Youth Council of the U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia The Youth Council empowers young people in Macedonia by providing a platform for ideas, projects and more. It also has an advisory role to the US Embassy.
“Macedonia is not state of citizens” or “You don’t belong here” are statements that I have heard really often, but I never agreed. Maybe Macedonia is not a state of citizens but for one thing I am sure “I DO BELONG HERE”. As an activist of human rights, I think it’s time when we, the youth, should let nationalism in the past, accept the reality and move forward. It’s in our hands to make a better society for us and for the next generation. We must focus on the actual every-day problems which we face. I know that this is complicated and that we must work hard, but it is not impossible. Just imagine how hard will it be to fight for your rights if you were a person with special needs; single parent; ethnic Roma; member of LGBTI community; OR just imagine, simply, being a woman in this society?! Much harder!
The greatest feeling is the one you get when you manage to help someone or make someone feel comfortable of what they are. Creating a better society by accepting everyone and their unique values in the society, is our generations’ real fight! Unfortunately, we are still fighting against corruption, freedom of speech and stereotypes, phenomena that previous generations did not manage to eliminate.
Youth is not only the future; youth is the present as well. We are the ones who should make the change!