Academician, doyen and legend of Macedonian drama. One of the founders of modern Macedonian literature.

Macedonian Affairs Vol. VII, No. 1 - December 2008

On many occasions I have written that the Macedonian penetration through history, as a lasting standing, has been founded on the language, too. The insight of the facts undeniably confirms that the history of the Macedonian language is one of the most impressive ones of our time.
Exposed to continual attempts for its annulment or assimilation, the Macedonian language has affirmed itself as a centuries-long resurrection that, similarly to all resurrections, had its casualties.
Henceforth, what I once said: To write in Macedonian means to wage a battle is equally a confirmation and a legalization of the standing as rebellion.
The literature born in the Macedonian language, in the past as well as today, is a shot fired at all those who are designing genocide for the Macedonian people even today and threatening to rescind our right to existence.
The Macedonian language is spoken by over two million people, most of them scattered all over the world, from the most forlorn places in Canada to the Fire Land, from the coasts of the American Pacific to Australia, wherever the Macedonian was forced to look for a shelter to be himself.
However, the Macedonian language is a daring and open language. It is capable to endure all encroachments against it but also to be imbued with everything that is valuable in the other close and distant languages. And all this is in the service of the truth and literature.    

Zlat Milovanovic

The Law on Higher Education of July 25, 2000, defines the role and the tasks of institutions of higher education as “transmission of knowledge, organization of studies, advancement and promotion of education and science, development of creative skills, preparation of students for the occupations for which the application of scientific discoveries and professional skills are needed, advancement of technological development,

Alajdin ABAZI

Universities, meeting the challenge launched by their national governments - while abiding by their functions of order, meaning, well-being and truth - are indeed developing “Europe as reality” for their citizens by trying to give birth to European Higher Education and Research Areas by 2010.  

ON THE WAY TO EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

PROF. GJORGJI MARTINOVSKI, Ph. D., RECTOR

The Present Situation and Mission of “St. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje

Prof. Aleksandar Nikolovski, Ph. D.
Prof. Gjorgji Tonovski, Ph. D.
Associate Prof. Mirko Tripunoski, Ph. D.

The higher education and the term university were used before the year 1500 and they originate from the European Continent. The higher education began on European soil, starting with the University in Bologna and the St. Clement’s University in Ohrid. The topic of this comparative elaboration is to see how the education was developed on the old compared with the new Continent and the place of the Republic of Macedonia.

Pero Stojanovski

The current situation related to the range of educational programmes in Republic of Macedonia does not follow fast enough the new demand for modern methods of training and re-training of active labor force and certification of vocational and professional qualification. Educational programmes remain approved at national level, unconnected, closed and content instead or goal and problem-oriented, insufficiently answering the needs of the economic, social and personal development.

Marijana Kavcic

Arabic Manuscripts and their Significance

In the rich cultural treasury of Macedonia there is a specific heritage of great value that takes a special place, a heritage which is yet to be fully researched and presented to the professional and larger public: the Arabic manuscripts. Created with the spreading of Islam, in the various places and in the various periods of history, the Arabic manuscripts, with the richness of their contents, give evidence of the high achievements in the areas of spirituality, philosophy, culture, science, and in the other fields of life in the Arabo-Islamic civilization space. However, they also testify about the permanent intellectual exchange between the East and the West and the freedom of mutual influences even in the time that was mostly characterized with the constant conflicts between the Christianity and the Islam.

Jovica Stankovski, Gjore Cenev

INTRODUCTION

Myths associated with sacred mountains as places where the sky and the earth are linked and places where gods live have been registered in the history of all ancient nations and cultures. By a ritual climbing on the sacred mountain the people were returning to their origins and getting in contact with their gods. Thus, for instance, God Shiva-Maheshvara in India always descended on the top of Mount Ba-Phnom, 72 Chinese emperors offered sacrifices on the top of Mount Tai, Moses received the stone tablets with God’s commandments on the top of Mount Sinai, and so on.

In the Republic of Macedonia in 2001, under the mountain peak of Tatikev Kamen, an archaeological site was discovered from the Bronze Age in human civilization development. The discovered artifacts in the archaeological campaigns, as well as the archaeoastronomical analysis in the following years, demonstrated that the site had all the characteristics of a mythical mountain, as well as of an ancient observatory. Today, this site is known under the name of Kokino Megalith Observatory, or simply Kokino.

Pasko Kuzman

As we know, in the frameworks of our secular and spiritual history St. Clement’s University operated from the end of the 9th century to the beginning of the 10th century, that is to say until the passing away of St. Clement from Ohrid, the first Slavic bishop, a saint, and enlightener of the Macedonian people. In the historic science, this early-middle-age educational and cultural institution was called the First Slavic University, which is the oldest in Europe. It is known that St. Clement and his associates had educated over 3,500 students who, after his death, spread among the Slavic countries and expanded the Christian religion, literacy, and science among the peoples of Slavic origin. The reflections of this University were felt throughout the Middle Age, and they are felt even today in the frameworks of the spiritual traditions that are our cultural and spiritual heritage.

Irena Kolistrkoska Nasteva

The international cooperation – Meeting of archaeologists-prehistoric from the Balkans and Japan in Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, the United Kingdom, in Sainsbury Institute (www.sainsbury-institute.org), on the topic Prehistoric Figurines; Irena Kolistrkoska Nasteva, archaeologist, expert in prehistoric figurines, was the participant from the Republic of Macedonia.

The subject Prehistoric Figurines gathered at a recent archaeological assembly archaeologists from the Balkans (Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo), as well as their colleagues from Japan and Great Britain. It was exactly from 19 to 23 December 2006 that in the United Kingdom, in the small town of Norwich, this idea came true in the organization of Dr. Simon Kaner and Professor Richard Hodges. Archaeologist Irena Kolistrkoska-Nasteva, author of the extraordinary exposition “Prehistoric Ladies from Macedonia” in 2005 in the Macedonian Museum, was the representative of the Republic of Macedonia. This exhibition had inspired eminent archaeologists from the United Kingdom to organize this scientific assembly. 95 female figurines originating from several sites throughout Macedonia were collected and presented at the exhibition. It was accompanied by a rich color catalogue in Macedonian and English, and following its distribution around the world, interests and desires for contacts with the author (Irena Kolistrkoska-Nasteva -archaeologist) followed, with the aim of presenting the exhibition in other parts of Europe and the world.

Vera BITRAKOVA - GROZDANOVA, Ph.D.

Prespa, that is to say the region around the Lake of Prespa, is not mentioned in the written sources of the Ancient Period. The modern historiography, which is also dealing with issues connected with the ancient times in the Balkans, also places this region in the margins of the events. If we start considering the ancient sources, we will perhaps find some indirect data associated with this geographic space only with Strabon. Namely, when this author speaks of “salting fish at the lakes of Lihnis”, he also adds that they, the lakes, are situated on the Via Egnatia, which draws to the conclusion that he was also referring to the Lake Prespa and not only to the Lake Ohrid. There are no other lakes in the surroundings, except Lake Malic, which was farther from the Via Egnatia road. We must definitely not forget that even today the fish is dried as winter food only at Prespa.

Lidija Topuzovska

Following the UNESCO Conference held on high level in the Organization’s Headquarters in Paris (April 2004) on the topic Cooperation between UNESCO and South-East European Countries the interest in and support to this regional cooperation in the frameworks of the UNESCO was intensified.

The so-far accomplished regional meetings on the level of presidents of states during the UN and UNESCO decade Dialogue among Civilizations (the forums in Ohrid 2003, Tirana 2004, Varna 2005, and Opatija 2006) are a clear evidence for the UNESCO contribution to the introduction of a new quality and dimension in the regional cooperation of the countries of South-East Europe, as well as the regional ministerial conferences on culture (Mostar 2004 and Venice 2005), including the establishment of the Council of Ministers of Culture of South-East Europe, the signing of the Statute in Copenhagen, and the third ministerial conference in Ohrid.

Nade Proeva, Ph.D.

On 30 September 2002, at a distance of only 13 kilometers (Ohrid-Trebenište), in the Ohrid region a funeral gold mask, the fifth in the range, was again found which represents a rare practice in archeology. Namely, in less than a century, or more precisely, after 84 years, at such a small distance and in a country that cannot actually invest a lot in the expensive archaeological excavations, up to five gold masks have been found! This finding, like so many before, proves that Macedonia is indeed a Balkan archaeological pearl.

Arne N. Gjorgov, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.

A CASE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL INTERACTION

Dr. Stojan Slaveski

Abstract: The dilemma occurs, if in the past coalitions of states were formed, collective actions were taken and common approaches for resolving problems were sought for in order to meet the requirements of the “hard security”, maintaining territorial integrity and sovereignty of the states, would the cooperation between the states be again the resolution of the problems concerning the current challenges of the “soft security” related to the extreme nationalism, economic development and building of civil society. Over a longer period of time, the countries of the Western Balkans have been facing numerous challenges, starting from resolving some constitutional issues to problems related to reinforcement of their state institutions. This year the process should start for establishing the final status of Kosovo, and during the first half of the next year the referendum in Montenegro on the future of the joint state with Serbia should take place. Restructuring of the federation awaits Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia is expected to cooperate more closely with the Tribunal in The Hague, while Brussels is recommending to Macedonia to strengthen the reforms if it wants to get the date for the initiation of the negotiation talks with EU. The future of the Western Balkans will depend on that, how much the states in the region will be successful in the overcoming of these challenges.

Introduction
Security is a phenomenon expressed with many mutual relations. Because of that, anyone who wants to do a research on the national security of a state cannot do that without having understood the peculiarities of the security relations on which it is based. Hence, the reality of the mutual correlation is inevitable. The only hope to define a certain subject that could be subject to a research is to get to the heart of the hierarchy of the analytical levels within the international system as a whole.

Professor Doctor Marina Mitrevska

Professor at the Institute for Defense and Peace Studies in the Faculty of Philosophy, "Sts. Cyril and Methodius" University, Skopje 

Four years after the armed conflict and the signing of the Framework Agreement, the Republic of Macedonia is in a phase of post-conflict peace building. This is one of the reasons why consolidation of the consequences of the conflict and ensuring that the conflict is not repeated depend on the success of this phase. Thus, we should and must look at the end of the armed phase of a conflict as the start of a new phase in the prevention of a new wave of violence through active social building of peace.

Post-conflict peace building is facing a series of challenges and problems, and, as such, it is the subject of numerous analyses.  Of course, one of these is the analysis of crisis management.

Doctor Srgjan Kerim

Today we are already living the future of the information society. Digitalization and compression of data and information are spreading and they are speeding up production, memorization, and spreading of the audiovisual media. In the economy, segments that are realistically separated are merging: the computer industry and the entertainment electronics; the telephone associations and the media firms. We have integration of the conversational language, text, video, audio, telecommunications, entertainment electronics, and computer technology.

Information is moving quickly and transparently.

Traditionally, the press, radio, and television are identified as mass media. Their common characteristic is that they, through topical issues and technological means, address the anonymous public, which could be composed of a few thousand to a few million individuals.

Irena JAKIMOVA-APELGREN

Managing Director, McCann Erickson SKOPJE 

Introduction

Advertising activities, as part of the marketing strategy of every company, are very important for the successful building of the brand equity and corporate identity on long-term basis. They bring and build awareness for the product/service, create interest among consumers and non-consumers, create desire for the advertised product and, ultimately, call them to desired action(s).

Slobodan Chashule M.P.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs

In less than six months, the International community, Belgrade, Prishtina and hopefully Kosovo’s neighbors will start negotiations for the status of Kosovo.

It will undoubtedly become a focal point in the coming months, both as a model how to proceed in such cases and as a possible crisis in escalation due to the negotiations themselves.

This process of negotiations for the status of Kosovo and the implied state building will challenge the new world order undergoing its own formation and definition, since Kosovo’s statehood process is not equiparable with state building in Afghanistan, and even less in the case of Iraq. Quite to the contrary, it is in many aspects even contradictory to the goals we have in Afghanistan and Iraq, the principal one being the elimination of terrorism as a viable tool for achieving political goals, above all statehood.

Mrs Eleonora Petrova-Mitevska

MP in the Macedonian Parliament (SDSM), and Head of the Parliamentary Group to the Council of Europe

Diaspora cultures exist throughout the world. The diffusion of cultures has contributed to the existence of a number of diaspora communities, which seek to safeguard and consolidate active links with their country of origin – their ‘home land’ – whilst preserving their status within their current country of reception. This is a phenomenon that involves European cultures, but also cultures from across the globe.

PhD. Spase Jovkovski

Professor at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius University Faculty of Medicine in Skopje
Head of the Neurosurgery Department
Clinical Center Skopje-Skopje
Coordinator of the Team for Accreditation of Doctors in Macedonia (1999-2001)

The declaration of independent and sovereign Republic of Macedonia meant starting a long process of changes in society. The changes having resulted from the social transition started happening in the delicate political and global social relations in the region and beyond, in Europe.

While in Europe there is a pronounced trend for unification into a large social community, the European Union, the countries of Southeast Europe in the last decade of the past century were troubled by their own social turbulences. These events inevitably had an effect on the process of social transition in the Republic of Macedonia.

Stevo Pendarovski

President of the State Election Commission

This is a short version of the briefing paper prepared in August 2004 for the International Commission on the Balkans. 

In the last decade and a half foretellers frequently oversimplified about viability of the Republic of Macedonia (RM). Among them two distinctive schools of thought prevailed: first, uncritically praised country’s leadership and institutions for allegedly maintaining productive multiethnic co-existence unseen in the bloody region while the others routinely predicted partition along the ethnic lines. Due to the unique historical legacy, country’s specific ethnic structure and interdependence of diverse geopolitical interests both camps proved largely wrong.

Vesna Borozan, Ph.D.

Member of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, and
Associate Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering,
University “Sts. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje,
Republic of Macedonia

This article is written on the day the Macedonian Independent Transmission System Operator (MEPSO) was inaugurated. Consequently, following the creation of the Energy Regulatory Committee of the Republic of Macedonia, an additional criterion, in the line of three, for establishing the power market in the country has been met. A big step towards complete energy integration in Southeastern Europe (SEE) and the European Union (EU) has been made. And while SEE’s and EU’s power societies congratulate the country on the success achieved, the electrical energy reform promoters in Macedonia, including the Ministry of Economy and the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, are already finalizing preparations for the third essential prerequisite, or rather the adoption of a legal power market framework.