The National Roma Centrum today held a regular Annual Assembly which presented the activities and results of the association achieved at local and national level, as well as an overview of active projects, and elected members of the Board. The annual assembly is held on the World Roma Language Day, November 5, and NRC celebrates its 15th anniversary.
The Executive Director of the association, Asmet Elezovski points out that this year, but also in the past 4 years, NRC has continuously tried to be an active entity in all processes in Macedonia and to develop the most effective civic active influence in decision making at local and national level. , despite working in harsh conditions due to the Covid pandemic. According to Elezovski, the most pressing issue facing the Roma population is still discrimination.With the appearance of coyote we were completely blocked, at the same time we had an unexpected situation, we were flooded, now we are waiting for a court ruling, it is a little difficult, we had some claims from donors, from the EU, and from all that I concluded that when crisis, no one asks if someone should be helped, but everyone sees how to take something away from you. However, NRC managed to overcome all those things and with the team we have been working with for more than 15 years, we are successfully functioning and unfortunately we are one of the most national organizations that have employees and are dedicated to work and open office every working day. We are rare, but still when something has to be allocated from the funds, I can say that there is a very incorrect approach from donors, even from local and national, however, where people are really professionals we have support from local and nationally. The question is how to solve the problem of the most discriminated nation in RSM and in Europe, and that is the Roma. At the moment, not only are we isolated, but we are all forgotten because politics, and above all the covid, which is related to politics, has done its thing, but it remains only for us to work and encourage the citizens, to restore trust. said Elezovski.
The National Roma Centrum also offers free legal aid to the Roma population and other socially vulnerable categories who need to receive legal advice, referral and explanation on various issues in several areas. Every day, up to 100 people call or come directly to the NRC premises for help of various kinds, says Elezovski.
-We are one of the officially authorized registered associations for providing and providing free legal aid and every day 20-60 citizens from Kumanovo and the municipalities from the northeast apply to us, but at the same time if we include the people who call for advice on At the state level, the number reaches 100. The most commonly asked question at the moment is how to deal with the daily problems caused by covid-19, and that is survival. “Unfortunately, nobody mentions poverty, there is a lot to be answered by many structures and people, so I say to myself that I also have a certain responsibility because if we are too silent, we are not doing good for anyone,” said Elezovski. .
NRC has been operating successfully for 15 years, and is a product of daily work and education.
The association motivates the community to realize that it can help itself if it is informed, if it knows the regulations so that it can pass them on to future generations.
“NRC succeeded because it had a goal – citizens to be assured that their problems will be heard and considered with possible solutions,” said the National Roma Centrum.