OSCE Mission to Skopje supports active citizenry in rural areas

SKOPJE, 3 October 2008 - Helping develop civil society in rural municipalities, including in former crisis regions, is the aim of a project launched in Skopje today.

Initiated by the Macedonian Centre for International Co-operation (MCIC) nd supported by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, the project aims to assist local community leaders and citizens in addressing and solving local problems and needs, such as the lack of infrastructural development, building of schools and unemployment.

"The project seeks to create an environment for civil society to flourish at the grassroots level and to gradually bring the former crisis areas out of their isolation," said Bernard Segarra, the Head of the Mission's Confidence-Building Department.

"If no concrete action is taken to encourage such citizenry and democratization efforts, these areas risk remaining stagnated and marginalized and will continue to be cut off from any prospect of civil society development."

Dimce Mitrevski, a Senior Consultant at the MCIC, added: "Through organizing workshops to address specific grassroots needs, we will also encourage 'process oriented goals' such as interethnic and intra-political dialogue and wider networking, as well as co-operation with state institutions."