CEEHRN in Macedonian - 23.11.2005

On 23rd November, 2005 the translation of the Central and Eastern European Harm Reduction Network (CEEHRN) internet site was finished and published. The most important contents of this site have been translated in Macedonian, and are now available just as those in Russian and English.
You can visit the site at www.ceehrn.org, and read it in Macedonian by clicking the Macedonian flag in the upper right corner.
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Report from the CEE harm reduction network - 12.12.2005

A report is warning about an HIV crisis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
A catastrophic epidemics of HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia may be prevented if sex workers’ health is maintained, says the latest CEEHRN report.
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EVERYBODY IN POGON - 13.02.2006

As of 16.02-23.02.2006 you can follow the action EVERYBODY IN POGON which shall happen in the POGON premises, located in the premises of the Association for technical culture of RM (ATC), in Karposh 3 across TC Lepotkarija.
This action is comprised of an exhibition of vector graphic designs VECTORSPECTIVE, a comics exhibition and a promotion of the comics magazine COMICUS MAGNUS. There will also be an exhibition of photographs titled VISITORS as well as promotion of the youth magazine SITE (All).
For more information: www.pogon.org.mk
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Harm reduction and HIV - 30.03.2006

The latest HOPS publication, titled "Harm reduction and HIV", with collaborate authorship, has been released.
This 84 page manual is intended for medical and social workers in the Republic of Macedonia in order to bring harm reduction programs closer to them and decrease the stigma existing here. Currently the publication is being promoted across Macedonia, namely Strumica, Kumanovo, Bitola, Ohrid, Kavadarci, Gostivar and Stip. The promotion in Skopje shall be maintained on 05.04.2006 at 14 hours in the British Council in Skopje. This manual has been issued with the support from the British Embassy in Skopje.
The e-version of the manual is available in publications or HERE
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Harm reduction seminar - 10.04.2006

From 14-17.04.2006 in Hotel Oaza – Stip the seminar "Harm reduction and a shared responsibility model " shall be held within the activities supported by the Global Fund and the Ministry of Health.
The seminar shall be attended by health and social workers, representatives of the Ministry of internal affairs and representatives from the local governments of Skopje, Stip and Kavadarci.
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Invitation for a panel discussion on the drugs law in the Republic of Macedonia - 11.04.2006

Place: MPs club, Skopje
Date: 17.04.2006
Time: 10:30

The Macedonian harm reduction network, led by the NGO HOPS and the NGO Doverba, would like to invite all interested to a panel discussion on the Law on drugs of the Republic of Macedonia on 17 April 2006, in the MPs club in Skopje, starting from 10:30.

The panel discussion aims at raising the level of information among decision makers, professionals / experts (from the governmental and non-governmental department), as well as the wider audience, regarding:
- the weaknesses and challenges of the existing law on drugs in Macedonia and offering recommendations for its change, that shall lead to a less repressive drugs policy oriented towards public health;
- the unsuccessfulness of restrictive drug policies in other countries, with a special focus on the Czech Republic and Bulgaria and
- good practices in the EU and the world.
Speakers:
- Tatjana Petrushevska, Specialist for analytic control of medicines, Coordinator of the CARDS twinning drugs project within the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Macedonia, that shall present the activities of the Ministry of Health for harmonization of the laws regarding drug control in the Republic of Macedonia with the EU laws;
- Tomas Zabranski, member of the working group for addictions within the Ministry of Health and manager for research and development at the Centre for addictions – Department of Medicine within the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, who shall address the development of a drug policy in the Czech Republic and present the study for the influence of restrictive drugs policies in this country;
- Tihomir Bezlov from the Centre of democratic studies, sociological and economic programs in Bulgaria, who shall present results of the research “Heroin use one year after the prohibition of the “personal” dose. The Law and the new risks” and
- Zarko Trajanoski, associate of the Gender research centre within the Institute Euro Balkan, who shall present the results of the analysis of the legislation connected with drugs and the use of drugs in the Republic of Macedonia.

The panel discussion shall be held in the Cinema in the MPs Club, starting from 10:30 and planned to end by 12:30. Registration and meeting with speakers 10:00 - 10:30.

Due to the limited number of participants, please confirm your presence at the following numbers: 071 618 270, phone/fax: 3 130038 or е-mail: nora_stojanovik2003 [at] yahoo.com
Respectfully,
Skopje, 11.04.2006
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Eleonora Stojanovic
Macedonian Harm Reduction Network (MHRN)
Kapan An, Local no. 3
1000 Skopje
Phone/fax: (0) 2 3130 038
Mobile: 071 618 270
e-mail: nora_stojanovik2003 [at] yahoo.com
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HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje has become a member of the Sex Work Advocacy Network (SWAN) - 18.04.2006

The SWAN is currently comprised of 15 organizations from 14 countries in Central and Eastern Europe representing the rights of sex workers, who consider that an organized action at a regional level may provide a supporting environment for sex workers and citizens’ associations working with sex workers to become more involved in decision making processes about issues related to sex work.
The network’s official seat is in Budapest, Hungary, and is led by an international team.
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VANGUARD 2006 - 16.05.2006

On 17-20. May 2006 in Belgrade, Serbia, an international conference for Harm Reduction and HIV/AIDS. The VANGUARD conference is preceded by the Symposium on substitution therapies - "New quality life for drug users" which shall be held on 17.05.2006 in Novi Sad within VANGUARD 2006. The Vanguard conference shall also be attended in Macedonia, namely members of HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje as well as representatives of other NGOs and governmental bodies.

More information on the VANGUARD conference available at: www.vanguard2006.net.
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Student training in HOPS - 05.06.2006

In the period from April to May 2006, HOPS carried out several one day educations to students. MORE
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VCCT exchange visit - 21.08.2006

As the part of the Western Balkans Program to fight HIV/AIDS, Foundation Partnership in Health organized a regional exchange learning visit on VCCT. The exchange visit was held in Kosovo, 27 – 28th of July. The goal of this visit was to provide a regional forum for GO and NGO colleagues from Macedonia (HOPS, Help, Zona, Option, Youth club, HOPS Kumanovo), Albania (APRAD, Institute for public health, IPOS) and UNMIK-Kosovo (CSGD, Labyrinth, Anti DANS, Clinical Hospital Center – Prishtina) to share their insights on the challenges and opportunities based on different target groups – CSWs, IDUs, MSM, Romma, mobile or general populations, focus for VCCT. In addition this exchange visit will allow to start forming an informal network of VCCT providers in this region for continued exchange and mutual sharing of experiences.

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South East European Network against AIDS - 30.08.2006

HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje, has become a member of the South Eastern European network against AIDS. The following organizations are members of the SEENAA: Action Against AIDS (Bosnia and Hercegovina), Galen (Albania), HERA (Macedonia), HOPS (Macedonia) and Juventas (Montenegro).
The goal in forming SEENAA was:
1. Increase of organizational capacities of network members in terms of AIDS combat.
2. Facilitation and development of joint projects and initiatives connected with HIV/AIDS via cooperation.
3. Exchange of good and bad practices connected to combating HIV/AIDS among the members of the network.
4. Increasing the Central and Eastern European regional response in combating HIV/AIDS.
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National campaign "Be part of the solution, not the problem” - 13.09.2006

The Macedonian harm reduction network (MHRN), led by HOPS – Healthy Options Project (Skopje), Youth Club (Shtip), Doverba (Skopje),Option (Ohrid), HELP (Gostivar), Zona (Kavadarci), PASAZ (Skopje), HOPS (Kumanovo), Via Vita (Bitola), CHOICE (Strumica) and Gluva Soba - LIM-PID (Skopje), has been carrying out a national campaign for creation of positive public opinion regarding harm reduction programs, drug users and their families under the motto “Be part of the solution, not the problem.”

The campaign shall start on 14th September in Kavadarci and in the following two months, via various educational and cultural events, it shall visit seven towns, in which experts, the media and the wider public shall be able to become acquainted with harm reduction programs, with the main emphasis on HIV/AIDS prevention programs among IDUs and to actively participate in the campaign directed towards fighting the stigma and decriminalization of persons using drugs and their families.

The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and the Global Fund against HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Macedonia.

Respectfully,
Eleonora Stojanovic
President of MHRN
Kapan An, Local no. 3
1000 Skopje
phone/fax (0) 2 3130 038;
nora_stojanovik2003@yahoo.com
www.mhrn.org.mk

The first meeting of the regional network of organizations Sex Work Advocacy Network (SWAN) held - 20.09.2006

In the period from 7 to 9 September 2006, in Budapest, Hungary the first meeting of the newly created regional network advocating for sex workers’ rights was held. At the meeting, 20 representatives of different organizations from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia – network members, were present, among which the representative from HOPS – Healthy options project Skopje, as the Macedonian representative in SWAN.
The first part of the meeting was used for acquaintance of the network members and setting the basic principles and directions for further communication, support and cooperation between them. In the second part of this meeting, a media relations training was carried out for network representatives, this being one of the most important channels for representing the rights that are of interest to all network members –sex workers’ rights.

For more information:
Marija Tosheva
Representative of HOPS in SWAN
e-mail: marijat@hops.org.mk

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Marija Tosheva
Director of program for support of commercial sex workers
HOPS - Healthy Options Project Skopje _____________________________________

ATTENTION!!! OVERDOSED BY PREJUDICES! - 24.10.2006

From 24.10. to 28.10.2006 in Skopje the Campaign for creating positive attitude towards Harm Reduction programs, persons using drugs and their families, called - Be a part of the solution, not the problem, is taking place.
In Skopje, the campaign is carried out by the Macedonian harm reduction network in cooperation with HOPS, Doverba, Pasaz and Gluva Soba / LIM-PID.

Programme:

Tuesday – 24.10.2006

10:00 Informative session for journalists in the NGO Info Centre
11:00 City of Skopje, Meeting room of the City Council
A working meeting of organizations and programs for rehabilitation and re-socialization of drug users (invitees only)
21:00 Club CASTRO
Hard Core gig: Bill Skins Fifth (SK), White Noise in a White Room (KU) and Jabolko za Daskalot (SK)

Wednesday – 25.10.2006

22:00 Club CASTRO
Concert: La CARAVANE PASSE (gypsy, reggae, hip-hop, blues, jazz / FRANCE)
Thursday – 26.10.2006
12:00 Art Café – Mala Stanica Round table regarding existing drug use treatment programs
22:00 Art Café – Mala Stanica
Exhibition of Boris Petrovski – Digital Art
Music performance: Live act – Re4m (СК)
Video projections: Zlatko Trajkovski, Filip Mitrov and Igor Andreevski

Friday – 27.10.2006

10:00-12:00 Ministry of Health
Educational workshop for journalists (invitees only)
21:00 Art Café – Mala Stanica
Retrospective exhibition: The cog that moved them – Youth Centre Pogon
Music performance: Live acts – Dimitar Dodevski (BT), Every Kid on Speed (Acid fake / Sk) + VJ Marija (Sk)
Club CASTRO
21:00 Concert: Storm (Black-Death metal / Sk)
24:00 Concert: Break Down (Cover Band / Sk)

Saturday – 28.10.2006

12:00 – 21:00 Macedonia Square
Music happening with Channel 103 (Plagij.at - live streaming from 12:00-14:00)
Music mixer (14:00-21:00): Gataful (Chillout & Downtempo), Tunic (Indie Rock), Pickard (Retro 80’s – Electro Pop),
DJ Vlade (House) and DJ Mitko (Techno & Progressive)
21:30 LUDNICA
Music performance: Live act – Trycho 909 (СК), Jane Offpop (Channel 103)

The entrance for all above events is FREE OF CHARGE!!!

Gratitude to all the entities supporting the campaign in Skopje:
City of Skopje, Ministry of labour and social policy
Club Castro, Art Café – Mala Stanica, Café Ludnica, Plagij.at, POGON, NMP, NGO Info Centre
Media Sponsors: Channel 103, Antenna 5, Radio Ravel, Life Radio, City Radio, Macedonian Radio – Radio 2

The national campaign was supported by: The Ministry of Health and the Global Fund
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The Sex Workers’ Manifesto, created by sex workers themselves, provides their common vision of an equal and just society.
The Manifesto was created and acknowledged by 120 sexual workers from 26 countries at the European Conference for sex work, human rights, labour and migration, held on 15th and 16th October 2005 and presented at the third day of the conference, led by Monica Frasconi, Italian member of the European Parliament, The Greens – European Free Alliance in the EU parliament, on 17 October 2005.

Link to the Manifesto (PDF format)

During the conference, workshops were organized in which sex workers and advocates for their rights shared their experiences, knowledge and expertise in analyzing the reality of sex work across Europe.

Several recommendations have come out of these workshops.

Link to the recommendations (PDF format)

Marija Tosheva
Director of program for support of commercial sex workers
HOPS - Healthy Options Project Skopje
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1st December, World AIDS day - 01.12.2006

SWAN’S STATEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF 1st DECEMBER, THE WORLD AIDS DAY

Today is December 1st, the world AIDS day.
On this day we, the representatives of 16 NGOs from 15 countries, want to warn governments in this region that the world is facing an unprecedented human disaster. 25 years after AIDS appeared, it is causing immense suffering to countries and communities across the world. The so called “marginalized” groups are at increased threat of HIV, more so than the general population. These marginalized groups also include sexual workers.

For the sake of bringing the HIV pandemics to a halt, we call our governments of the following:
- decriminalization and de-penalization of sex work;
- availability of basic prevention equipment (condoms), medical care, social services, testing and treatment;
- acknowledging the fact that sexual workers’ rights just as reproductive and sexual rights are also human rights;
- acknowledging the fact that sexual workers are not the problem, but part of the solution. There can be no resolution of the HIV pandemics without their inclusion.

Marija Tosheva
Director of program for support of commercial sex workers
HOPS - Healthy Options Project Skopje

Attached is the full statement and call to governments for putting a halt to the HIV pandemics:

SWAN statement on the occasion of 1st December

Information to the Organizations – members of SWAN

Other activities carried out by HOPS on the occasion of 1st December 2006:
Today the volunteers involved in the Youth Centre shall be part of the UNAIDS and Ministry of Health action in the Ramstore Mall, distributing free brochures and condoms.
Tonight at the Student Dorm Goce Delcev, HOPS shall support the student party by distributing free of charge condoms and brochures.
Tomorrow evening 02.12.2006 at the TAKSIRAT Festival, HOPS shall have a stand via which its team shall distribute free of charge condoms and brochures.
In the clubs Marakana and Ludnica and the Coffee bar Pablo condoms and lubricants shall also be distributed.
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1st December in the Program for support of CSR - 04.12.2006

On the occasion of 1st December, the world AIDS day, the CSW support program has delivered a statement to the media, in the form of an appeal to the government to face the greatest disease of modernity by paying attention to vulnerable groups of our society, such as are the sex workers. The statement was supported and signed by SWAN - Sex Work Advocacy Network of organizations supporting rights of sex workers in the region.
The statement was delivered to all daily newspapers in Macedonian, to one daily newspaper in Albanian and to one weekly magazine. All the media receiving the statement were also contacted by phone to check whether they had received our statement. Unfortunately, despite our phone contacts with people in all stated media, the statement was not published in any of the daily newspapers, with the exception of the weekly magazine Forum Plus. It is notable that as opposed to the letter of SWAN, which had a clear and pure message, other commercial announcements marking the 1st of December were primarily about the number of HIV newly infected persons in Macedonia.
At the same time, the program for support of CSW support program organized activities on the open Skopje scene in order to bring this day and its message closer to sex workers themselves, their partners, protectors and clients.
The program team, together with several pupils from the primary school Brakja Ramiz from Shutka, made red ribbons - the HIV/AIDS fight symbol.
On 1st December the red ribbons together with condoms, lubricants and printed material were distributed among sex workers, their partners, protectors, potential clients and passers-by.
The police was also present on the site, performing their regular patrolling activity. They did not hinder our activities, but rejected the offered red ribbons.
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SWAN Bulletin, Issue no. 6 Year 1, November – December 2006 - 11.12.2006

The November-December newslleter issue of the Sex Work Advocacy Network (SWAN).

LINK to the Newsletter
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