Dears,
Center for Intercultural Dialogue Kumanovo (CID), as one of the largest youth organizations in the country and the region, feels the need to share its position on the current situation in the country and about the open attack on civil society organizations and for this reason we are sending this open letter. Currently, constant pressures, insults and slander are being addressed to many organizations that work actively and contribute to improving the society in which we live in.
We are stunned by all the lies and insults that are directed repeatedly and publicly towards civil society, including Center for Intercultural Dialogue (CID).
With this letter we harshly deny and reject the presented information in which CID is labeled as “a destructive installation, mercenaries and a gang”, close to certain political parties, and texts in which we are presented as “quasi-nongovernmental organization.” At the same time, we regret that the civil organization “Stop Operation Soros” and “Utrinski Vesnik”, and all other portals and media shared this misinformation.
In these various statements, “Stop Operation Soros” and “Utrinski Vesnik” presented CID as an organization that is close to the political party VMRO-DPMNE, and at the same time as an organization that is part of some imaginary “center of power” and working to destabilize the country. They expressed lies where CID is displayed as an organization that destroyed the reputation of the civil society. It is highly unprofessional that we are not given the opportunity to deny the presented lies and the same misinformation that inflicted irreparable damage to our reputation and honor.
Due to the above mentioned actions, the situation only shows the low level of the political discourse that if a civil society organization is active and works, automatically it is connected to various conspiracy theories. Also we are sorry that the media represents the society as bi-polar and politicized, by constantly violating human rights, democracy and the rule of law, for political purposes and often for interparty strife.
Through its work on youth matters, CID has proven as a valuable partner of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the OSCE Mission in Skopje, offices of various UN agencies (UNDP, UNICEF) and many other institutions and organizations that are strategic partners of the Republic of Macedonia.
Our accountability and transparency is made clear from our annual financial and narrative reports, organizational and project revisions which have always been publicly available, as well as regular and thorough communication with the public and citizens. Civil society organizations regularly and timely fulfill their obligations to the state and advocate for good and transparent governance in all spheres of society.
The civil sector is one of the three pillars of society, together with the public (state, institutional) and private (business) sector, and such actions and propaganda directly attack and distabilize them, which affects the rule of law, democracy and human rights in R. Macedonia. Civil society organizations are partners with institutions in developing the values based on human rights and implementing policies and mechanisms to enable active participation of citizens in various social processes, and these attacks are very dangerous and act as a demotivation for citizens to take an active role in social life and openly share their views and ideas.
Therefore CID imperiously requests all political parties in the Republic Macedonia, diplomatic missions and embassies, the European Union and international organizations working in Macedonia to condemn these statements and similar to them towards CID and other civil society organizations, open pressure and threats to civil society.
We inform you that CID will initiate legal proceedings in accordance with Art. 14 of the Law on Civil Liability for Defamation (Official. Gazette no. 143 of 14.11.2012) against those who have presented untruths, lies, insults and slander to Center for Intercultural Dialogue from Kumanovo.
For further information, we invite you to browse our website and learn about our activities before posting untruthful and incorrect information.
Team of Center for Intercultural Dialogue