Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC)

[AMHRC]

There are a number of social structural reasons for why it is unlikely that a mass 'outing' will happen any time soon. A key reason is that Mainstream Greek culture, in other words its hegemonic aspects, are often revolted by the idea of ethno-cultural difference. Certainly Greece is not historically unique in this regard, however in today's Europe - it does stand out, as possessing a rather virulent fear of the other.

This makes it extraordinarily difficult for a voice like Vinozhito's to be properly heard inside Greece. Often, Vinozhito is reduced to threatening European court action just to ensure that its mail is delivered and that its advertising is published. It is very catch - 22 like, Vinozhito exists because of the fear of difference and yet it finds it very difficult to make progress, precisely because of the cultural factor that ensured it would come into being - the fear of difference.

However we shall continue continue our support of Vino' as our actions are guided by the principle that structures can eventually be changed - that there is in the last analysis an element of human agency involved in the construction of social structures and that these are therefore subject to the possibility of change.

Thanks for your support, we may publish a more general review of the issues briefly discussed above in the AMHRC Spring Review - due to come out in December and of course we shall definitely make an online version of it available to the readers of this forum.


Regards,

AMHRC.

[Risto the Great]

Thanks for the communication AMHRC, you certainly have our support.

[Prolet]

What are Macedonian Hot Spots like Lerin and Banica? Do they have offices there??

There is too much propaganda spread against Vinozito in Greece.

[Pelister]

There are a number of social structural reasons for why it is unlikely that a mass 'outing' will happen any time soon. A key reason is that Mainstream Greek culture, in other words its hegemonic aspects, are often revolted by the idea of ethno-cultural difference. Certainly Greece is not historically unique in this regard, however in today's Europe - it does stand out, as possessing a rather virulent fear of the other.

This makes it extraordinarily difficult for a voice like Vinozhito's to be properly heard inside Greece. Often, Vinozhito is reduced to threatening European court action just to ensure that its mail is delivered and that its advertising is published. It is very catch - 22 like, Vinozhito exists because of the fear of difference and yet it finds it very difficult to make progress, precisely because of the cultural factor that ensured it would come into being - the fear of difference.

However we shall continue continue our support of Vino' as our actions are guided by the principle that structures can eventually be changed - that there is in the last analysis an element of human agency involved in the construction of social structures and that these are therefore subject to the possibility of change.

Thanks for your support, we may publish a more general review of the issues briefly discussed above in the AMHRC Spring Review - due to come out in December and of course we shall definitely make an online version of it available to the readers of this forum.


Regards,

AMHRC.

Well said.

This is really great news for Macedonians. Great work Vinozhito.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Since it began participating in elections in the 1990's, Vinozhito has consistently gained between 400 and 1000 votes in Vodensko. And their 'closet' support base is considerably larger. We can assure you that they are not riding on the coattails of a very recently formed organisation that has an executive of 5 and around 10 students. Vinozhito's Voden Branch ante-dates the existence of this other body by many years and is at least 40 times larger in terms of membership.The opening of this office is for the better servicing of Vinzhito's supporters in the area.

It is worth pointing out that Vinozhito also has branches in Salonika and Kukush.The AMHRC has been co-operating with the people on the ground in Aegean Macedonia since 1984 and we are fully aware of the conditions - we have an International Co-ordinator that makes regular monthly visits to the region.

AMHRC, thanks for all of the information and updates, very useful for our readers.

Is it fair to say that both the Voden NGO and Vinozhito are on amicable terms with each other, or at least non-conflicting? I take it that fundamentally, both groups have the same aims, but differ in terms of means.

Can you tell us why Vinozhito have not run in the national elections of Greece? I have seen this question thrown up a number of times and have not seen a solid answer in response yet. Appreciate the clarification, thanks again.

[The LION will ROAR]

Video of the Opening of the Vinozhito Office in Voden

http://www.youtube.com/televizijasonce#p/a/u/0/SyFRWJ3oyoo

[AMHRC]

Dear Soldier of Macedon,
Thank you for your very good questions – we are not sure that we can answer them fully here; however we shall try to give some insight.

1. To begin with Vinozhito, has over the years participated in local, national and European elections. Most people do not take time to consider what it means to participate in an election campaign – especially for a small volunteer party representing the interests of a very negatively stigmatised minority.

Just to give itself half a chance of achieving a decent result, we are talking about 20 to 40,000 euros minimum. Add to that the work of letter drops, door knocking, preparation of advertising materials etc. It takes an enormous effort.

The people in Vinozhito are volunteers with family, work and other responsibilities – they don’t always have the time and resources to run in an election campaign.

2. Added to these difficulties, is the fact that Vinozhito operates in a society that has a pathological fear of the other. Vinozhito’s post doesn’t get delivered; they receive unlawful media bans; people are employed to spread lies about them – such as that they are “separatists”; that they are really Greeks posing as Macedonians etc. etc. A whole state apparatus is employed to make sure Vinozhito does not make progress. We can add that in the last European elections held earlier this year, even the Bulgarian secret police worked against Vinozhito by unlawfully confiscating thousands of Vinozhito advertising dvd’s.

The only thing worse than exhibiting ethno-cultural difference in a country like Greece, is being labelled a “separatist”. If this is the prevailing mood at a particular moment in time, then it is a waste for Vinozhito to consider using up resources and energy at such points.
So Vinozhito has to choose its time for participating very carefully – it is simply impossible for them to participate in every election considering all these difficulties. For example in 2002, when they did succeed in negotiating some mainstream political co-operation, the result was that a Vinozhito candidate was elected to the Lerin prefecture.

3. Of late, Vinozhito has favoured participation in European elections as opposed to purely Greek ones for other practical reasons too. Those people in Aegean Macedonia who consider themselves to be ethnic Macedonians are like voters everywhere. Some don’t care about politics; some are fearful of voting for Vinozhito because they have employment /business issues attached to their support of the major Greek parties. Officially, the elections are carried out via secret ballot in Greece; however we can assure you that everyone quickly discovers who voted for whom in an election – especially in Macedonian villages.
European parliamentary elections are considered unimportant in Greece and more people feel more comfortable about voting for a party like Vinozhito in them. It may be that Vinozhito will decide to take a break from participating in elections for a while – that is to wait until more suitable conditions appear again; or until they have succeeded in eliminating some of the fear that exists, about voting for a party like theirs, through their other activities. Though that is something that they will decide, not we in the diaspora – it is easy to complain in the diaspora, we don’t live in fear of being prosecuted for “treason”; of losing our jobs; of being shunned by mainstream society etc.etc.
That such fear is to an extent justified, is easily shown by the well known recent example of a Papandreou advisor who was sacked within 24 hours of asserting that Greece does possess a Macedonian minority and that Greece should recognise it.

Because Vinozhito unavoidably sometimes, ‘skips’ participation in elections, does not mean that it has ceased working. Vinozhito has a number of branches in Aegean Macedonia based around a number of counties. Some of them a “secret”, some of them are public knowledge. Now this goes to your question about methods. Vinozhito doesn’t believe in any one method – it uses a variety. For example some Vinozhito branch people in Aegean Macedonia are doing exactly the same type of work as this new body in Voden – language classes and cultural work etc. Vinozhito uses different means for different people and this is justified by the fact that those who consider themselves ethnic Macedonian in Greece, are like people everywhere – varied. There are the fearless and the fearful; the fence sitters and ambivalent ones etc. etc. In one way or another Vinozhito is trying to reach out to all of them. With the fearful, one must use the softly, softly approach, and this is what various Vinozhito networks are doing – they are working on a number levels utilising a number of means. It would be very inappropriate to say any more than this on a public forum.

As to your question about the other organisation in Voden, we can emphatically state that Vinozhito has not made one negative public comment about that group. Also we in the AMHRC view the work of this new group as a positive step forward – every little bit helps. Now as to the question about whether Vodenka and her colleagues have or have not made any unjust public insinuations against Vinozhito – we shall leave for all of you to decide for yourselves.

4. The issue of Vinozhito participating in elections is also the subject of much confusion in the diaspora for another reason – unrealistic expectations. As a result of Greek state policy over the last hundred years, Aegean Macedonia possesses a vast majority of people who consider themselves to be ethnic Greeks. The reasons for this are at least as horrible as the reasons for the fact that the majority of people in Australia today have white skin. We all know this and so Vinozhito is not about winning large numbers of seats – it simply cannot. The purpose of participating in the elections is to demonstrate, contrary to what the Greek authorities assert that Greece is inhabited by a Macedonian minority. Why? So that Greece finally recognises this group and implements what is required of it by international law and convention. This is so that this minority will be saved from total destruction.

Vinozhito’s election results have over 15 years consistently demonstrated that not only is there a Macedonian minority, but that it is anything from twice to five times the size of the Greek minority that Turkey officially recognises as inhabiting Instanbul! Moreover, as a result of Vinozhito’s more public and fearless methods, almost every single Major Western institution and NGO (COE, ECRI, U.N.,OSCE,EU, Human Rights Watch etc. – not to mention numerous western academics), has recognised Greece’s Macedonian minority and found Greece guilty of human rights violations against it. This has been a wonderful achievement of Vinozhito’s.

It is not Vinozhito’s fault that they inhabit a society that has a pathological fear of the other or that responsible Western authorities have not attempted to compel Greece to abide by the treaties it is a signatory to.

Vinozhito’s aim, and ours for that matter, is not to harm Greece, but to make it better for everyone who lives there – by trying to defeat ethnocentric bigotry; by trying to increase the level of democratic diversity. It is our opinion that Greece possesses a mainstream culture that is pathologically repressed. What would happen if Vinozhito and others in Aegean Macedonia were to get their way? Nothing major from a Western perspective – Macedonians would be de-stigmatised; a process of reconciliation would begin; Macedonians would receive aid for the maintenance of their culture and the Macedonian Language would be introduced to the state education system as an elective subject (this is a crucial aim to be achieved according to Vinozhito’s manifesto ) for those who wish to learn it. In Australia and other Western countries this is all considered quite normal – the fact that in Greece at present, the mainstream considers such things horrible, is the crux of the problem. Some argue that our position and Vinozhito’s for that matter, is Western ethnocentric. In the present context that is a very flawed argument because Greece has for decades been receiving all the benefits (especially economic and military) of membership in Western society. It is unacceptable to obtain such benefits and claim to be the “cradle of democracy” and at the same time ignore the responsibilities that come with such benefits; it is unacceptable to sign treaties only for the purpose of receiving money and with no intention of satisfying the obligations that accompany such benefits!

Vinozhito is the product of a cultural-structural situation that makes it very difficult for it to progress, for this structure creates both the conditions for its existence and the serious problems that stand in its way. We shall however continue our support of Vinozhito, because we believe in democratic diversity and because we believe that cultural structures can be subject to human agency and therefore to alteration. We reject the notion of static primordialism.
For those interested in supporting the courageous efforts of Vinozhito and OMO Ilinden Pirin for that matter too – please visit the websites of the AMHRC or MHRMI. Moreover, we would like to add with some forgivable pride (at least we hope that is how you will view it) that the AMHRC has been a leader for over a quarter of a century in political and legal advocacy work on behalf of the Macedonian community in Australia. We have at present a committee that is eminently qualified for such work – four postgraduate academics from the Humanities/Social Sciences and four lawyers; not to mention the C.P.A. that does our books! The contributions that we receive are also used to maintain our efforts in Australia. If some of your readers reside in Victoria, upon joining, they can feel free to visit our office in inner city Melbourne – we like having guests.
Regards,
AMHRC.

P.S. Please don’t ask anymore big questions – we rarely have the time to answer them!

[AMHRC]

Amhrc on hammarberg in bulgaria

AMHRC Comments on Hammarberg’s Visit to Bulgaria

Melbourne, Australia 17/11/09 -The Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) notes that on 5 November 2009, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, concluded a three-day visit to Sofia, Bulgaria, during which, amongst other matters he assessed progress on the protection of the rights of minorities in Bulgaria. It is understood that Mr Hammarberg discussed the protection of ethnic groups, including that of the Macedonian minority, with various Bulgarian authorities.

The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Council of Europe, who is mandated to promote education in, awareness of and respect for human rights in member states, as embodied in the human rights instruments of the Council of Europe. The major human rights instrument is the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention). Bulgaria ratified the European Convention on 7 September 1992.

Article 1 of the European Convention begins by asserting that the member states shall secure to everyone within their jurisdiction the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention. One of the human rights enunciated in the European Convention is that everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others (Article 11). By Article 14 of the European Convention the enjoyment of this right shall be secured without discrimination on any ground, whether it be race, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority or other status.

Notably, in the case of OMO Ilinden Pirin v. Bulgaria decided in 2005, Bulgaria was found wanting in this regard when it was judged to be in breach of Article 11 of the European Convention by the European Court of Human Rights. The Court firstly stated that:

In a democratic society based on the rule of law, political ideas which challenge the existing order without putting into question the tenets of democracy, and whose realisation is advocated by peaceful means must be afforded a proper opportunity of expression through, inter alia, participation in the political process.

Bulgaria has consistently failed to afford its ethnic Macedonian minority a proper opportunity to express itself through participation in the political process, as it consistently rejects all attempts at registering a political party representing the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Given the regular rhetoric originating from the Bulgarian authorities denigrating the existence of a separate ethnic Macedonian minority, Bulgaria’s conduct in thwarting the Macedonian minority’s enjoyment of the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of association can only be described as being based on ‘race, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority or other status’. Therefore, it is a direct violation of the human rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Poignantly, in the 2005 case, the European Court also concluded the following:

The fact that … [OMO Ilinden Pirin’s] … political programme was considered incompatible with the current principles and structures of the Bulgarian State does not make it incompatible with the rules and principles of democracy.

Ironically, the European Court here, seemingly inferring that it is in fact Bulgaria’s attitude that is necessarily incompatible with the rules and principles of democracy. Given Bulgaria’s history of human rights violations against its ethnic minorities, and in particular its sizeable Macedonian minority, the AMHRC views Mr Hammarberg’s visit to Bulgaria as both important and necessary.

Mr Hammarberg’s own findings would suggest the same. A statement summarising his preliminary views was issued on 6 November 2009. Perhaps somewhat inauspiciously, the statement is entitled ‘Commissioner Hammarberg encourages Bulgaria to make more efforts to protect the rights of minorities’. The statement makes reference to the Council of Europe human rights standards, which it is suggested Mr Hammarberg recommended ‘a renewed, systematic dialogue with these communities in order to address and solve all pending issues’. Clearly, Mr Hammarberg believes that there are ‘pending issues’ to be addressed by the Bulgarian authorities when it comes to the human rights of its minorities. In a direct quote, Mr Hammarberg stated that:

Hate speech against minority groups must be countered with preventive and prosecutorial actions. Leading politicians should lead as example of tolerance and mutual respect.

One can only speculate that the reference to ‘leading politicians’ seems to be a direct rebuke of the Bulgarian authorities by Mr Hammarberg. If so, the Commissioner should do his best to ensure that such Bulgarian authorities are not allowed to escape proper scrutiny of their human rights record. Whilst respect for the rule of law and human rights of its citizens may be a novel concept for some Bulgarian authorities, they cannot be allowed to be absolved of their responsibilities in this regard. The Commissioner also indicated that independent human rights structures, such as the Ombudsman and the Commission for the Protection against Discrimination, remain as crucial institutions for reinforcing the protection of individuals against any possible abuse. It is to be expected that these institutions will perform their roles objectively and impartially and encourage accountability when human rights violations are identified.

Importantly, the Commissioner will publish early next year a more detailed report with his recommendations on the issues raised during this visit.

The AMHRC not only reiterates the suggestion in the title to Mr Hammarberg’s statement that Bulgaria make more efforts to protect the rights of its Macedonian minority, but asserts that this is a fundamental responsibility that it cannot avoid. It is incumbent on the Council of Europe, through the Commissioner for Human Rights, to expose any breaches of this responsibility and demand that Bulgaria begins acting like the ‘European’ state that it purports to be. Bulgarian authorities should understand that ‘the essence of human rights is empowerment through the affirmation that every individual is entitled as of right and merely by virtue of being human’ to enjoy those norms and standards that have been proclaimed by the international community as essential to the ‘foundation of justice and peace in the world’. The Bulgarian authorities should understand this, because they have supposedly already affirmed ‘their profound belief in such fundamental freedoms’ by acceding to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Anyone interested in supporting the human rights struggle of OMO Ilinden Pirin, may do so by making a contribution to the AMHRC, per the means offered on our website.

Established in 1984 the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee is a non-governmental organisation that informs and advocates to governments, international institutions and broader communities about combating discrimination and promoting human rights. Our aspiration is to ensure that Macedonian communities and other excluded groups throughout the world are recognised, respected and afforded equitable treatment. For more information please visit www.macedonianhr.org.au, or contact AMHRC via [email protected] or +61 3 93298960.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Thank you for the detailed response, which was much larger than my questions

Appreciating the limited time that everybody has, we will try and limit the amount of questions. However, I think we can both agree that it is extremely important, particularly for somebody like yourself who is representing a Macedonian organisation on this Macedonian forum, to respond appropriately and accordingly to inquiries. It is a display of transparency and good character, and I assume that all of the members of the AMHRC possess this quality. Cheers.

[AMHRC]

SOM, the last sentence was just a bit of tongue in cheek - seriously, we hope that the response satisfied both your curiosity and concerns.

Cheers,

AMHRC.

[Prolet]

AMHRC, This is a copy and paste job from the Maknews forum.

Whats the story with Omo Ilinden Pirin??

[Pelister]

AMHRC, This is a copy and paste job from the Maknews forum.

The AMHR representative answered SoM's question in some detail I thought ! Excellent response.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Prolet, his response is to myself, so if the same post is over at Maknews then I would assume it is copied from here and posted there. But then again, I haven't checked the time difference or the other post so I don't know.

[Prolet]

SOM, Are you happy with the response you got?

Vodenka however doesnt think much of Vinozito.

[Risto the Great]

I have said it before.
I don't think much of Vinozhito!
I love what they remind the Greeks about.
I hate that they have not managed to capture the mind and imagination of Macedonians in Greece. I feel that time is running out for our people there and the mood needs to be altered dramatically.