Macedonia

Bridges for the New Balkans: Regional Media Project

Bridges for the New Balkans is a regional media project that began in September 2000 and has been successfully implemented in Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia and Montenegro. The main goal of the project is to improve communication between different ethnic communities and nations in the Balkans. Using media as a tool, the project attempts to overcome prejudices, and enhance trust among populations in the Balkans as a first step toward building regional cooperation. The main objectives of the project are:

• To overcome information barriers and create a platform for common public opinion;

• To stimulate cooperation between various media outlets in the Balkan countries;

• To provide reliable and accurate information to the wider public throughout the region
  
  

Since the beginning of the Bridges for the New Balkans, approximately 500 journalists, academics and other professionals from different countries in the region have been involved in the project. On 5 February 2004 the third anniversary of the project was marked by a public celebration at the Alexander Palace Hotel in Skopje. Over 200 participants attended the event, including partners and associates from Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro. Keynote speakers included Ambassador Donato Chiarini, Special Representative of the European Commission in Macedonia and Stefan Nellen, Ambassador of Switzerland in Macedonia. The opening was followed by welcome notes from Ibrahim Mehmeti, SCGM Director for Media Programs; Sandra Djuvara Melone, SFCG Executive Director; and Eran Fraenkel, SFCG Regional Director for South East & East Europe. The opportunity was also used for a public introduction of the new SCGM Country Director, Marko Lovrekovic.

Karavan - a regional magazine

Since 2000 ten editions of this regional magazine, totaling 2,072,060 copies, were distributed as supplements in major daily newspapers in Macedonia (Dnevnik, Utrinski Vesnik and Fakti), Bulgaria (Sega), Albania (Shekulli), Serbia (Danas), Montenegro (Vijesti) and Kosovo (Zeri and Koha Ditore). Articles in Karavan focus on the challenges that the region has in common such as the common aspiration for eventual accession into the European Union and NATO, common environmental issues, and shared prejudices, fears and mistrust.

Karavan was printed and distributed in six languages, including Macedonian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Montenegrin and English. Selected articles from all editions of Karavan were collected and published as a collection book, Regional Perspective. The book was printed and distributed during Bridges for the New Balkans' anniversary celebration in February 2004.

Read the Anniversary Edition of Karavan...

Multiethnic Forum - a Macedonian magazine

Sixteen editions of this magazine, totaling 1,338,700 copies, were distributed throughout Macedonia as supplements in the daily newspapers Dnevnik, Utrinski Vesnik and Fakti. Selected themes for Multiethnic Forum, such as 'Two Years after the Ohrid Agreement', 'Youth and Crisis' and 'Life on the Margins', always include perspectives and opinions of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The magazine is printed and distributed in Macedonian, Albanian and English language. An anthology of all Multiethnic Forum issues, Years of Challenge, was released in February 2004.

Read Years of Challenge...

On 9 December 2004 the fifteenth issue of Multiethnic Forum was published and 128,500 copies were distributed. This edition, entitled "Decentralization: Strong Municipalities - Stronger State", was designed to break down information barriers around the issue of decentralization that have deepened inter-ethnic divisions in recent months. The Strategic Marketing and Media Research Institute (SMMRI) conducted a telephone survey to assess the impact of the edition on the magazine's readers. SMMRI's results indicate that 72 percent of readers learned more about decentralization and 75 percent gained a better understanding of the views of other ethnic communities on the subject of decentralization. In order to increase dissemination of the magazine, the edition was advertised on the national TV station A1 and twelve additional TV and radio stations, all participants of Bridges for the New Balkans. The latest issue of Multiethnic Forum was published on March 3 2005. This issue, entitled "New Municipalities, New Chance" is like the 15th edition about the decentralization process. The emphasis is on the local elections that will be held on March 15. According to the new territorial organization of the local self government units, the elections will be conducted in 84 municipalities plus the city of Skopje. A total of 379 candidates will compete in the mayor's race. Read "New Municipalities, New Chance" ...

Balkan Kaleidoscope

This regional TV exchange project has brought together TV stations from Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bulgaria. During the three seasons of Bridges for the New Balkans, these TV stations co-produced three series of 30-minute documentary films: View on the Balkans, Life within Borders, and Children of the Balkans. TV stations participating in the project include TVA1 (Macedonia), TV Arberia (Albania), ntv Montena (Montenegro), RTK (Kosovo) and bTV (Bulgaria).

Local TV Exchange

The project has brought together six local TV stations from Macedonia, broadcasting in different languages. Partner stations include TV ART (Tetovo), TV VIS (Strumica), TV IRIS (Shtip), TV KALTRINA (Struga) and TV M (Ohrid). Each station produced short documentaries that were broadcasted together as a 60-minute package. During the project's three seasons, 276 programs (10 minutes each), or 2,760 minutes of broadcast material, were produced.

To promote further discussion on the issue of decentralization, two documentaries were produced as part of the Local Television Exchange Program. The first documentary, broadcast on 4 December 2004, focused on the impact of decentralization at the municipal level. The second documentary, broadcast on 30 January 2005, attended to the views and expectations of citizens affected by the decentralization process. The documentaries were broadcast by eight TV stations, all participants of Bridges for the New Balkans. The documentaries have received significant positive feedback from viewers.

Local Radio Exchange

The project has brought together six radio stations from Macedonia, broadcasting in different languages. Partner stations include Radio Bleta (Tetovo), Radio Vati (Skopje), Radio Kanal 77 (Shtip), Radio Ravel (Skopje), Radio Rumeli (Gostivar) and Super Radio (Ohrid). Each station produced short documentaries that were broadcasted together as a 60-minute package. During the project's three seasons, 282 radio programs (10 minutes each), or 2,820 minutes of broadcasting material, were produced.