MHR Review

Issue #18 March 2014 IISSN 1839-8707

. . . ContentsMHR Review no.18 published in March 2014 as a review of the preceding December-February

3 The Good Neighbour By George Vlahov

5 Venizelos’s Adventures in “Pseudoland” By Dr. Chris Popov

9 Early Elections in Macedonia 2014 By Dr. Vasko Nastevski

12 Identity Politics By Tom Vangelovski

Macedonian Bone Marrow Donor Drive 16 April 15, 2014

Vinozhito & The Difficulties on Participating in Elections 17 By Dimitri Jovanov

19 Greek Humanist Harassed by Racist & Anti-Semitic Author February 19, 2014

20 OMO at the EFA Conference By Alexander Spassov

21 The Poetry of Kocho Solev Ratsin By Dr. Michael Seraphinoff

23 An Interview With Simon (Spire) Damevski By John Tsiglev

29 Ottoman Macedonia & Greek Nationalism By Dr. Dimitar Vamvakovski

34 Mladi Bilbili and Vinozhito on Tour in Australia February, 2014

EVANGELOS VENIZELOS: THE ‘GOOD NEIGHBOR’ By George Vlahov

We shall begin by noting that even if it dering or itinerant kind, but one who Venizelos, by calling to mind that it is is true that the rumors which assign a is here today and disturbingly, not not unknown for a foreign minister to different original surname to our good gone tomorrow. Thus by way of com- apprehend his or her employment title teacher of civility are false and mali- pensation for tolerating the presence, with literal zest, even to the extent of cious in intent, they serve him well in as Mr. Venizelos would have it, of the treating a time honored neighbor as a the context of the discourse in the paradoxical outlander, the latter, in a consummate alien. And that is not all, subsequent paragraphs. For whether somewhat curious spirit of good Mr. Venizelos, in what would have or not there is accuracy in such hear- neighborliness, is obliged to alter his been for him, a deeply thought out say, some of his compatriots have form, specifically his appellation, to a proposition, as one would expect from zealously raised the volume of those shape befitting his alien content. One a Professor of Law based at “Aristotle whispers to that of a well broadcast should not underestimate the cogni- University,” declared that the Arctic shout, which has aided in creating the tive potency involved in the charting trespasser must abide by a set of perception that the apparently former of such a reimbursement, as it ap- ordinances, which among other mat- Mr. Turkoglou (son of Turk) is a prac- pears to have been arrived at, by an ters, demands respect for minorities. titioner of at least some of what he approach towards history akin to the To all appearances, Mr. Venizelos was preaches. public accounting methods which, dur- motivated by an invincible yearning ing the course of the last few years, for all that is pure, just like his imag- In the purview of Evangelos Venizelos, have made Mr. Venizelos’s patria, re- ined homogenous homeland. the diminutive Balkan co-resident lo- nowned, the world over. cated just beyond Greece’s northern In response, a veritable verbal crash frontier, in manifold ways, is unrecog- If you remain unconvinced, it is well was heard, as if a tongue could be nizable; a stranger, not of the wan- worth adding to the case of Mr. used to slap somebody down; that, at 3 any rate, is the conclusion to be might safely assume he has never incompatible interests, but they are drawn from the manner in which some intentionally done so, unless it was as one in their disdain for the “Gypsy inhabitants of the country Mr. Venize- for his own benefit. He evidently has Skopians” and this filters through to los would have us regard as a malig- no false or squeamish modesty when the masses via the media and the edu- nant interloper, drew themselves up it comes to availing himself of cation system. to their full height while shrieking measures which might make Brussels about duplicity, charlatanism and so turn scarlet; for there are still an Therefore it is more than likely that a forth… Well Mr. Venizelos might un- abundance of votes to be gained, from multitude of Greeks will continue in derstandably be forgiven, for believ- a constituency educated to believe it the foreseeable future to negatively ing it would not dawn on any of the is the direct progeny of the ancient exoticize their northern neighbor. The presumably churlish inhabitants of a adulators of Zeus and that it is bor- Republic of Macedonia will continue to ‘pseudo state-let’ that they are in dered to the north by uncouth intrud- be viewed as a misnamed obscenity social practice, even if not by geogra- ers who speak a bizarre and mis- and Greece’s Macedonian minority will phy, considerably more proximate to named idiom. Incidentally one must remain officially non-existent. The Copenhagen. simply marvel at the didactic aptitude fact that the maintenance and misuse of a schooling structure which ap- of a mythical dogma of homogeneity It would be partially appropriate of pears in general to have convinced reaching back to an ancient primordi- Mr. Venizelos to riposte by shrugging Mr. Venizelos’s constituency of chil- ality, apart from being of some short his shoulders in association with the dren and grandchildren of refugees, term electoral assistance to Venizelos display of a sickly smile, as he has about their ownership of a place- & co, is also contributing to the rise been seen to do on a previous occa- name due to their very distant but of forms of fascism and the decidedly sion; for it is not entirely the fault of apparently no less direct antecedents, embarrassing presence of Neo Nazis Greece, as a long time member of the even though the exiles in question in the Greek parliament, does not ap- continental club, that it enjoys a cer- often conversed in a mode of expres- pear to have given the Venizelos’s of tain amount of liberty to regard its sion quite distinct from their sup- Greece any desire to reconsider their domestic exotics as non-existent… the posed forefathers and previously in- attitudes. administrators of the club must habited a different land. shoulder some of the responsibility George Vlahov and even after that has been noted, But we digress, or do we? Well to put one should also at least consider the it more seriously than hitherto, it has P.S. As an epilogue, some words contention, that, as the word hypocri- been a tradition in numerous socie- from Carl Jung: sy comes from the Greek, it is thereby ties, modern and pre-modern, to sin- the property of the Greek. It is a line gle out internal and external Every individual needs revolution, in- of argument related to the logic used strangers, who confuse and obscure ner division, overthrow of the existing to require the northern neighbor’s boundaries which those seeking or order, and renewal, but not by forcing self re-designation. From this peculi- already possessing power, find useful them upon his neighbors under the ar, though not quite unique perspec- to present as necessarily and per- hypocritical cloak of Christian love or tive, as a Greek, Mr. Venizelos is well fectly discernible. As indicated in the the sense of social responsibility or within his rights to use and abuse his previous paragraph, focusing atten- any of the other beautiful euphemisms discretion… to evince a stingy dispo- tion on people who do not fit within for unconscious urges to personal sition and to advantageously proffer the lines drawn from the values un- power. advice to the ‘unsophisticated north- derpinning a society, can deliver ben- erners,’ with much warmth; some efits from the ballot box. If people can be educated to see the might even say, with an exceptionally shadow-side of their nature clearly, it sultry intensity. It is of course true that the construc- may be hoped that they will also learn tion of the cultural, political and eco- to understand and love their fellow Still not convinced? Neither am I. It nomic frameworks of all societies, men better. A little less hypocrisy and seems to be time to change tack. Let more or less, manufactures a little more self-knowledge can only us proceed by attesting, that if in the strangers; so the problematic nature have good results in respect for our course of his public life, this product of the stranger tradition has much to neighbor; for we are all too prone to of a supposedly advanced yet ancient do with the behavior of elites. Greek transfer to our fellows the injustice culture, has now and then attempted elites, like all holders of power, have and violence we inflict upon our own to play fancy with naked facts, one their internal disputes, rivalries and natures.

4

translation into French of his re- marks at the official press con- ference with his French counter- part, lest he be seen to be giving credence to French claims that their language is in fact French. Moreover, he travelled to and left Paris in his own diplomatic vehicle in order to avoid landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport, the name of the founder of France’s Fifth Republic.

The above account is of course fictitious, given that France and Germany have no dispute about the other’s name, language and culture and have as mature mem- bers of the EU, long ago resolved any disputes over territory, politi- cal and economic relations.

Venizelos’s Flight of Fantasy and his Demands

On 20 February 2014, Greek For- VENIZELOS: ADVENTURES IN “PSEUDOLAND” eign Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, paid an official visit to Macedonia By Dr. Chris Popov in his capacity as representative of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, which Greece will hold until 30 June 2014. The stated Germany Disputes France’s Name vance irredentist claims on lands that purpose of his visit to Macedonia have been German since time immemo- and five other countries in the Last month the German Foreign Minis- rial. region (Serbia, Montenegro, Bos- ter, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, paid an nia- Herzegovina, and Ko- official visit to France, the first by a Nevertheless, in an attempt to solve sovo) was to assess and encour- German government official to that the dispute over France’s name, age the progress being made by country since the beginning of the dec- Steinmeier travelled to Paris last these countries on their path to ades-long dispute over France’s name month for a meeting with his French full membership of the EU. Howev- which Germany considers to represent counterpart, Laurent Fabius. However, er, during his short stay in the a threat to its territorial integrity. in order not to be seen to be granting Macedonian capital , Germany claims exclusive rights to the any form of official German recognition Venizelos ensured that the ficti- name France and all its derivatives, to French claims relating to the name tious scenario described at the given that the Franks (from whose of their state and their relentless at- beginning of this piece was played name France derives) were a confed- tempts to promote their language and out in all its absurdity. In order to eration of Germanic tribes occupying culture as “French”, Steimeier refused defend “Hellenism’s historical land in the Lower and Middle Rhine in to hold any official meetings with his legacy” and to avoid giving any the Third century. It views all attempts French counterpart at the French Min- legitimacy to “Skopje’s irreden- by the authorities in Paris to monopo- istry for Foreign Affairs and insisted tism and falsifications of history”, lise the name France to be part of a that the meeting take place at the Eu- Venizelos refused to land at Skop- strategy to deprive Germany of its ropean Commission’s offices in central je’s “Alexander the Great” airport, rightful historical legacy and to ad- Paris. He also insisted that there be no refused to travel along the high-

5 5 way named “Aleksandar Makedonski”, avoid the Christian cross so as not to We are waiting for some material, would only travel in a diplomatic vehi- be destroyed. However, his minders concrete and tangible steps in this cle on which the symbol MK was cov- obviously did not do their homework critical field of good neighborly rela- ered with black tape, refused to be well enough before arrival as they put tions,” Venizelos said, adding that this photographed with his Macedonian him up for one night at the “is a general European, international counterpart, Nikola Popovski, in front “Aleksandar Palace” hotel. A Google obligation”. (Venizelos Sounds Upbeat of the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign search would have revealed that on Name Dispute With Macedonia, Bal- Affairs as the panels in the back- there is a Holiday Inn in Skopje! kan Insight web site, 21 February 2014 ground contained Macedonia’s official http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/ name, Republic of Macedonia, and in- Nevertheless, Venizelos was not to be article/venizelos-macedonia-must- sisted that his speech in English at deterred and after once again deni- boost-friendliness-with neighbors? the European Union’s Information grating the Macedonian state, Mace- utm_source=Balkan+Insight+Newslett Centre in Skopje not be translated donian language, culture and identity ers&utm_campaign=508ab53421- into Macedonian so as to “save a la the Greek nationalist copybook, BI_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_te time.”(“Венизелос и had the temerity to invoke good rm=0_4027db42dc-508ab53421- Добрососедството”, Dnevnik neighbourly relations telling his Mace- 319684253) Online, 22 February 2014, http:// donian hosts the following as reported dnevnik.mk/?Item ID=C6AE0E1313 42FE by the Balkan Insight web portal on 21 Reaction of Macedonian Media, 45BD4F187F65FD755E). February 2014: NGOs and Government

It is pertinent to add in this regard Speaking in Greece's capacity as The Macedonian media was rightly that in January 2014 Venizelos, in an president of the Council of the Euro- scathing about Venizelos’s conduct, address before the French Senate, pean Union, Venizelos meanwhile in- while the organisation “Makedonski had stated that the Macedonian lan- sisted that the main obstacle to Mace- Manifest”, which groups together in- guage is pseudo-Macedonian and that donia’s European perspective was not tellectuals, writers and academics, according to Bulgarian scientific cir- the “name” dispute alone but its suggested that Venizelos not be ac- cles is a dialect of Bulgarian. (“Greek “obligation to fulfill the Copenhagen corded the honour of being granted foreign minister: Macedonian Lan- criteria, and especially the major cri- meetings with high state and govern- guage is pseudo-Macedonian”, Focus teria of compliance with the principle ment officials such as the Prime Min- News Agency, 25 January 2014, of good neighbourly relations” - with ister, President, Foreign Minister and http://www.focus-fen.net/news/ Greece and Bulgaria. party leaders, but that he be received 2014/01/25/325238/greek-foreign- minister-macedonian-language-is- pseudo-macedonian.html).

One may legitimately ask how Venize- los managed to avoid seeing the “Welcome to the Republic of Macedo- nia” signs at the Macedonian-Kosovo border or the 27 metre high statue of Alexander the Great in Skopje’s main square (quaintly named “Warrior on a Horse” by the Macedonian authorities to avoid “giving offence” to its south- ern neighbour) which is directly oppo- site the EU’s Information Centre. Per- haps the good minister’s minders placed black tape over his eyes as he was driven to and around Skopje so as to prevent him from being outraged by offending nomenclature, signs and monuments, in much the same way that folk legend has it that vampires

6 by lower ranking officials in keeping proach, the Macedonian government sion’s recommendation for the start with the lack of respect and racism rolled out the red carpet for the of accession negotiations which we that Venizelos and the country he rep- “honoured representative of the EU”, have obtained on five occasions, resents have shown towards Macedo- in a show of servility which can only which means that the Commission nia and the Macedonians. They also have further emboldened Greece and recognizes such progress. Premier suggested that Macedonian politicians the EU to continue its policies of open Gruevski welcomes Venizelos’s visit meeting Venizelos should convey to and aggressive negation of Macedonia, on behalf of the Presidency of the EU him unambiguously that the Macedoni- its name and people. Venizelos was which represents a continuation of an name, identity and language are received by the President, Prime Min- the visits to Macedonia as a candidate not for sale and will not be bargained ister and Foreign Minister no less and nation, as well as the intention of the with. (“Отворено писмо од also held meetings with the leaders of Greek Presidency to organize a minis- “Македонски маифест” до the political parties SDSM and DUI. terial summit of the EU member na- Венизелос”, 24 Вести web Rather than tackle head-on tions and candidate nations in April. s i t e , 18 February 2014, Venizelos’s lies and manipulations Premier Gruevski expressed the con-

http://24vesti.mk/otvoreno-pismo-od (Greece itself is an abysmal failure viction that Greece’s presidency of -%E2%80%9Emakedonski-manifest% when it comes to fulfilling the Copen- the EU would strengthen the EU’s E2%80%9C-do-venizelos). On the day hagen criteria) and his arrogant as- views on the Balkans in accordance of Venizelos’s visit the World Macedo- sertions that open questions related with the Solun agenda.” (“Venizelos nian Congress and several other as- to good neighbourly relations, includ- lesno pomina”, MKD.MK web site, 26 sociations staged a peaceful protest ed “Skopje’s irredentism and ideologi- February 2014, http://www.mkd.mk/ against his visit in front of the head- cal use of history”, the Macedonian kolumni/venizelos-lesno-pomina) quarters of Macedonia’s government government issued the following (Светскиот македонски statement President Gjorge Ivanov responded in конгрес одржа протест a similar vein: против Венизелос пред “Macedonia remains committed to Влада, 24 Вести web site, 20 progress and positive developments “Making possible the parallel consid- February 2014, http://24vesti.mk/ in relation the EU agenda, as well as eration of the process for the solution svetskiot-makedonski-kongres-odrzha ensuring it stays strongly focused on of the bilateral matter and the pro- -protest-protiv-venizelos-pred-vlada) the reforms linked to the process of cess of accession negotiations for EU membership, the best confirmation membership of the EU, which has In contrast to this principled ap- of which is the European Commis- proved to be a successful and positive

7 practice, will be of benefit not only to ning of this article. ans and their language and their fur- the Republic of Macedonia and the ther negation in Greece, Bulgaria and whole region, if such a procedure is Whither the Name Dispute? Albania. implemented in our case”. Greece has consistently and unambig- Or will Macedonia renounce the Furthermore, President Ivanov told uously shown these past twenty-two shameful name negotiations, assert Venizelos that a solution of the name years that its primary strategic goal unequivocally to the world that a issue will only come about through a in relation to the Republic of Macedo- name change is completely unac- strict adherence to the framework nia is to bring about the destruction ceptable as a precondition for entry within which the process is being con- of Macedonian identity, language and to NATO and the EU, and return to the ducted in the UN, respect for existing culture throughout the Balkans by UN to prosecute its right to be inter- resolutions of the Security Council, bringing about a permanent renaming nationally recognised as the Republic the Interim Agreement, international of the Macedonian state and its ma- of Macedonia, while at the same time law and the verdict of the Internation- jority Macedonian population. charting a more independent and non- al Court of Justice in The Hague. Venizelos’s visit to Macedonia was but aligned political, economic and mili- Ivanov added that matters related to the latest incarnation of this desire tary course? If one is to judge by the identity and human dignity are not and goal. The official Macedonian re- treatment accorded to Venizelos in part of that framework and do not action was to make an obsequious February, it is apparent that Macedo- contribute to efforts aimed at finding appeal to reason and international nia will continue to try to appear a mutually acceptable solution. law, the UN process, the Interim “constructive” and “flexible” in future (“Venizelos lesno pomina”, MKD.MK Agreement and the Hague verdict in and thereby increase the pressure of web site, 26 February 2014, http:// the vain hope that the international the international community on it to www.mkd.mk/kolumni/venizelos-lesno community would somehow lean on commit ethnocide. -pomina) Greece to moderate its demands and come to an “agreement”, all the while Dr. Chris Popov The contrast between Venizelos’s ar- knowing that the EU and NATO, openly rogance, disrespect and racism and support Greece’s position and have the servility and careful diplomatic placed no pressure at all on it to re- language employed by the Macedonian spect the Hague decision. Moreover, political establishment could not have Venizelos has made it crystal clear, been starker. In this regard, Presi- by indicating that the name issue is dent Ivanov’s view that negotiations not the main obstacle to Macedonia’s about the name should and must not accession to the EU, but rather the be used to negate Macedonian identi- issue of the Copenhagen criteria and ty, language and culture betrays the good neighbourly relations, that misplaced belief that they can still be Greece and its loyal ally Bulgaria have protected if Macedonia’s name is no intention of admitting Macedonian changed. However, the fact that Mace- to the EU and NATO, even were an donia has effectively been negotiating “acceptable” solution on the name to away its name, identity, language and be found. culture for the last 22 years made it a fait accompli that the negator par So the basic choice remains, as has excellence, Venizelos, would not only, been pointed out innumerable times incredibly, be invited to visit a state by this Review. Does Macedonia risk whose existence his country has been jeopardising its statehood, Macedoni- zealously striving to eradicate, but an identity and culture by changing its also treated with all the honour and name to suit aggressive Greek de- dignity of an esteemed international mands as the price of entering NATO diplomat, something which would most and the EU? One needs to factor into certainly not have occurred had the consideration that a name change German Foreign Minister, Steinmeier, which will be used by Greece as a visited France in the imaginary cir- springboard to eventually obtain the cumstances described at the begin- renaming internationally of Macedoni-

8

EARLY ELECTIONS IN MACEDONIA 2014 By Dr. Vasko Nastevski

The Republic of Macedonia will be conducting general par- rently 84 members of parliament are Macedonian (68.4%) liamentary elections on 27 April 2014. Despite parliamen- and 25 are Albanian (20.3%).2 tary terms being guaranteed a duration of four years un- der the Macedonian Constitution1, in Macedonia, it is unu- The consolidation of this ethnic/political bifurcation is sual for a parliamentary term to run its full course as par- partly the result of ‘Western’ intervention in the country liamentary elections are customarily held early, so the and the imposition of the so-called Framework Agreement. upcoming general ballot keeps faith with that practice. The As has been previously explored in the MHR Review, the following is a very brief snapshot of the peculiarities of Framework Agreement led to changes in the Macedonian Macedonian electoral life. Constitution that emphasised the importance of ethnic be- longing rather than any sense of common citizenship. 3 Ac- All indications suggest that on the Macedonian side of poli- cordingly, having parallel civil societies functioning along- tics, the ruling VMRO-DPMNE will comfortably win the side each other and yet within the same country is to be greatest amount of parliamentary seats, therefore giving viewed as an expected outcome. Accordingly, it is normal them the opportunity to again form government. Within the for Macedonians and to have their own demo- Albanian political parties, DUI appears confident that it too, graphic centres, education systems, culturally specific will secure the majority Albanian vote again. Of course, versions of history and their own ethnically-specific fo- today in the Republic of Macedonia, it is quite normal to cused political parties. This perhaps also explains some of talk of political parties based on ethnic affiliation. The ac- the statements and commentary coming from the respec- cepted wisdom is that Macedonian political parties seek tive political apparatchiks. For example, Bujar Osmani, de- and win only the Macedonian vote and likewise, Albanian scribed as a DUI spokesperson, stated that: political parties compete solely for the right to the Albani- an vote. The Macedonian Parliament itself provides reports “These elections will determine who will be based on the ethnic composition of the Parliament. Cur- more influential in the next government - the 9

[main ruling party] Albanian minority has gained a privi- the majority in the population of Mac- VMRO DPMNE or the DUI - leged status in that, relatively speak- edonia”6. Viewed in this context, Os- which is why we ask for ing, all other ethnic minorities are mani’s seemingly delusional predic- support from Albanians, institutionally marginalised and thus tions may turn out to be not too far so that we can win 25 Osmani’s logic may not be so mis- off the mark. seats.”4 placed. DUI’s 25 seats would repre- sent 100% of the Albanian constituen- Although, Osmani’s optimism is some- The political ambition is clearly lim- cy, whereas VMRO-DPMNE will inevita- what contradicted by Macedonia’s ited to winning the ‘Albanian’ vote. As bly cede a large chunk of the Macedo- current Prime Minister, Nikola noted, Albanian parties combined hold nian constituency to the other long- Gruevski, who has been quoted as 25 seats in the Macedonian Parlia- established Macedonian political par- saying that he needs a working ment, so Osmani’s entreaty is all ty, the SDSM. majority of at least 62 seats in the about DUI becoming the sole political 123 seat parliament. He was further force representing the Albanian popu- It is also important to add here, that quoted as asserting that: lation in the Republic of Macedonia. in the situation of DUI winning 25 Perhaps more mystifying is Osmani’s seats, any laws which would “directly “With that number, no assertion that achieving this quota affect culture, use of language, one could blackmail us may result in DUI being “more influen- education, personal documentation, as a party, as a tial in the next government” over and and use of symbols”5; the DUI alone coalition, as the above VMRO-DPMNE, despite that would effectively have veto powers. Macedonian people and VMRO-DPMNE is likely to have more This is one of the incongruities of the nation”.7 than double the amount of seats in the Framework Agreement, which imposed parliament relative to DUI. On this amendments to the Macedonian Con- Winning 62 seats in the Parliament basis, Osmani’s claims would fail stitution so that “the Assembly makes would give VMRO-DPMNE a bare ma- based on simple arithmetic. But Mace- decisions by a majority vote of the jority, meaning that in theory it could donia post-2001 is a peculiar place. In Representatives attending, within govern in its own right without the numerous ways the Republic of Mace- which there must be a majority of the requirement to seek a coalition part- donia resembles a bi-national Mace- votes of the Representatives attend- ner, which usually comes from one of donian-Albanian state. Moreover, the ing who belong to communities not in the Albanian parties. However, it is

10 notable that in past elections where as a specially designated person. Peo- cott. Whatever the ultimate outcome VMRO-DPMNE has obtained a clear ple named on these lists are either of the general elections in April, Mac- majority in Parliament, it still ‘chose’ linked to activities of rogue countries, edonian politics will continue to main- to form a coalition government with or are individuals alleged to be in- tain its ‘topsy-turvy’ nature for the an Albanian political party. Why would volved in terrorism or narcotics traf- foreseeable future. this time be any different? Somewhat ficking.10 Thaci’s contributions to Mac- obliquely, Gruevski is reported to edonian electioneering are slightly Dr. Vasko Nastevski have gone on to state that: curious. The following statement has been attributed to him: 1 See Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, Art 63 – “If VMRO DPMNE does “The Representatives for the Assembly are elected for a not win 62 legislators, “Things are clear. The term of four years”, http://www.sobranie.mk/en/default the DUI could either seek favourite in the elections -en.asp?Item ID = 9F7452BF44EE814B8 DB897C1858B71FF.

the Prime Minister's is the candidate of [the 2 Parliament of Macedonia website http:// position, or that of main ruling] VMRO www.sobranie.mk/en/default - e n . a s p ? speaker of parliament, DPMNE party, [current ItemID=7B8A14698AF26C4EA3EBEE7D0B6797AC. 8 or head of state.” President] Gjorge 3 Vasko Nastevski, ‘In Review: the 2001 Civil Conflict in Ivanov. Our goal is to Macedonia and the Framework Agreement, MHR Frankly, this eventuality is difficult to enter the key second Review, Issue 9, January 2012, pp.43-50. 11 imagine, even considering the amena- round”. 4 Sinisa Jakov Marusic, ‘Macedonia Parties Mobilize bility of the Framework Agreement Ethnic Supporters’, Balkan Insight, 4 March 2014, http:// towards the Albanian community. May- He later goes on to state that if DPA www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-parties- call- on-e th nic- mobilization- for-e lec ti ons? be it is why Gruevski clearly qualified win “enough votes to enter the sec- utm_source=Balkan+Insight+Newsletters&utm_campaign his language to suggest that DUI ond round on April 27, the party =8db365b79b - “could … seek” one of the leadership might then advise its voters to ab- BI_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4027db42dc -8db365b79b-319684253. positions. But so what? The only way stain if they sensed that their Albani- for DUI to obtain one of the positions an rivals in the Democratic Union for 5 Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, above n 1, named is if Gruevski’s VMRO-DPMNE Integration, DUI, were engaging in Amendment X(2), replacing Art 69, http:// www.sobranie.mk/en/default - e n . a s p ? acceded to such requests. This may “undignified trading” with VMRO ItemID=9F7452BF44EE814B8DB897C1858B71FF. 12 be a case of scaremongering devised DPMNE”. So effectively, the DPA ap- to sway swinging Macedonian voters. pear to be entering the Macedonian 6 Ibid.

But then again, Macedonian Govern- presidential elections to win just 7 Sinisa Jakov Marusic, above n 3. ments have previous form in such enough votes to then be able to boy- matters. cott the rest of the ballot. 8 Ibid.

Then there is the main Macedonian 9 Sinisa Jakov Marusic, ‘Macedonia Albanians Demand opposition party, the SDSM, whose It appears that much which would be Early Elections’, Balkan Insight, 28 February 2014, http:// spokesperson had the following to seen to be ‘exotic’ by the parliamen- www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-closer-to - e a r l y - e l e c t i o n s ? say: tary democracies of the English utm_source=Balkan+Insight+Newsletters&utm_campaign speaking world, is ‘normal’ for the =f834a7b1e6 - “Early elections do not “parliamentary democracy” of the BI_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4027db42dc -f834a7b1e6-319684253. depend on us. But if the Republic of Macedonia. A party wining ruling coalition partners only 25 seats in a 123 seat parliament 10 US Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign continue to play a game expects to be in a position to be all Assets Control, Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, http://www.treasury.gov/ of making alibis for elec- dominant; the political party likely to ofac/downloads/ctrylst.txt. 9 tions, then that’s it”. win the majority of seats in the par- liament fears having to compromise/ 11 Sinisa Jakov Marusic, ‘Macedonian Albanian Joins Presidential Race’, Balkan Insight, 27 February 2014, So basically, in spite of the ‘tough’ relinquish the highest office position; http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia- talk, SDSM’s position is that if elec- the major opposition party is unhappy a l b a n i a n s - e n t e r - presidential - r a c e ? tions are called, then they will actual- that elections have been called but is utm_source=Balkan+Insight+Newsletters&utm_campaign =c6371c6d1e - ly contest them. We also heard from threatening to participate anyway and BI_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4027db42dc one of the other Albanian political another party seemingly operating on -c6371c6d1e-319684253. parties, the DPA, which is headed up the fringes has declared that it will 12 Ibid. by Menduh Thaci, somebody who re- participate in the elections so that it mains on the blacklist may exercise an opportunity to boy-

11

IDENTITY POLITICS By Tom Vangelovski

Most states undertake processes today some of these tendencies con- words, these extremists wanted to known as nation-building and nation- tinue to exist among Macedonians, form a bi-national state in which Mac- maintenance, which have the purpose although perhaps to a lesser degree. edonians and Albanians would be co- of ensuring the continual reproduc- founders and equal partners. tion of national identity with every One of the key ingredients that were successive generation. These mecha- missing from the Macedonian nation- While the Macedonian Government nisms are primarily used against building project was an attempt to focused on an ethnonational Macedo- threats to national identity from com- integrate its minority communities, nian nation-building project, it left the peting identities stemming from sub- particularly Albanians, into wider Albanian community to undertake its ethnic and religious loyalties, and Macedonian society and encourage own nation-building exercise. The Al- processes of localisation and globali- them to accept a Macedonian civic banian political and cultural elites did sation.1 identity (i.e., primary loyalty to the this informally until 2001, when it was Macedonian state and society based institutionalised through the Frame- It is clear that these processes in on their Macedonian citizenship, while work Agreement and the subsequent Macedonia have been inconsistent and retaining their cultural and linguistic constitutional amendments. These incoherent since independence. Ra- heritage). Because of a failure to do overriding legal documents have fun- ther than attempting to inte- so, Albanian extremists were able to damentally changed the character of grate minorities into wider so- promote the idea that the Albanian the Macedonian state from a nation- ciety, Macedonian nation-building community is not a part of Macedo- state of the Macedonian people to a efforts focused on the Macedonian nian society and that the political multi-national state in which sepa- community itself. This was perhaps structures of the state and rate, co-equal nations (Macedonian, a necessary strategy as Macedonian its institutions should re- Albanian and others) are regarded as identity in the 1990’s was weak among flect that. In co-founders and provided with the a significant element of the Macedoni- other right to foster their own an people. Clearly there were many ethnonational whose primary national identity could identity only be described as ‘Yugoslav’, along with some obvious examples of Serbophilia and Bul- garophilia. Even

regardless of how much it competes with the idea of Macedonia as a uni- tary state. What’s more, nation- building/maintenance in post- Framework Agreement Macedonia is almost exclusively undertaken at the local level where minority communi- ties control municipal councils and their budgets, allowing them to use state funds for these purposes.

However, there are some national- level examples, particularly in educa- tion. Whereas Macedonian school chil- dren learn about Macedonian ethnona- tional history, Albanian school chil- dren learn about the history of Alba- nia and the Albanian people living in Kosovo and Macedonia as a version of their own ethnonational historiog- raphy. For example, the latest history textbooks provide two disconnected versions of ancient history in sepa- rate chapters of the same textbook.2 Ancient Macedonian history is ex- plored through a chapter on the An- cient Macedonians, culminating in the conquests of Alexander the Great. Ancient ‘Albanian’ history is explored in another chapter on the Illyrians, who are claimed to be closely related to the Dardanians, with the implica- tion that both are ancestors of the modern Albanians. Both the ancient heroes and events and includes as a are underway, including two compet- Macedonians and the Illyrians/ learning exercise, the national anthem ing city squares within the capital Dardanians are described as indige- of Albania.3 Further, while the Mace- Skopje. The first is a complete rede- nous to the territory of Macedonia donian language studies textbooks sign of the city centre, known as Mac- and no attempt is made to explain or teach the history and dispersion of edonia Square, by providing it with a verify the competing claims. The one the , Albanian Baroque facelift and including a large textbook offers both communities a language studies textbooks do the number of statues of historical Mace- historical narrative that is used as a same for the . Here donians such as revolutionaries from basis for their competing claims to we see competing accounts as to the the 19th and 20th centuries (along with territory and indigenous nation sta- geographical dispersion of their re- questionable personalities from tus, further segregating the two com- spective speakers and in the Albanian neighbouring states and certain un- munities. language textbook, a map showing the named statues used for quasi patriot- supposed geographic dispersion of ic purposes, however, that is a sepa- Also of interest is the Albanian- Albanian dialects that virtually coin- rate discussion). Various ‘triumphal language studies textbook for the cides with what Albanians consider to arches’ named after historical battles fourth grade. This textbook, in addi- be ‘’. 4 and places have also been built and it tion to containing Albanian literature is envisaged that a large Orthodox and the history of famous Albanian Outside of the education system, vari- Cathedral will be constructed. To rival writers, also provides information ous grandiose building projects for this project, the Albanian populated about important historical Albanian the purpose of nation-maintenance municipality of Čair, located within

13 the City of Skopje, has embarked on Muslims) located in the Municipality of tion). The situation could have easily its own reconstruction project. The . escalated into a violent clash, but the Čair authorities plan to extend the Macedonian procession decided to Skanderbeg Square5, making it the This particular incident involved a withdraw and open and engage in dis- largest in the capital. The inclusion of dilapidated Church (St. Nikola) in the cussions on resuming construction at a large statue of Skanderbeg on centre of the village, for which the a future date. Currently, there are no horseback, which travelled through Church hierarchy had obtained munic- signs that construction will restart in Albanian populated towns in Macedo- ipal approval to knock-down and re- the near future, with Albanians and nia on its way from Albania to Skopje, build. Work had been progressing for firmly opposed. has become a centrepiece of the a number of months without any con- Some reported that the sudden oppo- square. troversy until rumours began to cir- sition to renewing the church after culate the day before Bishop Timotej months of work was the result of rad- These projects are not limited to the was due to bless the new Church’s ical Islamists who are known to have capital, they extend across the coun- foundations that Albanians and Mace- influence and followers both within try. , , Ohrid, , Gos- donian Muslims were planning to dis- and the neighbouring villages of tivar and Struga have notable pro- rupt the event.6 Macedonians from the Labuništa and Podgorci. While extrem- jects of their own. In these areas, region organised fairly quickly ists may have influenced this particu- nation-building/maintenance is also through social media and kinship net- lar confrontation, the general trend is accompanied by the practice of mark- works and the next day, an estimated certainly leading to more of these ing out ‘national territory’. The use of 400 of them from Misleševo, Moroišta instances between Macedonian Chris- flags, monuments and religious build- and Vevčani marched into Oktisi with tians and Albanian Muslims (who have ings and objects, along with the use of the Bishop. They were met by close to coaxed many Macedonian Muslims to ethnonationalist nomenclature for 800 Albanians and local Macedonian join their cause). public spaces such as streets, Muslims who had already surrounded squares and villages are a key mecha- the church to block the Macedonian Inter-community conflict between nism for both. procession. Reports suggested that Macedonians and Albanians has exist- the majority of Muslim demonstrators ed for many decades. However, this Of particular note are the number of were Albanians who had bussed in conflict has intensified since inde- new mosques being built in Albanian from surrounding villages, though the pendence and particularly since the populated municipalities and the large Imam called for local Muslims to come implementation of the Framework crosses being erected in Macedonian and assist from the minaret of the Agreement, which has allowed Mace- populated areas. Although they have local Mosque during the confrontation. donians and Albanians to foster sepa- genuine religious significance, they rate, competing and irreconcilable also send a strong political message – Police managed to push back the Mac- national and religious narratives, ‘this town belongs to us’. While largely edonian group, while allowing the Al- strengthened through the use of pub- symbolic in the ethno-religious strug- banians to block access to the con- lic funds. In the final analysis, it is gle between Macedonians and Albani- struction site; however, the tense unclear whether Macedonia can even ans, these religious objects have at standoff lasted several hours. Many integrate its Albanian minority. Ali times led to actual conflict. A typical protesters from both sides came Ahmeti, speaking to journalists in example is the events of last year in clearly armed with pistols and batons, March 2001, made his ethnonationalist the village of Oktisi, with a population while some had brought automatic vision and his view of Macedonian of 4,500 (predominantly Macedonian rifles (though these were kept in vehi- identity quite clear: cles away from the main confronta-

14

The struggle that we began has 2 K. Adžievski et al, Istorija za VI odd- national hero. one aim – to remove Slavic forces elenie od devetgodišnoto osnovo from territory that is traditionally obrazovanie, Ministerstvo za obra- 6 The author was undertaking re- Albanian.7 zovanie i nauka na Republika Makedon- search in Struga at the time and is an ija, Skopje, 2011. eyewitness to these events. Tom Vangelovski 3 R. Petro & N, Pepivani, Gjuha Shqipe, 7 Think.mk, Proektot golema albanija e Shtepia Botuese Albas, Tetovo, 2009. vo polna parea, 10 September 2013. 1 A very good discussion of the con- cepts of nation-building and nation- 4 Various territories that this map maintenance is provided by P. Kolstø, identifies as containing Albanian- “National Symbols and Signs of Unity language speakers bears little resem- and Division”, Ethnic and Racial Stud- blance to historical or actual reality, ies, Vol. 29, No. 4, 2006, pp. 676‑701; see A. Hamiti & I. Hamiti, Gjuha and A. Smith, “National Images and Shqipe: Per Klasen VI, Ministerstvo za National Maintenance: The Ascendancy obrazovanie i nauka na Republika Mak- of the Ethnic Idea in North America”, edonija, Skopje. Canadian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 14, No. 2, June 1981, pp. 227-257. 5 Albanians consider Skanderbeg a

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16

VINOZHITO AND THE DIFFICULTIES ON PARTICIPATING IN ELECTIONS By Dimitri Jovanov

Numerous people often ask In Greece, there are 20,000 thousands of voting booths ly annulled, but in Greece, it questions about the partici- electoral departments and in order to confirm the still applies. pation of Vinozhito in elec- if a party wants to ensure a presence of Vinozhito vot- tions. The manner in which completely accurate pic- ing cards. Another problem intention- such questions are posed ture of the results, then it ally imposed by the govern- indicates that many of them needs to be able to send The electoral laws in ments led by the major par- assume the process of representatives to all of Greece require a party to ties in order to limit the standing in elections to be the departments – from gain a minimum of 3% of participation of minor par- much easier than it really Thrace to the Peloponnese the total vote for the elec- ties is related directly to is: Why don’t you do this!? and the islands, in order to tion of a single candidate. the actual voting process. Why did you get so few scrutinize the process of So if we take Greece as Even though the state ap- votes!? Why there and not counting the votes. Moreo- possessing around 10 mil- pears to permit candidates here!? Why, why, why!? It is ver, it is widely known that lion voters, 3% is equiva- to stand without the pay- easy to be an armchair the Greek establishment lent to 300,000 votes. This ment of a fee, in reality it is critic. In this article we despises Vinozhito and that is an exceedingly large very expensive to do so. shall attempt to present it often fails to make Vi- number for a small party This is because the state some of the factors which nozhito voting cards availa- like Vinozhito. Other EU exacts a payment for the make participating in an ble at numerous voting countries are dispensing production and distribution election campaign and the booths. Thus members of with such laws as unfairly of the voting cards for eve- electoral process in gen- Vinozhito need to travel excluding peripheral groups ry party to every voting eral, a very difficult task from village to village and from the democratic pro- booth. This is a legal re- for Vinozhito. town to town in an effort to cess. For example, a similar quirement and the fee visit at least some of the law in Germany was recent- amounts to over 20,000

17

Euros. In other words, that crossings are duty free. It Kukush (Kilkis in Greek) quences of supporting Vi- fee is a minimum require- would not be a fanciful region declared the follow- nozhito, then it is clear that ment for a modest form of stretch for one to assume ing to Vinozhito party offi- the difficulties facing Vi- participation in the elec- that the Greek and Bulgari- cials: nozhito are immense. In toral process; it does not an authorities cooperated spite of all that, Vinozhito include the finance needed in the confiscation of the I am Greek on my father’s has managed to find ways for posters, flyers, trans- DVD’s, considering their side and Macedonian on my to participate in all the Eu- portation costs, the organi- cooperation in general, on mother’s. I am a school ropean elections to date zation of meetings etc. the negation of Macedoni- teacher and was employed and continues to struggle, ans. in my mother’s village with its very modest means, The state electoral laws which is located in the Ku- for the human rights of unequivocally state that all Never-the-less, the most kush region. At that time I Macedonians in Greece and parties, big or small, have scandalous aspect of the was not very aware of the beyond. the right to three video difficulties which confront issues around Macedonian presentations on all the Vinozhito every time it par- matters and I was employed Dimitri Jovanov (Ioannou) major television channels, ticipates in an election, is as a vote counter in that is a member of Vinozhito in order to make their plat- the misappropriation of its village. The day before the and the editor of Nova forms known. All the same, votes. The anecdotal evi- elections they told us that a Zora a monthly pro- in practice, that right is dence for such deceit is Skopian [a derogatory term Macedonian human rights denied to Vinozhito. In the widespread and convincing. in reference to ethnic Mac- newspaper distributed past, some channels have For example, at the Europe- edonians] party is partici- throughout Aegean Mace- chosen to put the Vinozhito an elections held in 1994, pating and that it needs to donia and beyond: http:// video on at a useless time, Vinozhito officially gained be destroyed. I agreed, be- novazora.gr/ like 3am; others refused to nearly 8,000 votes. The cause at that time, as I air it at all. The latter was real figure however, must mentioned, I understood Translated from Macedo- the case in the last Europe- have been much higher and nothing. In that village, Vi- nian by George Vlahov of an parliamentary elections. we shall mention two em- nozhito gained 78 votes, but the AMHRC. Vinozhito took legal action blematic examples, directly officially they were given against the offending chan- associated with the 1994 only three. Large scale nels, though the Greek elections, in order to stealing. Though at that “justice” system ultimately demonstrate our point. time I agreed with that failed to punish them ap- stealing, with that criminal propriately. A few months after the 1994 act. I didn’t know any bet- elections, an individual vis- ter. In the previous European ited Vinozhito’s offices in election Vinozhito produced Lerin [Florina in Greek] and It is not difficult to imagine 10,000 DVD’s with the in- explained the following: that the official number of tention of mailing them to votes received by Vinozhito, voters. In order to save on I am from a village in the would have been very much costs the DVD’s were manu- region of Voden [Edessa in higher if the whole state factured in neighboring Greek] and was present and para-state were not Bulgaria. Upon attempting during the counting of the continually attempting to to transport the DVD’s votes in my village. I was destroy the party. across the Bulgarian bor- present in the capacity as a der, members of Vinozhito representative of the Com- On top of all that we have were brought to a halt and munist Party. Your party, mentioned above, if one the DVD’s were confiscated Vinozhito, gained 44 votes also takes note of the fact by the Bulgarian authori- and yet officially, they gave that all members of Vi- ties, even though Greece you only four votes. I was nozhito are volunteers and and Bulgaria are members too scared to say any- that among the Macedoni- of the EU; which means thing…. ans in Greece there is still there are no legal issues apprehension about the and that such border Another individual from the possible negative conse-

18

GREEK HUMANIST HARASSED BY RACIST AND ANTI-SEMITIC AUTHOR 19 February 2014

Panayote Dimitras is the Spokesper- of the book, K. Plevris approached P. actions “judicial harassment”. The son of the Humanist Union of Greece Dimitras and told him “you have start- organisation reports collusions be- and a human rights activist, founder ed to annoy me and you will feel what tween K. Plevris and some persons in of Greek Helsinki Monitor. fascism means, because as you know I the judicial system, explaining on the have declared that I am a fascist”. one hand why some trials against P. Greek Helsinki Monitor filed a com- Indeed, in his book, K. Plevris declared Dimitras could happen despite a lack plaint against Konstantinos Plevris to be “Nazi, fascist, racist, anti- of legal grounds and, on the other, after the publication of his book The democrat, anti-Semite”. why K. Plevris was acquitted of incita- Jews: The Whole Truth (2007) in which tion to racial hatred in 2009 (see the he wrote that Jews are “subhuman” Since then, P. Dimitras was sued on report of the OMCT). and criticized the Nazis for "not rid- several occasions by K. Plevris, ding Europe of Jewish Zionism". P. amongst other because he mentioned The European Humanist Federation Dimitras appeared as a witness in a in a later trial that he had threatened expresses its full support to Panayote later trial against the book under the his life. The numerous charges Dimitras in his struggle against all Greek anti-racist law and was after- against P. Dimitras are all based on forms of hate speech, intolerance and wards accused of defamation and per- the same grounds – defamation or discriminations. Voices like his are jury by K. Plevris. perjury – despite the numerous con- particularly important in a context of victions of K. Plevris for anti- crisis where populist, racist and fas- During a hearing of a separate trial Semitism. The NGO World Organisation cist views are openly expressed. against a newspaper publishing parts Against Torture has called K. Plevris’ 19

OMO ILINDEN PIRIN AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF EFA — EUROPEAN FREE ALLIANCE 2014 By Alexander Spassov

The European Free Alliance determination: our time is now, our future Also noteworthy was the (EFA) general assembly took is here to take and we must election of a new observer place in the capital of Gali- It is essential that we all seize it.” member: Altro Sud from cia (an autonomous prov- put the problem of the southern Italy and the elec- ince in northern Spain). EFA stateless nations and the In relation to Catalonian tion of the progressive is a political party with rep- need to recognise the polit- independence, Jordi Sole Basque party, Aralar, as a resentatives in the Europe- ical rights of people on the from ERC (Republican Left full member. an Parliament and it also European agenda. The EU of Catalonia) asserted that: functions as an umbrella (European Union) must con- “Catalans are not afraid of Next year's assembly might organisation that gathers tribute to consolidate the freedom, the pro- be held in the Lausitz, in the 40 progressive nationalist, democratic principle of self independence movement is land of the Sorbs, Germany. regionalist and autonomist -determination and oblige here to stay... When we are OMO Ilinden Pirin will again parties throughout the Eu- Member States to guaran- independent we will build participate and develop ropean Union (EU). These tee it effectively. one of the most socially and further its activities for a parties, including OMO Ilin- economically advanced better Europe, where peo- den Pirin, defend the identi- This year's catch phrase is countries in Southern Eu- ple may decide for them- ty of regional populations. indeed It's time for Self- rope.” selves about their identity Determination as it aptly and future. During the opening of the encapsulates the party’s In other activity, the dele- assembly, which took place mood in the run-up to the gates, including the repre- By Alexander Spassov in Santiago de Compostela, European elections, consid- sentative from OMO Ilinden who is a member of OMO Ana Miranda, a candidate ering the historic independ- Pirin, gave a majority Yes Ilinden Pirin, a political from the Bloque Nacional- ence referendums that are vote in favour of EFA mem- party active in the struggle ista Galego (BNG) in the to be held in Scotland and bership for Sorbian Lau- for the rights of the Mace- upcoming EU elections, Catalonia. sitzer Allianz. The Sorbs of donian minority in Bulgaria. quite firmly stated: “We Germany (a minority with a It has been banned since need to defend the right to Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who 1600 year history in the 2000, despite a 2005 Euro- self-determination for the is a SNP EP (Scottish Na- region around Dresden and pean Court of Human Rights future...we need to decide tional Party) election candi- Cottbus in Germany) are Judgement ruling that the for ourselves.” date, delivered an enthusi- under continuing assimila- decision was a violation of astic speech on this year's tory pressures and their the European Convention on At a subsequent press con- Scottish independence ref- environment is being devas- Human Rights. For more ference, BNG spokesperson erendum stating that: “The tated by open-cast coal information please visit Xavier Vence, further clari- Yes campaign is on course mining activity. www.omoilindenpirin.org. fied the meaning of self- to win...Our time is here, 20

the most recent works of young au- thors. In a search for information about Kocho Ratsin, for example, the website diversity.org.mk offered the following essential information about the life and works of Kocho Ratsin: (b. Veles, 1908 – d. Lopushnik, 1943) – poet, storywriter, publicist and essay- ist. A founder of contemporary Mace- donian literature. One of the most prominent Macedonian intellectuals between the two worlds wars. His po- etry makes a radical transition from a poetics of the oral [tradition] to a poetics of modern poetry. [Some of his poems] have a social dimension, while others have more of an elegiac dimension.

He contributed with [others in] the left intelligen[tsia] in former Yugosla- via, publishing his essays and poems in magazines in Zagreb, Belgrade, Sa- rajevo, Lubljana. He was persecuted and sentenced as a result of his revo- THE POETRY OF KOCHO SOLEV RATSIN lutionary and anti-regime activity. He died tragically during the war. He By Dr. Michael Seraphinoff published his first poems in Serb- Croatian.

Since 1936 he used the everyday Mac- We live in an era when communism er outlets for their idealism. In our edonian language, [specifically] the and its adherents are in general dis- own day and age men like Kocho Veles dialect. Editor of the newspaper repute. If this reputation has been Ratsin, no doubt, would have found Iskra, illegal organ of the CPY for earned in the excesses of Stalin and more options for their challenging of Macedonia. Author of the collections Mao and such betrayals as that of the the excesses of global monopoly capi- of poetry White Dawns, published in Macedonian people during the Greek talism or institutionalized racism or Samobor near Zagreb, 1939, Anthology Civil War, it still does a disservice to human rights violations. Obviously, of pain (written in 1928 and published the many brave, dedicated and ideal- many of the causes that Ratsin after his death), [other works pub- istic young people who struggled and worked for are still in need of cham- lished after his death include] Poems, died in the ranks of the communist pions today, and I have no doubt that Skopje, 1945, books of prose, poetry movement, all in the name of creating a 21st century Ratsin would have found and essays (Prose, 1952, Poetry and a better world. The efforts of com- a rightful place as a socially con- prose, 1954, Dragovit Bogomils,1948). munist activists advanced the cause scious poet and political activist. There are only parts of his novel Pop- of human rights, economic and social py (the manuscript was burned in justice and the struggle against state Nowadays we have access to a con- 1942 by the Serbian police). tyranny. However, in those places siderable body of works of Macedoni- where communists actually gained an literature by way of the internet. One of my favorite poems of Kocho state power they often disgraced Even if you do not live near a major Ratsin that combines both the socially themselves through their own abuses university outside of Macedonia, you conscious and the elegiac is the short of power. can access on the internet a consid- poem from White Dawns entitled Macedonians, like other peoples, erable range of works of most of Mac- “Lenka”: joined the party in the absence of oth- edonia’s major authors, if not some of

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Ленка

„Биљана платно белеше…“ “Biljana washed the laundry…”

Откако Ленка остави When Lenka left кошула тенка ленена The thin linen shirt недовезена на разбој Unwoven on the loom и на наломи отиде And went off to тутун да реди в монопол Sort tobacco for the syndicate лицето и се измени Her face changed веѓи паднаја надолу Her eyebrows drooped и усти свиа кораво. And her mouth grew rigid. Не беше Ленка родена Lenka was never born за тиа пусти тутуни! To be wasted by tobacco! Tobacco- yellow poison Тутуни – жлти отрови For a rose pure breast. за гради – китки розови. After the first year passed Прва година помина A hard lump lay in her heart. грутка в срцето и легна, After a second year втора година намина A sickness tore at her breast. болест ја в гради искина. In the third year Lenka Трета година земјата Lay folded in the earth. на Ленка покри снагата. And at night when her moon-lit И ноќе кога месечко Grave is veiled in silk гроб и со свила виеше A breeze softly wafts over her, ветерчок тихо над неа Offering the sad lament: жална и тага рееше: “why did I leave „Зошто ми, зошто остана the shirt unwoven? кошула недоткаена? A shirt that was to be my wedding gift…” Кошула беше дарована…“

INTERVIEW WITH SIMON (SPIRÉ) DAMEVSKI By John Tsiglev

I normally only interview Artists of him in a wheelchair. Spiré and I have me that life is amazing. the typical persuasion. Artists who fit known each other our whole lives. We into the wobbly mould of the tradition- grew up together as kids on the fring- JT: Spirché my brother. How are ya al definition of an Artist. However, for es amongst the Sharpies, Bogans, son? many years, I’ve longed to tell the Wogs and Yobos of our then outer amazing story of the ‘triumph of burb. A veritable melting pot of per- SD: What do you say? How do you spirit’ over extreme adversity of my sonalities, provocateurs and protec- start off these things?? life-long friend Spiré. tors. We had our own little community which was sort of like the glamorized, I’m going well now after a long stint of I consider Spiré a brother, and I re- stereotyped ‘Happy Days’ and ‘Stand recovery time... call all the prejudices and stigmas by Me’ movie variety. Many of us nev- coming out of our community relating er expected Spiré to remain so stead- JT: Good to hear brother, I always like to his changed physical condition af- fast and positive after such hurt. For to see ya in top form! ter his tragic workplace fall which left me personally, he constantly reminds

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I know you were a bit reluctant about you’re stuck in a rut, you can always doing this interview, but don’t worry, find positives in the places where you I’ll be gentle on you! least expected... For instance; before my accident I was a bit of a workaholic SD: You know how I am, a bit humble who lived a fast-paced lifestyle of about these things and I don’t think I’m work-hard, play-hard, whereas now deserving of all this unnecessary at- I’ve learnt to find a good balance be- tention tween work and perusing my lifelong interests…. I used to work to live and I JT: If anyone is deserving of the at- thought there was no other way, how- tention, it’s you…. You don’t have to be ever now I just live... I live for the a celebrity to deserve a little atten- pleasure of the moment. tion! JT: Carpe diem brother… Bravo. I think I vividly remember the exact moment I’ve learnt a bit of that from you too! when I heard the news of your fall. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday. It SD: Well, people have to realize it’s wasn’t too long after I got married and just not all about money. You can give came back from a few months of trav- me 100 million tomorrow and it won’t elling overseas. Not long before, we change my situation. Though I do be- were talking about going to Europe lieve it might make it easier for a together as you had also been over number of people around me there recently and we both thought Paris and Ohrid were fantastic and we JT: On TV we repeatedly see the tragic wanted to get back there as soon as stories of how wounded soldiers have physically possible. An unexplainable to deal with life after battle. I consid- heartbreak swept over me when I er you to be a soldier too. You too learnt how serious your condition was. have had to battle for your life.

It seems to me like it all happened How did you feel when you realized another lifetime ago. Do you also get that you couldn’t move your legs? that same feeling? SD: Well, not moving your legs is just SD: Well, I certainly do… Let me think the tip of the iceberg…. That’s mainly about it a bit…… The first 3 years were what other people just see and think extremely trying on my physical well about... But there are so many other being, which then translated to me underlying issues, impairments and feeling like I was never going to move complications that people don’t know forward and living a life of fulfillment about or are unable to see... It’s no and enjoyment. So yes, that does different to the iceberg I mentioned, seem so long ago, but it’s amazing how you only see a bit of the top, but you there’s a point where you just get on don’t know what’s going on underneath with living and all the pain and anguish the surface! When you see me in the just starts to fade away from memory wheelchair, you only see 10% of my and you start enjoying life with a new disability… perspective….. It’s definitely different, but no less enjoyable... JT: I don’t see any physical disability… Maybe you’re a bit crazy, but hey, JT: Well, you’re definitely not one to you’ve always been that way! play the victim card, and I commend you for that. SD: Yeah crazy, but here’s just a few examples of what a person with a spi- SD: No matter how hard you believe nal cord injury must endure everyday

24 without getting too much into the nitty in a conversation with them… “Wow, JT: Le le, I never heard of that story? -gritty: Loss of bladder and bowel you can answer the phone, that’s just I was thinking of another one which control, vulnerable to pressure sores, amazing!”… Ha ha ha…. And I just said, we probably shouldn’t mention here! very susceptible to infection and bone “sure is, and I can do other things breakage etc…etc…. too!” (Note: we both burst out laugh- SD: People never cease to amaze me! ing)…. This didn’t really bother me but JT: Bloody hell!! You’re a true Parti- my mum was very disappointed in her JT: I honestly can’t believe how you zanets be… Like your forefathers be- relative’s ignorance. made it through some of the absolute fore you! See, you are a soldier after hell you had to endure. I struggle to all! Bloody battler! JT: Gee, what a bunch of tikfi! Have keep my nerve after just visiting hos- you experienced anything like this in pitals, let alone staying in there for Spirché, I remember all the stories public? months at a time and under torturous you were telling me about the way conditions. certain ‘naïve’ people talk ‘r e a l l l y SD: Many times. The first wedding I s l o w w l l l y’ to you when they see attended after my accident was the How did you survive it all and what you in a chair… as if you have an in- most insensitive to this day, especial- gave you the will to live?

tellectual disability and are a lesser ly for my uncle who was helping me SD: Plain and simple…. It was seeing person. Some even stopped seeing get around. My uncle and I were in the faces of the people I love and care you. I personally regard them or pi- conversation when someone put their for. And I was really looking forward geon hole them as the same type of hand on my shoulder from behind and to spending good times with all of people who can’t deal with their own said “Didn’t you learn from your fa- them again! insecurities. ther?” (my father who passed away not long before due to spinal cancer, JT: Well I hope my face was one of How does this, or did this make you which in turn also left him in a wheel- them? feel? chair). My uncle was not only dis- traught by the comment, but was ab- SD: Proof is in the pudding! SD: Well, to tell you the truth, I just solutely furious and would have taken saw it as their issue more than mine. it further if I hadn’t calmed him down! JT: I always described you as a I didn’t let it bother me so much, alt- I was just relieved and happy to be ‘Nightclub King’ before your accident. hough it affected people around me out and about again after my year A bit of a Macedonian John Travolta who cared for me, more so. For in- long ordeal in hospital and rehab to from Saturday Night Fever! How hard stance, one time a relative called and let someone’s ignorant comments was it for you to have to change your when I answered the phone, they were bring me down and ruin the occasion! whole outlook on that scene, through shocked and surprised that I could Though it did ruin my uncle’s evening. no fault of your own? answer the phone and actually engage

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SD: I just started to look at the things I can do rather than dwelling on the things I can’t do. So in turn I found different avenues to replace the old drive I had for the whole “going out” scene. I still get out (let loose) heaps, however I now do it differently but in a no less enjoyable manner. JT: You sure do brother. We’ve had many a crazy night out together!

SD: Like I said, “Proof is in the pudding”!

JT: You are a carpenter by trade who was taught by the brilliant and very missed ‘Big George Damevski’ (your father who I can still hear call- ing me Johnka, driving his Falcon with one hand and eating Semki with the other), and you were on the job when you had your fall. Your dad, I should also mention, volunteered a massive amount of expertise and time building and setting up Macedonian Community buildings in the early days, such as helping with the building of the Preston Mak Soccer Club and then being a pho- tographer for the club.

Do you miss the job, not only for the job itself, but because of the history of growing up around it?

SD: Yeah, I do miss it in certain ways, but I thor- oughly enjoy what I do now. Due to my condition I had to look into different professions and I start- ed to realize that I had a whole bunch of options that I could pursue.

JT: Yep, you’ve become a bit of web/pc guru over the past few years. You have a massive fan in my son Limche, who is in great awe and thankful for helping him out with all his gaming require- ments (note: as I’m drafting this he’s pestering me in the background; “Ask Chiche Spiré how I can get a cheat MOD to work in Minecraft and how to change my characters!”) It was almost like a little bit of serendipity which occurred af- ter your accident. I believe it came to you be- cause of your optimistic outlook as you spent countless hours trying to get back on track.

Would you say this is true, or are you just a clev- er little cookie who’s good at everything? Come on Mr. Modest…tell me the truth?

SD: I like to say I’m good at everything, but in fact, I’m just good at most things! Ha ha ha (note:

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we both laugh and pat each other on the back!)

JT: Tell all the readers out there about some of the inspiring help you’ve provided to people with disabil- ities, including all the invaluable sexu- al therapy work you so love to talk about with me!

SD: Ha ha ha, I’m not going to share any of the sexual inadequacies you have with your readers and fan base.

JT: Ha ha ha.

JT: Ok Mr. Modest, you don’t have to brag! I’ll just brag a little for you and say that Simon has helped countless ates me to no end when I see a smart- television commercial you were in, young people with spinal injuries cope arse park in a disabled spot, but I and also, would you consider doing with many of the physical and psycho- don’t say a word or pass judgment work like that again? logical hurdles they must endure due these days in case they have a hidden to their changed physical condition. condition. SD: Yeah, I’ve done a few stints to promote awareness over the years, SD: Along the journey (note: Mr. Mod- How do you feel about it all and has such as television appearances on est buts in) I’ve met a lot of inspiring your attitude changed after our little Postcards, Parks Victoria and Yarra people who also help and have in- (massive!) embarrassment? Trams to name a few. I had a great spired me to greater things. There time doing them and I’d happily do it are many inspirational people all SD: Prior to the aforementioned expe- again if time permits. around us, but a lot of them go unno- rience, just like you, it used to infuri- ticed. ate me, though now I don’t premature- JT: Excellent. It’s all a bit of good fun ly pass judgment! and it’s good to hear that you’re JT: Hey Spirché, remember the time spreading awareness about the many we were at an event in the city and a JT: Ha ha ha, yeah I’m not a Prema- things people with disabilities can still lady parked in a disabled parking spot ture Judgmentor these days either…. get up to, which I guess leads me in to and you said; ”The next able person But seriously, it just goes to show you my next question…. who does this is going to be confront- don’t judge someone on their physical ed”….. Then, just like that, a seemingly attributes! You’ve managed to get married, travel spritely guy effortlessly jumped out of to some incredible and remote places his flashy car in the next disabled JT: Have you found our (Macedonian) around Australia and the world, and parking spot. We were like, “What the community to be more naïve about you still do the things you’ve always F*#k?” and you yelled out to him, your disability, or are they all pretty loved doing, like fishing, camping, 4 “Hey, that’s a disabled parking!” He much the same? wheel driving etc. didn’t even blink an eyelid or say any- thing back, pointed to his disabled SD: In my experience I’ve found that Have you found some of these experi- parking permit, and then stepped the Macedonian community is no dif- ences challenging which ‘able bodied’ around from his car. We then realized ferent to any other community. people might take for granted? that he had prosthetic legs! We just went silent and thought “Oh shit!!”… JT: Well, I guess that’s a good thing? SD: Life is challenging for everybody He didn’t say a word, even though you Sort of? I guess? regardless of your situation. I’ve had were in your chair! no choice but to adapt, and once I got You had a little moment of celebrity a out there, I realized how much I could Firstly, I’ve got to say, that it infuri- couple of years ago. Tell us about the actually do and achieve. I believe

27 many people underrate their own abil- having a drink together, and I’ll let drag you down to their level, because ities to deal with adversity. you know then! they’ll beat you with their experi- ence”…… “And having a conversation JT: It’s amazing how much positivity JT: Spirché, to me, you’re more ‘able with a fool is like playing chess with a can be found in the dark depths of bodied’ than most able bodies I know. pigeon”…. He he he…. hurt if you push through and stay It’s always a pleasure and an honor to true. I also love hearing about your be able to share your continually pos- JT: Yeah, and don’t take up the disa- remote 4 wheel drive expeditions to itive story with our greater Macedoni- bled parking spots if you don’t have places many of us able bodies fear to, an Community. to! he he he (note: much laughter excuse the pun, tread! There was a poignant quote from a between us) European film which I can’t recall the SD: It’s all about mindset and having a name of??...It went something like: Lots of love brother Spirché positive outlook. “Hurt people, Hurt people”. Which is true I guess to some extent, but in JT: I know there are a whole lot of your case I’m going to rephrase it and things I’ve forgotten to ask you which say; “Hurt people, Heal people”. will come to me later. Spiré….. A true survivor who found his JT: Is there anything I’ve overlooked new feet, and they’re holding him up which you’d like to mention or talk just fine, thank you very much. about? SD: Thanks greatly for the opportuni- SD: Ask me the next time we’re out ty and remember, “Don’t let fools

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OTTOMAN MACEDONIA BETWEEN THE DILEMMAS AND FLUCTUATIONS OF GREEK NATIONALISM Dr. Dimitar Ljorovski Vamvakovski

The modern Greek state was created in 1830; this is when ern Europe. The spirit of freedom or liberty emanating the process of the construction of the Greek nation began from the French Revolution possessed an unlimited horizon in earnest. The state institution was constructed with the and was understood by various social groups as offering a aid of powerful European patron states, which were hoping means to liberate themselves from all kinds of oppression. to gain more control over the south-east Mediterranean. It was a time during which there occurred an intensive However, the process of constructing the Greek nation and admixture between modern Western notions of nationalism its identity did not strictly begin or end in the 1830’s. In- on one side and the local particularisms which were a deed Greek nationalism would go through significant product of Orthodoxy and the Ottoman millet system. On changes during the rest of the 19 th and the early 20th cen- account of that it is often asserted that the Greek nation- turies. state was a product of an “historic compromise between traditional values and the importation of Western moderni- The period at the turn of the 18th into the 19th century was ty” (Koliopoulos & Veremis, 2002:4). one of dramatic transformations involving the moderniza- tion of much of the cultural, economic and political life of This is the reason why in numerous modernist theories of Europe. Undoubtedly of crucial importance in the rise of the nation, certain of the criteria are universal, even nationalism on the Balkan Peninsula - in some places soon- though there are some specificities that nations possess, er than others – were social influences derived from west- which impact upon their creation and future development.

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The latter was emphasized during the number of members of the Greek na- Greeks? According to the Greek histo- 1960’s when the rise of anthropology tion, to be a Greek, means to speak rians, Koliopoulos and Veremis, these resulted in a paradigm shift in thought the , to be a member and similar questions have been sel- on the social phenomena known as of the Orthodox Church and live on dom posed and even when they were, nations and nationalism. Thus, for territory which had been inhabited by they remained unanswered. However example, Eric Hobsbawm quotes a Greek forefathers. According to Peter that may be, today there is a wealth definition of the nation as follows: Mackridge, this view is based on the of historical material which aids in “the community of the citizens of a belief of Greeks “that their church answering some of those questions, state, living under the same regime or links them to the Byzantine Empire, more thoroughly. government and having a communion while their language is the connection of interests; the collectivity of the to Classical Greece and also Byzanti- According to Mackridge, Greek nation- inhabitants of a territory with com- um” (Mackridge, 2009:9). In es- alism went through two overlapping mon traditions, aspirations and inter- sence the nation is a living organism, phases. The first is referred to as the ests, and subordinated to a central dependent on the vicisitudes of histo- liberation phase and it begins prior to power which takes charge of main- ry and the Greek nation has not been the formation of the Greek nation taining the unity of the group; the able to avoid the transformative ef- state; while the second phase began people of a state, excluding the gov- fects of time. with the formation of the state. Liber- erning power” (Хобсбаум, ation nationalism is said to have con- 1993:23). On the other hand, na- Yet, in the social sciences, there re- tinued after the formation of the tional identity is a complex phenome- main a number of unanswered or only state, in the form of irredentism. It non, often based on an emotion, i.e. partially answered questions in rela- was maintained both with and without consciousness, derived from sharing tion to Greek national identity and the the support of state institutions, as a language, religion, history, origins, development of the Greek nation. For was the case with the efforts to culture and habits with the other example, who were the Greeks? Were “liberate” Crete and Macedonia during members. According to Anthony they Hellenes, Rum or Greeks? Which the 19th century (Mackridge, 2009:15; Smith, national identity is multi- territories are Greek? Is religion the Mackridge adds that liberation nation- dimensional and it will always be most important factor in being a alism may be defined as dynamic, based on more than one of the above member of the Greek nation? Should while state nationalism can be char- mentioned commonalities (Smit, only the Greek speakers of the Otto- acterized as more concerned with 1998:29-30). man Empire be considered Greeks or maintaining the status quo). should all members of the Orthodox Today it seems that for the largest Church at that time be regarded as It was the dynamism of Greek libera-

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1904 tion nationalism which led to pretensions on Macedonia and was policy to regard their “Christian brothers” in Macedo- its people via the use of national myths during the 19 th cen- nia, on the basis of their Orthodoxy, as “Greeks”. However, tury, which created a new picture of Macedonia – one that matters slowly began to move in a very negative direction presented it as an in integral part of the Greek nation. Yet for Greek nationalism. in a sense, this was the easier part of the job. In relation to the other Balkan pretenders, the Greeks were the first At first, Greek foreign policy did not view as particularly to define Macedonia as nationally theirs – using data se- dangerous, the rise of a Macedonian intelligentsia and a lectively to argue that they possess a “historical right to church school movement spreading the message of a Slav- Macedonia” by packaging ancient Macedonia as part of ic linguistic renaissance and particularity (for more on Greek national territory. Yet even by the late 19 th and early this, see Росос, 2010:102). But, with the arrival of 20th century, it was only a select educated class of Greeks Bulgarian nationalism, via the formation of the Bulgarian who considered Macedonia to be an “historic Greek land” Exarchate Church in 1870 and the creation of the Bulgarian and who possessed a certain amount of historical principality in 1878, there ensued Bulgarian claims upon knowledge about it; for the vast majority of Greek citizens, the inhabitants and territory of Macedonia. Thus Bulgarian Macedonia was largely unknown. and Greek national ideology entered into a direct confron- tation and this brought about a drastic reformulation of In any case, the much more difficult task for Greek nation- Greek politicking towards the “Macedonian question”. The alism was to “prove” that Greeks constituted the largest existing Greek nationalist arguments to do with religion ethnic group in Macedonia. The facts on the ground clearly and language [even though Greek was not widely spoken demonstrated that the Slavic speaking Christian population in Macedonia at that time, the Greek language had for (as it was often referred to at that time) was the largest a period, been the dominant language of instruction at and during the second half of the 19 th century, it began to schools in Macedonia, because of the power of the Pa- develop a Macedonian identity that distinguished it from triarchate – Ed] in relation to the “Slavs” of Macedonia the Greeks, Bulgarians and . would no longer suffice.

Until around 1870, the stance of Greek nationalism was Even though Greek nationalism continued to use the Ortho- generally to refer to the majority population of Macedonia doxy of the Patriarchate in Istanbul as a means to ‘prove’ as “Bulgarians” or “Slavs” though at that time, these the Greek character of Macedonia, its main task became to terms did not possess an ethnic underpinning. Indeed, it struggle against the rise of the Exarchate in Macedonia.

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Moreover, ‘historical origins’ and consciousness now be- which began to refer to Macedonians as “Slavicised came crucial factors in “proving” the Greekness of Mace- Greeks” or “Slavophone Greeks”. donia’s inhabitants. Such arguments were combined with Orthodoxy in an effort to minimize in appearance at least, This new ideological basis would go on to play an important the importance of language. Thus Athens began to officially role for Greek nationalism in “proving” the “Greek charac- assert that those who remained under the jurisdiction of ter” of Macedonia. It is a national myth which was used in the Patriarchate are truly “Greeks”; if not by language, conjunction with other propagandistic activities, especially then by their “origins and national consciousness”. Accord- during the armed struggles, early in the 20 th century. It ingly, the nationalistic elite and national institutions in Ath- was a tool in the final aim of the basis of Greek foreign ens created a historical construction whereby it could be policy – the “Great Idea”: an irredentist expansionist no- “proved” that the majority of the inhabitants of Macedonia tion with the aim of making Macedonia and its Orthodox were Greek by origin. This story was used most commonly population a part of the Kingdom of Greece. among the population of Macedonia, especially during the years of the so called “Macedonian struggle” (1904-1913). John S. Koliopoulos, Thanos M. Veremis, Greece; The Namely, the argument went that the Macedonians had been modern sequel from 1831 to the present, London, 2002. Greeks from ancient times, but with the arrival on the Bal- Ерик Хобсбаум, Нациите и kans of the “Slavs”, they were “Slavicised” and that it was национализмот по 1870; програма, мит, “finally time” for them to be Greeks again. ствaрност, Скопје, 1993. Peter Mackridge, Language and National Identity in Amongst many, an example of that type of propaganda can Greece: 1766-1976, Oxford University, 2009. be noted in the case of the former IMRO commander in the Antoni D. Smit, Nacionalni identitet, Beograd, 1998. Kostur region, Kote Hristov from the village of Rula, who Ендрју Росос, Македонија и was encouraged by such “arguments” to work for the Македонците; историја, Скопје, 2010 Greek side in the armed propaganda struggle, by the Patri- Германос Каравангелис, Македонската archate Bishop of Kostur, Germanos Karavangelis борба (мемоари), Скопје, 2000. (Каравангелис, 2000:16). The ultimate result was Dr. Dimitar Ljorovski Vamvakovski – translated from a change in the terminology used by Greek nationalism Macedonian by George Vlahov.

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SCENES FROM THE RECENT MLADI BILBILI AND VINOZHITO TOUR OF AUSTRALIA

During the month of February, the AMHRC, in cooperation with the Macedonian Community of Western Australia Inc, the Macedonian Community of Adelaide and South Australia Inc and the Macedonian Orthodox Community of Wollongong, orga- nized a tour around Australia, involving the popular five piece Macedonian folk band from the Lerin region of Aegean Mac- edonia: Mladi Bilibili. They were accompanied, by members of Vinozhito, Pando Ashlakov, the current mayor of the village of Ovchareni, Lerin region and Dimitri Jovanov, the editor of Nova Zora.

The tourists were hosted at Macedonian community centres in Perth, Adelaide, Wollongong, Geelong and at Neret Recep- tions in Melbourne, by the AMHRC. The tour ended with a picnic at the Whittlesea Showgrounds in Melbournes outer north, which was hosted by the AMHRC and Lerin FC.

Full houses, updates on the latest Macedonian language educational initiatives of Vinozhito and vibrant performances of classic Macedonian folk songs. Special thanks must go out to the following members of the AMHRC sub -committee which managed the tour so well: Con Filin, Tase Filipov, Con Talidis and David Vitkov.

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RELATED ORGANIZATIONS The AMHRC and MHRMI are part of an international Macedonian network that spans Australia, North America and Europe, including: ABOUT AUSTRALIAN MACEDONIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

Address Suite 106, Level 1 MHRMI & 55 Flemington Rd North Melbourne, 3051 Telephone +61 3 9329 8960 Email [email protected] AMHRC Website www.macedonianhr.org.au

MACEDONIAN HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT INTERNATIONAL

Address 157 Adelaide St. West, Suite 434 Toronto, Canada M5H 4E7 Macedonian Telephone 1 416 850 7125 Email [email protected] Human Rights Website www.mhrmi.org MACEDONIAN ALLIANCE FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION Movement The political party of the Macedonians in Albania

International Website www.macedoniansinalbania.org EUROPEAN FREE ALLIANCE—RAINBOW (MHRMI) has Address Stephanou Dragoumi 11 been active since PO Box 51, 53100 Florina/Lerin, Greece Telephone +30 23850 46548 1986. The Email [email protected] or [email protected] Australian Website www.vinozito.gr OMO ILINDEN PIRIN Macedonian Address Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad 2700 Human Rights Zk ‘Elenovo’ bl 6 v. Bar. 6 p.k. Mechkaroovi Email [email protected] Committee Website www.omoilindenpirin.org

(AMHRC) has MACEDONIAN SOCIETY “ILINDEN” TIRANA A Macedonian cultural association in Tirana, Albania been active since 1984. Website www.ilinden-tirana.com NOVA ZORA A pro-Macedoniannewspaper based in Aegean Macedonia, Greece, edited by Dimitri Jovanov and with a printed circulation of 20,000 copies per month Both MHRMI and Website novazora.gr

AMHRC are non- NARODNA VOLJA governmental A Pro-Macedonian newspaper based in Pirin Macedonia, Bulgaria, edited by Jan Pirinski and Stojko Stojkov. The first edition was published in 1980

organisations that Website www.narodnavolja.com inform and advocate about TEAM MEMBERS combating racism and promoting MHRMI AMHRC Jovan Drenoski, Treasurer Chris Angelkov, Perth Representative human rights. Our Michael Georgiev, Marketing Gligor Apoleski, Sydney Representative Donna Gulcev Ljubica Durlovska, Review Production Designer/Assistant Editor joint aspiration is to Tomislav Jakovleski Tase Filipov, Treasurer Velibor Jakovleski Ivan Hristovski, New York Correspondent/Representative ensure that Slavko Mangovski, International Coordinator Jason Kambovski, Communications Advisor/Executive Member Macedonian Jimmy Mihajlov Diane Kitanoski, MHR Review Photographer Tonia Miovska, International Coordinator Sasha Nackovski, Political Liaison Officer communities and Bill Nicholov, President Dr. Vasko Nastevski, Secretary/Executive Member Lazo Ognenov Daniel Nikoloski , Adelaide Representative/Online Management other excluded Andy Plukov Lisa Penova, Adelaide Representative/Online Management Mark Opashinov, Secretary Steven Petkovski, Canberra Representative groups throughout Bill Pavlovski, Public Relations Dr Chris Popov, Media Liaison/Executive Member Liljana Ristova Michael Radin, Adelaide Representative the world, are Silvana Talevska Peter Sarbinov, Deputy Secretary recognised, Luby Vidinovski, Vice President Vasko Tanevski, Adelaide Representative Chris Terpos, Marketing Manager respected and Jim Thomev, Columnist for MHR Review John Tsiglev, Members’ Representative afforded equitable David Vitkov, International Co-Ordinator/Executive Member treatment. George Vlahov, Editor MHR Review/Executive Member