All News on Social Issues in Macedonia

Macedonia’s Albanian Opposition Demands Ethnic Rights Boost

The Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, said it will file amendments to the proposed constitutional changes in a bid to ensure greater use of the Albanian language and national symbols in the country.

The DPA said it would make its case at the start of the parliamentary session on government’s constitutional changes on Tuesday.

Support from region for Serbian trade unions' request

BELGRADE - The Regional Conference of Trade Unions of the Financial Sector of South-East Europe (SEE) adopted a declaration supporting colleagues from Serbia who are opposing the adoption of the proposed labor law without a public debate.

Macedonia Braces for Rival Ethnic Protests

Police spokesperson Ivo Kotevski said that officers were “closely monitoring social networks” ahead of the possible unauthorised protests on Friday and warned that “violent outbursts cannot be tolerated”.

Jump in Asylum Requests From Serbia in 2013

Serbian media sources reported on Wednesday that 22,500 Serbian citizens applied for asylum in EU countries in 2013 a 17-per-cent increase on the figure for 2012.

Ivan Gerginov, Serbia’s assistant commissioner for refugees and migration, said the hike would not affect Serbia’s visa-free regime with the EU Schengen area.

Macedonia Probes Abuse of Blind Orphan Boy

The Ministry of Social Affairs said it was “thoroughly” investigating the case and that it had launched disciplinary measures against social workers in the town of Bitola who were in charge of assessing the boy, named Leon, whose age has not been revealed. 

Macedonia Moves to Rule Out Same-Sex Marriage

The motion to define marriage strictly as a union of one man and one woman, submitted at the weekend, was one of the first orders of business of the conservative Government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski  after it was re-elected in April.

Norwegian fund for Serbia to increase aid funds

BELGRADE - The Kingdom of Norway will allocate additional EUR 0.5 million for the civilian society and municipalities in Serbia, Norwegian Ambassador in Serbia Nils Ragnar Kamsvag stated in Belgrade on Wednesday in the talks with Minister for Labour, Employment, Veteran Care and Social Issues Aleksandar Vulin.

Child Abuse in Macedonia Alarms NGOs

Some 18,500 children in Macedonia stay out of school, many of them forced to do hard work or beg, the First Children’s Embassy – Megjashi, an NGO, said, marking June 12, the World Day against Child Labor.

Macedonia NGOs Slate 'Family Studies' For Students

Macedonia's Network of NGOs Against Discrimination - which includes the Macedonian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights - on Tuesday condemned the establishment of an "Institute of Family Studies" at the country's main university.

Macedonia Urged to Hold Census Despite Ethnic Row

The coalition has launched a campaign called ‘Census Now’, saying that Macedonia must not be held hostage by political elites that interrupted the last census because of the sensitive issue of how many ethnic Macedonians and Albanians live in the country.

Macedonia's Top University Classes Gays as Deviants

Macedonia's main Sts Cyril and Methodius University has decided to establish a new "Institute for Family Studies" that will teach courses such as “Family Values and Morality”, “ Family and Social Deviations”, “Family and Religion” and “Family in Antiquity”.

Protests Erupt in Macedonia after 'Ethnic' Murder

Hundreds of Macedonians protested in the streets of Skopje on Monday after a high school graduate was stabbed to death in a suburb of the capital.

The accident took place when the teenager, born in 1995, and his father chased a man who had stolen his bicycle, according to Macedonia's daily Dnevnik.

Macedonia Accused of Concealing Ethnic Hate Crimes

In its latest report on hate crimes, the Helsinki Committee reported 116 such incidents in 2013, and said the authorities often downplayed them as routine acts of violence.

Over 80 per cent of the hate attacks “involved ethnic Macedonians and Albanians”, the report noted.

Obama's Half-brother Arrives in Montenegro

Malik Obama, who runs a charity foundation, on Monday said it was time for the people of the Balkans to turn to one another and cooperate closely to ensure a better life.

Young Jobless Albanians Abandon Hope of Work

An online survey carried between June and April 2014, including 7,555 respondents from across Southeast Europe, show Albania has the lowest number of unemployed young people actually seeking a job.

Only 36 per cent of the respondents in Albania said they were actively seeking employment, followed by Macedonia and Montenegro, where the figures were 38 and 39 per cent.

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