Promotion of a programme in organisation of the Foundation Open Society Institute of Macedonia The rights of the minority in reality, in Republic of Macedonia Promoters: Hajrije Ahmed, Sreten Kostic, Goce Todoroski The Foundation Open Society Institute of Macedonia (FOSIM) on the first working day of the 4th NGO fair has promoted the programme: The rights of the minority in reality in Republic of Macedonia. The manager of the programme, Hajrije Ahmed, has stated that this programme is conducted in Macedonia owing to the aid of the Foundation King Bowden and Charles Steward .It has started in 2002 and it will end in May 2005. The typical feature of this programme is the ability of the Macedonian associations of citizens to apply for this programme on all the official languages in Macedonia. “Since the beginning of the programme so far, 50 projects have been realized, 41 of which have been realized by associations of citizens and 9 by non-formal groups of citizens. The programme should contribute to a civic state with a stable multi-ethnical society and it initiates support for a civic dialogue for an equal participation of the ethnical communities in a sustainable development on a local and national level”-stated Hajrije Ahmed. The coordinator of the project has drawn attention to the necessities of the programme - an active comprising of the citizens in the process of decision making and creating of the public policy, building of data bases for the legal regulative on questions for the rights of the ethnical communities,  forming capacities of the citizen’s sector and creating partnerships between the institutions, the local self-government and the civic sector as a model of a civic dialogue directed to improve and develop the communities. Sreten Kostic from Tetovo, an experienced activist in the civic sector, in his part of the promotion has stated that this part of the society is out of crucial importance. He used an example to illustrate his belief, that is, during the war conflict in 2001 the civic organisations were the first to come across to the needs of the citizens and to the overcome of the misunderstandings between the ethnical groups. Towards this direction were also the contemplations of Goce Todorovski from the Centre for Support of Civic Associations from Prilep, who was also one of the promoters. He emphasised that the basic pillar for the rights of the minorities in reality, lies into the state authority which inevitably needs the help of the civic sector. “We should all have parameters for what we have done on this field and show them to the public, no matter how abstract they are”-added Goce Todorovski. For further details related to the programme you can visit the web site www.ierse.org.mk, or you can contact us through the e-mail of the coordinator Hajrije Ahmed, hahmed@soros.org.mk .