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FIRST CHILDREN’S EMBASSY IN THE WORLD MEGJASHI 1992 – 2009
17 Years of acting of the First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi, Republic of Macedonia 

The First Children's Embassy in the World - Megjashi (FCEWM) - Republic of Macedonia was founded on the 29th of April 1992 in Skopje. FCEWM is a World Association for protection of children and does not belong to any government or party.

The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi, Macedonia is a World Association of citizens and represents an International non-partisan, non-governmental and non-profit humanitarian association for the care of children and children's rights, as the first registered international non-governmental organization in the Republic of Macedonia, established in order to protect the rights of the children in the transition period.

First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi stands for honoring children’s personality through the protection of their rights, and through the enrichment of their life with activities that make childhood secure and fruitful.  It also strengthens the NGO movement for protection of children rights in the Republic of Macedonia, by developing the voluntary approach in its operation and by expressing concern for the Convention of Children Rights.
 
The Embassy contributes to the development and strengthening of citizen awareness through the implementation of its activities.  It brought down the wall of silence concerning children rights, especially related to physical, sexual and economic abuse of children, thereby exposing to the public numerous cases of abuse and directly supporting the establishment of more effective mechanisms for children protection.

The Embassy Megjashi is recognized as the leading Macedonian NGO for advocating and promoting children’s’ rights.  In 2001 Megjashi was the first ever recipient of an award for civil society and democracy given in recognition of its lasting and sustainable contribution to the establishment of democratic society in Macedonia through its work for the rights of children.  It has been supported by funding from several large international donors who have chosen to continue to fund our subsequent projects (such donors include USAID, EU Commission, the Royal Netherlands embassy…). For the last two years our accounts have been successfully audited by KPMG.
 
The most prominent results in the past 15 years:

1992 – 1997: During the initial stages of the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi appealed for support and organized sheltering of children refugees, directing them in destinations in foreign countries, and providing humanitarian aid and creative activities, thereby aiding around sixty thousand refugee children.

1993 – 2007: The Embassy Megjashi established the first round-the-clock 0800 12222 SOS telephone line and psychological counseling in the Republic of Macedonia. The telephone line is free of charge since 2005 when Macedonian Telecommunication approved it. 17000 calls in 14 years.

1993: Published the book The Rights of the Child, the first of its kind in the Republic of Macedonia;

1993-2007-Children’s Workshops, creative use of the free time- 8000 children included

1994: Started lobbying to ratify the Hague Convention on civil and legal aspects of international children abductions.  In 1995 the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia ratified this Convention.

1996: Started lobbying to establish an institution Children’s Ombudsman.  In 1999 the Republic of Macedonia established an Ombudsman’s office acting upon children rights.

1997: The Embassy Megjashi, acting as an associative member of the Defense for Children International, formed a committee of the DCI.  In 1999 this committee registered as a separate NGO supporting children’s rights – the Association for the Protection of Children Rights.

1997 – 2002: The Embassy established a Macedonian National Coalition for Children Rights (28 NGOs), and the Secretariat of this organization was situated in Megjashi.

1999: Acting as the national coordinator, we joined the family of Global March Against Child Labor, and acted to raise public awareness, against the exploitation of children labor, and inclusion of children in education.

1999 – 2001: Campaigned to ratify Convention 182 and Recommendation 190 for emergency elimination of the worst forms of children labor.  In 2002 the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia ratified these documents.

2001-2006: A shelter-housing crisis struck children has been established, housing 16 dislocated persons from the village of Arachinovo, 8 of which are children.  Three of them were bourn in the shelter.

2001: The Embassy Megjashi won the award for civil society and democracy, for its lasting contribution to establish democratic society in the Republic of Macedonia.  The award has been granted by MCIC.

2001 – 2004: The Children’s Embassy Megjashi formed the Alliance of children organizations in the Republic of Macedonia and created and published the first codex of NGOs and the rights of the children in the country.

2001 – 2002: The Embassy Megjashi started an initiative to alter tax laws related to non-for-profit organizations.

2002 – 2004: The Embassy Megjashi acted to promote volunteerism in the Republic of Macedonia, through the Program Macedonian Volunteer Action (MVA).

2002-2006: Implementation of the program to establish a non-violent conflict resolution program in the high schools in Macedonia.

2003: The Embassy, in cooperation with Centro Regionale di Intervento per la Cooperacione (CRIC) from Italy, implemented a project “Civil Action through Theater,” including 60 children from 3 multiethnic schools as well as their parents.

2003: On 11th of November 2005, the International day agains Fashism and Antisemitism, we organised a graphits-erasing event, entitled „Let’s put down violence from walls”. The graphiti messages: „Stop violence” and „Love to be loved” have replaced the violent messages erased from the walls. The main goal of this action was the promotion of values such as: everlasting peace, solidarity, non-violence, and respect for the human rights of all people residing in Republic of Macedonia.

2004: In cooperation with the H.A. ESE, between June and September, the Embassy prepared 53 amendments to the Family Law and recommendations regarding the Draft Law on Social and Children Welfare.

2004: The Embassy Megjashi together with some members of the Civil Society Platform of Macedonia decided voluntarily to announce the annual reports including financial reports and independent revisers reports.

2004: The Embassy published the book “Children’s rights protection” as a review of the condition of children in Republic of Macedonia where the author Milica Paneva suggested certain recommendations and summary suggestions for improving the condition in which are the children in Macedonia.

2002-2007 (every April): A campaign is currently running, based on the “Global Campaign for Education.” The aim of which is to raise public awareness and thus include children in schools.

2005: We implemented the activity for decreasing conflicts among high school students throughout training for the teachers and the students for non-violent conflict resolution. The companionship through multiethnic cooperation took place in 5 multiethnic schools in Skopje, Kumanovo and Tetovo.

2005: On 19th of November-the International Day Against Fashizam and Antisemetizam, we organized an action for erasing graphits “Put out the violence from he walls”. Graphits: “Stop the violence”, “Love to be loved”, “Peace” replaced the violent massages written on the walls. The aim of the action was public promotion of  the values of consistent peace, solidarity, nonviolence and respecting human rights of all people living in Macedonia.

2006: The First Children’s Embassy in the World ”Megjashi” is in process of realization of the project Psycho - social and educational support for children without parents after leaving orphanage “11 Octomvri” - whose purpose is contribution in socialization of the youths in time when they are leaving the orphanage. The project includes activities like: computer courses, foreign language courses, cooking lessons, supporting and couraging the children for their future life, direct psycho and social counseling... The First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi completely furnished one apartment with furniture and apparatus, and this apartment will be home for 4 young girls Fatima Ajdar, Aleksandra Spasovska, Sanja Spasovska I Nadira Bajramovska until they are 26. The apartment was given by the Ministry for Labor and Social Policy, and the furnishing was financed by the Project for Municipality Development (PMD)- Ministry for finance-World Bank. The girls moved in the apartment on 15th of February 2006.

2006: The Embassy together with 5 other members(Macedonian Women’s Rights Center-“Shelter Centre”-Association for Democratic Initiatives-ADI, Polio Plus-Movement Against Disability and Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the epublic of Macedonia) formed Human Rights House of Macedonia

2007: Embassy Megjashi started the campaign: STOP! For the violence over children! And Did you hug you child today?. This was a reaction to the previous beats till death over two children, one at the age 3 and the other at the age 3 months. But also as a result of the increasing number of calls for reporting violence (20% of the total number of calls on our SOS Helpline for children and youth 0800 1 2222 which is free of charge for the children in Macedonia).

2006-2007: Started the CSPM project that includes promotion of volunteerism throughout “Guide to Volunteerism” and promotion of the activities of the civil society organizations in general.

2007: Action for inclusion of all children in the educational system under the motto Join us! Right to education now!!!Over 50 schools and municipalities were involved in the campaign. Children, members of the Children’s Embassy, had a reception by the President of the Republic of Macedonia Mr. Branko Crvenkovski and The Vice-President of the Parliament of The Republic of Macedonia Mr. Ivan Anastasovski. The President of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia Mr. Nikola Gruevski supported the action onj the day of the central manifestation. The Embassy Megjashi received written guarantees by Mr. Branko Crvekovski, Mr.Nikola Gruevski, Mr. Ivan Anastasovski and Mr. Pero Stojanovski, State Counselor in the Ministry for Education and Science of the Republic of Macedonia that they will make efforts so that every child can accomplish its right to education. 
2008 has started the combat against the pedophilia, family desecration and sexual abuse of children in R of Macedonia. Demonstrated many reactions, requests and responsibilities and written petitions to the Public Ombudsman, Public Prosecutor for disrespecting and violation of the children’s rights. The initiative for increasing of the penalties for a minimum from15 years of imprisonment to lifetime has been given for those types of crimes (pedophilia, family desecration and sexual abuse of children). All the effort for representing and lobbying for more severe penalties of the pedophiles were accepted by the Ministry of Justice in R of Macedonia and the penalties for children abuse were increased u to the minimum of 10 years.
 
2008 Children’s Embassy Megjashi and Foundation Metamorphosis have accomplished the project “Protection and Security of children and their rights to internet”- CRISP (www.crisp.org.mk  or www.bezbednonainternet.org.mk), in order to educate children on the first place, parents and teachers about the manners how children could be protected and safe on internet.

2008 Within the framework of the project “The child is a witness that seeks a special care” the book “I go to court” is published. This book is written for the young children between the ages 5 to 11 which will give out statements as witnesses in the Criminal Court. It is designed for children that were being molested of witnesses of molesting. The information that is given in the book are to introduce each child about the situation that the child might be involved in at the courtroom and to prepare the participation at the court dispute.
First World Children Embassy has organized the campaign for a responsible parenthood for the third time this year, but this time with the slogan “Did you speak with your child today?” and “Did you tell your child how much you love him today?” which were lead by the First World Children’s Embassy Megjashi at the beginning of 2007 and 2008.
 
2009 As for the occasion of the World’s Campaign for education,  First World Children’s Embassy Megjashi performed a march with the children holding transparent materials with a messages written about the rights of education and literacy of all the children. They were marching quietly in the name of solidarity for all children in the world that are not attending school and that are illiterate. There are 774 millions of adults and 75 millions of children hat are illiterate. In Macedonia 18 500 children are not attending primary school and 2000 of them are out on the street. In Macedonia 200 000 adults haven’t gone to primary school.   50 children have met Mr. Safet Neziri, the President of the Parliament Committee for education, science and sport at the Parliament of R Macedonia.  The discussed and asked questions about the education and what can be done about the children that are not attending school. They also requested from the president to sign a written guarantee that during his mandate he will make an effort to accomplish right for each child to go to school.  Children also met Mr. Pero Stojanovski the Minister of Education and Science. At this meeting the children got a chance to discuss with the minister about the significance of the education, as well as asking questions about what can be done with the children that are not attending school.  They also requested from the Minister to explain what he has done so far regarding the efforts for which he had signed a guarantee for accomplishing the right of each child to go to school.

The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi is a member of numerous domestic and international organizations like: Civil Platform of Macedonia, Human Rights House, Global March Against Child Labor, Defense for Children International, Child Rights Information Network, EUROCHILD, Child Help line International, Coalition all for Fair Trials, World Fund for Dignity of Children, Macedonian Centar for International Cooperation and many others.

The First Children’s Embassy in the World has its Diplomatic Corps in five continents in the world, with over 120 beneficiaries of our diplomatic passport so far. The Embassy has Consulates in Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Spain, Brazil and Italy.
 
This World Association as a First Children's Embassy in the World of the First Children's Land in the World Megjashi operates through its Honorary Ambassadors, Honorary Consul General and Honorary Consul, Permanent Representatives and Honorary Members of Collegium, Children's Diplomatic Corps, General Consulates, Consulates, Consulates Departments and Office in the country and abroad as well as through its members in Macedonia and in the World.

 So far, the following children have been honored with the title Children Ambassadors of the First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi:Mirjana Boshevska, Gjakush Kabashi, and Stefan Pleskonic, and the Child Councilor – Kalina Mrmevska.

Ambassador of our Embassy is H.E. Kole Angelovski, actor

Spiritual father Dushko Tomic

Founders are Gordana Pirkovska Zmijanac and Dragi Zmijanac

Executive Director is Dragi Zmijanac MA.Sc

Part of the Charter of the First Children's Embassy in the World-Megjashi, Republic of Macedonia

Children are a special nation. Children are not national and religious leaders. They are a nation that has never carried out any revolution or counter-revolution, nor has started any wars. Children are not the question of the class or nation: children are the question of all questions. They are the nation that suffers most in war clashes and human tragedies. Children are only children. "All of the world’s ideals are less important than a child’s tears."

 The idea, the name (the First World Children's Embassy), and the mascot "Shaggy" are registered and protected at the Ministry of Development of the Republic of Macedonia- Institute for the Protection of Industrial Property of the Republic of Macedonia (Stamp no. 863, 864 and 865-1994)

Everyone who wants to make donations and support the work of the First Children’s Embassy in the World ’Megjashi’ is welcomed to do so.

You can make your payment:

SWIFT STOB MK2X, ID 1066179

0006233480 Euro, 0007535360 USD

For further information, please contact us at the following telephones:

+ 389 (0)2 2465 316, + 389 (0)2 2463 900, or

Email: first@chilrensembassy.org.mk

www.childrensembassy.org.mk

 The First Children’s Embassy in the World is re-recorded in The Registy for associations of citizens and foundations in the Primary Court Skopje 1 under the registry number 297, decision number 162/98 on 15.6.1999. Registry number 4377249. Unique tax number  4030995179890.