United Macedonia Diaspora

[Makedonska_Kafana]

Originally Posted by Risto the Great

Very reasonable advice given with the best of intentions. However, the only issue not addressed is whether the UMD is simply the lobbying arm of the Macedonian Government in the Diaspora. In which case doing your suggestions is against their agenda.

Most, of the older members (50+) don't understand what they do most of the time and rely heavily on the Macedonian media. Never, do they answer the questions we pose here which to me is hiding an agenda.

They choose to get involved in politics and were not forced so it's their job to respond to matters they support.

[julie]

seeing they are representative of the diaspora, its apparent their allegiances don't lie with the wishes of the diaspora

[Risto the Great]

Originally Posted by UMDiaspora.org

This thread has been noted by UMD and brought to the attention of the Board of Directors, thanks for the discussion.

It has been noted the UMD have avoided transparency at all costs since 2008.

I note nothing has changed and suggest people look at the beginning of this thread to identify a time when genuine questions were raised with the best of intent.

[Makedonska_Kafana]

When, ANYONE tries to speak on my behalf without my consent I make it very personal regardless who or what that is. Jump, in my way expect to get hit or even worse.

[Pelister]

Originally Posted by Risto the Great

It has been noted the UMD have avoided transparency at all costs since 2008.

I note nothing has changed and suggest people look at the beginning of this thread to identify a time when genuine questions were raised with the best of intent.

UMD won't explain anything RTG.

Ask them if they have a plan to have our name admitted to the United Nations?

[Makedonska_Kafana]

Orovnichanec (nikolce) who gave you the 11 rating (self) and Igor a 1? How, does one get an 11 rating here, being an admin?

Originally Posted by Orovnichanec

The problem is that RMK makes it a personal vendetta on people

Originally Posted by Orovnichanec

I applaud UMD for all the work they have done, and wish more Macedonian organizations appear that are as strong as UMD, because we need them.

Explain, the above and how many UMD events have you attended outside of Crown Point, Indiana?

[indigen]

Originally Posted by Pelister

Don't be fooled by UMD.

Who they claim to be and what they claim to stand for closely resembles the old Bulgarian and Greek organizations who fooled the average Macedonian that they were on our side, and working in the interests of Macedonians.

Take a closer look at UMD.

UMD,

1. Believes the dispute is legitimate
2. Believes Greece has legitimate grievances
3. Believes that Greeks can be Macedonians too
4. UMD Believes the Macedonian leadership MUST CHANGE THE NAME if it is to survive.
5. Meto himself has set out to "revise" Macedonian History. He believes the modern idea of "Macedonian Nationality" includes Greeks, Albanians and others and is trying to prove that this has always been the case historically.
6. UMD "staged" a petition. UMD falsely and deceptively portrays its membership base by referring to the number of signatures on this petition.
7. UMD is a political club and its membership base is TINY. It is NOT the voice of the Macedonian diaspora even though it deceptively claims to be. The Macedonian leadership and politicians and Macedonians everywhere need to be aware of this fact.

IHMO, you (together with a few others) were, and have been for some time, IDEOLOGICALLY ahead of the pack on these core issues relating to "UMD" (and the Gruevski government) and I commend you all for it!

[Pelister]

Thanks Indigen, but I wouldn't have said those things if I thought there wasn't any evidence to support it. Unfortunately under the circumstances silence is simply not an option.

[lavce pelagonski]

I am writing this letter because I am concerned about the efforts of Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI) to establish a so-called “Macedonian” caucus in the U.S. Congress.

Dear Representative,



I am writing this letter because I am concerned about the efforts of Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI) to establish a so-called “Macedonian” caucus in the U.S. Congress. Although I realize that Rep. Miller (R-MI) has the right to do so, I am questioning the legal status of the organization, namely the “United Macedonia Diaspora” (UMD) which, according to information on its website, is behind this caucus.



The claimed number of half a million according to Rep. Miller�s letter (dated April 13, 2011) to members of the U.S. Congress cannot represent the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia�s (FYROM) diaspora living in the United States considering that in the 2000 U.S. census the U.S. residents of Slavic descent from the FYROM were only 38,051. [i] Please be aware that UMD does not represent the Macedonian Greeks of approximately three million, by far the largest number of Macedonians, who since antiquity inhabit or originate from the region of Macedonia. This is a region that has always been an integral part of Greece and the Greek world for millennia.



UMD is an international NGO representing a foreign country in the United States. With a thorough investigation, one finds out that UMD was founded in 2004 and portrays itself (according to its website and its official communications) as:



"…an international non-governmental organization addressing the interests and needs of Macedonians[sic] and Macedonian [sic] communities throughout the world. UMD's main goals are to foster unity among Macedonian [sic] people, and advance their cause... With headquarters in Washington, D.C., UMD has representatives serving Macedonian [sic] communities around the world, including Brussels, Canberra, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, Stuttgart, Sydney, and Toronto." http://umdiaspora.org/.



If UMD represents the interests of the FYROM world diaspora and the “Macedonian communities” - a term that includes the inhabitants of the FYROM itself - which is the basis of the FYROM government, then it is representing the interests of the FYROM in the United States. Because UMD is representing a foreign government, it should be registered with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of 1938 as a Foreign Agent and make full disclosure of the fact to the U.S. Congress before attempting to establish a caucus. The inhabitants of the FYROM represent the interests of the government of the FYROM, which is a foreign power.



As an American citizen I am posing this question to my Representative and also to Michigan Representative Candice Miller who has spearheaded the attempt to create a “Macedonian” Caucus within the US: UMD is an international organization addressing the interests and needs of “Macedonians” [sic] and “Macedonian” [sic] Communities throughout the world and is attempting to establish a caucus in the US Congress. Can Congresswoman Miller answer whether the UMD is registered as a foreign agent in the USA? We have not found any mention of UMD registered under FARA.



The stability of Southeast Europe is of utmost importance to the United States. Historically, the nationalism that is thriving in the Balkans has created either preconditions for war or, in some cases, was the reason for wars. While the Balkans can be dismissed as “Yesterday�s War,” the underlying causes of the 1945-2001 upheaval remain as strong and as precarious as ever. The 1944-49 civil war in Greece, and the 2001 civil war between the Albanian minority and the Slav majority in the FYROM demonstrate that the nationalism that has fueled the fires of this region for centuries were not extinguished or resolved by the 2001 events. Another upheaval in the FYROM is so likely that the area and the people should be the subject of continuing and in-depth interest to the U.S. Congress.



Stability in the Balkans should be of paramount consideration to all, but it cannot be achieved unless all Balkan countries cooperate. When one of the region�s countries, in particular the FYROM, promotes hostility and inaccuracies in an effort to boost nationalism and advocates an identity, which one could argue is the result of euphoric recalls considering that in the last century their alleged identity changed four times, then the results of such activities can only be negative. The Slavic children of the FYROM are being taught a revisionist history falsely claiming them as being direct descendants of the ancient Macedonians. This history is not supported by a single academic argument while it exacerbates a nationalism that takes the identity of another country as its own. The above deceitful attempt by UMD indicates the modus operandi of how the FYROM and its diaspora operate.



I am urging you to verify the above information and to reconsider before you sign your name or in any way participate in the attempted establishment of this false “Macedonian” caucus.



Respectfully,
no name

http://www.hellenicnews.com/readnews...=13863&lang=US

[Risto the Great]

As Meto said, "The Macedonian government wants it, we have to help them".