human rights and freedoms concept- the dimension of protection of persons belonging to the non-majority ethnic communities in the state.
The envisaged changes with this agreement are based on the principle of positive discrimination (which is always of temporary character) that is to secure progress of the concerned ethnic communities and appropriate protection, guaranteeing thus exercise of rights and freedoms under equal conditions as the persons belonging to the majority community.
The envisaged changes with this agreement are based on the principle of positive discrimination (which is always of temporary character) that is to secure progress of the concerned ethnic communities and appropriate protection, guaranteeing thus exercise of rights and freedoms under equal conditions as the persons belonging to the majority community.
 “Regarding non-discrimination and equitable representation - the envisaged legal changes have been made and there has been maximum prompt absorption of new personnel from non-majority ethnic communities. In most cases the rules of competence and integrity that the public administration should be governed by have not been respected and the party membership criteria still exist. Therefore, the Helsinki Committee considers that the changes of this kind caused increase of incompetence, lack of expertise and efficiency of the administration (which directly affects the exercise of human rights and freedoms).
 Regarding paragraph for special parliamentary procedures - the necessary legal changes have been made (for the purpose of securing double majority in resolving issues of interest to persons belonging to minority ethnic communities). However, the text of the Constitution and of the overall legislation has not been consolidated in order to eliminate the contradictories and collisions that could occur because of the latest changes. The result is different interpretation of the matter and creating a source of new inter-ethnic tensions and conflicts.
 The largest number of changes has been made in respect of the provisions about education and use of languages. The factual result of these changes is the possibility of wide use of the Albanian language with the education, media, court procedures, parliamentary structures, central administration and official communication within and with local authorities (85%).
However, the following has not been accomplished: first making the administrative procedures closer to citizens and promotion of bilingualism (or multilingualism) in the communication with the administrative counter employees (which certainly is of greater importance for ordinary citizens rather than the bilingual printing of the laws in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia);
The third problem occurring in this regard is the use and protection of the languages of the other ethnic communities. The advancement of the use only of the Albanian language with the local and central authorities leads to discrimination of the language of the persons belonging to different ethnic communities.”[12]
The positive discrimination of Albanian minority seems to be not enough controlled, which might lead to lack of treatment to other minorities living in Macedonia.
The sex orientation discrimination.
As previously mentioned, Macedonian society is still traditional so its members seems to be suspicious to everything that is running out from the frames of the usual everyday life.
The ones that have different sex orientation from heterosexual are staying in the groups with the ones similar with them. They are keeping low profile and hiding their sexuality. It seems that nothing will be changed in the near future because non of these persons can be brave enough to be what he/her really is, and cope with the society judgment. There is almost not any communication between the homosexual groups and the others.
Discrimination on society status basis
In the conditions when the middle class is gradually disappearing and the difference between the poor ones and the reach ones is getting higher it seems that the first ones are discriminated by the rest of society.
The classrooms, the nightclubs, the working environment, in front of the administrative counters, and in almost every public place these type of discrimination is noticeable.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSITIVE POINTS
 
Concerning the presented information in this report we found a need to point out that among all disadvantages concerning human rights and freedoms in Macedonia there are some initiatives that are directed to improve the general situation.
They are the work of:

• Helsinki Committee in Macedonia

• Transparency Macedonia

• Open Gate

• Agency for Youth and Sport

• IOM

In our future activities we should always count on their support and cooperation.

---

1 ‘Baseline study on youth trends” – Agency of youth and sport, Macedonia 2003
1 ‘Baseline study on youth trends” – Agency of youth and sport, Macedonia 2003
[1] Helsinki Committee Report 2004
1 ‘Baseline study on youth trends” – Agency of youth and sport, Macedonia 2003
[2] “Baseline study on youth trends”-Agency of Youth and Sport, 2004
 
[3] Helsinki Committee Report 2004
[4] Daily newspapers November 2004
[5] Helsinki Committee Report 2004
2 “Baseline study on youth trends”-Agency of Youth and Sport, 2004
1 Helsinki Committee report 2004
[6] Macedonian Helsinki Committee reports 2004
[7] Helsinki Committee report 2004
[8] Helsinki Committee report 2004
[9] Helsinki Committee report 2004
[10] “Baseline study on youth trends”-Agency of Youth and Sport, 2004
[11] D-r Jorde Jakimovski “Partipation of the women in the social and political life in the R. of  Macedonia 2002, p.p 10-30
[12] Macedonian Helsinki Committee report 2004