Building Bridges event supported by the OSCE brings together students of different ethnicities in Skopje

SKOPJE, 13 October 2018 – Students from 27 schools throughout the country gathered for a day of interaction, fun and entertainment as part of the Building Bridges Fund annual event in Skopje today, organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

The schools all benefited from the Building Bridges Fund, which allocates small grants for joint activities in schools with different languages of instruction.

“We at the OSCE, believe that making connections between students from different communities is extremely important. For this reason, we continue to support the Building Bridges Fund, together with the Ministry of Education and Science, through our newly-established co-operation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy,” said Ambassador Clemens Koja, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje,

Minister of Education and Science Arber Ademi added: “The project has been a success for four years now. It aims to familiarize young generations with the basic ethics and values of tolerance, respect and understanding of differences in the culture, religion and traditions of ethnic communities. The objective is for these values to be assimilated by each and every young person. It is the only way to ensure the unity of society, as one of the foundations of a stable, strong and prosperous state.”

The “Building Bridges Together” event is a joint project of the Ministry of Education and Science, the OSCE Mission to Skopje, the Embassy of the Netherlands, and the governments of the United States, Austria and Italy. It supports joint activities at schools involving students from all communities and linguistic backgrounds in order to increase their interaction, understanding and integration in the schooling environment.