We live in a multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society. Regular people especially those who live in mixed ethnical environments showed that they can live with each other. At least in the majority of cases. However in a lot of situations we are not even aware how full of prejudices and stereotypes we are, we think that there are no taboos in our society and as soon as we notice one, which one is our reaction? Are we broadminded or do we have limits? A lot of questions to consider, aren’t they? But there is nothing simpler and more sincere than to ask ourselves what do we think of each other and how well do know each other. Is the appearance, place of living, clothing defining us? So this time we asked non-Roma what is the first thing they think of when Roma are mentioned?

” When I hear the word Roma the first thing I think of is that they are musical people, joyful, people who live day after day, and people who have a lot of children”, considers Viktor (36) from Shtip.

His co-citizen Viktorija (32) has a slightly different perception. Here’s what she thinks:

“I can divide Roma into two categories. The first who are civilized, hard – working, well – mannered and accept all the negative critics about them and lately interested in education. But there is another category of Roma who do not accept critics, don’t want to adjust to the environment and are very aggressive towards other people. That’s way you can’t mark every Rome like the ones in the second category”.

Unlike citizens of Shtip accidental citizens of Skopje we met had completely opposite opinion on which association they give for Roma people?

“Association of beggars. Starting from those on the Stone Bridge and also the new ones who walk from door to door with a child in their hands”, this is what Andrijana M. (32) from Skopje says.

We asked her why does she think that way and how come that she had so  much prejudices?

“I say this because it is a thing I meet on a everyday basis. And I don’t think that is a prejudice, but a real occurrence for which not only Roma are guilty but the society”, said Andrijana.

Bojan D. (30) also from Skopje admits that he has prejudices towards Roma. Here’s his opinion:

“It is generally known that those are people from the bottom of the society who live in the poorest parts of the cities. They are cheap workers, mostly illiterate and exactly because of their illiteracy, which lasts for years, they cannot create conditions for better life. But lately there is part of them who managed to create special social status to adjust to the social customs, to gain social culture and material goods”.

EDNO: How did you get so much prejudices, are you aware that you have prejudices towards Roma people?

“Yes I have prejudices. They were attached to me from when I was growing-up and will need a long time to eradicate them. And I think that Roma themselves with their behavior and lifestyle contribute to that kind of opinions. At the beginning of the pluralism of Macedonian society, when the Political party for emancipation of Roma was formed I thought that things are finally going to go better. However Roma politicians instead of directing towards improving the situation of their people, accepted the general trend for chasing positions and closeness with the Government in order to fulfill personal interests. In those kinds of conditions the emancipation of Roma will have to wait”, considers Bojan.

Citizens of Prilep, on the other hand, are very liberal in the opinions, or the ones who we asked seemed like no dividing people according to their nationality. But according to neighboring, friendly, school relations.

For Maja Roma are the same as other people and she has no special opinion about them.

“Roma people are very good people. They are talented for everything. In Prilep Roma are the only citizens who are people, unlike the non-Roma who emigrated from the neighboring villages” says Goran.

Monika says:

“Until 15 years ago we, non-Roma had bad opinion about Roma, that they were not educated, that they are the only beggars, that they are the only ones who steal and so on. But all those opinions changed because we saw that Roma people can be educated, integrated in society and that it isn’t them who steal, and it isn’t only them who beg”.

Housing credit, or the one for repairing, sanitation of roofs, windows, changing installations, outbuilding, and house reconstruction up to 150000 denars, especially for the population in Macedonia which lives in substandard conditions. Microcredit Foundation Horizonti from Skopje offers this kind of credit. Having in mind the target groups supported by the Foundation, a great number of users of this credit are Roma. But in order to be even more interesting the Foundation has very interesting policy – housing credit users are only Roma women.

Vasil Devaliev, executive officer of Horizonti Foundation explains why that is so:

-That is so because Roma women feel greater obligation i take more care for the wright usage of loans and payments of credits, points out Devaliev.

They say from the Foundation that Roma population finds out about their micro credits directly from the employed in the offices who contact with citizens from Roma settlements. The news mainly gets spread through word of mouth, without concrete campaigns and promotions. Micro credits are given in partnership with Habitat Macedonia Organization. On the 31st of December 2011 Horizonti has given 376 micro credits. 70% of the demanders are Roma. 100% of the clients are women at average age of 41.

Microloans are mostly given to users of small business loans with which Horizonti Organization started dealing in 2007. Microloans can be taken by citizens with Roma nationality that has some income, people who run small business.

Users can take another credit as soon as they pay the first one. Horizonti Foundation has opened offices in Skopje, Gostivar, Prilep, Bitola, Veles, Kochani and Strumica.

The Foundation offers credits for micro businesses, agricultural credits and housing credits. Up until now Horizonti has paid out more than 30000 credits for support and development of small businesses and needs of housing.

For a long time we have thought how to mark the international day of Roma, the 8th of April. For histories, processes in the past, analyzes of the future, reviews of the present of Roma it was already written and it is still to be written. What made us mark this day differently was the way of finding out the answer of the questions: “How Roma people actually live, and what have they gained in practice from the processes started by countries signatory of the Decade for Roma inclusion, among which Macedonia? Did the country really do something for them, were the local authorities among Roma people to see in which conditions they live and with how much money do they survive?”

With the international day of Roma coming closer, the holiday could not be better celebrated than to be in a community and to hear the community.

In order for the observation to be different a non-Roma was among Roma in Roma neighborhood Sredorek in Kumanovo. We entered their homes, their courts, working places. We drank coffee, juice, water, chat a little, and heard some Roma music. We wished good day at arrival, good health at departure. We met them at all ages, social statuses, with different views on same topics…

- Roma are forgotten, they are put last on the list. Except for the elections, no one has ever come here to see how we live, says one citizen from the settlement.

- Nobody cares about the Roma. We are like a ball being kicked to many times, says a co-citizen.

In Sredorek we spoke to men and women, elder and young, employed, unemployed, pensioners, state benefit users. Rare are the ones who have salaries according to the average in the Republic of Macedonia (average gross salary in the country in January 2012 according to the State Statistic Office was 30 591 denars).

The others with whom we spoke live at the edge of poverty, with 1400 to 5000 denars per family. In most of the cases only one family member earns for life. And several generations live in one home. A great number of Roma families don’t have anything to live from, so they have to find way, mostly collecting plastic bottles and selling them. That way they can mostly earn 500-600 denars. The usual daily earnings are 200-300 denars.  Although life is hard for many of them it seems that nothing can break their spirit.

-Only one is God. Sometimes it is better, and others worse, but at least we help each other’s in the community, say in Sredorek.

They feel extremely loyal towards the Republic of Macedonia.

- I am very sorry, I live in the Republic of Macedonia, I’m a citizen of the Republic of Macedonia, but I can’t pay the debts towards the country. I don’t have where to take from to pay the electricity, water and communal fees. The electricity is often cut off but we don’t have where to complain, so we connected to the electricity network ourselves. I must say that says 48-year old S.I. and adds:

- Members of Parliament, the Prime Minister, Ministers and even the President of the country should take more care for social cases, they should know that nobody can live with 1800-2000 denars and pay all the debts to the country at the same time. We want to pay, we are not against the country, we don’t want a special country, and we are very calm people.

But they either don’t get anything or get very little back. They say that the local authorities, as well as representatives from political parties come in the settlement only for the elections when they need to mobilize the voters. But people from Sredorek announce that next time things won’t be so “smooth”. Here’s why:

-We cannot build the mosque in the settlement. We started building it and they said that the location was not urbanized, so they are going to demolish it. Why shouldn’t we Roma have a mosque here when we have the right to it? asks a citizen of the settlement.

Most of the people we spoke to do not believe in the media because as they say they inform about the Roma only when they have to make a story about poverty, in order to present Roma negatively, or lately to create the picture that every Roma seeks asylum in order to leave Macedonia. It is time as they say to open a medium in Roma language.

These are testimonies of Roma and a picture of their everyday life. Their demands are modest, they are open in their attitudes, ready to help… like that they will stay engraved in the memory of a non-Roma who spent a day with Roma. But he won’t stay just a day. As the international day of Roma, the 8 th of April is coming closer it shouldn’t be just a day that Europe and the world will remember that Roma are the biggest ethnic community. Days should be used to do something real for the Roma community. Let’s make ourselves tasks to make results until next 8th April. And to find pleasure among citizen of Sredorek.

State Statistic Office

There are 30,9% poor people in Macedonia

The percentage of poor people in 2010 was 30,9%, as statistic data shows. Analyzed in profiles, most vulnerable are households with more members having in mind that 47,3%of the poor live in households with five or more members. The poverty rate among unemployed is 41,8%, or 44,8% of all poor people are unemployed. The education of the head of the household also influences the number of poor people. Total of 54,7% of the poor people live in households in which the head of the household didn’t finish or mostly finished elementary education.

According to the definition of the Office the poverty line is defined as the level of living standard which should be reached for a person or household not to be classified as poor. The relative poverty line is a relative standard of survival determined as the necessary level of expenditures. Based on the determined levels of the poverty line the percentage of persons whose expenditures are under the level of 70% was calculated.

The international exposition by young from whole Europe who fight against negative stereotypes, prejudices and showing a more subtly picture of the greatest ethnic minority in Europe – the Roma through photographs arrived in Skopje on Friday on the 6th of April. The photographs are exposed in Youth Cultural Center (YCC). The exposition will be opened until the 20th of April.

It was entitled “Chachipe for the young” which means “truth” or “reality” in Roma language. The exposition of photography’s is actually a collection of photography’s by young people from Europe who entered an international competition in 2008. The photography competition was organized by Open Society Foundation and the Archives of Open Society. It was opened for all young people who have photographed Roma people in countries which are part of the Decade of Roma inclusion 2005-2015.

The exposition in Skopje was opened by the president of Open Society Foundation Vladimir Milcin, the ambassador of the Republic of Hungary in Macedonia Jozef Bence, as well as the national coordinator of the Decade of Roma inclusion in Macedonia, and the Minister without portfolio Nezdet Mustafa.

You can find more information about Chachipe for the young as well as detailed view of the photography’s, except on the exposition in Skopje found on:

http://photo.romadecade.org/index.php?content=23

Efforts for Roma integration in Europe proposed now as well as in the last several years are more or less similar to those proposed in the early 1990s when Roma people started to raise their voice to integrate in societies throughout Europe and the world. However, there are a very few effects from the previous efforts. Also, it lacks continuity of those reforms, platforms and initiatives that produced results and showed positive results and practices for better life of Roma.

Over the years I have thought about overcoming that. As a man who works in the field among the Roma community, I propose to do that by being honest to ourselves and thus, to others too. It is good to start by admitting that, unfortunately, the situation of Roma is still bad, mainly because, in the 21st century, Roma are expelled, discriminated, humiliated, targeted…

Each country has a progress and stagnation regarding Roma, each country has its practices and experience. Due to that, it is good to learn from the experience of all them for a Roma platform of solid foundations and to take concrete steps in near future. I say ‘in near future’ because our children and our children’s children can not wait any more. They can not bear the burden of negative generalisation of all Roma people as poor, uneducated, beggars living in streets, people of whom all caused by life in substandard human conditions are eager to leave, for instance, Macedonia?!

Due to those prejudices and stereotypes, the right of movement is banned to the majority of Roma in my country. Do I have to fight stereotypes in my country just because I am a Roma, and to fight stereotypes in Europe just because I am a Roma and come from the Balkans? In front of all these questions I feel as if I tilt at windmills!

To me, the Roma platform is the light at the end of this dark tunnel. The Roma platform is a good and constant political process that I do support as a representative of Roma National Centrum from Kumanovo and as a representative of European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERFT). It is a good position to change firstly the so called chip of prejudices and stereotypes towards Roma by many Europeans. The platform is a good compass where exactly to go and what exactly Roma do need.

Here, I will again remind to stereotypes, denying, generalisations … I have to express my culture, customs, tradition … my language so I can feel as a great Roma! To make all this possible, this platform, its creators and those implementing it must not forget the fact that I have the right to speak, read, other to talk to me, me talk to others in Romani language. Firstly I am a Roma, then Macedonian, then European, and then citizen of the Earth. Aren’t we supposed to stick to multi-culture and variety?

Thus, let’s not make the same mistake as early, let’s not offer, vote, accept and declaratively pass platforms, declarations and directions. It is necessary to start working in the field. A full transparency in processes is necessary, above all transparency of authorities implementing international conventions, transparency of those making budgets for actions of Roma (host and foreign organisations), as well as those creating the actions (civil society).

A full transparency will make easier the monitoring of the processes and easier to see mistakes. Also, it will be easier to correct. Thus, we will be able to point at bad practices, to see the main obstacle for true Roma integration in Europe. Also, it will be easier to reproach those who previously voted but undermine foundations of processes for better life of Roma. Simply, we will be able to look at each other and openly talk about all challenges ahead of us.

Why do I say this? Bureaucracy and too much bureaucratism has ‘eaten’ or started that to the processes and practices for better Roma integration in societies throughout Europe. Instead of that, I propose to put all efforts and finances towards Roma, to put them in practice, from Roma to Roma, in the field, for real problems. I do not want to be ungrateful to those managing the processes for Roma at administrative level in every government individually as well as in Europe. That is why I am going to say, it is fair to split efforts and finances on partner grounds, fifty – fifty, 50 percent for bureaucracy and other 50 in practice for Roma.

But, we must not forget that at the end of a day we understand the most important of all is the will for improvement and will to change for good, a will of all involved for easier and better Roma inclusion in societies throughout Europe. There is no political consensus for progress without will. And, how we are going to be listened and taken seriously if we do not have resources, are not unique and joined in our efforts, if we work for our own disadvantage, are not in European institutions, do not show examples from practice, do not offer solutions, do not lobby, do not invest in ourselves and others…

Ashmet Elezovski

President of National Roma Centrum Kumanovo, the Republic of Macedonia

Elvis Shakjiri is a young jurist who carefully followed Macedonian media last year in order to see how they inform about Roma. And he was shocked, because most of them pointed out Roma nationality in news connected with burglaries, murders, infanticide even with car accidents. Macedonian media were in his focus, because, he admits, he doesn’t have a good command of Albanian and cannot see how the media in Albanian reports about Roma. He hopes that a colleague of his, Albanian jurist, will be able to help him follow those media in the future. What is very surprising for him is that up until now the social networks are the only media without hate speech and spread of stereotypes and prejudices about Roma.

-Journalists shouldn’t and mustn’t divide people on ethnical basis. At all, If you ask me, I divide people on those who are people and those who are not. As soon as I started following the media and noticed unprofessional reporting, I started sending reacting notes to them. But believe me, nobody ever answered to them. The only reaction was when they removed the controversial column published in Zhurnal, says Elvis.

He reacted at the Macedonian Journalist Association. He is negotiating with them about some activities, but it is still early to say which steps will be undertaken.

-I see the problem for this situation mostly on editors. It is often being informed by spreading stereotypes about the Roma maybe because they consider there is no one to stand and defend their interests. And unfortunately so it is. Apart from some non-governmental organizations, there is no one to defend Romas’ interests in the media, comments Elvis.

He won’t stop following carefully the media. However, since the beginning of the year he asserted that there were no reports about Roma, as it was happening before.

- Maybe that is so because the focus transferred on incidents between Macedonians and Albanians or there is no specific case with Roma involved which would potentially be interesting for the journalists. , believe me, as soon as it stops, I fear that the reporting will be transferred on Roma, fears Elvis. He considers to react at the Ministry for Internal Affairs because of the newsletter with incidents being published by this department every day, and in which according to Elvis MIA emphasizes the nationality of persons involved in incidents.

Download here:

Roma are likely to become victims of journalistic unprofessionalism

The number of state benefit users in Kumanovo is decreased. This news was announced recently. But the Ministry for Labor and Social Policy says that the number of state benefit users is decreased generally in the whole state. The Department explains that one of the reasons for the decrease of the number of state benefit users is that the documents for the continuance of using it are not updated. For example, at the beginning of the year when the documents are being updated, the number of state benefit users was 5050, and after the end of the procedure – 4130 families, which mean 970 people, lost the right to state benefits.

But the update of the documents apparently was not the only reason for losing the right to state benefits. The last few months we were witnesses of cases when citizens lost their right to state benefits because the Public Revenue Office found incomes for which they haven’t reported the basis. In most of the cases it was about 100, 200 or even 500 denars. The case with the daily newspaper Vest was the most explicit, when a user lost the state benefits because he sent a recipe to a cooking show titled ‘Food and wine’ (Храна и вино) and won money for it.

- We can’t allow people to lose their right to monetary help only because they have 100, 200 or 500 denаrs on their account. We consider suggesting people who use state benefits to be able to win up to 10000 denars per year, and not to lose the help from the state. Because we are all aware that state benefits are very low, say from the Ministry for Labor and Social Policy.

The amount of the state benefits, according to the explanations forms the Ministry and the Centers for Social Work, is determined in Macedonia according to number of the members of the family. So, for one-member family it amounts to 2174 denars, for two-member family – 2979 denars, for a family with three members 3784, 4558 amounts the state benefit for a four-member family, and for a five-member family 5393 denars. Those amounts are given to the users who file a demand for monetary help for the first time. The citizens who have been using the state benefits for three years, get for 50% lower state benefits or half the amount.

How much time does one need to spend 2000 denars?

Starting from this lawful parameters and having in mind the lowest monetary help and also considering the fact that there are families in Macedonia who barely survive with 2000 and 3000 denars, we decided to ask random citizens from Skopje, Shtip, Kumanovo and Prilep how much time do they need to spend 2000 denars.

Suzana (42) from Skopje says that she spends that money for four days and she spends it mostly on food. Trajan (40) also from Skopje spends the same amount on one visit of the supermarket. This amount is enough for the spring renew and new flowers in Ljubinka’s (55) garden, while for Dzemile (35) for new curtains. Both say that they would spend 2000 denars for not even a day. Most of the random citizens we met in Shtip say that they mostly spend 2000 denars on food. What is interesting is the time in which they spend this amount of money. Nefka M. says that it happens to her to spend 2000 denars in 15 minutes on food which would last for ten days for her family. Nedzie O. (55) as she says needs 20 minutes to spend 2000 denars. She also says that she mostly spends it on food. Igbal A (25) spends 2000 denars in 5 minutes for buying a blouse or a dress. Asked the same question citizens of Prilep answered they spend this amount of money mostly on buying food, which usually lasts for several days. Samit says that with 2000 denars one can spend a whole week, if as he says money is spent rationally. Samit says that with that money he buys food for him and his family and it uses it seven to ten days. Sheherezada has a minor child and according to the needs she spend this amount of money for food which lasts for three to four days.

Citizens of Kumanovo gave different answers. One citizen says that he spends 2000 denars for one electricity bill an nothing else, another for one going out. A woman form Kumanovo claims that she can spend 2000 denars for two weeks but only for buying cigarettes. A fellow citizen point out the he spends 2000 denars on car fuel in one minute.

Weak, little old lady who looks like she is really cold because she has spent the winter in her little shed warming herself by burning old shoes found in the dumpsters in Shtip. That is 64 old Fatime Redzepova. She was born in Prishtina, she came in the town beneath the Isar 30 years ago because of the marriage with a macedonian citizen. Fatime does not have macedonian citizenship although she lives in the country for 30 years. From the personal documents she only has marriage certificate and health insurance card in which it is written that there is no basis for her health insurance. But at least she has blue coupons and can be treated with them. When we spoke to her she complained on pain in one ear. Then while speaking she also said that she feels pain in her legs, and she also has high blood pressure. She says that is because of nervousness. But at least with the blue coupons she can get medications. Those from the positive list. But for many of them one must also pay. She says at least 50 or 100 denars. Money that she doesn’t have. That’s why for years every Friday she begs in front of the mosque in Shtip. She does not use welfare. The institutions say that she does not have the basis for that. But until year 2008 those same institutions stated that she uses welfare. Around 1000 denars. From year 2008 not even those 1000 denars.

-I don’t feel well. I come to beg in cold and in hot weather. For the money. I live in a shed, I don’t even have bread, or a potato or cooking oil. No one helps me, not even my neighbors. The people who come in the mosque give me several denars, says Fatime with tears in her eyes.

Up until several months ago she ate in the national kitchen in that town. But because of the weak health and her age she couldn’t go every day to take her meal. And there was no one else to take it for her. According to the rules of the kitchen if someone doesn’t show up several times he loses the right to that kind of help. That’s how Fatime lost her one meal per day.

She is a mother of five children. But since her husband left her and went abroad, she had to worry about herself and her children. She didn’t have the opportunity to pay for their school. She has a daughter-in-law, sons-in-law and grandchildren.

- I don’t want to go to my daughter’s, nor to the other children. Although it is difficult for me this way I don’t want to bother them or vice versa. I have a son who is abroad. He said that he will send some money when I die. He has money for my funeral. But will I need it then?, asks Fatime

Every day she goes in the Center for social affairs in Shtip hoping that she will fulfill some basis for gaining welfare. The Center tries with all efforts to provide her with legal basis in order for Fatime to get some help. The chances for now are equal to zero. The Institution only gives her redundancy help from time to time.

What does the law for social protection say?

Article 15 from the Law defines that users of welfare are citizens of the Republic of Macedonia who have constant habitat in the Republic of Macedonia and foreigners who have regulated constant residence in Macedonia, according to the law. Fatime is not a citizen of the Republic of Macedonia, nor is she a foreigner with regulated residence. In order for her to be a foreigner with regulated residence she must have an allowance for temporary residence and identification card for foreigners issued by the Ministry of Interior affairs. In order to start those procedures she must start a procedure for getting the allowance for temporary residence which will provide her with original documents: birth certificate, citizenship for a foreign country, foreign passport with legal entrance in Macedonia, evidence for health insurance, evidence for habitat, evidence for livelihood, evidence for the basis on which a temporary sty is requested – marriage certificate, family relations etc.

Located in the downhill of Isar, near the river Bregalnica, far from the eyesight and thoughts of citizens, the local and central government lies the object Old Slaughterhouse in Shtip. Object full of history. Full with not fully discovered archeological treasures, with the aura of a totally different time forgotten by the present. The Old Slaughterhouse has also been a home for around ten Roma families for more than five years.

While a few children are running and blithely playing, older members of the families are trying to fix the holes in the walls, doors and windows, because of which they cannot properly warm their homes. That is the image you will encounter at this time of the year if you happen to go near the Old Slaughterhouse. Together with the smell which devastatingly reminds of the not so far past of the object.

And it immediately becomes clear how difficult are the stories in this object full with paradoxes. Starting with the death of an almost two year old child, who tragically died in the river Bregalnica which passes right near the object Old Slaughterhouse, up to everyday life and stories of families who live isolated from the system for generations.

And the paradoxes following these families cannot stay unnoticed, they immured in the object of Old Slaughterhouse together with them.

One of them is the unwillingness by the authorities to help these families to integrate in the system, although they are the greatest part of the users of state benefits and by the some kind of a burden for the country.

Together with poverty another problem is discrimination

It is incomprehensible how the authorities didn’t manage to help to even one generation of these families to get proper education, to get employed, to provide better life for future generations. To stop the row and to change history for better at least for those few little children who are still playing blithely.

“I have five children. I cannot enroll them in school because we have no money for clothes, nor for books and notebooks, and nor for food. I’m 40 years old and I don’t have even a day of service. People at my age have 20 years of service behind them. I want to work. I am ready to work. I am physically healthy and ready for work. But I need help form the authorities to find work. Nobody is trying to help in employment. Discrimination still exists. Would several people who lived here have ended in prison for larceny if they had any other way to earn for living?! Would any of them have risked if they had any other choice?! They say pay the electricity and other bills regularly… and hardly any of them tries to understand in which position we are and in what kind of conditions we live’, asks Zija H., who lives with his family in the object Old Slaughterhouse for five years.

Satellite dishes on seeming homes

The story of Zija H. is similar with the destiny of the greater part of the Roma families that live in the object Old Slaughterhouse. Among them there are those who are “subject” of work for the social services for more than three generations, but there is still no solution for the desperate socio-economic condition in which they live.

“During the winter it is too cold to stay here, because there are no windows, so we move to another house in the center of the town so that we can get warm. We don’t even have water. There is electricity, but it is often disconnected. We constantly ask when we are going to be moved to a better location, because not only that there are no conditions here, but it is also very dangerous for the children because of the river. However we don’t get any answer”, says Malike A. rezident of the Old Slaughterhouse.

On the one hand having a lot of children as part of the tradition is a joy. On the other hand it is an additional problem for these citizens because of the need to provide basic means for food, hygiene, education… because of what a lot of the children end up in a poorhouse around the country, and rarely in prison.

Among the paradoxes which mark this old, spent object are of course several satellite dishes as the contrary of the extremely bad conditions in which these ten Roma families live!

Hope for a better life is not lacking in the Old Slaughterhouse for Zija, Malike and the others.

Together with around ten families from the Old Slaughterhouse there are around 80 families who live in so called state houses in which there are no conditions for life. The greatest part of them if not all are hopping that they could apply for a social apartment.

According to information from the Ministry of transport and relations in Shtip there are 91 social apartments built and soon an advert is expected.

(This story by the newspaper team of magazine EDNO was supported by motivator Demirsha Osmanov form Shtip)

PRILEP

There is an improvised settlement in Prilep named “Tri bagremi”. There Roma families live in very miserable conditions. We spoke to the Center for Social Affairs in Prilep to ask them what they are doing to help these people. But they replied in order for us to get an answer we would have to send a written quest.

GAZI BABA

Family Ibraimovikj counts six members (parents and four children). They all live in one room, in which they don’t even have the basic housing means. This family uses plastics and sometimes trees for fueling. In inconvenient weather conditions they complain on water leakage, so because of that they use different means to protect themselves – paper boards, pots etc. The children are at age one, three, seven and nine. The nine year old child was born with hearing disorder, entirely deaf and with undeveloped speaking. He is not going to school, escapes from home often and that’s why his mom sometimes locks him up. This child often wanders around the streets. I have found out from his mother that he went to the school for children with hearing and speaking disorder in Kisela Voda municipality, financed by SOS Children’s village, but now since the support is being cut off he is staying at home. Only the 7 year old child goes in first grade in Dane Krapcev School. He goes to school regularly. His parents don’t have Identification Cards. The place where the family lives is not legally built. There is no drainage, nor asphaltic road.

KUMANOVO

Family Sadikovikj stayed without a roof over their heads this winter. Najazi Sadikovikj and his wife live with their married son and a nephew given to them by the Ministry for Labor and Social Policy in Kumanovo ten years ago. Their house has very old construction so because of the melting of the snow the roof rebated and water entered their home. Bigger part of the roof was demolished. Najazi asked for help from the Directorate for Protection and saving where he was said that is not in their competence. He asked for help in the Ministry for Labor and Social Policy but he received a negative answer again.

(Information from the other cities were provided by motivators Sara Sejfula from Skopje, Marjan Asanovski from Kumanovo and Nurija Dervishovski from Prilep)

The United States of America are going to join the Roma Decade as an independent observer. This was formalized in Bulgaria by State Secretary Hilary Clinton.

“I am proud to announce that the United States of America will join the Roma Decade as an official observer. This dedication is accepted by European governments and will help to improve the opportunities for Roma people in order for them to participate more actively in the political, social, economic and culture life of their communities”. This was pointed out by Clinton during her visit of Sofia, Bulgaria on the fifth of February, where she participated on a round table with young Roma professionals and added:

“Roma people are isolated and marginalized for a very long time, they are prevented in their efforts to contribute to their societies with their talents. This is a critical question of human rights and it affects millions of men, women and children on the continent”.

The next day the Secretariat of the Decade in Budapest warmly welcomed the USA in the family of countries who signed and are implementing the Decade of Roma inclusion 2005-2015 through an announcement. The announcement stated:

“The Decade of Roma inclusion is a unique forum which gathers Governments, international organizations and civil society on one place in order to underline the exclusion of the Roma community. Seven years after the initiative started it is time to intensify the collaboration and synergy between the partners of the Decade and finally to turn the dedication into results. We encourage all countries from western Europe to remove discrimination and to close the unacceptable differences between Roma people and the rest of the society”, says the announcement of the Secretariat of the Decade in Budapest.

However there are still open questions why is USA joining the Decade exactly now, seven years since it started being implemented and how will the joining of the USA influence the Roma Decade?

Paul Wohlers, American ambassador in the Republic of Macedonia says that for the significance and influence of the USA on the activities of the Decade will be decided on the highest level.

-We have a problem with budgets. That is a global problem. Washington will mostly decide how will the USA contribute to the Decade, reckons Wohlers.

According to the foreign Prime Minister and signatory of Roma Decade from Macedonia Vlado Buckovski, the inclusion of the most powerful country in the Decade can only accelerate the fulfillment of the goals determined seven years ago.