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Lottery is our motto
A year ago (and maybe more) I reacted through the media on the way and time of distribution of governmental support to civil society associations. The way (lack of criteria) was disputable, and the time period (20 days before the elections) more than indicative (indication = the basis for proving a criminal act). Year by year it was like that (maybe even worse) and year by year the government implied support within “the NGOs” and paid debts with everything (trade unions, fighters – new and old, votes and many other things…).
The uninformed not to be confused, it is about a sum of 10 to 15 million denars for the whole civil society, for the whole year. Within all governments (including the present one) one shall certainly find a much bigger sum as a “transfer to non-governmental organizations” by many governmental institutions. We have found the items. But we have not found a governmental (and a non-governmental) sounding-board, expert, minister…, who would explain which organizations it was about and what activities the government supported. Phantom, Manitou, Zagor Te-Nei? Nobody knows or does not tell and Agatha has not finished Poirot’s latest finding!?
We have finally got “changes” from the new government in the governmental financing of “the NGOs”. The commission was for respect: with ministries and others – reputable in politics, but not in the non-governmental field. The decision paradoxical – financing organizations, not yet reputable in the non-governmental sector, but not harmful in the correction of the governmental field. To my (private) reaction I was given the reply that the commission had in a principled manner decided not to finance reputable organizations to which it was easier to find resources. Jolly good!!! It means that the one who makes efforts, takes care of transparency, publicity, membership, structures…-to be punished. And the one who knows/does not know, wants/does not want, can/cannot – to be rewarded. The one who was good shall get by, the one who was not – let’s help him!? The sad moment is that the one who is good at it will succeed without it, too and the one who is not good at it – (according to the saying), shall be looked after God. I would like to apologize to all organizations that I consider to be exceptions from the “bunch”, but (according to the old rule) it is certain that the exception is only affirmation of the rule!
However, what has been done is over. We shall not get stuck in the mud in the past, but now the question is how to jump over the mud in front of us.
Lottery!!! This issue is the stone of wisdom and tripping when it is about financing non-governmental organizations, especially those that work of public interest or of humanitarian aspect. In the world, especially catholic/protestant, religious/social it is accepted that “cursed money go to the cursed”, i.e. the money from gambling (games of chance) should be allocated for activities of humanitarian and public interest. For example: Spain (only for the blind), Argentina to 100%, most European countries to 50%, in Macedonia 9% and only to 6 organizations of handicapped people. The others are in constant conflict with the mentioned ones and the governmental structures enjoy the effect of old roman wisdom: divide et impera (divide and rule). At this point I feel especially struck (individually and from an organizational point of view) due to the overtaken practice “the cursed” to be the apple of discord/justification.
The space does not allow any further elaboration of this problem, which although trivial, will not be easily solved as a result of touching someone’s rooted/long-term interests. Without getting into the impulses of the interests, I would like to say something to both of them and the Government of the Republic of Macedonia.
The Government should set criteria that it is able to respected and which will withstand the public’s critic during discreet allocation of the tax-gambling money. It should take a look at the researches of the rating and the indexes of trust within our civic sector. Or it should at least consult its own documents and the above mentioned organizations that serve to it for proving our advancement to the EU! The first (overtaken) organizations will have to know that as long as they protect the gained, as long as they defend what they have not deserved or done, they will be witnesses of constant getting poor, being played games on and use of handicapped people and their organizations (regardless of the fact that for some individuals there will always be enough)!
And the other ones have to know that they cannot hope to force the government (whatever and wherever) that has successfully “merged” the first ones to voluntarily give up the discreet disposal of such an amount of money. They need to take actions, to compare and prove, not the personal organizations, but social benefit of spending the money. It will have to be done by each organization from every sphere of taking actions in our civic sector…
Otherwise, we will have to come to terms with the situation of the old Jewish who prayed every night in front of Jehovah’s temple to win the lottery, without paying before that!?
(the author is a leader of Polio Plus organization of handicapped people and member of a political party in opposition)
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