“30 YEARS OF CIVIC ACTIVISM” – FOR A BETTER SOCIETY FOR ALL

Lots of sunshine, smiling faces, reunions – this was the atmosphere during yesterday’s Festival of Civica Mobilitas – “Day of the Civil Society Organisations” that took place at Shkolka in the City Park. Around 90 CSOs have set their stands, filled them up with information regarding their activities and achievements and socialised with the citizens. The main messages they conveyed during the Festival were that they have a significant contribution in the social transformation and that together with the citizens they will continue to promote the core issues and build a better society for all.

During her last address in her capacity as Ambassador of Switzerland to North Macedonia, Her Excellency Sybille Suter Tejada thanked the CSOs for the excellent co-operation as well as their dedication through which they have created many unforgettable memories for her. “I am proud to have been part of this vibrant civil society during the last five years” – said Ambassador Suter. She expressed her hope that the Festival will become a traditional one, attracting more and more participants and organisations every year.

Just as in the previous years, the programme included numerous diverse activities. The organisations attracted the visitors’ attention through quizzes, games, workshops, exhibitions, debates, promotions, theatre plays and video screenings. The organisation “Rubikon” presented the Forum Theatre, this time focused on “Bullying inside the Schools”, while the young musicians from the “World of Different but Equal” had their performance on the main stage.

Polio Plus – Movement against Handicap and the Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination used this opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. The signing of the Civil Society Organisations Code was also done as part of the Festival. This is an initiative of more than 50 CSOs and a step forward in the improvement of civil society self-regulation, which has already been signed by more than 40 organisations. “One of the major challenges we are faced with today is building up the citizens’ trust” – said Aleksandra Savevska from MCIC and added that by providing broader transparency about their work, the organisations confirm the public interest.

Several debates were held during the Civica Mobilitas Festival. Civil drew the attention towards the misinformation and hate speech in the public communication, while Luludi talked about prevention of child trafficking, as well as the most common forms of trafficking and ways to report them. “Eptisa” debated about the social entrepreneurship and HAEMUS promoted the educational colouring book for children – paleontological city.

Just before the end the visitors enjoyed the sounds of Daktili from Kult-Tranzen and the Tamboura orchestra of the Regional Centre for Sustainable Development from Kratovo.

Many participants and visitors used the opportunity given by the fourth Civica Mobilitas Festival to get informed, socialise and agree on future co-operation for a better, more active sector, for a better rooted civil society that will continue generating changes for the benefit of all citizens.

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