ASK QUESTIONS, DEMAND EXPLANATIONS

Xhabir Deralla:

We are making this new attempt to instigate discussion on important issues that torment the Macedonian society. Discuss these issues and put more of them on the discussion board. Democracy and human rights are not gifts, they are not crosswords – they are causes to fight for.

The title of this newsletter, Dialogue – Newsletter for democracy and human rights promises to be a place for dialogue and report on human rights and democracy. Those are quite challenging tasks, which aren’t reached or at least not entirely; I can recognize that now, at the beginning of the third edition of it. The area we are trying to cover is vast, our resources are limited and - most importantly – the situation in the country seems to be deteriorating practically on daily basis that makes it impossible to cover it in a nearly sufficient way.

At this moment, we can report that dialogue between political parties is still frozen. Ethnic communities reflect that situation. They have gone further – ethnic relations in the country entered a highly dangerous phase, including a string of incidents with alarming consequences. Once categorically declared EU integration course, seems to be lifeless, too. Media remain under strong governmental control; judiciary continues to be an instrument of the ruling party, a process that lately included the Constitutional Court; economy is falling down, opposite to costly monuments and buildings that stir nationalism that are on a rise.

We need more than just assembling a few articles together and let them float in the space. We need much more from a media product like this. We need to see this newsletter as a potential to stimulate discussion and information sharing. The next, even more challenging step now is to make these issues alive among our readers, be they citizens of the country or part of the wide international audience.

We are making this new attempt to instigate discussion on important issues that torment the Macedonian society. These articles are copyright free; all we require is not to change their meaning if you publish them and to send us links where you used them. Please, find these articles on our website, share them on your social network profiles, post them to your websites and blogs, and call for more thoughts and information. Of course, we expect your comments directly to our website or blogs, e-mail us or call (see back cover of this publication). Discuss these issues and put more of them on the discussion board.

Let this edition be a wakeup call for our fellow citizens, and for Civil’s members, contributors and activists across the country, as well. They seem to be asleep lately. Let me remind you, dear friends, NGOs are not one more place where you can earn some money. NGOs are not projects paid by foreigners. NGOs are you! Democracy and human rights are not gifts, they are not crosswords – they are causes to fight for. NGOs are places where you can commence that fight by using civilized and democratic tools, already provided by international and national laws and Constitution.

Don’t be afraid, don’t be shy: ask questions, demand explanations.