VOICES - December Issue

voices

Magazine for all young people of Skopje

2012

2011 December Free

iN S IDE 2 5

Drawing Maxime Gallasse from France

Editorial Gjoko Vukanovski

Smile! You are in Kisela Voda Jadwiga Mistak

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My First Experience in Daily Center Sara Fantova

Vega Alien in the Land of the Meet Sylwia Gorska

Be a Volunteer. Make a Change Sanja Paunovska

What Do We Want to Do? What We Haven’t Done It Yet? Flora Emini, Elena Davidovska

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18

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A Book that Impressed Me Mirjana Savik

Interview with Kate Binovska Sylwia Gorska

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1001 Ways to be an EVS Volunteer Antonella Nuvoli

Anima Mundi - a voice for the voiceless in Macedonia

Christmas Time EVS volunteers

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Editorial team Reporters & Translation:

Design & Photos:

Antonella Nuvoli Daniel Bento Elena Davidovska Florina Emini Jadwiga Mistak Matilda Norling Maxime Gallasse Mirjana Savik Sanja Paunovska Sara Fantova Sylwia Gorska

Antonella Nuvoli Ilona Olehlova Sara Fantova Sylwia Gorska

Production & Coordination: Nikola Stankoski Gjoko Vukanovski

Contact:

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Volunteers Centre Skopje Emil Zola 3-2/3 1000 Skopje Tel./Fax. +389 22 772 095 vcs_contact@yahoo.com www.vcs.org.mk

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BOBE

d

Editorial

Драги читатели и почитувани волонтери,

D e a r r e a d e r s a n d r e sp e cte d vo l u n te e r s,

Скоро после половина година, повторно е мојот ред го да пишувам едиторијалниот увод. Веќе сме при крај на месецот Декември, што значи уште малку, па ќе измине уште една година...

Afte r a l m o st h a l f a ye a r, i t i s m y tu r n a gain to write th e e d i to r i a l . We a r e a l m o st a t th e e n d o f December, w h i ch m e a n s a n o th e r ye a r h a s g o n e b y…

Декември е месец, кој е полн со настани. Го започнавме месецот со одбележувањето на 5ти Декември, меѓународниот ден на волонтеризмот, продолжуваме со славење на Католичкиот Божиќ и големото финале ќе биде прославата на Новата Година... Моите пријатели од Словенија овој месец го нарекуваат “Веселиот Декември”, и да ви кажам искрено, секоја година сум се поблиску и поблиску до сознавање на вистинската причина за тој назив. Во изминатиот месец, ние исто така имавме и промени во тимот на ВЦС... Нашиот координатор Синиша се пресели во друга земја, а и на Анук и Кун им заврши ЕВС проектот... Но, сепак, ние имаме нова крв во тимот Веќе им посакавме добредојде на Максим и Даниел, кои го започнаа својот долготраен ЕВС во ВЦС, откако веќе го отслужија краткотрајниот проект, во Април и Мај годинава....

D e ce m b e r i s a m o n th fu l l w i th e ve n ts. We started the m o n th w i th th e ce l e b r a ti o n o f th e 5 th o f December, th e In te r n a ti o n a l Vo l u n te e r s D a y, w e will continue w i th C h r i stm a s a n d th e g r a n d fi n a l w i l l be the New Ye a r ce l e b r a ti o n … M y fr i e n d s fr o m Sl o ve nia call this m o n th “ Th e M e r r y D e ce m b e r ” a n d to tell you hone stl y, e ve r y ye a r I g e t cl o se r a n d cl o se r to the reason w h y th e y ca l l i t l i ke th a t. In D e ce m b e r we also had co u p l e o f ch a n g e s i n th e VC S te a m … Ou r coordinator Si n i sh a m o ve d to a n o th e r co u n tr y, a n d also in Dece m b e r w a s th e e n d o f th e EVS p r o j e cts for Koen a n d An o u k… Bu t, w e h a ve n e w a n d fr e sh blood. At th e sa m e ti m e w e w e l co m e d M a xi m a n d Daniel, who sta r te d th e i r l o n g te r m EVS i n VC S, a fter they had sh o r t te r m p r o j e ct i n Sko p j e , i n Ap r i l a n d May…

Јас ви посакувам Среќни и весели Божиќни и Новогодишни празнувања... Се надевам дека празниците ќе ги поминете покрај личностите кои најмноги ги сакате... Уживајте во нив, а ние ве чекаме со нови сили и полни батерии во почетокот на Новата година...

I w i sh yo u M e r r y C h r i stm a s a n d H a p p y N ew Year… I h o p e yo u w i l l sp e n d th e h o l i d a ys w i th th e people you l o ve th e m o st… En j o y th e h o l i d a ys a n d see you with n e w str e n g th a n d fu l l e n e r g y i n th e b e g i nning of the n e xt ye a r …

Ѓоко Вукановски

Gj o ko Vu ka n o vski

Photo: Volunteers in Action. International Volunteer Day, 5. December: Koen, Sara and Matilda.

Story

Smile! You are in Kisela Voda Jadwiga Mistak

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f you bring somebody who lived always in the centre to the last stop of 24 in Kisela Voda, park your car and say here we are. What can you expect? Tears? Panic? No just a wonder why we didn’t park in fornt of the house. Why we didn’t face that challenge.

Kisela Voda, first night and first look at the neighbourhood. Looks like a cottage side, looks like a best place for holidays. But there is always script number two, which is combination of ‘Need for speed’ and the history of automotive industry and future of car’s service.

Last Yugo I had seen 8 years ago. There was something in this car , some kind of call for freedom, some kind of carelessness, some kind of crazy motions, some kind of languor. I’ve just thought that it was high time to it to go on pension or eternal repose. It’s engine emitted sounds of blusterous coyote or dying lion. It’s full leather was windswept and totally soiled, every crease was like a space in the old sultan’s carpet left by missing fibre. I forgot about this car, about it’s sad, apple green motor-car body. Kisela Voda woke up this memory and shown me the missing part of its story. Yugo, jugoslovenska rabota, it’s a reliable car, which is driving generations to schools, to work, to parties, to bazar, to moreto, to Ohrid. After it does all those duties comes time to pay back. Thankful owner is bringing the noble car to Kisela Voda, to clean it, to do servicing and to extend it’s life in glory. All Yugos are full of laugh, cigartets, rakija and music.

What if new car appears in family? Yugo humbly makes place for it, maybe sometimes cries seeing family going to zurka with the

younger brother or great great great grand son. But there is Kisela Voda for everybody. Car washers and repairers with tolerance and patience pay their attention and do all their best to release from Kisela Voda gladsome and full of joy of life car. Hopefully, one day sentimental good guy will found a big sculpture of friendship between Yugo and modern cars. As well as Polstad Makedonija, Kisela Voda deserves it’s own monuments, it’s own heroes and it’s own memorials.

Not only cars make this place so unusual. What do you know about your neighbours in the capital city? They exist, sometimes make noise, sometimes scream and sometimes change. In Kisela Voda they will speak with you at every corner, explain where they live, invite to their houses, present family, smile and smile and smile.

Even if you don’t know Macedonian they will find a way to communicate with you, there is body language, rakija language and international language of sharing good motions. Being friends here doesn’t mean that you know this person, being friends means that you smile to each other every day.

The third thing which makes this place so special is beautiful landscape. Mountains seem to be a guards of peace and relax in Kisela Voda. All those conditions together makes you feel like home, sweet home, kisel home ;)

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Story

MY FIRST

EXPERIENCE IN A DAILY CENTRE

I

Sara Fantova

arrived to Skopje two months ago, and since I arrived I’ve coming to the daily centre in Kisela Voda. My work here consists on doing workshops with the children. Even if I don’t know how to speak Macedonian, I’ve found a way to communicate with the children. At the beginning I didn’t know what was a daily centre, but after two months I’ve learnt the propouse and the work of this places.

Every Monday and Wednesday I woke up and I prepare myself to another day of work with the children. Normally we prepare what are we going to do the day before. At the beginning I didn’t have ideas for the workshops, but I started to think what I did when I was children and a lot of ideas come to my mind. For the moment most of the things we have done are related with recycling. Some examples of this are wallets made of milk bricks, a lot of things with bottles, photo frames made from carton…

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They are 15 kids more or less, but there is always someone left.

The driver of the daily centre pics up the children every day from their neighborhood, and took them to the daily centre. In the daily centre the kids learn to write, to read, and to speak Macedonian.

They do this with the teachers, but my work is just to do workshops with them and maybe improve their creativity. The children of the Daily centre are children who have parents that don’t want to send them to the school. They come to the daily centre because here they also have food, clothes and shower. The children are between 4 and 14, after 14 their future is not clear.

They can go to school but this usually doesn’t happen. Thanks to this children I am also learning Macedonian, even if they don’t know very well the language.

I always take my camera to the daily centre, they love taking pictures and after seen this I thought about making a workshop with cameras. I would like to give the children cameras of one only use, and let them take the cameras home. After they can take pictures of their favourite things, of their normal life etc. After I would like to make an exhibition with these pictures to show the people the life of the gipsy comunties but from the eye of a child.

Also, like this the children would learn how to use a camera and after they could see their work printed.

I would like that the people can see how is their life, because for the society this people are invisible, nowbody cares about them, and more for the children, and I think that like this they would have the chance to express themselves.

“invisible”

7 Photos: Sara Fantova

Vege Alien and L he et t in f Me o

Sylwia Gorska

Story

Yes, I don’t eat meet, no pigs, no cows, no fishes…anything what has eyes into which I can look. Don’t worry, I will not try to convince you that man can live without meat and be even healthier (however it is true!). I know meet can be tasty, I come from a country (Poland) where it is a base of traditional food like here in Macedonia. I thought it would be harder to survive on no meat diet here but it turned out to be quiet easy. Many fresh and cheap vegetables, cheese, soya products in every shop, lentils even chickpeas, the main ingredient of hummus or falafel. It allows you to prepare tasty and valuable food at home.

However it is not so easy to find vegetarian restaurant in Skopje.

So far I have experienced funny situations with ordering food without meat. The confusion on seller’s faces, “No meat? Maybe chicken?”. I really cannot understand the difficulty of making few sandwiches only with cheese, without any meet, is it so hard and against the culture and status quo?

While exploring the city, I have managed to find few places on the vegetarian map. I am not a kind of vegetarian eating only bread with cheese, I need colors, vitamins, spaces on my plate!

What makes my day is a vitamin bomb in the morning – fresh carrots juice! I love fresh juices and I was happy to find FRUTTISSIMO juice bar, close to the Big Church. Drinks are made from fresh fruits and vegetables. You can have orange, apple, carrots…and it’s not the same as buying it in the carton or can in the shop. No matter what the label says, believe me, you will not find a lot of natural vitamins in it.

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Close to this place, near the Greek Embassy, you can find a small Sendvicara HARMONIJA, where you can get a vegetarian snuck like sandwich or cake. If you want to eat full dinner then I recommend HARMONIJA Restoran, placed in Skopijanka Centre, about 200 meters from the railway station. Little bit hidden, on the 1st floor down the stairs. You have to spend some time to find it but it is worth! When you eat a special cake only with dried fruit and apples, without sugar,

flour, eggs…you will experience a culinary orgasm! I have never been a fun of tofu and soya product but this local one, made by the owner of HARMONIJA is so delicious that for sure I will come back for it. What is unusual in this restaurant is that it offers 100% macrobiotic and vegan food. It is a great experience not only for vegetarian but also meat eaters to try other taste and to experiment with food. Lot of culinary surprises are guaranteed! Apart from the cake and meals with tofu you can try different kind of cocktails, homemade breads, sea vegetables, macrobiotic pizza, soups, salads and teas.

The owner Tanja Nedelkovska also leads seminars about macrobiotic food and can give you good nutritional advice. While listening to her stories and knowledge you can fully agree with the statement that “you are what you eat” and the most simple dishes are the best.

“... No meat?

Maybe chicken?...”

Last but not least NINO/нино, always good if you are hungry and don’t have time. Although all the vegetarian burgers taste the same to me I love hummus and carrots with sesame.

The world is small and specially Skopje - the owner of NINO was a student of Tanja Nedelkovska’s seminars. Maybe that’s why the place is called macrobiotic, however I really doubt are there many connections between NINO’s food and macrobiotic diet, which focuses on using organic, local food, careful composition of dishes, balance between Yin (cold) and Yang (hot), oil and salt, 5 colors and tastes, temperature etc. The main problem, not only for me or other foreigners in Skopje but also people who are not familiar with vegetarian diet is a NINO’s menu.

Some words can really cause problems, like:

Aзуки граб/AZUKI BEAN a small red bean from East Asia and the Himalayas, a good source of minerals like iron, magnesium or potassium.

“... We eat to live not live to eat!...”

Oкара/OKARA or soy pulp, a white or yellowish pulp consisting of insoluble parts of the soybean which remain in the filter sack when pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk.

Сејтан/SEJTAN or wheat gluten, an alternative to soybean-based meat substitutes such as tofu.

No matter are you vegetarian or meat lover, I encourage you to play with food, mix different tastes, search for new dish, look for your own best diet after which you feel good and full of energy – meal after which you feel tired and need a nap is not good for your body. Remember that “we eat to live not live to eat”!

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EVENT Be a

VOLUNTEER -

Sanja Paunovska

5th of December - the international Volunteers Day, celebrated everywhere in Europe. For this occasion Volunteers Centre Skopje had several promotions of volunteer activities, as well as big party where many local and international volunteers had the opportunity to meet, to show off their volunteer work and hobby trough pictures, videos, juggling, DJ-ing and other performances. Besides these activities, Volunteers Centre Skopje consider every day as Volunteers Day by appreciating all the volunteers worldwide, taking care about them every single day by providing

for volunteer opportunities

Make a CHANGE! opportunities for their personal, intellectual and professional development through different activities. To be a volunteer means to take active role in the society and to influence in different fields, to give new ideas, to help others, safe lives, to be human, open-minded, proactive‌ Volunteers brought many changes to this World. Each of us can do it as well- so make a CHANGE, become a VOLUNTEER today, because every day is your day and you work for your own development, your future and better society.

contact

IPhoto: International Volunteer Day in Kisela Voda: EVS volunteers, Anouk and Jadwiga.

vcs_contact@yahoo.com

Photo: EVS volunteers in Student Radio: Awa, Emma and Koen.

Bidi VOLONTER napravi PROMENA Сања Пауновска

5ти декември – меѓународен ден на волонтерството кој беше прославен секаде низ Европа. За оваа пригода Волонтерски Центар Скопје организираше неколку промоции на волонтерски активности, како и голема забава каде многу странски и локални волонтери имаа можност да се сретнат и да се забавуваат, да ја претстават својата волонтерска работа и хоби преку слики, видеа, жонглирање, диџеј-ство и други настапи. Освен овие активности, Волонтерски Центар Скопје го смета секој ден за ден на волонтерството ценејќи ги сите волонтери од целиот свет со што се грижи за нив секој ден преку овозможување на разни активности за нивен личен, интелектуален и професионален развој. Да се биде волонтер значи да се земе активно учество во општеството и да се влијае на различни полиња, да се даваат нови идеи, да им се помага на другите, да се спасуваат животи, да се биде хуман, да се размислува без бариери, да се биде проактивен...Волонтерите имаат направено многу промени во овој свет. Секој од нас може да го направи истото – затоа направете ПРОМЕНА, станете ВОЛОНТЕР денес, бидејќи секој ден е ваш ден и придонесувате за ваш развој, ваша иднина и подобро општество.

За можности за волонтирање контактирајте не на:

om. vcs_contact@yahoo.c

Bëhu VULLNETARË - bëj NDRYSHIM !

Sanja Paunovska

5 Dhjetorë- Dita Ndërkombëtare e Vullnetarëve festohet kudo në botë. Për këtë rast, vullnetarët e qendrës së Shkupit, kishin disa promovime të aktiviteteve vullnetare, ahenge të mëdha ku shumë vullnetarë vendorë dhe ndërkombtarë patën mundësinë për tu takuar, për të shfaq punën e tyre dhe hobin nëpërmjet fotove, videos, Dj-ëve dhe shfaqeve tjera. Përveq këtyre aktiviteteve, vullnetarët e qendrës së Shkupit e konsiderojnë çdo ditë si ditë e vullnetarëve duke vlerësuar tërë vullnetarët në të gjithë botën, duke u kujdesur për ta për çdo ditë të vetme, duke siguruar mundësi për zhvillimin e tyre personal, intelektual dhe profesional nëpërmjet aktiviteteve të ndryshme. Të jesh vullnetarë do të thotë të marrish rol aktiv në shoqëri dhe të ndikosh në fusha të ndryshme, për të dhënë ideja të reja, të ndihmosh të tjerët, të jesh human, open-minded, aktiv...... Vullnetarët sjellin shumë ndryshime në këtë botë,. Secili prej nesh mund ta bëj atë si më mirë- prandaj bëj NDRYSHIM, bëhu VULLNETARË sot, sepse çdo ditë, është dita juaj dhe ju punoni për zhvillimin tuaj, ardhmërinë tuaj dhe për një shoqëri më të mirë.

Për mundësi vullnetare vcs_contact@yahoo.com. kontaktoni në:

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YinAction

do?

“What do we want tot What we haven’ done it yet?“

Florina Emini

ë? “Çka duam të bëjm i bërë?”

Pse ende nuk e kem Florina Emini

The week that I spent in the beautiful country of Serbia, Subotica, was the same time that made me realize that life brings goods days full of happiness. Since the first day, I saw that I’am in the right place, that I will spend the days with nice people and that I will learn many things. From the first day, I realized how similar we are and what we can do all together.

Java qe kalova ne vendin me te bukur te Serbise, Subotica ishte njeherit edhe java qe me beri te kuptoj se jeta di te sjell dite te mira. Qe nga dita e pare, e pashe se gjindem ne vendin e duhur, do te kaloja ditet me njerez te kendshem dhe mbi gjitha e pashe se do te mesoja shume gjera. Prej dites se pare, kuptova se sa jemi te njejte dhe cfare mund te bejme te gjithe sebashku.

Day by day, with the different cooperation’s, I started to discover that how valid we are, that the future is in our hands and it is time to make changes for our benefit and society. The fact that I was for the first time in this kind of seminar, made me realize how beautiful is to be part of these projects, of which you can infer many things, you can share different experiences and also you can meet people from other countries.

Dita dites, me bashkpunime te shumta e te perbashketa filloja edhe me shume e me shume te mendohem ne ate se sa te vlefshem jemi ne kete jete, se ardhmeria eshte ne duart tona dhe se eshte koha per te bere ndryshime per te miren tone dhe shoqerise tone.fakti qe ishte hera e pare qe mirja pjese ne nje seminar te tille, me beri te kuptoj se sa bukur ishte te jesh pjes e ketyre projekteve, prej te cilave mund te konkludosh shume gjera, mund te shkembejsh eksperienca te ndryshme dhe njekohesisht mund te njoftosh shume njerez.

The best part that I liked the most is the “games time”, games that give their message, games which provide the opportunity to meet much more each other. Also the lecture were as important for me because the things that weren’t clear to me, now they are in the right order and everything is in its place, I received new knowledge and I made a simple experience that is not paid...at the same time, the rooms that we shared with each other, was a great opportunity to be more closed between us.

If the case comes to be member of these various projects, I would recommend not letting the opportunity offered, because in those seminars we can see how important we are for our self and society, how much you can invest in different areas and how much fun and smile we can find in those projects...

Photos: “What Do We Want to Do? What We Haven’’t Done It Yet?” International Training Course, 18. - 24. November 2011, Subotica, Serbia

Ajo qe me le mbresa me se shumti nga ky seminar jane lojrat e ndryshme qe i zhvillonim me njeri-tjetrin, lojra te cilat jepnin porosine e tyre dhe njekohesisht lojra te cilet jepnin rastin te njoftohemi edhe me shume..Gjithashtu edhe ligjeratat ishin po aq te rendesishme per mua, sepse gjerat qe nuk i kisha te qarta tanime jane kristalizuar, kam marre dituri te reja dhe thjeshte kam bere nje eksperience qe nuk paguhet... njekohesisht edhe dhomat qe i kemi ndare njera me tjetren ishte nje mundesi e shkelqyeshme per tu shoqeruar ndermjet nesh.

Per cdo njeri qe vjen rasti te jete pjestare i ketyre projekteve te ndryshme, do te ju rekomandoja mos ta leshojne mundesine e ofruar, sepse ne kesi lloj projekte ti e kupton se sa i rendesishem je per veten tende dhe shoqerine, sa mund te jesh i gatshem te investojsh ne sfera te ndryshme dhe sa hare e buzeqeshje mund te gjesh ne nje rreth te tille.

“Што сакаме да направите? Што не сме направиле досега?”

Elena Davidovska

Елена Давидовска

Овој текст ме инспирира од еден меѓународен тренинг курс во кој заземав учество. Три земји, три култури од Македонија, Србија и Унгарија,од 18 до 24 Ноември, со топла облека се собраа во Суботица, Србија да ги зголемат своите знаења и вештини за Програмата Млади во Акција.

This text is inspirited by one international training course that I was participating in. Three countries, three cultures from Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary from 18 to 24 of November, with their warm clothes met together in Subotica, Serbia to increase their knowledge and skills about Youth in Action Programme.

“Што сакаме да направите? Што не сме направиле досега?” Главната тема на курсот ги мотивираше учесниците да научат, да искусат, да ги разберат културните разлики, мотивацијата да се биде волонтер, идејата да се вклучат во волонтерска работа, да им помогне на младите луѓе да го разберат волонтирањето и доброто што следува со него.

“What do we want to do? What we haven’t done it yet?“ The main topic of the training course motivated the participants to learn, experienced and also to understand the cultural differences, the motivation to be a volunteer, the idea to get involved into a volunteer work, to help young people to understand the volunteering and the good of it.

Прекрасното време поминато во текот на една недела, ги инспирираше учесниците да ги остварат своите понатамошени идеи, да зборуваат за идна соработка и да ја изградат својата иднина врз основа на неформалното образование.

With wonderful time spend during the one week training the participants were inspirited to realize their further development, to talk about cooperation and build their future based on non-formal education.

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Youth Corner

D

o you paint, make graffitis, comics, jewelry…maybe write poems, stories…?

Would you like to share with it? Something inspired you, a book, a film, music…want to recommend it to others? Just let us know and we will introduce you to other people. Let others know what inspires you, what you are doing! This corner is for you! Contact us: vcs_contact@yahoo.com

A book that impressed me

Photo: Sara Fantova

by Mirjana Savik (Мирјана Савиќ) What do we need in life so we can BE in the here and now? Is the outside world? Or are we, ourselves, with the need for interaction with other living beings?

Eternal aim of the man: to be your self and to be with others. To preserve your own identity and be accepted from the community.

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not left alone and despite all the losses she had suffered. But she let herself get lost, and without herself she does not exist.

The self for humanity is like the sun for the universe, it is the pivot that moves the circumstances, but without the circumstances what is the sun?

Enlighting life stories that we want to forget, but it will happen only by escaping from reality.

We are trying to create a new reality for ourselves through the love that we feel, but that is not possible unless we accept the past as part of our life. All unfortunate accidents and unpleasant things are part of everyone’s life and need to be accepted as normal and natural phenomenon. Lack of confidence, courage and not letting go of the feeling of guilt, are preventing us from the imposition of treatment of wounds in the soul that life is offering. All people who had bad influence on us (maybe the parent, who did not offer necessary support, a friend who does not returns sincere friendly love, the lover who wants to own instead to share) when finally disappear from our life, what actions are we going to take?

This novel has a profound psychological content. Frankly expresses all aggression, agony and bitterness toward things that are blackening human life.

This novel talks about the need for family, friends, lover and oneself to be who we are.

All these are an important part of a person, it is hard to live when even only one of them is missing, mostly when lacks the self. Being oneself is love, we are created out of love and we live thanks to it. The preservation of self would have helped Helen to see that she was

How to accept yourself, how to represent yourself as you are, and to continue your life with thought to create a better future?

A novel that encourages personal quest for oneself! Because to acknowledge yourself is the greatest wisdom!

Novel for grown ups and teens, for parents and children, each will be found in it and everyone will ask them self about their impact on others. The characters in the novel are linked by love and care, no one wants to hurt anyone, even oneself, but the pain in their soul is stronger. On the road to self-discovery they lose the path to others and are turning to selfpunishment.

“Парада на марионетките” (Parade of marionettes) Евгениј Хоуп (Eugene Hope)

I n t e r v i e w

with

Kate Binovska Sylwia Gorska

How do you remember your study?

It was a great time, great teachers and people, also place where we had classes – Suli An in the Old Bazaar, really inspiring and beautiful place.

As in every study there were less and more interesting things. We had to learn whole the history of art, get to know every style, also architecture, symbolism, churches etc. But it’s normal if you want to be really good in something, if you want to be “a professional artist” as well. For example I may not be a big fun of cubism but when I’m looking at all the periods of Picasso I must admit that he was a great, talented artist. He learnt about all the artists before him and then from this knowledge and practice he created his own style and I respect it.

What is your favorite style?

I feel the best in graphics. There are many types of them, different methods and some are really difficult and time taking. You can make graphics on wood, steel, linoleum etc. For example “etching”, basically first you have to put the drawing on a metal like zinc or steel, which is before covered with a waxy ground. You have to remember that what you put black then later, on a paper will be white etc. A little bit like negative. Then you put the metal into the acid and then together with a sheet of paper through a high-pressure printing press…and this is how you get the graphic and you can repeat this process so you can get many copies. That’s how it works, well in a big brief…

What inspires you?

Everything. My life, people around me…Before I start painting I always write, try to put my thoughts on a paper, sometimes create a story, a poem and then express it on the painting.

How do you imagine your future?

I would like to earn money from my work, as an independent artist. I’ve already done it but it’s very difficult here in Macedonia. I also would like to go to Germany for some time, as a volunteer to work with children and do some art workshops with them. Later maybe Berlin for a while…I was there once and I remember it as a paradise for independent art, with many galleries, exhibitions, freedom for expression oneself and creativity. In this period I painted the series of “Fuck Your Crew”, inspired by graffities that I saw there. Generally, I would like to spend some time outside Macedonia, meet new people and culture, get some new inspiration, fresh look on things around me…

K

ate Binovska - born 1984 in Skopje.

Finished art high school and graduated at the Faculty of Fine Art in Skopje (graphic techniques and graphic design).

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I n t e r v i e w

1001 ways to be an EVS volunteer

by Antonella Nuvoli Let’s meet Manu, a 26-year-old guy from Madrid and currently living in Struga where he’s carrying out the voluntary service in Youth Forum EYE organization. His main project is to work and coordinate local youngsters with the aim of creating the monthly magazine “Do Right”. Short time ago, he achieved to organize the first “Slam Poetry” that has ever been held in Struga.

Manu, how did you come up with this idea?

Everything occurred one night in october.

I was in a bar with my Polish friends volunteers and we were thinking about what to do for young local people. We came up with various activities to achieve during our EVS, and it occurred to me that it would be nice to organize a Slam Poetry right in Struga where every august there is the world’s largest poetry gathering, “Struga Poetry Evenings”.

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What is exactly a Slam Poetry event?

A Slam Poetry is a competition in which poets read their own poems in front of an audience.

There’s a jury that decide about the quality of the works and, according to the reaction of the audience to each poem, at the end they reward a winner. There are no limits on the topic of the poems, the important thing is that they are the result of participants’ work and not copied from others. A guy started this kind of events in a bar in Chicago and in the last 30 years Slam Poetry spread all over the world.

Have you ever taken part in Slam Poetry?

Yes. Few years ago a group of people started to organize Slam Poetry in Madrid. One of my friends told me about this and, as I thought it was a quite interesting and innovative idea, I decided to go and see what was going on. I liked it so much that the next year I was one of the participants!

How did you manage to organize this event?

We decided that the best location was the same bar where we were that night. We know the owner and he showed his interest as soon as we talked about that.

We also asked the Red Cross to cooperate with us in this event. Their help was essential to find participants who wanted to read their poems in front of the audience. Besides, we advertised the event through facebook and spread posters all over the city.

How many people participated in the event?

At the beginning, 24 youngsters from Struga and Ohrid applied, but in the end only 14 decided to participate.

Some of them competed in pairs, other in groups.

What was the final balance of the evening?

Well, the bar was already crowded half an hour before the beginning of the competition. A lot of local young people went to listen the poems of their friends. Marija, a coordinator of the Red Cross, presented the event, and the jury was formed by all the EVS volunteers in Struga. It was a bit chaotic, but this is the real essence of Slam Poetry. I hope that in the future other volunteers (local or foreigner) will do again Slam Poetry Night.

What are your plans for the future of your EVS? We’re already started to organize a Human Rights Film Festival that will take place in Struga next spring.

We have a lot of work to do, but I think it’s important to become more and more aware in such subjects.

Lots of luck Manu for your projects!!!

17

o p e n m i n d s

ANIMA MUNDI

a voice for the voiceless in Macedonia

WE ARE: ...a non–profit organization created to initiate public action against any kind of abuse and exploitation of animals by man. We aim at individual and collective change of human consciousness and promoting awareness of the true nature of animals as beings that suffer, feel pain and fear. We believe that all living beings that feel have a right to live and be free. Our ultimate goal of ANIMA MUNDI is abolishment of all forms of abuse, torture and exploitation of animals by man.

In the context of achieving this goal we insist on abolishment of and ban on killing and torture of animals in the name of (but not limited to) – butchery, hunting and fishing, animal experiments, farming for the needs of all industries, breeding, use of animals for entertaining purposes (circuses, zoo parks, hippodromes etc.) and other selfish needs of man.

Protection of abandoned and homeless animals, providing adequate help and ensuring their safe accommodation.

Protection of all the animals in separate cases of torture and cruelty.

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IN FACTS: ANIMA MUNDI was founded on October 4th 2009 in Skopje.

Member of the European Vegetarian Union (EVU) and Macedonian representative – observer for the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE).

WE PUT MAXIMUM EFFORT IN

Establishing and cultivating the concept of environmentalism.

Protection of endangered and protected species in their natural habitat as well as protection of all the species that are subject to trade and are facing extinction.

Promotion of vegetarianism and, foremost, veganism as ethical and ecologically sustainable lifestyles and healthy forms of nutrition.

Education of the public with the aim of reconciling man and nature.

OUR ACTIONS Although we exist for only two years, so far we’ve managed to organize three Adoption Sprees (each lasting several days); one protest against dog treatment in “Vardarishte” (local death camp for dogs) entitled “NO to a bloody Skopje”; one march for animal rights entitled “Walk for Life”; two vegan and vegetarian cuisine degustations in “La Kaña” (Old Bazaar) entitled “Skopje Goes Veg”; we took part in the festival “Means without an Aim, Knowledge without a Price Tag” with a projection of a video documentary “Your Mommy Kills Animals” and a debate for animal rights; we’ve organized one one-month action for free vaccination of homeless animals; one one-month spay/neuter action for homeless animals (still in progress); further, we’ve been a part of many cultural manifestations with our info-stands (dedicated to Vegetarianism/ Veganism, World Animal Day, Against Animal Experiments etc.); also, we’ve submitted (in written) many draft-amendments to the laws concerning animals; a draft-programme for а humanе treatment of the homeless animals in Skopje; countless missives to the media; a draft-model and petition for Animal Police in Macedonia; we’ve been guests on many shows; and our last action was the protest against use of fur and leather entitled “Fur – thanks, but NO thanks!” within the national anti-fur week that we held on the “Makedonija” square in Skopje on November 27th 2011 with a performance and an installation.

Of course, our activities wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the “Association of Activists for Protection of Animal Rights” (AAPAR), which side by side with us have organized, designed and realized each and every event.

“Being a volunteer is a new and enlightening experience for me – it’s a way to make best use of your time while helping a good cause.”

Sofija Velkovska, Skopje, 21

HOW WE WORK In our organization there are no employees, which means that we function completely on a volunteer basis. But, our love for the animals is endless as you can see from the statements of our volunteers, our loyal followers that support our every action. Of course, we receive much help from the veterinary hospitals in Skopje, with which we collaborate on a daily basis and that have never refused to help us when we most needed them. All of our actions are supported by EAM confection, friends of animals, responsible for printing our T-shirts, to which we are eternally grateful.

OUR MESSAGE

Man..beast…two different worlds or two sides of the same world?

How long until we, “people”, understand that we are not dominant here, that what we do pushes us into an abyss, that instead of walking ahead we walk, sink, fall..behind? By not respecting the other creatures that surround us as an inseparable part of the nature, we do not respect ourselves, are we aware of that?

Did you know that for one fur coat made of real fur around hundred animals need to be killed? The price of that coat you’re wearing are a hundred lives?! Hundred animals died and lived in sheer agony just for one lousy piece of clothing? Well, how does that sound to you? It sounds disgusting to us, that’s why we fight against it, that’s why we try so hard to raise the awareness, to make people realize that they should stop torturing animals, that they should stop considering themselves the top of the food chain, that they should stop killing on a whim.

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О Т В О Р Е Н И М И С Л И

АНИМА М глас за безгл во Македон Здружението АНИМА МУНДИ е оформено на 4. октомври 2009 година, во Скопје, Република Македонија. Членка сме на Европската вегетаријанска унија (EVU) и претставник од Македонија – набљудувач во Европската коалиција за прекин на експерименти врз животни (ECEAE). Нашето здружение на граѓани е создадено да иницира заложба и јавна борба против секаков вид злоупотреба и искористување на животните од страна на човекот. Целиме кон индивидуална и колективна промена на човековата свест и информирање на граѓаните за вистинската природа на животните – битија кои чувствуваат болка, патење, страв. Веруваме дека сите живи суштества што чувствуваат

имаат право на живот и слобода. Крајна цел на АНИМА МУНДИ е укинување на сите облици на злоупотреба, мачење и експлоатација на животните од страна на луѓето. Во контекст на остварување на таа цел настојуваме за укинување и забрана на убивањето и мачењето на животните во име на која било цел – кланици, лов и риболов, експерименти над животните, одгледување на животните за потребите на сите видови индустрија, искористување на животните за забава (циркуси, зоолошки градини, хиподроми и сл.) и за останати себични човечки потреби.

Притоа, максимално се ангажираме за: Заштита на напуштените и бездомни животни, овозможување на соодветна помош и обезбедување на нивно сигурно сместување. Заштита на загрозените и заштитени видови во нивната природна средина, како и заштита на видовите кои се дел од трговија и загрозување.

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Едукација на граѓаните со цел помирување на човекот и природата.

Промовирање и посочување на вегетаријанство и, пред сè, веганство како етички и еколошки одржлив животен стил, едуцирање за вегетаријанството и веганството како здрави облици на исхрана. Подигање и развивање на еколошката свест и заштита на животната средина.

Заштита на сите животни во поединечни случаи на измачување и суровост.

НАШИ АКТИВНОСТИ Во нашето кратко двегодишно постоење имаме организирано три повеќедневни акции за вдомување на бездомни животни; еден протест против третманот на кучињата во „Вардариште“ (локален концентрационен логор за кучиња) со наслов „НЕ за крваво Скопје“; еден марш за правата на животните со наслов „Чекори за живот“; две дегустации на веган и вегетаријански специјалитети во „Ла Кања“ (La Kaña, Стара скопска чаршија) со наслов „Skopje Goes Veg“; имаме учествувано на фестивалот „Средства без цел, знаење без цена“ со проекција на документарен филм „Your Mommy Kills Animals“ и трибина за правата на животните; имаме организирано една едномесечна акција за бесплатна вакцинација и една едномесечна акција за бесплатна стерилизација/кастрација на бездомни животни која моментално е во тек; понатаму, со свои инфо-штандови сме учествувале на повеќе културни настани и тоа по различни поводи

МУНДИ ласните нија

(вегетаријанство, светски денови за правата на животните, против експериментирање врз животни итн.); исто така, писмено сме доставиле огромен број предлогпромени на законите што ги засегаат животните; предлог-програма за хуман третман на бездомните животни во Скопје; безброј дописи до медиуми; предлог-модел и барање за Полиција за животни во Македонија; сме гостувале во многу емисии; а последната наша акција беше протестот против употреба на природна кожа и крзно со наслов „Крзно – благодарам, НЕ!“ во рамките на светската недела за борба против крзно што го одржавме на плоштадот „Македонија“ во Скопје на 27. 11.

2011 со перформанс и инсталација. Се разбира, ништо од нашите активности немаше да изгледа вака да ја немавме поддршката на „Асоцијација на активисти за заштита на правата на животните“ (ААПЖ), што, рамо до рамо со нас го организираат, осмислуваат и реализираат секој настан.

Волонтирам од љубов и би волонтирала пак и пак и пак... Драгана Урумовска, 17 години, Скопје

На кој начин работиме ? Во АНИМА МУНДИ нема ниеден вработен, што значи дека функционираме комплетно волонтерски. Но, нашата љубов кон животните нема граници, а тоа може да го видите и од изјавите на нашите волонтери кои верно нè следат и ја поддржуваат секоја наша акција. Секако, огромна помош имаме и од ветеринарите во Скопје, со кои секојдневно соработуваме и кои никогаш не одбиле да ни помогнат кога ни било најпотребно. Сите наши акции се поддржани и од ЕАМ - конфекција, пријатели на животните, што се одговорни за печатење на нашите маички и на кои сме им бескрајно благодарни.

НАША ПОРАКА Човек..животно...два различни света или две страни од еден ист свет? Уште колку време треба да помине за ние, „луѓето“, да сфатиме дека тука не сме доминантни, дека тоа што го правиме нè бутка во пропаст, да сфатиме дека наместо да одиме напред ние одиме, паѓаме, пропаѓаме... наназад? Со тоа што не ги почитуваме другите суштества околу нас, кои се нераскинлив дел од природата, чиј дел сме и ние, не се почитуваме ни себеси, свесни ли сме за тоа? Знаете ли дека за да се направи само една бунда од вистинско крзно се убиваат околу сто животни? Цената на таа бунда што ја носите се сто животи?! Сто животни умреле и живееле во неописливи маки за само едно парче облека? Па како ви звучи ова? Нам грозно, затоа и се бориме против тоа, затоа и се обидуваме да ја подигнеме свеста кај човекот, да престане да се изживува врз животните, да престане да се смета себеси за врв на синџирот на исхрана, да престане да убива од каприц.

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Merry Christmas

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Christmas in my family by Sylw

Bonas Pascas Bonas Pascas

Zorionak

Nothing interesting happens in my family during Christmas. It’s just an ocasion to stay all together, eat too much and open the gifts (only my nieces do it; my sisters and me stopped to receive gifts after the adolescence). But something noteworthy happens in Napoli for New Year’s Eve: people literally throw from the window old stuff... This is their special way to say goodbye to the old year, setting free to all the things that are no more necessary. So, if you have the chance to spend there the 31 of December put an helmet in your head, it can be useful!

Min jul O meu natal

Snow, Christmas tree, 12 tradition the table, sharing with the wafer, one for unexpected guest, presents, “Hom and “Last Christmas” on the radio, r wishes from friends in the mobile phon ziness and routine…That’s my Christm same, spent with the closest family, suddenly we are all together, around way to escape...but I don’t want to e it, few moments in warm atmosp there’s cold outside, even if it is ing I want to keep it and repe ery year…

Zo

My Christmas d thing. When I was yo I used to go with my fr songs and to earn a bit of more. Now I just go to my with my four aunts, my unc my parents and my sister. year, we change. One year ents the second and my oth Antonella Nuvoli the roles change. After eati see what Olentzero (a man carbon) has brought this t we stay speaking and ea Another thing that I rep is to watch “Love A the sofa and eatin Before Christmas I celebrate with my mum the holly Sara, week of cleaning and cooking, after that, while first star on 24th appears we start dinner with 12 or almost 12 meals. Santa Clause used to visit us and bring Christmas gifts but since I realised that he wears red high heels and looks exactly the same like my mum, I became Santa, I put gifts under Christmas tree and then distribute it. Usually each of us gets 4 boxes, traditionally one of them contains socks. We never agree who will buy them, but always somebody does it. Don’t think that it’s easy to buy socks, it has to be special, till now my favourite ones were with the drawing of dog and meaningful words: ‘without sex I’ll get crazy’. After dinner, while all families in my village start to sing Christmas songs we just put some album and let the village celebrate without cacophonous extras, till midnight, when we all gather in church to show new coats and boots or as old-fashioned people says – to participate in Midnight Mass. Oh, one ma more thing, every year my family tries to force me to go out after spec dinner just to listen the dog’s bark. The first bark points at the in the place of living of my future husband. Why it’s barking in t every year in a different side of the world? ;) toes Jadwiga, Poland gifts

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Moje Boże Narodzenie

us

Christmas time

wia Gorska

And how your Christmas looks like?

nal dishes on e free tableware me Alone” in TV, repeated rhyme ne …gluttony, lamas, always the , always apart, d the table, no escape, I like phere when s just acteat ev-

orionak

Something special in the air?

doesn’t have any special ounger every 24th of December riends to sing Basque Christmas f money, but now I don’t do this anyy aunt’s house and have a big dinner Min jul cle, my grandmother, my little cousin, We don’t eat the same things every My Christmas, my aunt makes the first plate, my parher aunt the dessert, and the next year I always celebrate my Christmas home in my little ing, at 00:00 we go to the balcony to home village, Älgnäs, on the north country side of Sweden. n who lives in the mountain and makes The morning starts with everybody (around 12 people) gathering time, we open the presents and after in my aunts house across the street, eating breakfast including typiating the last pieces of the dessert. peat every year, since a few years cal rice pudding with cinnamon and milk. In the middle of the day it´s ctually” with my sister lying in time for Swedish “fika” with coffee, Christmas Coca-Cola called “julmust”, ng popcorn and ice cream.

, Bilbao Bizkaia

O meu

saffron buns and cinnamon cookies witch we have in my grandparents house who lives just beside us on the same yard as my family. Also a very important part of most Swedish families Christmas day is at 16.00 on TV, the lightening of the 4th advent candle and “Donald Duck” and his friends wishing a happy Christmas. The big night is spent in our house, in the “old room”, we eat a big Christmas dinner (meatnatal balls, pickled herring, Christmas ham, boiled potatoes), open Christmas presents around the tree and then fall asleep eating Christmas candy :)

Olá!!

I´m Daniel from Portugal I´m in Macedónia aking a EVS. Well, my Christmas is not very cial, usually my mother, sister and I have diner e kitchen, but on Christmas Eve we have dinner the living room. We eat cod with boiled potas and we always wait for midnight to give our s between us.After midnight me and my sister sually go to some place with some friends to celebrate the Christmas.

Matilda, Sweeden

Or other ordinary Day? 21

Bidi VOLONTER

Juggling with Fire. Celebration of International Volunteer Day, 5. December, La Kana.

Photo: Sara Fantova

napravi PROMENA

String Riders, Celebration of International Volunteer Day, 5. December, La Kana.

Get Involved, Make Difference. Information Event for International Volunteer Day, Economical Faculty.