News

Celebrating 4 years of implementation of the police operation "Stamping street prostitution"
26.11.2012

This November we are marking the 4 years that have passed since the police action – “Elimination of street prostitution” in Skopje. In November 2008 in a police action 23 sex workers were detained, kept 24 hours in a police station and forcibly tested for HIV and Hepatitis C. They were filmed and exposed in the media without consent. This event caused great national and international interest and mobilized the human rights activists to undertake actions for defending the rights and the health of affected sex workers.

4 years later we want to remind of these events by promoting the video “Waiting for the inevitable” which is a documentation of the court cases that were initiated against and by sex workers that were involved in the police action. The video is aiming to monitor and document the course of these cases and to provide objective perspective for the professionals and the public on the court practices in cases which address human rights violations of a socially marginalized community.

You can watch the video "Waiting for the Inevitable" on the new web site which aims to become independent media providing grass roots coverage of human rights violations and issues concerning marginalized populations in Macedonia and the Balkans:
http://www.aktivizam-video.net/node/11

The promotion of video was followed by an expert’s debate on the topic “Criminalization of HIV and STI transmission among sex workers”. You can see the photos of the event here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fosim/sets/72157632091876469/

Летна школа за зависности од дроги 2012 Охрид 27 Јуни - 04 Јули
07.05.2012

Book - Improving drug using Romas' right to access to social and health services
12.03.2012

Improving drug using Romas' right to access to social and health services - Vanja Dimitrievski

On 16/06/2011, HOPS organized a public debate - Right of access to social and health services for Roma who use drugs.

The debate was attended by experts, representatives of organizations, institutions, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the City of Skopje.

Due to the urgency of the problem is necessary in the shortest period of time the Ministry of Health

1. To open centers for treatment of drug dependent persons in each municipality in the City of Skopje including the municipality of Suto Orizari.
2. To prepare a protocol for the treatment of juveniles who use drugs
3. To open a separate program for the treatment of juveniles who use drugs

Ministry of Labor and Social policy should

4. Open / funded program for re-socialization and rehabilitation of drug users including the Roma homeless people.

The debate brought the conclusion that is necessary legislative change that would allow access to programs to reduce drug demand and harm reduction programs for juveniles.

On 16.of June 2011, HOPS held a press conference which launched Research report – Improving drug using Romas’ right to access to social and health services

HOPS is the recipient of the 2010 international Award for Action on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights
09.08.2010

Healthy Options Project Skopje (HOPS) is the recipient of the 2010 international Award for Action on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, presented by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network - (www.aidslaw.ca) and Human Rights Watch - www.hrw.org.

The award, which recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that protect the rights and dignity of people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, was presented in Vienna on July 20, 2010, at the XVIII International AIDS Conference.

The Awards for Action on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights were established in 2002 by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and Human Rights Watch. An award is presented annually to one Canadian and one international recipient. This year’s Canadian award was given last month to Ralf Jürgens, a lawyer and international AIDS and human rights advocate who has worked for more than 25 years to defend and promote human rights, with a particular focus on the rights of people who use drugs and people in prison or other closed settings

The international journalists’ competition is been held as a part of the information campaign within the project “Addicted to Life”, which is financed by DG JLS. Eligible for participation are journalists from Bulgaria, France, Macedonia and Hungary. The candidates shall demonstrate sheer interest about the health and social aspects of drug use. 1000 EUR award per each country is foreseen for the best journalistic material on the topic. The deadline for submitting materials to the competition is 30th of September 2010.

The International Conference on Harm Reduction, which united over 900 activists, researchers, service providers from over 80 countries worldwide, was held in Liverpool, England, in the period between 25-29 April.

Within the frameworks of the conference, during one of the main sessions titled “War Against Sex Work”, an oral presentation was made by Maria Tosheva, Program Director at HOPS, who spoke about “Mobilizing the national and the international community against raids, violations of human rights and criminalization of sex workers in Macedonia” through the experiences related to last year’s apprehension of 23 sex workers in Skopje and their compulsive testing for HIV and Hepatitis C. During the same session, the legal models of the USA, Sweden, as well as the experiences of England in the inclusion of sex workers in creating policies for sex work, were presented.

The leading title of the conference itself was “Harm Reduction: the Future Generations”, which points out that the focus was on inclusion and providing space for young and arising harm reduction generations, as well as the new directions in harm reduction, with an emphasis on expansion of the interventions for prevention and treatment of Hepatitis C, a greater involvement of the concerned communities, strengthening peer-managed interventions, etc.

In April 2010, HOPS conducted two workshops on the subject of “Sex Work and the Media” in Strumica and Ohrid.

The purpose of the workshops was senzivitization of journalists regarding issues concerning sex work, initiating cooperation, and setting up the covering of subjects which would be useful/interesting for the media, and would not violate the rights of sex workers.

The were attended by 14 journalists, of which 6 in Strumica, and 8 in Ohrid, aroused interest and constructive discussions and set up the basis for future cooperation.

For the purposes of the project " Piloting Prison Reform Aligned with EU Required Standards" funded by the OSCE Mission in the Republic of Macedonia, HOPS is posting a notice for the admission of the following staffl:

1. Psychiatrist
2. Social Worker
3. Psychologist

Staff shall be working part time in a program for re-socialization and rehabilitation of convicts people - addicted to drugs and alcohol in prison Idrizovo.

Necessary qualifications:
- University degree in relevant field
- High motivation to work in the field of addictions
- Willingness to work under pressure
- Experience in working in the field of addictions will be considered as an advantage
- Basic knowledge of Computing

Please submit your cover letter and resume not later than 05/10/2010 on the following email: hops@hops.org.mk and vlatkod@hops.org.mk.

Last Monday, the campaign for reducing stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs started as part of the annual program of work by local drug expert center.

The campaign was started with the placing posters on bus traffic of the Public Enterprise "JSP" - Skopje, projections on the wall posters in public areas in center of the city, setting up billboards to bicycles to move to different locations in the city, etc..

The final event of the campaign will be accompanied by projections of posters and display of theatrical representation on "Stigma", organized by the theater group "Shadows and Clouds."

You Must Know About Me – Macedonian Sex Workers’ Campaign Video
In Macedonia, as throughout the world, sex workers are pushed to the margins of society by a combination of prejudice, discrimination, and violence. Insults and hate plague their lives, pervade media reports, and direct the approach of social institutions. . More...

Tais Plus and HOPS to Participate at Liverpool Harm Reduction Conference
On 25th-29th April 2010, the 21st International Harm Reduction Conference is taking place where it was first established in Liverpool, England. More..

From 5 to 8 March in Bitola, HOPS held a seminar on drug use harm reduction for the final year students from the faculties of Social Work and Social Policy, Faculty of Medicine and faculty safety.

The aim of the training was the future social workers, doctors and inspectors of the Ministry of interior to get informed about issues of drug use and to be sensitized to work in this field.

The seminar is funded by the Global Fund against HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Within the project: Addicted to Life: international information campaign for prevention and reduction of risks associated with amphetamines use, that HOPS is implementing in partnership with organizations from Bulgaria, France, Hungary, 26 and 27 February in Sofia, a training for journalists from these four countries was held in Sofia.

The aim of the training was to develop a proper understanding of the nature of the use of drugs and more specifically the use of amphetamines, associated risks and their appropriate presentation in print, electronic or internet media.

Representatives of nine Macedonian media attended the training. More info about the project on http://www.addicted2life.eu

Implemented training on the topic: Detection and motivation interview- 12/02/2010

Within the activities aimed to establish an informal network of institutions / organizations and individuals who work with juvenile / young people on the issue of drug abuse and to raising the capacities in terms of early detection and intervention, a training was organized on Detection and motivation interview.

The training was conducted by Marcel Seuninga, VNN Education and prevention of the Netherlands, and held the 2nd and 3rd February 2010 at the premises of the City of Skopje, from 10:00 to 16:00.

Citizens' Association HOPS - Healthy Life Options Skopje in the period November 2008 - March 2011 in partnership with TRIMBOS Institute of Mental Health and Addiction of the Netherlands Ministry of Education and Science of the R. M. And the City of Skopje and secondary school ASUC Boro Petrusevski, Municipality of Tetovo and OSMU Nikola Shtejn, Strumica municipality and school "Jane Sandanski", carry out the project "Establishment of a program for prevention of drug abuse in schools R. Macedonia.

Today is 17th of December, International Day to end Violence against sex workers.- 17/12/2009

In Macedonia, as throughout the world, sex workers are pushed to the margins of society by a combination of prejudice, discrimination, and violence. Insults and hate plague their lives, pervade media reports, and direct the approach of social institutions. But the lives and livelihoods of sex workers comprise of much more and the conviction remains that the selling of sexual services does not justify denial of fundamental rights, to which all human beings are entitled.

“You Must Know About Me” is a first-hand account of sex workers’ experiences and aspirations off and on the streets. While dealing with the harassment and violence from clients, pimps, and the police, sex workers strive to counter the hostile public attitude by speaking out and fighting for basic rights. The video calls for zero tolerance of violence against sex workers, adequate investigation and prosecution of perpetrators, and coordinated response of social institutions to the actual needs of sex workers.

In order to celebrate 17 December International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers and 10 December - Human Rights Day the Program for support of sex workers at HOPS organizes a Human Rights week throughout 10-17 December with various daily activities.

On 10 December educational workshop was held on which was screened a film with human rights theme and there was a brief presentation about the importance of the day.

On Monday (14.12) a workshop “Legislation and SR and the benefits of legalization” will be held , on Tuesday (15.12) the film “You must know about me” will be screened and a there will be a psychosocial workshop on violence and the emotions associated with it.

On Wednesday (16.12) there will be a poster workshop about December 17th and human rights, and on Thursday (17:12) the film “You must know about me” will be screened again, and there will be a presentation about the importance of the day. A small party organized by the Sexual Workers after which we’ll give away red umbrellas (the activities are closed for the public).

Also the Manifesto of the Sex Workers and brochures with a short story for 17 December will be distributed on the event.

Panel discussion "Drug users in media stigma and discrimination" - 13/11/2009

HOPS - Healthy options project - Skopje in collaboration with the Coalition for protection and promotion of sexualand health rights of marginalized communitiess, and with the support of OSCE Monitoring Mission in Macedonia, is proud to invite you to the panel discussion:

Panel discussions will be held on 17.11.2009 at the Reporters Club, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Own submissions will have: Irena Cvetkovic, researcher; Bundev Lazar, an activist for the rights of drug users; Slavica Knezevic-Gajdazis, neuropsychiatrist and subspecialist for dependencies, and the meeting will be moderated by Zarko Trajanovski, researcher, blogger, columnist and activist.

Panel discussion will be held on 30.10.2009 (Friday) at The Hotel Arka (small room), from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Own submissions will have: Slavco Dimitrov, researcher; Bekim Kadriu, an expert on human rights; Tamara Causidis, Council of honor at the Association of Journalists of
Macedonia, Koco Andonovski activist for LGBT rights, and the meeting will be moderated by Zarko Trajanovski, researcher , blogger, columnist and activist.

Panel discussion 'Sex workers in the media - right to privacy is a human right ‘ - 16.10.2009

HOPS in collaboration with Coalition for protection and promotion of sexual and health rights of marginalized communities, and with the support of OSCE Monitoring Mission to Macedonia, is proud to invite you at the panel discussion:

'Sex workers in the media - right to privacy is a human right'

Panel discussions will be held on 21.10.2009 (Wednesday) at The Hotel Arka (small room), from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Own submissions will have: Zarko Trajanovski, researcher, Zoran Bojarovski, journalist, Elena Stojanovska, Directorate for Protection of public data; Maria Tosheva, HOPS, and the meeting will be moderated by Irena Cvetkovic, researcher blogger, columnist and activist.

HOPS held the first international conference re-socialization and rehabilitation of persons dependent on drugs Macedonia - 16.10.2009

In the period 13-15 October 2009, HOPS organized an international conference Re-socialization and rehabilitation of persons dependent on drugs. Experts - representatives of organizations and institutions working in the field of re-socialization and rehabilitation of persons dependent on drugs from Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic and Poland, as well as senior representatives of local and state authorities of these countries took part on the conference. It was pointed out several times on the conference that all studies show that the state has the bigest expences when the drug users aren't in any programs or are in prison.. Studies show that for every euro invested in these programs save the state between 4 and 7 euros, primarily due to the prevention of criminal activities.

The Conference adopted the following conclusions and recommendations.

1st Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in their annual programs to provide opening / funding of programs for re-socialization and rehabilitation.

2nd The Government of the Republic Macedonia in the program for EU pre-accession funds to provide programs and re-socialization and rehabilitation of persons dependent on drugs.

3rd To regulate the status of staff in day centers for re-socialization of drug users and their families who headed the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.

4th To regulate the status of staff in day centers for the prevention and treatment of addiction from drugs that are managed by the Ministry of Health.

5th To establish a network of international organizations and experts who will work for a humane, rational and effective policy on drugs.

These conclusions and recommendations will be forwarded to the competent ministries and the Government of the Republic Macedonia.

Workshop "The media, non-discrimination and marginalized communities" - 9.10.2009

On 04th of Octomber 2009, at the Reporters Club in Skopje, HOPS, in cooperation with the Coalition for the promotion and protection of sexual and health rights of the marginalized communities, conducted a workshop with journalists on issue of "Media, non-discrimination and marginalized communities."

The aim of the workshop was to obtain information for journalists LGBT population, sexual work and drug users in Macedonia, to establish a dialogue between NGOs and journalists on the above topics and to consider the role of media in combating stigma and discrimination particularly targeted at disadvantaged groups.

The event is part of broader research activities covering part of the media and marginalized groups, workshops with journalists and thematic panel discussions. Activities were finacialy supported by the OSCE monitoring mission in Macedonia.

Between 16th and 24th of September, 2009, the third annual SWAN meeting took place in Ohrid, Macedonia with around 50 participants from organizations and sex workers groups from 16 countries in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The meeting itself was a combination of several diverse events – workshop for self organized community actions, strategic planning of the network, training on documenting human rights violations of sex workers, training on working with media, discussions on issues of common interest of participants, such as promotion of regional report on police violence against sex workers, coordination of regional December 17th campaign, etc.

The meeting was hosted by Healthy Options Project Skopje (HOPS), SWAN member since the establishment of the network in 2006.

A nine-member delegation from The Republic of Macedonia did a study visit in the period 28-th of June untill 2-nd of July 2009-th in the Czech republic as part of the project “Developing partnerships for effective public services for rehabilitation and re-socialization of drug users in Macedonia”

The visit was realised in partnership with NGO SANANIM from Prague.The goal of the visit was to gain knowledge and information about the therapeutic communities in Czech republic and to exchange experience in the development of the services for rehabilitation and re-socialization between the NGO’s and the key institutions in both of the countries.

The delegation was consisted of representatives from the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Ministry of labor and social politics, the City of Skopje, the municipality of Strumica, the NGO’s HOPS and Izbor from Strumica.

The project was financially supported by the program East-East of the Foundation Open Society Institute - Skopje.

H.O.P.S. organized a forum on the issue of stigma and discrimination of the drug users- 09.07.2009

On the 19-th of June 2009 in the office of the EU Info Center as part of the project “Macedonia without discrimination”, H.O.P.S. organized a forum on the issue of stigma and discrimination of the drug users. Two presentations were held on the forum –“Stigma and discrimination of drug users by Natasa Boskova, law consultant in H.O.P.S. and “The right to treatment of drug users” by Vlatko Dekov, executive director of H.O.P.S.

These were the conclusions from the forum:
- The stigma and discrimination of drug users is on a high level in the Republic of Macedonia,.
- The researches reveal that everyone stigmatizes: from the common citizens, the politicians, the scholars, to the medical personnel.
- The legislation in Republic of Macedonia is enforcing the stigma by criminalizing the drug users.
- It’s is financially more expendable to medically treat the drug users than to imprison them.
- The Methadone program in Republic of Macedonia is not adequate to the actual needs that are coming of the situation
- The minors who use drugs are undermined by the institutions.

Representatives from various institutions and NGO’s that work with drug user, as well as representatives from the local media were present at forum.

April/May issue of the newsletter from Sex Work Advocacy network (SWAN) is out now.

Macedonia: sex workers can be good educators too!
May 20-24, 2009, Skopje – 13 sex workers from 3 cities met for a peer-assist training organized
by H.E.R.A. and HOPS, SWAN member in Macedonia, and supported by UNFPA-Macedonia. More… .

Cambodia: MTV no EXIT campaign indirectly supports abusive anti-trafficking law2009, Cambodia – Cambodian sex work activists are outraged at the way MTV is advocating for fight against trafficking at the expense of safety and rights of local sex workers. More…

Indian sex workers get a lesson in karate
Prostitutes in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have begun taking karate lessons to
protect themselves from violent customers and pimps. More...

Serbia: JAZAS drop-in center for sex workers introduces new fun activities
Since the beginning of 2009, the drop-in center for sex workers, which is run by JAZAS, SWAN
member from Serbia, has successfully introduced new activities. More…

Read more...

___________________

OPEN LETTER TO MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT REGARDING THE DETENTION, INVOLUNTARY TESTING AND CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST SEX WORKERS IN MACEDONIA IN NOVEMBER 2008 - 09.12.2008

Dear Mrs. Aneta Stancevska, Vice Minister of Interior and Chief of Sector for Internal Control,

Dear Mr. Bujar Osmani, Minister of Health.

We, supporters and representatives of international community of sex workers and organizations and individuals advocating for human rights, are strongly condemning the current acts of police raids and involuntary STI testing of sex workers in Skopje, Macedonia in November 2008.

· By allowing to and calling on the media to film and photograph the detained sex workers and later by publicly announcing that 7 of them are charged with crime, the MoI twice violated the right for presumption of innocence. It also disclosed the identities of the defendants, even though no court verdict had been produced.

· Macedonian Constitution, the highest legal act of the Republic, provides for presumption of innocence: "A person indicted for an offence shall be considered innocent until his/her guilt is established by a legally valid court verdict."[1]

· Further to that, the Constitution provides that "Citizens of the Republic of Macedonia are equal in their freedoms and rights, regardless of sex, race, colour of skin, national and social origin, political and religious beliefs, property and social status.[2]" In the police raids only sex workers were forcefully tested, while no testing or charges for committing intentional infection were initiated against the detained clients.

· Any country seeking membership of the European Union must conform to the conditions set out by Article 49 and the principles laid down in Article 6(1) of the Treaty on European Union. Relevant criteria were established by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993 and strengthened by the Madrid European Council in 1995.

To join the EU, a new MemberState must meet three criteria, and the first among them is political: stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;

This unlawful action by the Macedonian police seriously damaged Macedonian standing in its bid to join the family of European nations.

· By allowing media to publish photos and video of arrested sex workers and by publicizing the names of the streets where they work, the Ministry of Internal Affairs exposed to possible acts of violence not only sex workers working on those streets, but any woman who in the future happens to be there. We demand measures to be taken to prevent possible violence on the enumerated streets and regions.

· Involuntary STI testing is considered by human rights experts as non-human, and degrading and by medical professionals as unethical and counterproductive in terms of infection control. World Health Organization and UNAIDS in their Guidance on HIV testing and counseling in health facilities, issued in 2007, recommend that:

· By charging hepatitis C-positive sex workers with intentional infecting of the citizens and by disclosing the identity of the defendants, the authorities are undermining the efforts of prevention programs among mainstream society and will discourage and scare Macedonian citizens from performing voluntary testing.

· We call media houses, journalist associations, and media reporters to boycott similar calls that in the future might come from the police to film defendants prior to court verdicts. Media are in such cases used as instruments in unlawful degradation and stigmatization of the innocent-until-proved-different defendants. Informed participation in and reporting from such actions not only is unethical, it is collaboration in an unlawful act.

· We call Macedonian citizens to stand up for human rights of sex workers; Sex workers are people and should be treated in human ways. We all should defend human rights of each and every citizen because if anyone's right is infringed, our own rights are endangered. Yesterday Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses and people with mental disabilities, today sex workers, homosexuals and Roma, tomorrow each of us could be a victim of unlawful detention, violence, degradation, involuntary STI testing and name calling in the media, unless we create a society in which the laws are applied equally to all and all are equal in front of the law.

We understand the concern for health and well-being of the Macedonian nation, but the well-being of one group has never been justified by the repression against others, especially against marginalized and stigmatized social groups like sex workers, MSM, and representatives of LGBT community.

Any action of the national law enforcement agencies targeting these vulnerable groups must be consulted and coordinated with the Ministry of Health and agencies of social affairs.

We demand from the Ministry of Interior to investigate the causes, procedures and consequences of the arrests and forced testing as well as to remember that the very essence of law enforcement agencies is to ensure the rule of law and democracy and "guaranteeing of human rights, citizens' freedoms"[3] in the state for all its citizens.

Considering all International Treaties and agreements signed by the Republic of Macedonia in connection with protection of human rights, we demand that no such repressive actions take place in future and that the violations will be redressed concerning the arrested persons. We are sure that Macedonia has great potential in further developing civil and democratic state.

Tel. +36 70 211 7377

; Email: \n sexwork@tasz.hu This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Web: www.swannet.org

Kovcheg, Kazakhstan, \n fsz@mail.ru This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tais Plus, Kyrgyzstan, \n gkurmanova@yandex.ru This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dia+Logos, Latvia, \n dialogs@diacentrs.lv This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Coalition for Protection and Promotion of Sexual and Health Rights of Marginalized Communities (HOPS, HERA, MASSO, MHRN, STAR, IZBOR) excoriates the last “coordinated action for suppression of street prostitution” of the Office of Interior (SVR), Skopje and finds serious indication for severe procedural mistakes, misuse of official activity and flagrant violence of the basic human and health rights of the persons (sex workers) detained, as well as their direct discrimination on the ground of their work as sex workers on open scene.

Namely, on 20.11.2008 about 7p.m. in the region of MRTV was realized mass raid of Office of Interior (SVR), Skopje due to which more than 30 people were deprived from freedom and detained in the police station Bit Pazar. The raid was titled as “coordinated action for suppression of street prostitution”. Among the detained persons were also clients and mediators of sex workers, and an employee – activist of the NGO HOPS who was carrying out her work tasks at the moment of the raid (distribution of condoms and brochures for HIV/AIDS prevention). During the time of their detention the sex workers were not informed for the reasons of their detention in the police station and their deprivation of freedom, neither for their rights guaranteed with the Macedonian Constitution, the laws and international documents. Around 10p.m. only the field worker of HOPS was released after the intervention of lawyer with an explanation that allegedly she was detained in order to be identified, although she has identified herself with a personal and working ID while the detention was taking place.

On 21.11.2008, twenty three of the detained sex workers were brought in the Clinic for Infective Diseases, Skopje, where in accordance with a court order, were tested for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. MOI made a conclusion that „there are also certain indications that these persons may be carriers of various sexually transmitted diseases which they consciously transmit to other persons, which is in opposition to existing Laws in RM“, but it is completely confusing on which basis this conclusion has been made. Immediately requesting to urgently and forcefully test the suspects for а criminal against the health of people “Transmitting infective diseases“ (article 205 from Criminal code), is not reasonably justifiable when these same persons had already been voluntary and confidentially tested on regular basis within the national HIV preventive programs of the Ministry of Health. Carrying out forced medical testing is contrary to the national protocols for HIV/AIDS prevention adopted by Ministry of Health and Country Coordinative Mechanism on HIV/AIDS on which whole National strategy for HIV/AIDS is based. The National Strategy itself is adopted by Government of Republic of Macedonia. It is indicative that the forced medical testing was carried out only over sex workers, while although there is an equal danger for the clients of sex workers „to be carriers of various sexually transmitted diseases which they consciously transmit to the persons with which they engage in sexual intercourse“, they were not subjected to the same testing.

While bringing of detained persons to the Clinic for testing, media were aloud to tape and photograph named persons. By these means the identity of detained people was exposed to the curiosity of media cameras present at the place, which is against article 29 paragraph 3 of the Law on internal affairs of RM. („Authorized official persons should not expose the arrested person to public curiosity“).

The same day, while violating the right of presumption of innocence, the Ministry of Interior came out with a press release and public announcement and disclosed personal data of the persons suspected which was not of any direct importance for the deed, but was only aiming on sensationalist stigmatization of the persons suspected. It is also not clear based on which legal provisions, does MOI violate the right of presumption of innocence of the persons suspected for misdemeanor, profiling them as gross criminals and claiming that the acts for which they have been arrested have already been performed, even before a misdemeanor report was submitted.
Photographs and video tapes from the sex workers recorded at the police station were published on the web site of MOI and all of the national TV stations and printed media. Namely, MOI published group photos of the persons suspected of misdemeanor, from which the detained persons’ identities are easy to detect (according to hair, height, clothes, facial parts).

Having in mind that no law foresees „suppression of street prostitution” or „suppression of socio-pathological phenomena under the name of „street prostitution“ the reason why the raid was not directed against „exploitation of prostitution“(according to the CEDAW committee recommendations), but rather against „street prostitution“ is being obscured. This incident can only point the lack of knowledge of MOI for the difference between prostitution and exploitation in prostitution. The same is further confirmed by the fact that MOI treat sex workers as criminals, and not as potential tortfeasors, putting them in the same group with criminal suspects.
It is also not clear based on which legal provisions were the suspected for misdemeanor deprived of their freedom and held in the police station more than 12 hours, having in mind that the „detention may last 12 hours at most, as of the moment when the [suspect] was detained [by court decision]. During this time, the suspect should be examined and a decision for misdemeanor should be brought or the suspect should be released“(article 92, paragraph 3 from the Law on Misdemeanors).

On the basis of the above mentioned the Coalition for Protection and Promotion of Sexual and Health Rights of Marginalized Communities calls out all the entire international public and the relevant international representatives in Macedonia to condemn the “coordinated action” of the Office of Interior, Skopje and to evoke the responsibility of the MOI and Media in order to provoke immediate resolution of the situation and processing investigation for the eligibility of the action. Sending a letter of support, or a letter with reaction to Media, MOI, MOH, MLSP, Ombudsman, the Public Prosecutor etc. could be from great help in the process of immediate resolution of the problem and prevention from further human/health rights violations and discrimination of sex workers and all citizens in democratic Macedonia.

Slavco Dimitrov,
Coordinator
Coalition for protection and promotion of
sexual and health rights of marginalized communities

Presetation of the project Establishing a school-based drug prevention programme in Macedonia - 1.12.2008

On the 26th of November 2008 in the offices of The City of Skopje, in organization of the citizen association Citizen Association HOPS and TRIMBOS Institute Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, a presentation was held of the project Establishing a school-based drug prevention programme in Macedonia which will be realized in the period of 1st of November 2008 until the 31st of March 2011.

The panelists of the meeting were Darko Mitevsk i- State Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Macedonia, Hristijan Jankuloski - Citizen Association HOPS, Mr. Peter lle Poole- Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission from the Embassy of the Kindom of the Netherlands, Eleonora P. Nikolovska - Coordinator of the Unit for social security child and health protection, City of Skopje, Vlatko Dekov - Citizen Association HOPS, Bart Uitterhaegen and Franz Trautmannfrom theTRIMBOS Institute Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction.

The project is being realized by Citizen Association HOPS in partnership with the TRIMBOS Institute Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Macedonia, The City of Skopje, the municipality of Strumica, the municipality of Tetovo and is financially helped by the MATRA programme of the Ministry od foreign affairs of Nederlands.

Strategy and Action Plans for coping with drug problem in the city -17.10.2008

On the 12-th of November The City of Skopje, the Sector for Public Action in partnership with the Macedonian Harm Reduction Network (MHRN) promoted the Strategy and Action Plans for coping with drug problem in the city iIn the premises of the City Library of “Braka Miladinovci".

An outcome of the partnership and activities carried out by the established Drug Coordinative Body of City of Skopje (prevention, treatment, harm reduction, rehabilitation and re-socialization, and city security) are prepared and proposed Strategy and Action Plans for coping with drug problem in the city.

The establishment of the Drug Coordinative Body of City of Skopje is in accordance with the National Drug Strategy of the Republic of Macedonia (2006 - 2011)1, as well as with the Law on City of Skopje, Law on Local Self-government and Law on Social Protection.

In the premises of the City Library of “Braka Miladinovci”, a Coordinative Office of DCB and a Local Expert Drug Centre have been opened, which offer professional and technical assistance for developing and carrying out intended activities. The Coordinative Office takes care of work of the Coordinative Body and workgroups, which prepare the Local Drug Action Plan of City of Skopje. Furthermore, several training sessions in the field of drug abuse prevention were organized

Research project “Rapid assessment and response of the needs and possibilities for implementing prevention programs and project on drug prevention among high school youth in the Skopje”-31.10.2008

Hops in partnership with The City of Skopje has successfully realized the research project “Rapid assessment and response of the needs and possibilities for implementing prevention programs and project on drug prevention among high school youth in the Skopje”.

The research took part in five high schools. A drug use prevention program will be created in according with the data gathered from the research.

The project was financially supported by the Ministry of education and science of the Republic of Macedonia and The City of Skopje.

The first issue of the sex workers bulletin called ”From us for us” has just been published. The bulletin is a publication of the organization STAR with the help of HOPS, SWAN and SHARP. The bulletin will be published as a monthly edition.

The Coalition for Sexual and Health Rights of Marginalized Communities fiercely condemns the terrifying and gruesome events that took place on Wednesday, September, the 27th, 2008 in Sarajevo during the opening of the first Queer Sarajevo Festival and characterizes them as a radical expression of violence and an extreme case of violation of human rights and ethical and humane priciples.

On the 29th of September, the first ever Queer festival in Bosnia, organized by the NGO “Udruzenje Q” – “Society Q”, was open in the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, Bosnia, under the motto “okreni okvir” – a pun literally translated as turn the frame around.
The basic aim of the festival was the promotion of differences, equality and struggle against discrimination against LGBT population and all marginalized groups by means of art and culture.

This Queer Festival in Sarajevo was historic not only for the courage of its organization to go through with the first edition of the festival, but also for the unfortunate horrifying events which accompanied the opening. A mob of 150 people, most of them young cheerleaders, hooligans and members of the Muslim sect Vehabi, armed with stones, knives and guns, issued brutal physical aggression on the guests at the opening of the festival, at the moment of their exiting from the Academy. According to Vehabis’ statements, the attack was motivated by the insult issued on their feelings with organizing this kind of festival during the holy month of Ramadan. Although organizers publicly pointed out that the festival has no intention of offending anybody, and that the purpose of the festival is to raise consciousness through arts and culture, the outcome was monstrous. There were at least eight people injured, six of which were hospitalized with severe injuries, including journalists, foreigners and one police officer.

People were being forcefully dragged out of their cars and severely beaten, while in the background slogans were shouted promoting hatred speech, such as “Alahu Akbar” – “God is the greatest” and “Kill the fagots”. A large group of people/attackers pelted stones on the people who were arriving at the opening ceremony. All these people were brutally attacked, beaten up and severely injured. A young man was brutally kicked, that he had his nose broken; nevertheless, the attacker continued to beat him with a gun until he lost consciousness. Several other people had their heads injured, while one man suffered from internal bleeding. The police, 15 in number, were not able to tackle the attackers, and did not take any special measures to stop the attack and protect the guests present at the opening. This horrible event was the materialization of the proliferation of hatred speech and homophobia by most influential Bosnian media, politicians, religious fanatics, nationalists and bloggers.

The private addresses of the organizers of the festival were published, and this was followed by personal threats to organizers. A day before the festival, Sarajevo was inundated with posters containing Qur’an quotations encumbered with hatred speech against homosexuality and posters with references to a homosexuality survey of 1940, from the Family Research Institute. The same survey was translated and published on the Zdravodrustvo website created only a day before the festival, thus directly inciting hatred and intolerance towards homosexuals.

The Coalition for Sexual and Health Rights of Marginalized Communities appeals to the Macedonian public, the media, NGOs, artists, cultural workers and government representatives to publicly condemn the events in Sarajevo and to address Bosnian authorities and international representatives to investigate and condemn the attacks, threats and all kinds of violence against homosexuals, bisexuals, transgender people and other marginalized groups.

The coalition is raising the question for revision of traditional and dominant values that which result with hatred and violence, and calls for triggering public consciousness for equality, difference and respect towards all the people regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, physical disability, social status, ethnic and national background, health status, political affiliation, religious conviction and so forth. At the same time, we are posing the question of which lives are to be considered worth living and for how long? What kind of violence will be recognized as such? Whose sorrows and loves will be recognized and acknowledged? And, ultimately, if love, God and ethics exclude violence, then in the name of what can such violence be approved of?

SWAN News, Issue 20, Year 3, Summer 2008 - 23.09.2008

Summer issue of the newsletter from Sex Work Advocacy network (SWAN) is out now.

Highlights from the newsletter:
Serbia-Macedonia: SWAN sex worker training on community media
In June this year sex workers from Macedonia and Serbia participated at training in Belgrade where basic skills are developed for preparation of community newsletters. Preparations are underway among sex workers in those two countries to voice their issues, pride and concerns in publications targeting their own local community. More

AIDS 2008 Blog: Sex Workers and Human rights
One of the blogs at the conference was by Juliana Rincon Parra who lives in Colombia and writes for Global Voices Online. In this entry from August 12 she says “Prejudice and ignorance can go a really long way towards sustaining injustice, and that is why I believe that sessions like the one on sex workers rights at the Human Rights Networking Zone (at the AIDS 2008 Conference) was completely necessary. More

Conference “Mobilization of the local municipalities in Republic of Macedonia for the prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst the most at risk adolescents” --31.07.2008

The conference “Mobilization of the local municipalities in Republic of Macedonia for the prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst the most at risk adolescents” was held on the 19-th of July 2008 in the hotel Holiday Inn.

Introductory speeches were given by the deputy director of the UNICEF office in Skopje, Isabella Castrogiovanni, and the executive director of ZELS, Dusanka Perisic.

The action plans for the prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst the most at risk adolescents of the municipalities Bitola, Gostivar, Kumanovo, Prilep, Tetovo, and Shtip and the Action plan for drugs of the city of Skopje were presented on the event.

Representatives from UNAIDS, The World Health Organization, The French embassy and Makedonija Lek were also present at the conference.

The conference was organized by HOPS – Healthy options project – Skopje in cooperation with the Centre for institutional development – CIRA, and financially supported by UNICEF and Swedish agency for international development.

SWAN News, Issue 19, Year 3, April- May 2008 - 16.06.2008

April- May issue of the newsletter from Sex Work Advocacy network. (SWAN).

Six Local Action plans for prevention of HIV/AIDS were adopded in six municipalities in Macedonia -22.05.2008

HOPS in partnership with the local municipalities, has worked in the last two months on the facilitation of the process for development of action plans for the prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst the most at risk adolescents in Gostivar, Kumanovo, Stip, Ohrid, Prilep and Bitola. All the action plans are adopted by the counsels of the municipalities and they will be publicly promoted in June on a special conference for getting support. The project in supported financially by the office of UNICEF in Skopje.

SWAN News, Issue 18, Year 3, March-April 2008 - 05.05.2008

March/April issue of the newsletter from Sex Work Advocacy network. (SWAN).

The Macedonian harm reduction network, HOPS and PASSAGE on the 24th of April in the hotel Karpos in Skopje organized a round table on the issue of human rights of drug users. The panelists were Nevenka Krusarovska, a representative of the ombudsman office, Lirim Sabani, a representative of the Ministry of health, Zarko Trajanovski, human rights expert, and Vitomir Georgievski, representative of The Macedonian harm reduction network.

Representatives from other NGO’s, the office of the mayor of city of Skopje, the World health organization and the local media also attended the event.

LINK to the MAP
________________________

SWAN Newsletter, Issue no.16, Year 3, January 2007 - 07.02.2008

January issue of the newsletter from Sex Work Advocacy network. (SWAN).

News in HOPS in 2008 - 02.01.2007

HOPS Administrative office starting 02.01.2008 have been moved in new premises on the following address:

Ul. Hristo Smirnenski 48-1/6 - Skopje