Foreword

In thousands of languages, in the most diverse climes, from century to century, beginning with the very old stories told around the hearth in the huts of our remote ancestors down to the works of modern storytellers which are appearing at this moment in the publishing houses of the great cities of the world, it is the story of the human condition that is being spun and that men never weary of telling to one another. The manner of telling and the form of the story vary according to periods and circumstances, but the taste for telling and retelling a story remains the same: the narrative flows endlessly and never runs dry. Thus, at times, one might almost believe that from the first dawn of consciousness throughout the ages, mankind has constantly been telling itself the same story, though with infinite variations, to the rhythm of its breath and pulse.

Ivo Andric’s speech
at the Nobel Banquet at the City Hall in Stockholm, December 10, 1961

And we might say our story to speak in the name of all those who did not have the ability or who, crushed by life, did not have the power to express themselves, we are storytellers for Roma reality in Macedonia, the aim of these stories is to throw some light on the dark paths through which NRC as voice of the Roma is highlightening, the path that leads to equal Roma participation as other Macedonian citizens.

Policy and main focus

Vision of the organisation

The National Roma Centre is a non-governmental organisation which collaborates with relevant subjects and works for active participation and integration of the Roma, basing it on the principles of the modern multiethnic European community.

Mission of the organisation

The National Roma Centre works as a voice of the Roma and it will strive for protection of the rights of every citizen and to the development of the communication network.

The aim

of NRC is solving of local, national and international difficulties and barriers in the Roma problems.

Evolution

The National Roma Centrum was formed in the period when RCC DROM has reached the level of quality work and separate functioning ability. There is a decade work experience behind the members of this organisation. According to our current (present) activities, we think that the Roma people are still on the margins of the social living. The basic factors that bring the Roma people to such position are the crises which this region has been passing through, as well as the difficult financial and social position.

We think that promotion of a large number of initiatives made by the state, by the European and the international institutions and foundations as well (The OSCE Action Plan for Roma, The European Roma and Traveller Forum, The Decade of Roma of the SOROS Foundation and The World Bank and The National Strategy made by the Romani community and the Macedonian government with the support of the Project for Ethnic Relations – PER) have immense importance for necessary involvement of the Roma in the processes in the institutions, because of actualisation and devising real solutions for the needs of the Romani population. Important conclusions and recommendations for Roma were made by the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

The Roma issues should be actualised exactly at this moment when the major part of the Roma population is still faced with violation of the basic human rights (prejudices, discrimination, segregation and marginalisation), and Macedonia is striving to enter to the European Union.

National Roma Centrum is creating its own role depending on the actual events and current necessities of the Roma population. The organisation is engaged in lobbying and creating dialogues, and it is a service for building a communicational bridge with all active and relevant subjects. The NRC is actively cooperating with international institutions in preparation of report and analysis for Romani population, and also NRC works on lobbying international institutions in order to improve the general situation of Roma in the CoE member countries region. is the voice of the international organisations which are preparing annual reports about the Roma.

Activities

General conclusions

Within a year we managed to accomplish 6 projects from which 3 of them were related with legal aspects and were financed by Pax Christi, ERRC and the Bar Association of R. Macedonia. In the meantime two representatives from NRC realized activities within the frames of the RUBW project, supported by OSCE\ODIHR regarding the intention to increase the participation of the Roma in Balkan with an accent on the refugee issues.

The other 3 projects were on the subject of education which were financed by REF, RPP – DZAN and IPK. NRC has managed in this period to activate many issues with sensitive thematic for the Roma issues. There are still stereotypes and racist persuasions towards the Roma population. Protest letters and advocacy submissions were sent to international, national and local institutions striving against racism and discrimination toward Roma. NRC will continue to combat with these kind of issues because we present the voice of Roma. Within this year we managed to issue a book about Roma refugee issues called “Temporary Life”, we have made general analyses about the Roma condition on educational as well as in social sphere in 3 cities in R Macedonia where the largest percentage of Roma are, in Kumanovo, Prilep and Skopje. We made a promotion of a documentary movie which will be a motivation for education of future generations. Written recommendations proposed by us in partnership with ERRC were accepted by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. As final result for 2006 an evaluation was made regarding project implementation related with conditions of the Roma children in the educational system in Kumanovo, Skopje and Prilep. Our activities were also a subject for lobbying the Macedonian institutions and authorities, as Parliament, Government and relevant ministries. Especially significant was the NRC’s cooperation with the Macedonian media and successful cooperation which we managed to realize with the Macedonian Informative Agency, several electronic and printed media.

Project: Free legal aid
Period: January – December 2006
Location: Kumanovo
Target group: Social beneficiaries, persons with disabilities, victims of family violence, victims of trafficking with human beings, regardless of their nationality, but with a special accent on discrimination of Roma population.
Activities: Legal assistance and advices.
Donors: Pax Christi – Nederland.

Project: Office for Free Legal Assistance
Period: January – December 2006
Location: Kumanovo
Target group: Social beneficiaries, persons with disabilities, victims of family violence, victims of trafficking with human beings, regardless of their nationality, but with a special accent on the Roma population
Activities: Legal assistance and advices.
Donors: The Office is working in cooperation with the Bar Association of Macedonia, in continuity three years.

Results
In field of free legal assistance NRC has provided direct assistance for the Roma community mostly in Kumanovo. In 2006 we have serviced about 2000 adult Roma citizens and Romany children who were facing with issues regarding social, legal, economic and educational rights as well problems with employment and participation in the institutions of the system. In this period we have worked on 73 cases, and indefinite number of legal advises were given.

  • Asmet Elezovski, President
  • Sebihana Skenderovska, Vice president
  • Slavica Curcinska, Secretary
  • Ljatif Demirovski, Accountant
  • Cani Mustafovski, Administrator
  • Katerina Spasevska, Lawyer
  • Dalibor Sojic, Web and IT services
  • Nikola Dzimrevski, Lawyer
  • Irfan Martez, Coordinator of Youth Active
  • Ristem Muslievski, Lawyer assistant
  • Azem Ademi, Field motivator
  • Sinan Skenderovski, Field motivator
  • Lidija Demirovska, Member
  • Riza Elezovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Aslijana Elezovska, Member of Youth Active
  • Alma Elezi, Member of Youth Active
  • Almira Elezovska, Member of Youth Active
  • Alen Elezovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Orhan Demirov, Member of Youth Active
  • Senat Karcevski, Member of Youth Active
  • Mirvet Muslievska, Member of Youth Active
  • Ferdijan Demirovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Tehamana Skenderovska, Member of Youth Active
  • Dehran Asanovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Selman Sakipovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Semir Sakipovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Kemal Ametovski, Member of Youth Active

Project: Law in action
Period: January – September 2006
Location: Macedonia
Target group: Discriminated Roma
Activities: Legal protection of the Roma population in cases of racial discrimination. An attorney was engaged with his assistants.
Donors: European Roma Right Centre – Budapest.

Results
On 19 of September 2006 NRC in partnership with ERRC has submitted written comments to UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at its 37th Session related to the situation of Roma in R. Macedonia. Based on these comments the concluding observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights gave impact as deep concern related concretely to Roma entity in Macedonia. The Committee has stressed seven principal subjects for concern and 7 suggestions and recommendations urging to the Macedonian government for concrete and effective results.

The successfulness of the report and recommendations sent to the United Nations resulted with the Conclusions sent to the Macedonian Government by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The recommendations which were sent by NRC and ERRC were mostly accepted and given to the Government.

Project: Institutional support
Period: February 2006 – February 2007
Location: Kumanovo
Target group: Romani population
Activities: Continuous work of National Roma Centrum in regard of the urges to achieve and to improve human rights implementation of the Romani population in the sphere of social and educational field, personal identity, inclusion and status in the society as well.
Donors: Roma Participation Program – Budapest

Results
Institutional support to the office of NRC has significant influence in establishing communication with the Romani community, acting as informational centre actively working with and for the Romani population.

  • Asmet Elezovski, President
  • Sebihana Skenderovska, Vice president
  • Slavica Curcinska, Secretary
  • Ljatif Demirovski, Accountant
  • Cani Mustafovski, Administrator
  • Katerina Spasevska, Lawyer
  • Dalibor Sojic, Web and IT services
  • Nikola Dzimrevski, Lawyer
  • Irfan Martez, Coordinator of Youth Active
  • Ristem Muslievski, Lawyer assistant
  • Azem Ademi, Field motivator
  • Sinan Skenderovski, Field motivator
  • Lidija Demirovska, Member
  • Riza Elezovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Aslijana Elezovska, Member of Youth Active
  • Alma Elezi, Member of Youth Active
  • Almira Elezovska, Member of Youth Active
  • Alen Elezovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Orhan Demirov, Member of Youth Active
  • Senat Karcevski, Member of Youth Active
  • Mirvet Muslievska, Member of Youth Active
  • Ferdijan Demirovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Tehamana Skenderovska, Member of Youth Active
  • Dehran Asanovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Selman Sakipovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Semir Sakipovski, Member of Youth Active
  • Kemal Ametovski, Member of Youth Active

Project: Campaign for Roma education
(Mobilization of the Roma parents to send children in mainstream schools)
Period: January – October 2006
Location: Kumanovo, Prilep and Skopje
Target group: Roma parents, Roma children, non-Roma parents and their children, schools, local municipal authorities, institutions and media.
Activities: Motivation of Roma parents and inclusion with positive acceptability (reception) of the Roma children in the educational process.
Donors: Roma Education Fund – Budapest

Results:
The general conclusions compared to the database from the previous year, 2005, the number of enrolled children in first grade in primary education in Skopje, Prilep and Kumanovo has increased for 50%. On the other hand NRC’s data also show that still at least 1000 children are outside of the educational process.

The situation of Roma in education is overall reason to act in the field of education – consequential relationships where on each side of the triangle: between the parents, schools and governmental institutions. But the most important side is the responsibility of the parents. It depends on them whether the children will be included in the educational process and how successful will these be. That is why the most important work of the NRC in the campaign was to work with the parents.

The Campaign for Roma education is realized with the support of Macedonian Government, Ministry for education and science, Ministry for social affairs, local self-governments of Skopje, Prilep and Kumanovo, Macedonian Bar Assotiation, Macedonian Institution for media, Macedonian Informative Agency and Council of Radiodifusion.

Project: Electoral educational campaign DZAN
Period: June 2006
Location: Kumanovo, Skopje, Shuto Orizari, Probishtip, Kocani, Vinica, Shtip, Berovo, Pehcevo, Crnik, Prilep, Veles, Kavadarci, Negotivno, Tetovo, Kicevo, Bitola, Gevgelija, Strumica, Radovis, Valandovo.
Target group: Romani population capable to vote.
Activities: Motivation of the Roma citizens on national level, establishing the importance of participation on the parliamentary elections. Within the frames of this activity we organized questionnaire survey of 100 Romani citizens, we distributed 2000 brochures, 1000 T-shirts, 500 CDs, 26 football balls and we organized visits in 21 city with an accent on Romani settlements and three football games were played, promoting fair play games and elections. Tribune and education for the electoral right to vote for young people who have fulfill legal presumptions to vote was organized as well.
Donors: Roma Participation Program – Budapest.

Project: Exhibition of photography’s “Roma across Europe”
Period: April 2006
Location: Skopje
Target group: Roma and non Roma citizens.
Activities: NRC together with Nigel Dickinson, a professional photographer from England, has organized an exhibition of photos under the title “Roma through Europe”. With this activity, NRC continued its attempts for cultural values promotion and Roma inclusion in the society.
Donors: Swiss Culture Center Pro Helvetia

Results:
The general idea was through the exhibition to show the photos as speech of the Roma’s reality. More detailed information about the work of Nigel Dickinson can be found on the web site www.nigeldickinson.com.

Project: European Theatre Adventure
Period: April and July 2006
Location: Serbia and Germany
Target group: Youth cooperation.
Activities: Organizing cultural workshop in Germany and Serbia, through the Lacho Drom project. 10 young activists from NRC participated in the project for presentation and education about cultural differences. Also they have participated at the International Amateur Theatre Festival in Germany. NRC was working in the frame of European Theather Adventure.
Donors: EC European Commission.

Results:
Contacts and youth cooperation, cultural learning of differences exchanging ideas and practices, presentation of Roma tradition in Macedonia.

Project: Human rights debate and workshop
Period: August 2006
Location: Kumanovo
Target group: Youth representatives of different ethnic origin
Activities: The Youth Active of National Roma Centrum has organized a workshop and debate related with Human rights issues, open debate and education about their rights, methods for realisation and level of youth awareness for human rights issues.
Donors: Inter-ethnic project Kumanovo.
Results: Educated youth about basic human rights irrespective of their ethnic origin.

Project: The game is the same for all
Period: October 2006
Location: Kumanovo
Target group: Youth from different ethnicity.
Activities: Promotion and realization of equality promotion and respect for democracy. As partners of the FARE network we organized a football match between young people from various ethnic groups from Kumanovo. The campaign was organized in order to promote the European struggle and combat against racism and promotion of tolerance in European football in the frames of the general campaign Football against racism.
Donors: The campaign was also supported by UEFA and 37 countries participated in it.
Results: Promotion of equality and respect for democracy.

Roma Refugees – Regarding the issues of Roma refugees, National Roma Centrum during 2006 has organized many activities and has actively participated on meetings, conferences and has realized many contacts and dialogues. Asmet Elezovski was engaged through the OSCE ODIHR mission in visits of the Roma communities in Kosovo (Pristina i Mitrovica), and at the same time he has participated on the Kosovo Roma and Ashkali Forum.

In cooperation with OSCE ODIHR and ERTF in March we were co-organizers of the meeting between Roma representatives from the Balkan and Diaspora about the refugee issues.

In November 2006 members of NRC was attend the second plenary assembly of ERTF. This event is result of permanent activity in this international organization.

Project: Publication “Temporary life”
Period: October 2006
Location: Balkan
Target group: Roma refugees.
Activities: Chronicle presentation of the Balkan Roma refugee issues. The book was promoted on the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting organized by OSCE ODIHR, October, 2006.
Donors: OSCE ODIHR.
Results: Published document as an evidence of Roma refugee tragedy.

Project: IT Training working and preparation of Web site
Period: August 2006
Location: Kumanovo
Target group: members of NRC Youth Active
Activities: The activity was organized in cooperation with Center for Institutional development -CIRA, the young people have learned about useful computer programs, and at the end of the training they learned to prepare a web site about their activities, presentation and cooperation with other organizations and young people.
Donors: CIRa
Results: Trained youth in the field of electronic communication.

The National Roma Centrum in its activities so far has realized many significant activities with youth from different ethnic communities. The young people always had a significant role in the organization and we have open space for them to cooperate and to work in the field of education. They are organized in a youth active consisted of 10-15 members performing various youth activates. Many meetings, tribunes and educative workshops are being organized for them and one of the main goals is to urge for elimination of stereotypes and prejudices which exist among the young people from various ethic communities.

Logistic support for the Round table with Roma Education Fund – NRC was responsible for the conference materials, participation lists and other parts of logistic organization of the meeting.

Logistic support for public hearing in the Assembly of R. Macedonia – NRC was responsible for invitations for Roma representatives, brochures, and contacts with the protocol services of the Assembly and media as well, lists of participants, making notes for the speeches, and report from the meeting too.

During 2006 member of NRC attend internship in the office of Ms. Viktoria Mohacsi European parliament in Brussels. This experience was transmitted in our office and in the beginning of 2007 we organized the first public hearing in Macedonian parliament.

Main goals and future points

  • Protection from any kind of discrimination irrespective of basis, efforts for effective anti-discrimination legislative in all areas of life, implementation of international standards and instruments for protection.
  • Raising awareness for human rights and their promotion, efforts for consistent policy related with the principle rule of law in all domains in the society.
  • Involving Roma in the educational process, increasing the number of Roma in all levels of education, reduction of illiteracy among the Roma population, through educational campaigns, lobbying and concrete work related to the issue together with relevant state institutions and with the Roma population.
  • Efforts for Roma participation in society and socio-economic processes, as well as issues related with political participation of Roma in the society.
  • Cooperation with state institutions and organizations to involve and have representatives from Roma community in state bodies and administration, equal representation of Roma minority in the structures of the system.
  • Promotion of Republic of Macedonia in front of the international community, contributing to the development of democracy and rule of the law, getting Macedonia closer to EU.
  • Combat against poverty, promotion of socio-economic rights and protection of Roma population. Civil registration, personal documentation for identification for Roma.
  • Lobbying and support for legalization of Roma settlements, lobbying and support for building adequate infrastructure in Roma settlements.
  • Creation of structures which will be actively involved related with work on Roma issues, activation of state authorities – political parties – civil sector – international community.
  • Motivation for professionalism and greater impartiality of the media informing related with the condition of human rights and freedoms, analytical texts in the media, with special attention to the Roma community, inclusion of Roma journalists and intelectuals working in the media and greater informing about the Roma community in the media.
  • Monitoring and preparation of analysis and reports for the condition of human rights in Republic of Macedonia, coordination of domestic legislative with international standards, remarks and reports for violations of citizen’s rights, as well as organizing campaigns and activities to combat against discrimination, rasism, xenophobia, segregation in all forms.
  • Pro bono legal aid for citizens, free legal advices in cases when basic human rights of people and of citizen are endangered, particullarly economic and social rights of endangered categories of citizens – social cases, single parents, people with disabilities, victims of family violence and victims of trafficking human beings. Pro bono legal aid is for all citizens, irrespective of their ethnical belonging.
  • Support for implementation and active inclusion in the activities of Roma Decade Inclusion 2005-2015. Strengthening and lobbying for Roma women movement
  • Updating and actualization of networking communication (internet, development of WEB site of organization, development of electronic and newspapers and journals, preparation and distribution of electronic newspapers and common written journals).
  • Capacity building – development and building opportunities for citizen’s education in the field of education, training of citizen’s for introducing their rights, as well as work and training in the field of modern methods for communication – internet and technical services. Organizing tribunes, seminars, courses, conferences in the mentioned areas for promotion, advancement and increasing the level of education of citizens, as well as increasing the organization’s abilities and capacity.
  • In case of new upcoming situations when citizen’s are endangered and their existence, NRC with all efforts is going to act on behalf of citizens in the upcoming situation, with purpose to help to the community. If needed NRC will work gathering and providing humanitarian aid.

NRC’s partners during 2006

We have achieved solid cooperation with several embassies in Macedonia, as well as with the Open Society Institute in Macedonia

NRC’s way of communication

www.nationalromacentrum.org – Web site

The complete information on our activities, reports and photographs can be found on the NRC’s web site as well as general information about Roma as we consider having significant importance about the progress of Roma. We also publish interviews with different people (people from the authorities, intellectuals, activists) who with their activities gave contribution for the Roma in Macedonia and abroad. We also publish videos, among which is the documentary film for the education of the Roma in Macedonia “The key is your hands”. The web site monthly has 800 visits.

www.nationalromacentrum.org is so far the best way of communication of performing and promoting NRC’s activities.

NRC Staff

nrc Realized projects