Name of the campaign:
"Campaign for inter-institutional cooperation for dealing with domestic violence”

Motto of the campaign:
"Don’t conceal, report it”

The following governmental and nongovernmental organizations are preparing and carrying out this year's campaign: Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, National SOS line, Crisis Centre “Hope”, NGO Shelter, Association Akcija Zdruzenska and Association for Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women of Republic of Macedonia.

Financial supporters of the campaign are: UNDP, Philip Morris, Association Akcija Zdruzenska and Association for Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women of Republic of Macedonia.

For the purpose of this campaign, three components are developed and will be implemented on national and local levels.

On the national level, the following activities will be implemented:

• Press conference, and

• Roundtable aimed at professionals who are working on domestic violence.

A press conference will take place on 25 November 2005 at 11a.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Skopje, as official start of this year campaign.  State secretaries of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs will have presentations about their departments’ orientations on the field of domestic violence.  Efforts of the Ministry of interior will be presented by Director of Bureau of Public security.  Also, the National SOS line will have the honour to present joint efforts of the NGO’s providers of direct services to women- victims of DV, as part of the drafted protocols.    

After the press conference, a two-hour roundtable with professionals from Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and social policy, Ministry of interior and National SOS line as a representative of NGOs will be organised. The aim of the roundtable will be to promote draft protocols and standards prepared by each of the relevant ministries and NGOs in the field of domestic violence and coordination between them. The above mentioned relevant actors, together with the NGOs dealing on the issue of domestic violence, will participate in the roundtable. International organizations will participate and take part in the presentation of their views on the presented content. Also, the unification of the civil and criminal justice system, as a next step that will follow this campaign (these unifications present second phase of the process of drafting protocols) will be presented.

On the local level, two types of activities will be implemented:

Roundtables on the local level with professional structures that are working on domestic violence.
The concept of central event will be applied on the local level, through the organization of roundtables with professional structures who are dealing with domestic violence in following towns: Kocani (30 November); Strumica (30 November); Bogovinje (02 December); Bitola (06 December); Prilep (6 December); Kumanovo (07 December) and Stip (09 December). The aim of the local roundtable is to illustrate the need and, if possible, to initiate cooperation and the formation of a local coordinated system of protection. Hosts of this events are local NGOs and respective ministries.

Tribunes for general population

The third component of the plan is the conduct of tribunes for general population. Tribunes will be organised in urban arias as Debar, Struga, Berovo, Kicevo, Vinica, Stip and Tetovo, also in rural areas Sutka, Dracevo and Saraj. Activities within this segment will be focused on general population, in our cases toward the woman. The aim of the activity is to raise awareness among women on two levels: how to recognise the DV and where to look for protection. This activity will be realized through the organisation of tribunes and the hosts of these events are NGO’s providers of direct services (National SOS line, Crisis center Nadez and NGO Shelter).

Media coverage

In the frame of the media coverage of the campaign, a TV spot will be broadcast, posters and leaflets will be prepared as well. It is agreed that the spot used in the campaign of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy will be broadcast for this purpose. Efforts will be made to broadcast the spot on Macedonian national television (MTV) and one more national television as well.

Posters will be distributed through the Post Office and Hospitals on the national level. All partners included in the campaign will be presented with their logos on the spot and all printed materials for this purpose.

Source: Country page of Macedonia