Full Coverage: Macedonia (FYROM)

29.10.2004 Three new projects financed by the Living Heritage programme are expected to be implemented by the end of 2004. The Living Heritage Programme is supported by the Opens Society Institute – Macedonia Foundation (FOSIM), in cooperation with the King Bouduin Foundation from Belgium.

28.10.2004 The Association of Women Organizations in Macedonia (SOZM), in cooperation with the Centar Municipality in Skopje, promoted the initiative to provide assistance to the families from the Topana district in Skopje, which lost their homes in the catastrophic fire of October 9 of this year.

27.10.2004 The Civic Association MOST, under its referendum monitoring activities, concludes that there are possibilities for serious violations of procedure in the forthcoming referendum. The conclusions were reached based on the reports of activists and regional offices of the association, and were voiced with the goal to provide fair and democratic balloting process for all citizens of Macedonia.

27.10.2004 For the first time in Macedonia, the right to access to information will be regulated by a Law which covers many aspects of the issue of access to information. The Law also provides for responsibility in cases of failure to provide the required information, says Zoran Jacev, President of Transparency Macedonia.

26.10.2004 On October 27, 2004, the Faculty of Law “Justinian the First” in Skopje will host the “Student Organizing – Quo Vadis Student!” Fair of Student Organizations in Macedonia. The Fair is organized by the Youth Education Forum (MOF).

25.10.2004 The Ten Notebooks on Democracy are simple, interesting, but very scientific and useful reading for all those that hear the word "democracy" all the time and rarely stops to think about its real meaning.

25.10.2004 Peace Unlimited Festival, organized by Civil NGO from Skopje, starts today in the Hall 5 of the Skopje Fair. The festival will last till October 31, 2004.

22.10.2004 The informal group of nongovernmental, nonpartisan and nonprofit organizations and global and European student services in Macedonia, Students for Themselves, informed about their intention to boycott the Student Elections for President of the Student Organization of the “Kiril i Metodi” University in Skpoje. The Elections are scheduled for Saturday, October 28, 2004, and the boycott is designed to take away the legitimacy of the nondemocratic students’ organization.

21.10.2004 On the occasion of the World Osteoporosis Day, the Macedonian Osteoporosis Society promoted the brochure “Osteoporosis – Causes, Prevention and Treatment”. The presentation was held at the NGO InfoCentre in Skopje.

21.10.2004 Macedonia shares the 97th place with Serbia and Montenegro, on the list of 147 countries in the world included in the Corruption Perception Index 2004. The list was presented today by Transparency International. The two countries have 2.7 Index points and registered a fall in the corruption level in comparison with last year, when they shared the 106th place on the list.

20.10.2004 Agricultural researchers in three East European countries are benefited though networking using the electronic agricultural information system, shows a recent study commissioned by FAO. It also points out the need to build network of grassroots farmers in the region.

16.10.2004 MOST Civic Association, under the Legislative Reforms Project of the Transparency and Responsibility of the Institutions Programme, organizes a round-table discussion on the subject “Election Campaign Financing”. The round-table will take place on Monday, October 18, 2004, at 11:00 hours, in the facilities of Hotel Jadran in Skopje.

13.10.2004 The Coordination Body for Protection of the Old Fortress in Skopje (Skopsko Kale) held a press conference today to introduce the press with the current situation with the intention of the US Government to building a new Embassy Building in Gradiste, on Skopsko Kale. At the same time, the Coordination Body announced its campaign to collect signatures for the Petition for permanent protection of the fortress. The campaign will start on Thursday, October 14.

12.10.2004 At the public debate held last Thursday, October 7, the Broadcasting Council, in cooperation with OSCE, presented the Recommendations for the electronic media coverage of the forthcoming referendum. According to the Recommendations, the media coverage should be fair, balances and non-partisan, and it should provide equal access to all interested groups, whether they are “pro” or “contra” the referendum.

11.10.2004 The violations of the rights of children in Macedonia are approximately at the same level as in Serbia, Albania and Bulgaria, demonstrate the experiences of the non-governmental sector. The children in Greece, on the other hand, are far better protected" writes Suncica Stojanovska in the article published in Vreme daily, on the occasion of the "Week of the Children".

07.10.2004 The new project of the Multiko NGO and the French Caritas started today. The project's goal is to introduce the work of the municipalities to the students in the 7th and 8th grades in the Macedonian elementary schools.

07.10.2004 Branislav Bjelica, Deputy Minister of Justice in the Government of Serbia, and Tanja Altandzieva, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Macedonia, signed a Protocol of Agreement in Skopje. With the Protocol, the two countries took the obligation to support all regional initiatives in the SEE designed to fight the organized crime, trafficking in human beings, money laundering, terrorism and other criminal activities.

04.10.2004 The Sector of European Integrations of the Government of Macedonia submitted today the translated EU Questionnaire that the Chairman of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, brought to Skopje last Friday. The document lists over 4,500 questions, most of them related to the agricultural sector, while the finances and the state budget participated with the smallest number of inquiries.

04.10.2004 On the occasion of the I Have the Right To Know Day , the Justice Initiative programme of the Open Society Institute in New York, published the results of the Pilot survey on access to infomation situation in Macedonia, Bulgaria, Armenia, Peru and South Africa, conducted in 2003.

01.10.2004 The Children Theater Centre (DTC) opened its new facilities yesterday, at the former “Napredok” Cinema in the Old Bazaar in Skopje. The aim of the Centre is to create new theatre culture for children and youth.