“30 Years of Civic Activism“ – For A Better Society For All

Bright sun, smiling faces, and familiar reunions—this was the atmosphere at yesterday’s Civica Mobilitas Festival – “Day of Civil Society Organizations” – held at the City Park near Shkolka. Around 90 civil society organizations set up their stands, sharing information about their activities and achievements while engaging with citizens. The main messages from the Festival emphasized that these organizations contribute significantly to social change and, together with citizens, will continue to highlight key issues and build a better society for all.

Her Excellency Sybil Suter Tejada, Ambassador of Switzerland to North Macedonia, in her final address in that capacity, thanked the civil society organizations for their excellent cooperation and dedication, which created many unforgettable memories for her. “I am proud to have been part of this vibrant civil society over the past five years,” said Ambassador Suter. She expressed hope that the Festival will become a tradition, attracting more participants and organizations each year.

As in previous years, the program featured a wide range of activities. Organizations engaged visitors through quizzes, games, workshops, exhibitions, debates, promotions, theatrical performances, and video screenings. The organization Rubicon presented Forum Theatre on the theme of “Bullying in Schools,” while young musicians from World of Different but Equal performed on the main stage.

Polio Plus – Movement Against Handicap and the Commission for Prevention and Protection Against Discrimination used the Festival as an opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Part of the Festival also included signing the Code of Conduct for Civil Society Organizations, an initiative of over 50 organizations that represents a step forward in strengthening self-regulation in civil society. So far, more than 40 organizations have signed it. “One of the biggest challenges we face today is building trust with citizens,” said Aleksandra Savevska from MCMS, adding that by ensuring greater accountability for their work, organizations demonstrate their commitment to the public interest.

Several debates were held during the Civica Mobilitas Festival. CIVIL focused on disinformation and hate speech in public communication, while Luludi addressed child trafficking prevention, common forms of trafficking, and reporting mechanisms. The organization EPTISA debated social entrepreneurship, and the association HAEMUS promoted an educational coloring book for children – the Paleontological City.

Towards the end, visitors enjoyed performances by Dactyli from Kult-Tranzen and the Tamburitza Orchestra of the Regional Center for Sustainable Development from Kratovo.

Many participants and visitors took the opportunity provided by the fourth Civica Mobilitas Festival to learn, network, and plan future collaboration—working towards a stronger, more active civil society that continues to drive positive change for all citizens.

Civica Mobilitas Festival is the largest event of its kind. This year’s theme was “30 Years of Civic Activism.”