United Macedonia Diaspora

[aleksandrov]

Originally Posted by UMDiaspora.org

Mr. Vangelovski, are you referring to The Australian advertisement? We suggest you get your facts straight before spreading outright lies and false allegations about UMD. UMD has never plagiarized anything, so your assertions are quite serious offenses and slander.

UMDiaspora,

The advertisement Vangelovski is referring to was published in The Age (the same paper that Meto Kolovski is supposed to have published an opinion piece in) and the Sydney Morning Herald simultaneously, by the Association of Macedonian Communities in Australia. The only input from UMD was by Tom Vangelovski, as the then Director of UMD's Australian Operations. I asked him if the UMD would endorse the advertisement after I had already written and sent it to him. Prior to that, Tom helped me with some research and suggestions in the drafting process, in his personal capacity. Everything Vangelovski has said about the advertisement in The Age is fundamentally true.

But let's not get side-tracked here. The UMD flyer that has sparked this thread states that Meto Koloski (not UMD) has had an opinion piece (not an advertisement) published in The Age (not The Australian). Can you please refer us to that opinion piece by Meto Koloski?

[UMDiaspora.org]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/i...-1225827612230

[Risto the Great]

PREMIER Mike Rann has sparked an international diplomatic furore by accusing Macedonia of stealing Greek culture and its leader, Gjorge Ivanov, of "stirring up trouble in the most dangerous way".

A videotape of a speech given by the Premier at a the Dimitria Greek festival in the western suburbs in November has sparked outrage across the globe.

Washington-based United Macedonian Diaspora president Metodija Koloski flew to Adelaide for a confidential meeting with Multicultural Affairs Minister Michael Atkinson yesterday and delivered a protest letter addressed to Mr Rann.

In the controversial speech, Mr Rann affirms his commitment to Adelaide's Greek voters and promises his Government will "remain firm and unswerving in our support for your cause".

"It is important because no one is entitled to steal another nation's history or culture," Mr Rann said.

"We have a leader in Mr Ivanov who is stirring up trouble in the most dangerous way."

Mr Koloski yesterday told The Advertiser that his people had been "slandered" and demanded an unconditional apology.

Yesterday, Mr Rann said he would not be "silenced or muzzled" and would "continue to speak out on issues I believe in".

Rann remains resolute on this matter. We will test his resolve.

[maslinka]

Originally Posted by UMDiaspora.org

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/i...-1225827612230

This is my first post, and I would have liked it to have been more constructive, but I smell a rat.

As someone who has been sitting back and watching this forum and Maknews as well for quite sometime, I have to say that the timing of the community's outrage smells too manufactured.

I mean, Rann's speech happens in December, but the story doesn't come out until UMD just happend to be in Adelaide...please! Was this a strategic ploy to give UMD street cred before its national tour?

Also, what a toothless response......all you did was steel the Greek support for Rann. His response was a big F#ck Off to UMD's request for an apology!!!

UMD you had a chance to engage with others on the landscape here in Australia, but you failed to produce nothing but self-gratifying dribble!
Had you been serious you would have engaed with others in the community. For example, had you referred the Adelaide advertiser to AMHRC's proposed legal action, wouldn't that have been a better outcome for the community? Your organisation's international front plus on the ground action? What an error in judgement on your behalf! There's nothing united about UMD.

And to think, all this time I though that a UMD membership would be a good investment in our community in Australia. How wrong I was - you sold me a dummy but now I see clearly, never judge a book by its cover.

[Vangelovski]

Originally Posted by aleksandrov

UMDiaspora,

Would you care to ask Mr Stankovski to corroborate your story? Who was on this UMD drafting committee you speak of? Do you have records of the original draft? Do you have any records of correspondence suggesting that the UMD initiated it (I acknowledge that the UMD initiated an earlier advertisement in the Australian, also funded by the Macedonian Orthodox Community of Sydney, but I don't think you want me to get into the difference between the UMD's first draft and what was ultimately published, contrary to the American UMD's wishes)? Could you post a copy of the advertisement here, given that it makes it clear who published and personally "authorized" it?

The advertisement in question was published in The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald simultaneously, by the Association of Macedonian Communities in Australia. More than half of the cost was paid by the Macedonian Orthodox Community of Sydney. The rest was paid by funds raised on behalf of our Association by Ljupco Stankovski from the Australian Macedonian Weekly in Melbourne, from other organizations and businesses that ENDORSED the advertisement. The UMD did not contribute a cent. The only input from UMD was by Tom Vangelovski, as the then Director of Australian Operations. I asked him if the UMD would endorse the advertisement after I had already written and sent it to him. Prior to that, Tom helped me with some research and suggestions in the drafting process, in his personal capacity.

The advertisement in The Age was DEFINITELY not initiated by UMD and I received no input whatsoever for the text from any other member of UMD but Tom Vangelovski. Unless you consider telling Tom Vangelovski that it was too nationalistic for UMD to endorse it an input.

But let's not get side-tracked here. The UMD flyer that has sparked this thread states that Meto Koloski has had an opinion piece published in The Age. Can you please refer us to that opinion piece by Meto Koloski?

I don't really have much more to add than the points raised here by Aleksandrov.

I can only reiterate what Aleksandrov said, the issue is Meto's supposed opinion piece in the Age.

[Vangelovski]

Back to the top. Does anyone from UMD want to comment on this one? Using scaremongering to defend the FYROM terminology?

[Vangelovski]

Thanks for the run down and quotes SoM. It appears we have yet another UMD endorsement of "Democratic Republic of Macedonia". I think by the time Meto's travelling circus is over, we'll have a few more.

[Risto the Great]

Maslinka, welcome.
You made some very controversial statements in relation to the Rann/UMD matter that I can't support. I am of the understanding that a pitiful Government Grant was up for grabs and our silly little community in Adelaide was awaiting the outcome of that before expressing their disgust. The grant never apparently eventuated and the timing of an appropriate response was spectacularly deficient.

This is my understanding of the matter and a clear expression of my disgust in the direction it more appropriately should be focused. Further, the fact that Meto was in Adelaide at the time the issue escalated was nothing more than an excellent opportunity to amplify the significance of this matter. I have no problem with the UMD expressing their discontent. I have many more problems with the Adelaide community wasting their time on a matter of such significance.

[makedonche]

Maslinka
Welcome to the MTO!
It's easy to see have you have come up with those conclusions, particularly if you have been following some of the threads.

[Dejan]

Didn't this clown Rann just get exposed for having an affair behind his wfe's back? We should exploit him once again...