The promotion of the five year report, prepared with the support from the Open Society Institute (RIO) Budapest, was held on the 16th November 2010 at the “Alexander Palace” Hotel.
The five year report of the association National Roma Centrum (NRC) is related to its founders’ fifteen years of work in the nongovernment movement. NRC was formed in 2005m with a purpose to strengthen and visualize the voice of the Roma community in front of institutions and the public, in Macedonia and abroad.
On the festivity organized on behalf of the publishing of the report attendees were ambassadors, representatives from institutions, foundations, organizations and individuals and other collaborators.
Mr. Bernard Rorke, from OSI’s Roma Initiatives from Budapest, was prevented to attend, however he delivered the following message:
“I regret that I cannot be here today to join you for this occasion. I congratulate National Roma Centrum for the enormous amount of hard work and the achievements since 2005. The National Roma Centrum’s team is dedicated to empowering Roma citizens, ensuring that their voices are heard, and defending human rights. Your daily work in education, health, housing, women’s rights, and legal assistance means that the link with local communities is never lost and always dynamic. It also means that your evidence-based advocacy at national and international level has a very special legitimacy when it comes to combating discrimination in the struggle for the emancipation of Europe’s Roma. I wish all of the National Roma Centrum’s team good health and continued success for the future.”
Mr. Asmet Elezovski in his introductory speech pointed out:
“It’s certainly a pleasure when a man turns back and sees that the vision became reality, the idea turned into action and our action caused reaction both, at home and internationally.
It rejoices when from organization of five like-minded we became an institution of civil activists, we grew into a partner of the state institutions, a policy creator; fighter for better life for Roma people, but also for all people who need help in the fight for their rights.
It is a pleasure when man stops for a moment in the office where nonetheless the pile of daily obligations, occasional visitors, dead-lines, trips, personal problems…one can see that the National Roma Centrum’s team is still the main pillar that holds the organization on firm foundations.
There! Accidently or not, I partially discovered our secret for success. But, believe us it’s not easy to change the society around you at all. We’ve got the first support from the Open Society Institute from Budapest. With the Roma Education Fund we improved the Roma education in Macedonia. We became a European partner that truly contributes for the changes in the society in the heart of the “Old continent” – Brussels.
Today is the World’s day for tolerance too. In that spirit, I don’t want to force you to tolerate this speech too much. Actually, bragging about me never was one of my stronger characteristic. Personally and the whole team, we are better on field, on proposing and implementing projects, we are stronger on arguments, lobbying for regulations. All that and much more, you’ll have a chance to see it in our report.
I think that I’ve said enough. I leave our work and dedication to speak from now on.
Dear guests, thank you for your efforts to dedicate a small moment from your precious time in order to be with us. Thank you for your support and cooperation over the years. I hope and I wish that we’ll be on the same page of the book of success in the future too.
At the end, I would like to thank all of my colleagues in the National Roma Centrum, to my team and to all my collaborators.
Without you, National Roma Centrum would have never been the National Roma Centrum. Therefore, thank you very much!”
[post_gallery]