More than 80 NGOs present activities at 'Day of Civil Organisations' festival in Skopje

More than 80 non-governmental organisations from across North Macedonia presented their work at the "Day of Civil Organisations" festival held at City Park in Skopje, organisers said. The event, run by the Swiss support programme for civil society, Civica Mobilitas, took place by the Lotos fountain from 11:00 to 15:00.

Programme highlights and public outreach

The sixth edition of the festival brought together nearly 80 civil society groups this year, MCMS director Aleksandar Krzhalovski said in his remarks. The programme opened at 11:00 with a youth performance from Tetovo called "The Voice in Action – a festival of young creators," and included a screening of the documentary "Universities at the Crossroads: Reforms, Autonomy and the Future." Parallel workshops addressed aphasia awareness, reducing aggressive behaviour in children, planting and school gardens.

Organisers and participants set up stands and separate tents offering a wide range of activities: training in legislative advocacy, workshops for making children's jewellery and fashion accessories, experiments on bio-waste processing, a free session on digital education and the dangers of digital technologies, a video presentation about life in Roma settlements and a short makeup training.

Environmental and energy topics were also prominent: presentations and quizzes gave visitors practical information on solar energy, renewable sources and photovoltaic systems, and options for households to generate their own electricity. Several organisations focused on health, offering HIV testing, self-test kits and pregnancy tests, while children could join educational games and parents could consult pedagogues.

"This festival is a celebration of civic activism and its contribution to society and to citizens, and I want to thank and pay tribute to the organisers," said Christoph Sommer, the Swiss ambassador to the country, at the festival's opening.

"This is a good moment for us, as citizens, to remember the crucial role of an active and lively civil society for our democracies. In that spirit, I am particularly pleased to see a growing number of visitors, citizens interested in the work of civil society organisations. Reconnecting organisations with citizens, helping them consolidate their communities and increasing citizens' trust in civil society organisations are important goals of Civica Mobilitas and key challenges in these times," he added.

"I therefore invite everyone to visit the stands, talk to the organisations and see how much civil society can achieve when it is connected with citizens," Aleksandar Krzhalovski added.

Photo: press material from the event