United Macedonia Diaspora

[UMDiaspora.org]

Prolet, UMD is working to increase bilateral relations between other countries and Macedonia. In this context, we hope these countries will recognize Macedonia by its constitutional name. Getting more Western EU countries to recognize Macedonia will be tough, for sure, just like the United States and Canada were tough.

UMD will do its best to help with Portugal and Spain. The former Spanish Ambassador to Washington, D.C., Ambassador Javier Ruperez's wife is Macedonian. Macedonia has no diplomatic representation in Portugal, and only one person (Ambassador Belevski) in Spain who also covers Andorra.

Regarding Central and South America, this will be also tough. The Foreign Ministry of the Hellenic Republic plugs in a lot of money in these regions and in the Organization of American States. Greece is a permanent observer of the OAS. So is Bulgaria and Serbia. See: http://www.oas.org/en/states/permanent_observers.asp Every event UMD has been invited to by the OAS has been co-sponsored or supported by the Foreign Ministry of the Hellenic Republic. UMD encourages Macedonia to become a permanent observer of the OAS and work through this system to gain more support from Central and South American countries.

[Prolet]

Spolaj Ti UMD

You make some valid points which need to be considered, however there is no reason why we shouldnt make a push for it. UMD needs to work together with the MNR to gain as many countries that will recognize us. Look at how Kosovo is going to the world to gain recognition, we should be pushing this very hard in order to make a stronger claim for the UN as well as the other organization to fully recognize us.

I believe that Spain and Portugal are unknown diplomatic territory for us, we need to strengthen relations in order to gain recognition. Portugal of all should be a country who has had similar experiences in the past, they are even used as a precedent.

[UMDiaspora.org]

Промовиран Адресар на организациите на и

http://www.mcms.org.mk/en/news-and-publicity/mcic-in-the-media/797-mediumite-za-promocijata-na-adresarot-na-organizacii-na-iselenicite-od-rm.html

http://www.mcms.org.mk/mk/vesti-i-javnost/vesti/794-korisna-alatka-za-magjuiselenichkata-komunikacija.html

[UMDiaspora.org]

Eve go celosniot adresar: http://www.mcms.org.mk/images/docs/2...makedonija.pdf

[UMDiaspora.org]

Q&A with Panayote Dimitras, Greek Helsinki Monitor

YouTube - UMD Gala Banquet, Toronto: Q&A with Panayote Dimitras

[Dimko-piperkata]

a very needfull "adresar"

thx

[UMDiaspora.org]

Our Unified Voice is Being Heard and Our Efforts Continue!

Dear Friends of Macedonia:

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones!

As 2009 draws to an end, UMD is pleased to report that our unified voice is being heard and our efforts continue!

Founded in 2004, United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) is the leading international non-governmental organization addressing the interests and needs of Macedonians and Macedonian communities throughout the world. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., UMD has offices in Melbourne, Australia, and Toronto, Canada, and representatives in Paris, London, Brussels, Vienna, Kiev, St. Petersburg, and Stuttgart.

UMD is a respected voice for the Macedonian Diaspora community worldwide, empowering Macedonian Diaspora grassroots educational advocacy, and informing international policy makers, media and the general public on issues important to Macedonians. UMD defends the constitutional and rightful name of Macedonia, supports strengthening of bilateral relations with Macedonia, advances the social and economic development of Macedonians, advocates for equal civil rights for all Macedonians, undertakes charitable activity at home and in Macedonia, and promotes Macedonian culture.

As recipients of the UMD E-Newsletter, Media Center Information, and Action Alerts, you are well aware of the UMD's activities and programs, and can appreciate the substantial human and financial resources our efforts require. UMD has a volunteer Board of Directors that plans activities and programs that further UMD’s mission and a full time professional staff member who oversees UMD’s day-to-day operations. UMD therefore still heavily relies on dedicated volunteers globally and your generous financial support to carry out its mission. Please visit our web site www.umdiaspora.org for more information.

UMD is diligently preparing for projects and challenges in 2010 and your support is crucial to such efforts.

If you have not already, please become a UMD member now. If you are already a member, please renew your UMD membership now. Your membership fee is tax deductible in the United States, as UMD is an Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Becoming a member and contributing is easy, by email, regular mail, fax or on line by clicking HERE.

Needless to say, it is the financial support we receive from you, the Macedonian Diaspora community that is the backbone of our efforts. Your good minds and dedication to community are the engine and the spirit that drive UMD.

As we move forward into 2010, below are some of the highlights of UMD projects that await your generous support:

Fund for Macedonian Children: UMD and its partners Splash of Hope and Macedonian Mission for Humanity will target poorer schools in Macedonia and deliver aid to elementary school children. This aid will be in the form of backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, rulers, erasers, and more.

UMD Australian Operations: The UMD President will travel to Australia and New Zealand in February 2010 to strengthen UMD Australian operations. UMD is organizing presentations in almost all communities, a Gala Banquet in Melbourne on February 20, 2010, meetings with Australian policy makers in Canberra and throughout Australia, a luncheon with federal Members of Parliament, and a reception for the diplomatic community in Canberra.

U.S. Census 2010: UMD and 9 other Macedonian-American organizations have joined hands to form the Macedonian-American 2010 Census Coalition to count Macedonians across the United States in the upcoming 2010 Census.

UMD Student Outreach and Internship Program: UMD is reaching out to Macedonian students throughout the world to learn about their needs and encouraging the forming of Macedonian Student Associations on campuses. UMD has initiated an internship program for students to gain experience in Washington, D.C., and will continue offering those internships in 2010.

UMD Macedonian Heritage Scholarship Program: UMD granted three scholarships to three exceptional young Macedonians in 2009. UMD intends to award six scholarships in 2010.

UMD Macedonian Cultural Awareness and Promotion: UMD is organizing a screening for the new documentary A Name is A Name in Washington, D.C. on February 1, 2010. We will also give grants to Macedonian organizations throughout the world organizing events promoting Macedonia’s rich heritage and traditions. UMD is also organizing a cultural evening on June 4, 2010, in Toronto open to all in conjunction with the 2nd UMD Global Conference.

UMD Macedonian-American Day on the Hill: UMD will hold its 2nd Macedonian-American Day on the Hill in April, which will bring Macedonian-Americans from across the United States to Washington, D.C. to meet with their members of Congress.

UMD Regional Representatives: In 2010, UMD is appointing UMD Regional Representatives to serve as the primary UMD contacts for Macedonian Communities around the world. UMD Regional Representatives will be responsible for organizing local UMD events and for coordinating local efforts with the UMD Headquarters. The UMD Regional Representative system was implemented in response to members’ desire for more local events and greater interaction amongst UMD Members.

UMD European Operations: UMD is increasing its efforts in Europe. Early next year UMD will open permanent offices in Brussels and Paris and appoint representatives for Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.

UMD Voice: UMD publishes a quarterly 32-36 page color magazine, UMD Voice. We hope that as you enjoy it, you will be inspired to take your proper place in promoting the interests of the global Macedonian Diaspora community.

UMD Website: UMD’s website receives over 12,000 hits per day. UMD is working to improve its website and social networking to reach a wider audience internationally. We have plans to add a Macedonian-language section to our website.

UMD Global Conference 2010: UMD will hold its 2nd Global Conference in Toronto from June 3-5, 2010, “Building Partnerships,” bringing over 1,000 Macedonians and friends of Macedonia from over 25 countries to discuss topics of interest to the global Macedonian Diaspora community. Save the Date – we hope you can make it!!

On behalf of UMD, thank you for your belief in, commitment to and support of UMD. We look forward to another successful year with your ongoing generous support.

CLICK HERE to support UMD’s efforts today! Please note – Every dollar donated will be matched by the Turkish Coalition of America.

We, at UMD, wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Holiday Season, and a very Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Metodija A. Koloski
President
United Macedonian Diaspora

[Phoenix]

Metodija,

When will the timetable for your Australian visit be announced, will it include you visiting the larger regional centres of Australia or will your visit be restricted to Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra only...?

[Cleopatra]

"Како прво, морам да ви кажам како дознав за вашиов веб-сајт.
Тоа беше преку еден текст што вчера (17.10.2009) го добив на мојата електронска адреса, а кој гласи:
[...]
Откако го прочитав ова, просто не ми се веруваше дека може да биде точно, па решив да проверам. За жал, се испостави дека е точно: некои од коментарите во врска со информацијата “Ivona M. Grimberg Appointed to UMD Board of Directors“ навистина се недолични и само и нанесуваат штета на македонската кауза. Ги молам веб-администраторите да не дозволуваат таков расистички примитивизам. Ако ние не сакаме некој да не омаловажува само затоа што припаѓаме на една нација, не е убаво ние самите да се однесуваме потценувачки или непријателски кон било која друга нација. Особено ако таквите изблици на омраза не се предизвикани со ништо конкретно. А злобните коментари во врска со госпоѓа Ivona M. Grimberg беа токму тоа : непровоцирани изблици на омраза! Сметам дека таквиот безобразлак не треба да се толерира. Ако можеме да ги дисквалификуваме Грците кои не навредуваат на национална основа, тогаш не треба да бидеме толерантни ни кон нашите на кои им недостасува елементарна лична култура."

Dragi GP,
Znam deka imas najdobri nameri so ovaa poraka. No sepak, 'google search' kako prv rezultat za 'macedonia antisemitism' go dava tokmu tvojot post. Normalno, tie sto citaat go razbiraat samo angliskiot del, a ne i objasnuvanjeto. Ima i uste eden poedinec koj se obiduva da ja rasiri istata internet propaganda (odreden Sam Vadkin, koj so svoite postovi: http://groups.google.com/group/narci...3a86e9ea?pli=1 (koi treba da se cenzuriraat) ocigledno saka da i nanese steta na Makedonskata kauza i da ja iskrivi vistinata, za koja mozes i sam da procitas poveke: http://www.theoptimists.com/pdfs/bul...-holocaust.pdf)
Bi gi zamolil i site drugi dobronamerni korisnici da se vozdrzat od slicni nenamerni anglisko-makedonski kombinacii koi sozdavaat negativna internet propaganda.
Blagodaram

[Soldier of Macedon]

Welcome Cleo, nice first post

[Cleopatra]

I remember speaking with an Israeli guy once. He told me the Palestinian kids are paid by the kilo by Hamas to throw rocks at the Israelis. He was telling me to shock me I suppose. I just felt sorry for the kids and sorry for displaced Palestinians.

I try to think what I would do if I had no options and was looking at people living on my ancestral lands.

On the other hand, the Israeli (Russian named and fluent Russian speaker) told me that the Palestinians abandoned their land, then once the Israelis moved in and developed the land, the Palestinians demand the land back. I did not know how to take that. It may have some substance, but still sounds a little Israeli-centric to me.

Does anyone believe the Israelis are reasonable about this obvious dispute?

The Palestinians left their homes in 1947-49 for a variety of reasons. Thousands of wealthy Arabs left in anticipation of a war, thousands more responded to Arab leaders' calls to get out of the way of the advancing armies, a handful were expelled, but most simply fled to avoid being caught in the cross fire of a battle.

Many Arabs claim that 800,000 to 1,000,000 Palestinians became refugees in 1947-49. The last census was taken by the British in 1945. It found approximately 1.2 million permanent Arab residents in all of Palestine. A 1949 Government of Israel census counted 160,000 Arabs living in the country after the war. In 1947, a total of 809,100 Arabs lived in the same area.1 This meant no more than 650,000 Palestinian Arabs could have become refugees. A report by the UN Mediator on Palestine arrived at an even lower figure — 472,000, and calculated that only about 360,000 Arab refugees required aid.2

Although much is heard about the plight of the Palestinian refugees, little is said about the Jews who fled from Arab states. Their situation had long been precarious. During the 1947 UN debates, Arab leaders threatened them. For example, Egypt's delegate told the General Assembly: "The lives of one million Jews in Muslim countries would be jeopardized by partition."3

The number of Jews fleeing Arab countries for Israel in the years following Israel's independence was nearly double the number of Arabs leaving Palestine. Many Jews were allowed to take little more than the shirts on their backs. These refugees had no desire to be repatriated. Little is heard about them because they did not remain refugees for long. Of the 820,000 Jewish refugees between 1948 and 1972, 586,000 were resettled in Israel at great expense, and without any offer of compensation from the Arab governments who confiscated their possessions.3a Israel has consequently maintained that any agreement to compensate the Palestinian refugees must also include Arab compensation for Jewish refugees. To this day, the Arab states have refused to pay any compensation to the hundreds of thousands of Jews who were forced to abandon their property before fleeing those countries. Through November 2003, 101 of the 681 UN resolutions on the Middle East conflict referred directly to Palestinian refugees. Not one mentioned the Jewish refugees from Arab countries.3b

The contrast between the reception of Jewish and Palestinian refugees is even starker when one considers the difference in cultural and geographic dislocation experienced by the two groups. Most Jewish refugees traveled hundreds — and some traveled thousands — of miles to a tiny country whose inhabitants spoke a different language. Most Arab refugees never left Palestine at all; they traveled a few miles to the other side of the truce line, remaining inside the vast Arab nation that they were part of linguistically, culturally and ethnically.

In numerous instances, Jewish leaders urged the Arabs to remain in Palestine and become citizens of Israel. The Assembly of Palestine Jewry issued this appeal on October 2, 1947:

We will do everything in our power to maintain peace, and establish a cooperation gainful to both [Jews and Arabs]. It is now, here and now, from Jerusalem itself, that a call must go out to the Arab nations to join forces with Jewry and the destined Jewish State and work shoulder to shoulder for our common good, for the peace and progress of sovereign equals.4

On November 30, the day after the UN partition vote, the Jewish Agency announced: "The main theme behind the spontaneous celebrations we are witnessing today is our community's desire to seek peace and its determination to achieve fruitful cooperation with the Arabs...."5

Israel's Proclamation of Independence, issued May 14, 1948, also invited the Palestinians to remain in their homes and become equal citizens in the new state:

In the midst of wanton aggression, we yet call upon the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve the ways of peace and play their part in the development of the State, on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its bodies and institutions....We extend our hand in peace and neighborliness to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all.

Had the Arabs accepted the 1947 UN resolution, not a single Palestinian would have become a refugee. An independent Arab state would now exist beside Israel. The responsibility for the refugee problem rests with the Arabs.

The beginning of the Arab exodus can be traced to the weeks immediately following the announcement of the UN partition resolution. The first to leave were roughly 30,000 wealthy Arabs who anticipated the upcoming war and fled to neighboring Arab countries to await its end. Less affluent Arabs from the mixed cities of Palestine moved to all-Arab towns to stay with relatives or friends.6 By the end of January1948, the exodus was so alarming the Palestine Arab Higher Committee asked neighboring Arab countries to refuse visas to these refugees and to seal their borders against them.7

On January 30, 1948, the Jaffa newspaper, Ash Sha'ab, reported: "The first of our fifth-column consists of those who abandon their houses and businesses and go to live elsewhere....At the first signs of trouble they take to their heels to escape sharing the burden of struggle."8

Another Jaffa paper, As Sarih (March 30, 1948) excoriated Arab villagers near Tel Aviv for "bringing down disgrace on us all by 'abandoning the villages.'"9

Meanwhile, a leader of the Arab National Committee in Haifa, Hajj Nimer el-Khatib, said Arab soldiers in Jaffa were mistreating the residents. "They robbed individuals and homes. Life was of little value, and the honor of women was defiled. This state of affairs led many [Arab] residents to leave the city under the protection of British tanks."10

John Bagot Glubb, the commander of Jordan's Arab Legion, said: "Villages were frequently abandoned even before they were threatened by the progress of war."11

Contemporary press reports of major battles in which large numbers of Arabs fled conspicuously fail to mention any forcible expulsion by the Jewish forces. The Arabs are usually described as "fleeing" or "evacuating" their homes. While Zionists are accused of "expelling and dispossessing" the Arab inhabitants of such towns as Tiberias and Haifa, the truth is much different. Both of those cities were within the boundaries of the Jewish State under the UN partition scheme and both were fought for by Jews and Arabs alike.

Jewish forces seized Tiberias on April 19, 1948, and the entire Arab population of 6,000 was evacuated under British military supervision. The Jewish Community Council issued a statement afterward: "We did not dispossess them; they themselves chose this course....Let no citizen touch their property."12

In early April, an estimated 25,000 Arabs left the Haifa area following an offensive by the irregular forces led by Fawzi al-Qawukji, and rumors that Arab air forces would soon bomb the Jewish areas around Mt. Carmel.13 On April 23, the Haganah captured Haifa. A British police report from Haifa, dated April 26, explained that "every effort is being made by the Jews to persuade the Arab populace to stay and carry on with their normal lives, to get their shops and businesses open and to be assured that their lives and interests will be safe."14 In fact, David Ben-Gurion had sent Golda Meir to Haifa to try to persuade the Arabs to stay, but she was unable to convince them because of their fear of being judged traitors to the Arab cause.15 By the end of the battle, more than 50,000 Palestinians had left.

“Tens of thousands of Arab men, women and children fled toward the eastern outskirts of the city in cars, trucks, carts, and afoot in a desperate attempt to reach Arab territory until the Jews captured Rushmiya Bridge toward Samaria and Northern Palestine and cut them off. Thousands rushed every available craft, even rowboats, along the waterfront, to escape by sea toward Acre.”

— New York Times, (April 23, 1948)

In Tiberias and Haifa, the Haganah issued orders that none of the Arabs' possessions should be touched, and warned that anyone who violated the orders would be severely punished. Despite these efforts, all but about 5,000 or 6,000 Arabs evacuated Haifa, many leaving with the assistance of British military transports.

Syria's UN delegate, Faris el-Khouri, interrupted the UN debate on Palestine to describe the seizure of Haifa as a "massacre" and said this action was "further evidence that the 'Zionist program' is to annihilate Arabs within the Jewish state if partition is effected."16

The following day, however, the British representative at the UN, Sir Alexander Cadogan, told the delegates that the fighting in Haifa had been provoked by the continuous attacks by Arabs against Jews a few days before and that reports of massacres and deportations were erroneous.17

The same day (April 23, 1948), Jamal Husseini, the chairman of the Palestine Higher Committee, told the UN Security Council that instead of accepting the Haganah's truce offer, the Arabs "preferred to abandon their homes, their belongings, and everything they possessed in the world and leave the town."18

The U.S. Consul-General in Haifa, Aubrey Lippincott, wrote on April 22, 1948, for example, that "local mufti-dominated Arab leaders" were urging "all Arabs to leave the city, and large numbers did so."19

An army order issued July 6, 1948, made clear that Arab towns and villages were not to be demolished or burned, and that Arab inhabitants were not to be expelled from their homes.20

The Haganah did employ psychological warfare to encourage the Arabs to abandon a few villages. Yigal Allon, the commander of the Palmach (the "shock force of the Haganah"), said he had Jews talk to the Arabs in neighboring villages and tell them a large Jewish force was in Galilee with the intention of burning all the Arab villages in the Lake Hula region. The Arabs were told to leave while they still had time and, according to Allon, they did exactly that.21

In the most dramatic example, in the Ramle-Lod area, Israeli troops seeking to protect their flanks and relieve the pressure on besieged Jerusalem, forced a portion of the Arab population to go to an area a few miles away that was occupied by the Arab Legion. "The two towns had served as bases for Arab irregular units, which had frequently attacked Jewish convoys and nearby settlements, effectively barring the main road to Jerusalem to Jewish traffic."22

As was clear from the descriptions of what took place in the cities with the largest Arab populations, these cases were clearly the exceptions, accounting for only a small fraction of the Palestinian refugees.

Once the invasion began in May 1948, most Arabs remaining in Palestine left for neighboring countries. Surprisingly, rather than acting as a strategically valuable "fifth-column" that would fight the Jews from within the country, the Palestinians chose to flee to the safety of the other Arab states, still confident of being able to return. A leading Palestinian nationalist of the time, Musa Alami, revealed the attitude of the fleeing Arabs:

The Arabs of Palestine left their homes, were scattered, and lost everything. But there remained one solid hope: The Arab armies were on the eve of their entry into Palestine to save the country and return things to their normal course, punish the aggressor, and throw oppressive Zionism with its dreams and dangers into the sea. On May 14, 1948, crowds of Arabs stood by the roads leading to the frontiers of Palestine, enthusiastically welcoming the advancing armies. Days and weeks passed, sufficient to accomplish the sacred mission, but the Arab armies did not save the country. They did nothing but let slip from their hands Acre, Sarafand, Lydda, Ramleh, Nazareth, most of the south and the rest of the north. Then hope fled (Middle East Journal, October 1949).

As the fighting spread into areas that had previously remained quiet, the Arabs began to see the possibility of defeat. As the possibility turned into reality, the flight of the Arabs increased — more than 300,000 departed after May 15 — leaving approximately 160,000 Arabs in the State of Israel.23

Although most of the Arabs had left by November 1948, there were still those who chose to leave even after hostilities ceased. An interesting case was the evacuation of 3,000 Arabs from Faluja, a village between Tel Aviv and Beersheba:

Observers feel that with proper counsel after the Israeli-Egyptian armistice, the Arab population might have advantageously remained. They state that the Israeli Government had given guarantees of security of person and property. However, no effort was made by Egypt, Transjordan or even the United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission to advise the Faluja Arabs one way or the other (New York Times, March 4, 1949).

“The [refugee] problem was a direct consequence of the war that the Palestinians — and...surrounding Arab states — had launched.”

— Israeli historian Benny Morris, The Guardian, (February 21, 2002)

To read more:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf14.html

[Cleopatra]

No war crimes.
"Why did the IDF drop thousands of warning leaflets, make over 200,000 telephone warnings to Palestinian civilians, abort missile strikes to prevent civilian casualties, open a field clinic for Palestinians on the Gaza border, and transfer tons of humanitarian aid during the conflict?"

"Time and again, Palestinian "eyewitnesses" and non-governmental organizations have been proven to be unreliable, giving unverifiable evidence.
Judge Goldstone has a long association with Human Rights Watch, even serving on its board until removing himself when it was pointed out that remaining with HRW would be inappropriate. Yet he cites HRW sources in the Report, including material by the Nazi memorabilia collecting Marc Garlasco, who is currently suspended by HRW pending an investigation.
Some of the Palestinian witnesses heard by the mission were actually Hamas operatives directly involved in terrorism. One such witness, Mohammed Fuoad Abu Askar of Jebaliyeh, was actually a senior Hamas operative who used his house to store arms and ammunition, which lead to the IDF strike against the structure."

Read more: http://honestreporting.com/articles/...ian_Terror.asp

[Cleopatra]

VMRO is right to some extent, you cant really trust them unless there is something in it for them. They are good for their people but they are not good for the others.

Why does Israel exist around 300 million Muslims?? If they are divided they would have a country today..

Rogi, Im just kidding i dont suspect your veroispoved, ti si cisto makedonce.

Мал пример за нивниот придонес кон човештвото:

http://www.saveachildsheart.org/

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/nobels.html

[UMDiaspora.org]

Phoenix, thank you for your question. Meto will be visiting Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Wollongong, Auckland as well as some other cities like Brisbane, Newcastle, etc...The timetable should be announced in the coming two weeks for sure. If you have any recommendations, please contact Ordan Andreevski at [email protected] or PVT us here and we'll pass along your recommendations.

[Pelister]

I am certainly not fooled but you already knew that.

UMD appear to be doing some work for the Macedonians, but UMD Ideologyy remains the same.

President of UMD Meto Koloski said this:

"Macedonia HAS TO JOIN THE E.U UNDER A MODIFIED NAME"

Source: UMD President on Macedonian Media Monitor, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Macedonia ... sage/10565
13 March 2008

It does not get much clearer than that.

UMD IN BED WITH MPO

This comes directly from another UMD statement.

http://umdiaspora.org/content/view/451/1/

UMD call MPO a "Macedonian organization" even though it has always been a Bulgarian organization and UMD states that it is working "in coalition" with it.

Oh, and UMD DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE MACEDONIAN DIASPORA. You are an organization who CLAIMS to represent the interests and the wishes of the Macedonian diaspora.

Calling for a name change as you have, and admitted that the negotiations are NECESSARY for our INTEGRATION will alert the more balanced and objective reader to what UMD is really on about.