Community Development Institute

The Community Development Institute is a non-governmental, and non-profit organization that works on improving the interethnic understanding and tolerance, strengthening the capacities of the organizations and individuals, as well as on improving the living conditions and standard of life of the citizens. The CDI’s experience is based on 15 years work within the community, addressing citizens’ problems and needs and helping in overcoming challenges. 

The most significant results that CDI accomplished so far: 
- implementation of the project Shared Visions in cooperation with UNESCO within the program Enhancing Inter-Ethnic Community Dialogue and Collaboration in 8 ethnic mixed cities in Republic of Macedonia; 
- establishment of UNESCO club–Tetovo. Promoting UNESCO values in the ethnic mixed municipalities in the Republic of Macedonia; 
- implementation of the program: “Kosovo – the final status in the eyes of the ethnic-majority on local level in Tetovo region” and production of  a documentary movie; 
- implementation of the capacity building program for committees for inter-community relations covering 23 municipalities in Macedonia in collaboration with OSCE;
- establishment of  “Balkan Caucasus” network, organizing study visit and exchange with Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan and production of a documentary movie: “Balkan- Caucasus”; 
- establishment of “NGO forum” by decision of the Mayor of municipality of Tetovo, consisting of experienced NGO members from Tetovo, that will improve the cooperation between the municipality and the NGOs (2004-2006); 
- establishment of resource and information center about services in the community during the military activities in Tetovo and distribution of information without ethnic prejudices; 
- establishment of NGO resource and training center for groups of citizens with an opportunity to use logistic (space, communication), technical, (audio-video equipment, computer cabinet, equipment for simultaneous translation, etc.) and counseling services (consultations and information);  
- improvement of interethnic situation in Tetovo in specific moments through organizing a series of activities that provided work space with the young people from different ethnic background;
- decreasing the unemployment rate through implementation of programs for self-employment; 
- implementing income-generating programs in order to achieve self-sustainability;
- participation and regional coordination  within the NGO network established in order to monitor the disarmament process in Tetovo and Gostivar region;
- direct mediation in employment of 30 young people;  

During the past period, CDI profiled itself as an organization that has capacities, knowledge, experience, and expertise for mobilization of local human and technical resources and that succeeded in establishing local partnership between different structures in the community towards solving problems and satisfying needs  of the citizens.
CDI is a member of many local, regional and national networks and has accomplished certain cooperation with business sector and the local self-government units.

Partnership with NGOs

a) Local level – municipality of Tetovo:  
- within the framework of the Union of Organizations for Development of Technical Culture as a founding member and implementing agency for the program activities designed in collaboration with National Association. Results accomplished: reconstruction of the club for technical culture, organization of educational activities and award won on state level competitions;
- coordination of the program within the action for disarmament “It’s Enough” for Tetovo and Gostivar region. Results accomplished: successful training of volunteers for monitoring the disarmament, increasing the consciousness of the local population about the hazard of owning a weapon, initiation of international cooperation for common approach to this problem; 
- bilateral partnership on implementation of activities with partner organizations: Multikultura, Center for Public Participation, Mocart - Tetovo, Ljoja - Tetovo, Sonce - Tetovo, Photo - Cinema Club Tetovo and other organizations.

b) Regional level - Tetovo-Gostivar region:
- partnership with local NGO Multikultura – Tetovo on confidence building measure programs; 
- bilateral partnership with Association for Democratic Initiative – Gostivar on the project Services in the Community and Citizens’ informatory as a civic response to the armed conflict in 2001. Within this program we have provided information for the displaced people and for the citizens in the crises area about the services available in the within the community; 
- coordination of NGO in Tetovo region for support to refugees during Kosovo crises. Punctual distribution of needed materials and provision of accommodation for refugees;
- partnership with local NGO s from Tetovo and Gostivar region within the FRESTA program for capacities building for associations and groups of citizens. Successful implementation of the program and according to the results and the evaluation by the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs a successful strengthening of the NGOs capacities of NGOs has been accomplished that will continue to work within the network; 
- other bilateral and multilateral activities.
 
c) National level:
-  OSCE within the program for capacity building of the committees for inter-community relations; 
- Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia through implementation of the program Citizens Platform for peace and stability and a program for improvement of interethnic relations in Macedonia; 
- It’s Enough, network of NGOs from Macedonia. Regional office, resources centar, disarmament; 
- Youth coalition SEGA - preparation of the national strategy for the young people and strategy for implementation;  
- HOPS – sexual education and prevention – program for the high school students in the Republic of Macedonia. 
 
d) International level:
- member of the RECOM network of non-governmental organizations, associations and individuals who advocate for establishing a regional and independent commission with a mandate to establish and publicly disclose facts about war crimes and other serious violations of human rights in the former Yugoslavia, including the fate of the missing;
- CDI function as implementing agency of the Democratic management program within the Council of Europe; 
- Information center for the Council of Europe/Information unit Tetovo;
- FRESTA program – participation of representative from the CDI in the advisory board and coordinator for the youth program “Still together”. Results: strengthened network and regional partnership between organizations within the project;
- Civilian pact: experiences sharing between the organizations and institutions and application of the experience on local level;
- participation in the program “Between the lines” – Study visit in Berlin, Germany and a three years program was developed as a result of the cooperation; 
- membership in UNITED Against Racism; 
- Peacebuilders International - Canada. An international organization where CDI is one of the founders of the network having conflict resolution as an aim.
 

Partnership with the local self-government 
The CDI has a successful cooperation with the local self-government units through:
- implementation of the program for Capacity building of the Committee for inter-community relations in 23 ethnically mixed populated municipalities; 
- participation of CDI members in the experts and coordinative body established by the Mayor for strengthening the cooperation between the NGOs and the local self-governance; 
- participation of a member of CDI in the foundation established by the Municipality Tetovo and UNDP; 
- organization of coordinative and informative meetings with an aim of mutual introducing of project activities and possible initiatives.


Partnership with the business sector
In order to fulfill its strategic aims, CDI established a work partnership with local businesses in realization of the program for economic development and employment for young people. At the same time, in cooperation with firms and companies, a work group was formed which identified the problems in the community from economical development aspect and it is in a phase of preparation of a new employment program for young people.  
 

Partnership with media
The cooperation with the media is of a special interest for CDI. By now, we have established a cooperation with TV Menada, Radio Plus Forte, TV Art, Point Magazine, as well as with journalists from leading media on national level. 
 

The CDI financial management is based on the law regulations and rules for financial operations, international standards and accounting. In that purpose, CDI has employed a freelance accountant, and at the same time within the frames and the possibilities of the budget, an external auditor from the Republic of Macedonia makes an external and financial audit. 
 

Among the publications by the CDI, there are:
1. CICR – Committees for Inter-Community Relations. The aim of this booklet is to provide additional information for the municipal members of the CICR, local administration and the NGOs about the establishment and the role of the CICR within the community. The booklet has been distributed to more than 30 municipalities, NGOs, media, libraries and other interested parties. The booklet was produced in collaboration with the OSCE office in Skopje. 
2. EKO-KULT. This newsletter was produced in order to inform about the activities of the pupils at ethnic mixed primary schools involved in the program Eko-Kult. The circulation was up to 12,000 copies and it was distributed in 10 municipalities. The newsletter was published in collaboration and partnership with the Search for Common Ground, office Skopje.
3. KOMPAS, a magazine about the political and socio-economic situation in Tetovo region. This magazine was published in the year before the armed conflict in 2001 in Macedonia, and it was distributed within Tetovo region.
4. NARODOT IMA ZBOR, booklet about the changes of the constitutions planed according to the Ohrid peace agreement. Based on the decisions for constitutional changes, the CDI has published this brochure as information for the citizens further to explain the benefits if the adoption of the constitutional changes. The booklet was distributed within Tetovo region. 
5. BALKAN CAUCASUS, facts and findings from the study visit in Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The aim of the brochure is to bring closer the Balkan and the Caucasus regions to the citizens of the both regions, and to inform about the current processes in the countries accordingly.  
 

The CDI also produces documentary movies, among them:
1. Balkan Caucasus. This movie was produced as a result of the study visit in South Caucasus republics in July 2006. Copy of the DVD is available upon request. The duration of the movie is about 65 minutes and it gives an overview of the life-style, economical and political situation and current challenges in the region.
2. The final status of Kosovo in the eyes of the citizens living in minority. The view of the ordinary citizens living in minority in Tetovo region and surrounding municipalities about the final status of Kosovo. 
The overall aim of the program was to provide opportunity for the citizens living in ethnic mixed municipalities in Macedonia to express their opinions, attitudes and concerns about the process of defining of the final status of Kosovo and to post questions through the electronic and printed media to the governmental officials and ordinary citizens in Kosovo.
3. Tetovo – on-line. This documentary movie contain video materials and photos recorded in the beginning of the armed conflict in Tetovo, the Republic of Macedonia in 2001. The CDI has installed video camera connected on Internet and was broadcasting on-line.  
4. Bona Mente. During the implementation of the program Bona Mente for strengthening of the capacities of the committees for inter-community relations, the CDI in collaboration with the OSCE mission has produced the documentary movie BONA MENTE about the activities and achievements of the CICR in the Republic of Macedonia.    


Having in mind that the work with young people is permanent deposit for future, the CDI is designing its strategic plans, programs and activities taking into account the needs of the youth,  aiming to strength their capacities, skills and empower them in order to cope with everyday challenges and obstacles and to take active role in the processes of policy creation on a local level.
Most of all, as a priority, the CDI focus is on confidence, inter-ethnic measures, as one of the most sensitive issue today in Tetovo and Macedonia. In the past years, the CDI organized many events aiming to raise mutual trust, tolerance and understanding among young people from different ethnic backgrounds, through organizing training workshops for young people-high schools and university students.
This was done in order to initiate co-operation among them, to make them learn more about characteristics of the ethnic groups in Macedonia, to raise their spirit of living together. Furthermore, the aim of the program is to overcome stereotypes and prejudices that exist among young people vis-à-vis “the other” ethnic group.
Within the projects implemented, the CDI has organized activities in the following areas:
• education
• culture
• sport.

In all of its activities, the CDI tries to address the issues of common concerns and interest and to offer to the young people space to work together and to overcome common problems. By that, the CDI reckons that they will learn more for each other and they will continue their collaboration in everyday life.

Training workshops are offered in the following topics:
• History of Christianity and Islam, main holidays, practice)
• History of each ethnic groups in the past 200 years
• Culture (literature, music instruments, art)
• Tradition and customs of each ethnic group: national costumes, myths, legends, customs   and rituals (birth, marriage, death).
• Prejudices and stereotypes
• Conflict resolution
• Young people and politics
• Young people and economic development
• Coalition building
• Development of the long-term plan for involvement of the young people in the society.
 
The existing educational system in Macedonia does not provide an opportunity for high school- and university students to study the concept of democracy and models for democracy. In the current curriculum, no subject on democracy and comparative governments exists. The CDI organizes presentations, tribunes and debates on the following topics:
• The role and the place of NGOs in a democratic society
• Defining democracy, democratic process
• Consensus building
• Conflict prevention/resolution


Among the main donors of the CDI there are: UNESCO; Swiss Embassy; OSCE; Royal Norwegian Embassy; Norwegian Church Aid; Council of Europe; United Nations Development Program; Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia; Embassy of the United States - Office of Public Affairs; Institute for Sustainable Communities-USAID; Search for Common Ground; World Bank; European Youth Foundation; Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia; Regional Environmental Center; Westminster Foundation for Democracy; United Nations Development Program; German Ministry for International Cooperation; atholic relief Cervices-Dutch Embassy; German Association for Investments and Development; Freedom House; Dutch Interchurch Aid; Danish Refugee Council; DfID-The Crown Agent; FRESTA – Denmark; International Organization for Migration; International Rescue Committee; Balkan Youth Without Borders program; TV station MENADA-Tetovo; other private enterprises in the Republic of Macedonia.