PROMOTION OF CIVICUS – CIVIL SOCIETY INDEX FOR

REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

“AFTER 15 YEARS OF TRANSITION – FROM STABILIZATION

TOWARDS CITIZEN PARTICIPATION”

Macedonian Center for International Cooperation on 24th April 2007 in Hotel Holyday Inn in Skopje promoted the Civil Society Index (CSI) in Republic of Macedonia. After that, the debate on topic: “The future relations of civic society sector and the Government regarding the Strategy” was realized.

CSI was promoted by Gordana Duvnjak from Newspaper “Utrinski vesnik”, member of the CSI National Advisory group and Dr. Ilo Trajkovski. Key findings, as well as conclusions and recommendations from CSI were presented by MCIC Executive director, Saso Klekovski, editor of the report.

At the promotion, it was emphasized that CSI gave extraordinary possibility to Macedonian civil society for informative debate. CSI set the fundaments for common Strategy for civil society development in Macedonia, where every society group, actors in civil society, the government, donors and public will play their role.

The debate began with presentation of the Governmental Strategy for cooperation with civil society sector and Action plan 2007-2011 by Suzana Nikodijevik – Filipovska from General Secretariat of the Government. Speakers in the debate were MP Liljana Popovska, MP Aleksandar Nikoloski, Li Pirson from consulting firm Cui Prodest and Albert Musliu from Association for democratic initiatives. The new Law for civil society organizations and foundations in 2007 was announced on the debate, as well as adoption of transparent criteria for distribution of the government budget for civil society organizations support.

Civil Society Index in Republic of Macedonia as well as the Governmental Strategy for cooperation with civil society sector can be accessed at MCIC site: www.mcms.org.mk