United Macedonia Diaspora

[TajnataKniga]

look at this http://umdiaspora.org/content/view/418/1/

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 15, 2009 - On June 13, 2009, on the occasion of the 1st United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) Global Conference, the UMD Board of Directors passed a resolution offering unwavering and consistent support for the protection of the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia. The text of the resolution is as follows:
R E S O L U T I O N
OF THE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE

UNITED MACEDONIAN DIASPORA

DATED: JUNE 13, 2009
The Board of Directors of the United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD), on the occasion of UMD's First Global Conference, affirming UMD's unwavering and consistent support for retention of the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia and UMD's rejection of attempts to impose any name contrary to the Republic of Macedonia's constitutional name, hereby declares:

WHEREAS, the Republic of Macedonia peacefully and democratically declared its independence from Yugoslavia on September 8, 1991, and

WHEREAS, the Macedonian people, upon peacefully securing their independence, rightfully chose their historic and ancestral name for themselves and their state, and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Macedonia's constitutional name is central to the identity and self-determination of the Macedonian people, their Macedonian language, culture and heritage, and to the creation of a stable, prosperous, and tolerant democratic society; THEREFORE BE IT,

RESOLVED, that the United Macedonian Diaspora, reiterates its unwavering support for retention of the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia, rejects attempts to impose any name contrary to the historically accepted and democratically affirmed name of the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian people, and urges the full membership of Macedonia in NATO and a date certain for negotiations for membership in the European Union.

[Buktop]

kniga, mnogu dosaden si...

I think you know exactly whats going on, whats with the 101 questions.

UMD is falling apart at the seams, its self destructing at an alarming rate and there's not a single person left within the organization that can save this katastrofa...

The Australian branch of UMD has lost a powerful force in Vangelovski and now it seems that Rogi is just as frustrated with the direction that this group is taking and as a result the Australian branch will be much weaker and less effective.
That should be ringing alarm bells at UMD HQ but it seems that UMD aren't capable of contolling the damage, UMD is following a METOcentric agenda that is so far removed from the needs of the diaspora or the Republic of Macedonia.

Meto has engaged his stooges in witch-hunts and character assassinations instead of addressing their own and many shortfalls, the previous statements by Meto for name changes, the failure to challenge anti-Macedonian policies like the Interim Accord and Framework Agreement, the disgusting policy of shameless pandering to the US and a consistent and deliberate policy of misrepresenting the views of the diaspora.

Meto, you need to step down from your position as UMD president, you're not leading sheep, ebati ovchar...

Phoenix, you need to find a new fixation other than Meto. I thought you were interested in "constructive criticism" for UMD, rather than a personal agenda.

But I guess you weren't aware of UMD elections that take place in 2011, thanks to your god Vangelovski, it is just like the blind leading the blind...

By the way, do you happen to have any proof to anything you say, or is it all just bullshit coming out your backside?

[Jankovska]

What am I not being honest with myself about? Vangelovski can't even dream to be in the same league as Rogi.

Rogi shares Vangelovski's views that Macedonia shouldn't negotiate the name and that they should retain their sovereignty, that is where the similarities stop.

If I was aware of Vangelovski's resignation from the UMD board I would have also encouraged him to stay, but I wasn't and he didn't. He decided it would be better for the Macedonian people if he quit leading the UMD in Australia... If you want me to quote myself for you I already stated that Vangelovski should have remained with UMD, but he neglected to comment on that.

My other problem with Vangelovski is his misrepresentation of UMD bylaws. As stated by Rogi, Vangelovski left UMD on March 14, 2008, UMD bylaws were approved February 16, 2008. If you would like, I will post the relevant quotes where Vangelovski has specifically misrepresented the facts concerning UMD and their bylaws.

I don't know what the balance is now at UMD since I don't know dispositions of the current UMD representatives in Australia. Perhaps you could let me know who they are and what they do? I am only asking because you should know the Australian UMD representatives better than I do.

I cannot help but notice your obvious bias towards Vangelovski RTG. I don't know why you support him considering his actions in this thread

http://www.macedoniantruth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2423&page=10

All I can say is that maybe you should double check who you are supporting, anyone can say they support the Macedonian cause, it is ones actions in support of the cause that confirm ones intent...

Are you on the board?

[TajnataKniga]

Umd

kniga, mnogu dosaden si...

I think you know exactly whats going on, whats with the 101 questions.

UMD is falling apart at the seams, its self destructing at an alarming rate and there's not a single person left within the organization that can save this katastrofa...

The Australian branch of UMD has lost a powerful force in Vangelovski and now it seems that Rogi is just as frustrated with the direction that this group is taking and as a result the Australian branch will be much weaker and less effective.
That should be ringing alarm bells at UMD HQ but it seems that UMD aren't capable of contolling the damage, UMD is following a METOcentric agenda that is so far removed from the needs of the diaspora or the Republic of Macedonia.

Meto has engaged his stooges in witch-hunts and character assassinations instead of addressing their own and many shortfalls, the previous statements by Meto for name changes, the failure to challenge anti-Macedonian policies like the Interim Accord and Framework Agreement, the disgusting policy of shameless pandering to the US and a consistent and deliberate policy of misrepresenting the views of the diaspora.

Meto, you need to step down from your position as UMD president, you're not leading sheep, ebati ovchar...

umd is self-destructing? oh ya! ha. i see it happening, NEVER.

didnt meto call for people to vote for the referendum in 2004? if he did then he is against the framework agreement.

[Risto the Great]

Buktop, are you being honest with us? How do you profess to know exactly where Rogi and Vangelovski's similarities stop? You have not dealt with my question in relation to where the balance might be now for the UMD. You simply say you don't know what the balance is. Perhaps you should find out.

I take my hat off to Rogi for his determination. I know people first hand who do similar things for Vangelovski. It should be also be stated that Vangelovski has been doing it longer. It should also be stated that other Macedonians have done far more for far longer and are far less prominent on the internet. Who cares! Transparency is the key here and actions speak louder than words. We have seen some actions on Youtube and still have not had them clarified. Silly stuff indeed.

[Buktop]

Are you on the board?

no I am not

[Risto the Great]

Wow TK, lets tie it in with some Youtube stuff in an imagined sequence of events ...

Tomorrow the Constitutional name of Republic of Macedonia becomes Democratic Republic of Macedonia. The UMD supports it because it is the constitutional name of Macedonia. Simple.

Hardly the will of the Diaspora though.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix, you need to find a new fixation other than Meto. I thought you were interested in "constructive criticism" for UMD, rather than a personal agenda.

But I guess you weren't aware of UMD elections that take place in 2011, thanks to your god Vangelovski, it is just like the blind leading the blind...

By the way, do you happen to have any proof to anything you say, or is it all just bullshit coming out your backside?

The proof is that Meto is the ovchar and you and kniga are a couple of his sheep...if Vangelovski is my god then Meto is your messiah, your chosen one...

Instead of habitual arse-kissers like you running to the nearest butt for your fix maybe you should step back and consider why intelligent and passionate people have left UMD and why some are starting to openly question its direction. Ask why so many people are starting to find holes in UMD strategy...

[TajnataKniga]

three

kniga, mnogu dosaden si...

I think you know exactly whats going on, whats with the 101 questions.

UMD is falling apart at the seams, its self destructing at an alarming rate and there's not a single person left within the organization that can save this katastrofa...

The Australian branch of UMD has lost a powerful force in Vangelovski and now it seems that Rogi is just as frustrated with the direction that this group is taking and as a result the Australian branch will be much weaker and less effective.
That should be ringing alarm bells at UMD HQ but it seems that UMD aren't capable of contolling the damage, UMD is following a METOcentric agenda that is so far removed from the needs of the diaspora or the Republic of Macedonia.

Meto has engaged his stooges in witch-hunts and character assassinations instead of addressing their own and many shortfalls, the previous statements by Meto for name changes, the failure to challenge anti-Macedonian policies like the Interim Accord and Framework Agreement, the disgusting policy of shameless pandering to the US and a consistent and deliberate policy of misrepresenting the views of the diaspora.

Meto, you need to step down from your position as UMD president, you're not leading sheep, ebati ovchar...

i found three articles that meto is against the framework agreement. if this is the case then the arguments that he supports the framework agreement are 'null and void' per vangelovski.

the articles are on macedonianalliance.com (an australian website)

Decentralization, or Euro-Discrimination?



>>News Homepage

November 3, 2004

By Steve Gligorov, J.D. and Metodija A. Koloski

Generally, minorities in the United States often take pride with the fact they are all equal under the law, regardless of their historical or ethnic background. This means that discrimination in the United States, based on race or ethnicity, by the government is generally illegal. Acts of the government that involve factors such as race or ethnicity are generally inherently suspect. These acts usually face what is called “strict scrutiny” in the courts, and these ethnic based divisions are almost always deemed unconstitutional in discrimination cases.

This precedent is now challenged. Under pressure of the European Union, the OSCE, and NATO, the United States formed a partnership, which helped facilitate the Ohrid Framework Agreement in 2001. Critics now argue that despite good intentions underlying the Ohrid Framework Agreement, it neglects basic tenets of American law, history, and culture.

Weighed against the background of American Constitutional Law, the Framework Agreement uses racial or ethnic classifications, which are presumptively invalid and would not likely be upheld in courts of the United States. Yet, United States Ambassador to Macedonia, Lawrence Butler, asserts that “we and our experts have look[ed] at it hard and it meets the minimum technical criteria for successful municipalities, it increases the ethnic diversity of municipalities, not decreases but increases it.” Legal experts in the United States disagree, however.

Legal scholars say the Ohrid Framework Agreement is inherently flawed despite its “Non-Discrimination and Equitable Representation” section under part 4 of the document. One major flaw comes in the form of special governmental privileges granted to minorities making up “at least 20 percent of the population.” This objective discriminatory criterion deems the document not ostensibly facially neutral. Ironically, the Framework asserts that it “will promote the peaceful and harmonious development of civil society while respecting the ethnic identity and the interests of all Macedonian citizens.” There are thousands of Macedonian citizens of various ethnic backgrounds who make up less than 20 percent of the population, but the Ohrid Framework unequivocally discriminates against these citizens.

Under the Framework’s principle dubbed “positive discrimination,” ethnic groups composing 19 percent of the population, or less, are not entitled to the special privileges such as official national language status or selective enrollment by state universities. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population currently belongs to a racial or ethnic minority group. Under the Ohrid Framework Agreement only minorities that make up 20 percent of the population, or more, in certain areas are entitled to governmentally sponsored privileges, but the remaining minorities are effectively marginalized by exclusion.

The maxim that “all are equal under law” is something Americans take pride in. Under no circumstance should this principle be eroded, says New York minority rights attorney Dmitry Merrit. Applying the Ohrid Framework Agreement in the United States would put many minority groups out in the cold. This includes Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and especially, Multiracial Americans. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, approximately 6.8 million Americans -- 2.4 percent of the total U.S. population -- self-identify with two or more racial categories. The highest concentrations of Multiracial Americans live in Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington.

Public pressure against fulfillment of the Framework Agreement surfaced in the form of large public protests against race-based decentralization. The Constitutional requirement for Referendum put democratic power back in the hands of the people when over 150,000 signed a petition against the Framework. On November 07, 2004 the polls may determine, at least in part, the future of the marred Framework Agreement. Many argue the Framework legislates in a vacuum because it ignores documented regional race-based discrimination against ethnic Macedonians residing in Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania.

The Ohrid Framework Agreement requires revision, says Merrit. First, the Framework forces Multiracial Macedonians, or other minorities categorized under the 19 percentile or less category, to identify with a majority group or another super minority group in hope of qualifying for special governmental privileges. Second, by demarcating governmental privileges under an arbitrary twenty percentile ethnic pretext, the Ohrid Framework Agreement polarizes people based on their ethnic identifications. Ultimately, polarizing and marginalizing people based on their ethnic identity does not comport with the intent of the Framework Agreement, which is to respect “the ethnic identity and the interests of all Macedonian citizens,” says Merrit. The Supreme Court of the United States has repeatedly held that “a racial classification, regardless of purported motivation, is presumptively invalid.”

Many minority rights groups, such as the Macedonian Association of Professionals Students of Washington D.C. are calling for a serious review of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. Arizona lawyer, Michael Rollins, says “it is better to do something carefully now, and get it right at the beginning, instead of later trying to repair dramatic societal effects of governmental discrimination.” Ultimately, Ambassador Lawrence Butler’s statements, encouraging ratification of an un-revised Ohrid Framework Agreement, appear to be inconsistent with American norms, values, and laws.

Groups arguing in favor of a revised Ohrid Framework Agreement demand that the new edition be more representative of American norms and Equal Protection laws despite pressures from the European Union or the OSCE. This issue calls into question whether favoring certain ethnic minorities, while blatantly discriminating against others, can increase ethnic diversity in a multi-ethnic province. Critics say this policy merely propounds ethnic tensions and fosters resentment with minorities who remain the targets of a newfound form of government sponsored discrimination.

Cutting off Dialogue



>>News Homepage

November 3, 2004

By Metodija A. Koloski*

Cutting off dialogue with a person who represents a nation will not help the situation. We must all sit down with the people who represent Macedonia and discuss with them the problems of our country.

Born and raised in New Jersey to one of the oldest founding families of Sts. Kiril and Metodij Macedonian Orthodox Church (of which I am a board member), I would like to clarify the misunderstanding on the two articles published back September in Macedonian daily newspaper Vreme. Specifically this is my opinion of what transpired.

On September 18th, 2004 the Macedonian radio program that airs every Saturday in New Jersey, announced an open forum scheduled for Friday, September 24th with President Crvenkovski to be held at Sts. Kiril and Metodij regarding the issues facing the Republic of Macedonia, as well as those related to the Macedonian Diaspora. The same day our parish board secretary sent an invitation to community leaders informing us that a meeting was scheduled on September 19th to discuss Crvenkovski’s New Jersey visit.

President Crvenkovski’s last met with representatives from the Macedonian-American community in New York City/New Jersey during his November 2003 visit to the States, when he was still Prime Minister. Neither President Crvenkovski nor the community leaders (including myself) were pleased with the outcome. Crvenkovski stressed at this meeting that Macedonian-Americans needed to invest in Macedonia and work together with the Albanian-Americans from Macedonia to lobby the US government to support Macedonia’s bid to enter Euro Atlantic Institutions, such as NATO and the EU.

If Macedonia were internally economically friendly and stable, perhaps Macedonian-Americans would invest. Furthermore, it is too optimistic and idealistic to think that Albanian-Americans from Macedonia would like to invest and work for the good of Macedonia. Generally, Albanian-Americans lobby for Albania, not Macedonia, because often they do not recognize Macedonia or the Macedonian people as sovereign! Little did I know Crvenkovski would meet that same day with the Albanian-American community for a working lunch session. US Ambassador Butler, who has failed to responsibly assert American values in Macedonia, was also present. Thank God he is only appointed for 3 years! Butler said to us “sonceto gree nad makedonskiot narod (the sun shines radiantly upon the Macedonian nation),” which is bizarre since Ambassador Butler has not publicly acknowledged to the world the American position on the abuses and ethnic cleansing of Macedonians.

Nearly 40 prominent Macedonian businessmen and community leaders from Struga and the villages surrounding Struga came to the September 19th meeting in New Jersey. They threatened to boycott Crvenkovski if the church decided to go forth with the September 24th meeting. Upon being asked whether President Crvenkovski should be given the right to a meeting with our community, one of the most influential, respected, active, and well-spoken individuals in our community made his opinion loud and clear, “Crvenkovski ne e pozhelen vo nashata zaednica (Crvenkovski is not wanted in our community),” and that he would not be a party to any delegation meeting with Crvenkovski. His comments set the tone for the remainder of the meeting.

By a unanimous vote, the Macedonian-American community in New Jersey decided Crvenkovski would be boycotted and not allowed to set foot in our community centers. They view Crvenkovski as an enemy to Macedonia’s national interests. How would you feel if your worst enemy entered your home? Representatives of the World Macedonian Congress, present at the September 19th meeting declared Crvenkovski persona non-grata in our community.

Regardless if I agree with their decision, this is something to be proud and happy about: A Macedonian community stood up for what they believed in, and they decided to take action against people who they see as not working in the national interest of Macedonia and the Macedonian people. (On a side note, the attendees at the meeting agreed also that the Macedonian community in New Jersey must stand firm and show our brothers and sisters in Macedonia that we stand a 100% behind them in their actions against the territorial division and rape of Macedonia.).

At the meeting on Friday, September 24th Crvenkovski reiterated, as in his many speeches, he is against the referendum but knows that a referendum is a democratic right of all people. His speech, which brought nothing new to the table from what we read in the newspapers, lasted about 20 minutes. Nonetheless, it is better to hear for yourself what the politicians are saying than reading it in the news. One community leader—attending the meeting as an individual, without representing any organization, asked Crvenkovski a few questions. I thought four were the most crucial to the existence of the Macedonian nation-state: How come Macedonia has not passed a law on the declaration of an anthem, flag, and coat of arms? How come the National Albanian flag is used in Tetovo and Gostivar? Why was the Albanian language given official status? Do you guarantee that once Macedonia joins NATO our borders will not be changed?

Crvenkovski answered “most of us here remember a time when in Tetovo you would find the Macedonian, Albanian, and Yugoslav flags hanging freely over the town without any problem." This is nonsense! Neither Tito, nor Milosevic would have allowed this! I do not know where Crvenkovski was basing his information on.

According to historical sources and the stories my grandparents would tell me, there was a time when Macedonians had to flee their homes in northern Greece or be persecuted by the Greek government who denies permission to these people to come back home to this very day. There was a time for several hundreds of years where the Macedonian people were ethnically cleansed with the sanctioned abduction of young Macedonian boys by a dictatorial Ottoman empire. Macedonia needs a President that is at least one thousand years old if it is to effectively represent it’s people; obviously, my article is sarcastic, but that is exactly what a President should not be.

Crvenkovski went on with “...back in 1974, the law of Macedonia guaranteed all minorities to speak their own languages in Parliament...” The security of the country is in jeopardy when people of a nation cannot communicate; a socialist Tito regime that instituted the 1974 rules does not operate anymore! Today Macedonia is—and should be—a democracy for the Macedonian citizens regardless of ethnicity, race, or religion. Crvenkovski did not address the other important questions.

I asked why the Macedonian government plans to shut down the Agency of Emigration and open a sector under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deal with the Diaspora. Crvenkovski stated that there used to be 21 ministries, now there are 14 and he believes a small country like Macedonia should have no more than 10. He told us that he believes it is the duty of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deal with the Diaspora. I do not know about you, but as a Macedonian, I do not consider myself a matter of foreign affairs. But what do you expect when Macedonians who have left Macedonia for a year cannot even vote in our embassies?

Minister Mitreva stated that when she came to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, they had no plans to deal with the Diaspora. On October 1st, the sector in the Ministry will be opened for the first time. The Agency used to be a “Matica (QueenBee)”, then a Ministry, now is an Agency and soon will be lowered to the status of Sector. I agree there should be a sector, but the Agency should not be shut down. I believe it should go back to the status of Matica. The Matica used to be a very active organization, published a monthly news magazine, and regularly published books on the Diaspora. At present, due to the Macedonian government’s lethargic position toward the Macedonian Diaspora, the Agency’s role has fallen, and they have become very inactive.

Crvenkovski ended with “look how the Jews control what policies are passed in Israel, like them you can do the same with Macedonia.” It is a strong message, but it seems that he only said it to try to win our support. Ironically, what he failed to realize is that there were members of our audience who are Macedonian, but of the Judaic faith; these Jewish Macedonians do not want control of Israel, but instead they want what was taken from them by oppressive regimes many decades ago; they want their national identity back! Parliament may want to consider making Macedonian History a prerequisite to being President!

What are we doing? My fellow Macedonians, we are going to lose our country if we don’t do something! We must work together to solve Macedonia’s problems. Crvenkovski, Buchkovski, Gruevski, or others might not be the right ones for Macedonia at the moment, but we must deal and work with it. Crvenkovski will be president for 5 years; a lot can change in Macedonia in 5 years. Macedonia, hopefully, might be recognized by the world under its constitutional name and it might be all Crvenkovski’s doing. Then we shall praise him for being a true Macedonian. In Macedonia, a person can lose or gain popularity in a matter of hours. Cutting off dialogue with a person who represents a nation will not help the situation. We must all sit down with the people who represent Macedonia and discuss with them the problems of our country.

To this end, I urge all Macedonians to get out on November 7th and vote in favor of the referendum. Do not be scared by the threat tactics of Butler and Sahlin, Macedonia will join NATO and the EU.

Hope for my Homeland Macedonia



>>News Homepage

August 17, 2004


By Metodija A. Koloski
I have hope and am optimistic that my homeland and my ethnic Macedonian brothers and sisters will prevail in the end! All are aware of the coalition government's proposal to territorially divide Macedonia along ethnic lines, granting the Albanian minority a majority in certain municipalities, which unfortunately smells fishy to me. I have been following this whole matter on territorial division nonsense since it arose. In America, where I was born and currently live, we read and listen to news about Macedonia, but you cannot actually grasp what is happening unless you're in Macedonia. I'm very excited to be here at such an important time where there is so much action and reactions from the civilian force in this country. It is at this time the Macedonians in Macedonia and around the world all become politicians.

"What are you in the Diaspora doing for the homeland?" is a question everyone asks me here. I sometimes also ask myself this question, unfortunately. There is a stereotypical idealism and perception of the Diaspora. The common perception of the Diaspora is that they left during hard times, made their money in a foreign land, and now without putting their hands in their pockets and donating or investing want to dictate and advise Macedonians that live in Macedonia. We, in Macedonia, are labeled as foreigners and most often hard-core nationalists, which is not necessarily true.

It intrigues me how when Croatian people in the Diaspora visit their homeland are considered Croatian, which is also the same with the Greeks, Serbians, Bulgarians, etc...yet, we, Macedonians that visit the homeland are considered foreigners. In Croatia, around 30 parliamentary seats are held by Diaspora members, yet, we, hold none in Macedonia. Of course, we have to do research and study their example in order to implement it in our system.

What does one have to prove to be considered a true Macedonian? I did not have a choice when I was born in America; had I known I might have chosen another country, but we do not have that choice, only God does. Nonetheless, I love America, and I'm very thankful for the many opportunities it has given me especially the current education I'm receiving. But, we do not and should not forget where our roots are. Most Macedonians, who have left the homeland, think about Macedonia. Most travel to Macedonia often, most send money to their families. In America, we have around 34 church communities, and some very strong and wealthy, but the unfortunate reality is that there is not much unity.

An identity crisis exists among a lot of Macedonians, not just in the Diaspora but also in the homeland. This is not their fault, but the fault of many years of assimilation, genocide, oppression, and other tragedies. My father always said the history of Macedonia is a tragedy, similar to Armenians and Jews, but look how united they are, and look how united we are. I always ask myself why we're not united, and have come up with many reasons, but there are too many to write in one column.

My friend from Chicago told me in 2001 that we must unite because "Nasite dedovci ginea za nasata tatkovina toa e premnogu golema zrtva i nie ne smeeme nikogas da go zaboravime toa." (Our grandfathers were being killed for our fatherland. That sacrifice is too great and we must never forget
it.) I believe in this quote very strongly and remind all my friends and family of this constantly. We must never forget what happened to our forefathers, but we also must not repeat history. Right now we have an independent country called Macedonia, which some people are trying to take away from us.

I am, like most of the Diaspora, very disappointed in the current situation in Macedonia. The Ohrid Framework Agreement is an embarrassment upon us as an emerging democratic nation-state and on our territorial integrity.
Macedonia has lost its' independence because we listen to and act on the advice of foreign diplomats rather thinking and acting for ourselves. Our country is being divided along ethnic lines and languages, which the international community is supporting claiming it will make Macedonia a true multi-ethnic society and will help us get in Euro-Atlantic institutions. I wish things were so dandy in reality; these foreign diplomats should look at how multi-ethnic their respected countries are.

Everyone in Macedonia and the Diaspora blames the four wolves, Greeks, Albanians, Bulgarians, and Serbians, for our faith. I agree that they are at fault for a lot of the tragedies that have befallen Macedonia and Macedonians, but I do not blame anyone but us for our current situation. I think this is a strong phrase, but in order to unite we must look within the mirror and open our eyes. We must not let someone take our homeland away. I am a very optimistic person and believe we shall prevail in the end, but if we do not unite now, we will not prevail in anything.

To this end, the Diaspora calls upon the President, the Prime Minister of Macedonia, and His Beatitude, Archbishop Stefan to sign a joint protocol calling upon the unity of all Macedonian church and ethnic organizations in the Diaspora to work, support, and strengthen Macedonia in the world's power centers, such as Washington, London, Brussels and Moscow. These three individuals must address this matter decisively once and for all in order to unite the Diaspora. Unity is the only savior for my homeland Macedonia and my dear ethnic Macedonian brothers and sisters in and out of Macedonia!
The author is the co-founder and coordinator of the Macedonian Orthodox Youth Association of North America.

Sounds to me that this guy does not support the framework agreement.

[TajnataKniga]

censored

The proof is that Meto is the ovchar and you and kniga are a couple of his sheep...if Vangelovski is my god then Meto is your messiah, your chosen one...

Instead of habitual arse-kissers like you running to the nearest butt for your fix maybe you should step back and consider why intelligent and passionate people have left UMD and why some are starting to openly question its direction. Ask why so many people are starting to find holes in UMD strategy...

i get censored risto for saying wishy-washy and this guy doesnt for usuing 'running to the nearest butt for your fix'.

phoenix - we all know you like to fix sheep from the behind. no need to offend people.

[Risto the Great]

TK, you got censored for saying nothing. There is a difference.

[TajnataKniga]

risto arguing with you is pointless and with other 'administrator's on this forum. tvrdi.

[Buktop]

Buktop, are you being honest with us? How do you profess to know exactly where Rogi and Vangelovski's similarities stop? You have not dealt with my question in relation to where the balance might be now for the UMD. You simply say you don't know what the balance is. Perhaps you should find out.

I take my hat off to Rogi for his determination. I know people first hand who do similar things for Vangelovski. It should be also be stated that Vangelovski has been doing it longer. It should also be stated that other Macedonians have done far more for far longer and are far less prominent on the internet. Who cares! Transparency is the key here and actions speak louder than words. We have seen some actions on Youtube and still have not had them clarified. Silly stuff indeed.

RTG what are you on about? According to my observations, and my conversations with both Rogi and Vangelovski they are not similar at all.

You are the one who wants to know about the balance of UMD, so tell me about your current Aussie UMD representatives, don't you know them? Have you talked to them? They are YOUR representatives I would expect you to know them or at least have heard of them... especially if you are so concerned about UMD.

I don't care how long Vangelovski has been doing anything, just like you say transparency is the key, and Vangelovski is as transparent as a rock. He claims to know the secret agendas of UMD, yet he claims he left UMD before the bylaws were approved, and then Rogi states that he left March 14, 2008, while the bylaws were approved February 16, 2008. He tried to rile up the forum about UMD elections, when it clearly states in the bylaws that board members serve 3 year terms. Why is he intentionally trying to create issues with UMD?

[TajnataKniga]

what is rogi's opinion about the bylaws and elections?

[Buktop]

The proof is that Meto is the ovchar and you and kniga are a couple of his sheep...if Vangelovski is my god then Meto is your messiah, your chosen one...

Instead of habitual arse-kissers like you running to the nearest butt for your fix maybe you should step back and consider why intelligent and passionate people have left UMD and why some are starting to openly question its direction. Ask why so many people are starting to find holes in UMD strategy...

Once again no proof just colorful language.

And perhaps you should have read Rogi's post concerning his resignation, maybe then you would realize when to keep your mouth shut.