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The civil sector a step forward before the power and politics
The world is constantly changing, globalization contributes towards changing a lot of fixed views, especially towards understanding and practicing the power. In some areas the world is more integrating, thus becoming inter-dependent and inseparable for solving strategic problems. It was the reason for “breaking down” a lot of barriers, for movement of ideas and democratic processes, partnerships and bringing together nations through their cultural and economic values that resulted in changing political views and regimes.
In that wide range of democratic processes, civil society organizations have special merit and relevance – firstly through ecological movements, development and respect of the basic human rights, to establishing common blockades for negative phenomena and tendencies. Above all it is about the big dangers for the mankind such as general environmental pollution, destruction of the ozone layer, occurrence of dangerous diseases, spread of terrorism and human trafficking, establishment of new monopole centers and regions. Macedonia has not been immune to all these global processes and had to follow the movements in step with them. As a result of the transitional processes in the region, in our country a lot of civil society organizations were established, each with different interests and motives of the citizens’ groups. They are put in a legal frame which contains a lot of limiting factors for their functioning as citizens’ associations.
What are the motives for a big part of the citizens to choose the civil sector?
Practicing democracy in the past 15 years has shown that civic groups associate in order to avoid narrow-party interests, limit for expressing the creative spirit, especially of the young intellectual groups. The wide range of opportunities to take actions and express have simply enabled establishing civil society organizations, which are a step forward before the party structures where there is not democracy. It all contributed towards creation of strong civil society organizations that have imposed as an unavoidable factor in making a lot of important political decisions and moves by the power. The variety of the civil sector has contributed towards realization of a number of project ideas, movements that have solved key problems on national level, in both central and local environments.
Strengthening the civil sector in Macedonia played a crucial role in Macedonia so that in certain time period the actual authorities to have to respect citizens’ interest when passing very important laws and decisions that built the civic society, thus relieving international tensions and distrust.
That is how the civil sector found its place in the society, played an important role in the evolution part of the political parties and the change of the present rulers in different mandate period speaks about it.
The current political conditions will not change without active involvement of the civil sector and solving the key problems: unemployment, organized criminal, corruption, human trafficking prevention, reducing poverty, are only some of the areas that no government could solve by itself. Such conditions require ways of common actions with an equal partner relation in order to get the expected results. Europe will know how to appreciate it, otherwise, we will receive negative signals that will further keep us on its periphery. It depends on us which way we will choose and how long it will lead us to the ultimate goal.
Solving the problems with organized criminal and corruption is a challenge for the civil sector, too, and there is no dilemma that their centers should be located and things to change radically. The future of the civil sector should be viewed in its bigger flexibility for taking actions, readiness and organization in pointing out the negative aspects of the power’s practicing. There are resources and potential for this but it all depends on their proper direction and use. A lot of civil society organizations from the country have gained international rating and reputation that should further be improved and their positions on international level should not get weaker due to subjective weaknesses, as Macedonia loses with it, too.
The opportunities for the civil sector to take actions are big, they should only be used for realization of the right objectives that will bring real results. The citizens quite properly expect it, both from the government and the civil sector, there are no other alternatives, there has been too much politicking and precious wasted time so far.
The world moves forward, we should not be on the lowest scales in many spheres of our people’s lives. Geographically, we belong to Europe, too.
(The author is president of the NGO center for independent civic initiatives – Kratovo)
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