Macedonian Human Rights Movement International

About Us

About Our Organization

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (previously Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada) has been active on human rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. It was formed in response to the release of the "Manifesto for Macedonian Human Rights, the Movement for Human and National Rights for the Macedonians of Aegean Macedonia", by the Central Organizing Committee for the Macedonian Human Rights, in Salonica, Greece in 1984.

Among the main objectives of MHRMI are:

  • to pursue and attain all fundamental human and national rights including the right of freedom of expression and association and to support all democratic principles for all ethnic Macedonians, and other oppressed peoples;
  • to support, promulgate, and adhere to the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of the United Nations (U.N.) Organization, the U.N. sponsored International Human Rights Covenants and Protocols, the European Convention on Human Rights, the principles embodied in the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris, and all other documents of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) (presently known as the Organization on Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE);
  • to monitor human rights developments in Canada, and to affirm our constitutional rights as Canadians, as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, against any discriminatory and prejudicial practices that we encounter, either as individuals or as a community; and,
  • to provide information, advice, assistance and support to individuals and organizations of ethnic Macedonians and others, in all parts of Macedonia and beyond, concerning human and national rights and fundamental freedoms as Macedonians.

A large number of individuals and organizations, both in Canada and abroad, support MHRMI by: helping with the collection and documentation of data and information; participating in letter-writing campaigns; supporting fund-raising activities; buying and distributing various publications produced by MHRMI and other human rights organizations; etc.

Membership in MHRMI is open to all Canadians resident in Canada who subscribe to the objectives of the organization. Please contact us for information on how to become an associate member or to maintain more regular communication with our organization. We would also be happy to provide information about similar/affiliated organizations worldwide, including the United States, Australia, all four parts of Macedonia, Eastern and Western Europe.

If you would like to become a member or if you would like more information about our group, please contact us via email at info@mhrmi.org or by phone at 416-850-7125.

 

Recommendations

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International recommends to the governments of Greece, Bulgaria and Albania that they:

  1. acknowledge the existence of an ethnic Macedonian minority with its own culture and language within their borders;
  2. stop the policies of forced assimilation and denationalization for their ethnic Macedonian minorities;
  3. recognize the fundamental human and national rights for the ethnic Macedonians, as guaranteed by the United Nations Declaration, the Helsinki Agreement and the Vienna and Copenhagen documents of the CSCE;
  4. enlighten public opinion about fundamental rights for the protection of individuals and minorities as guaranteed under the many international agreements;
  5. end free expression restrictions on ethnic Macedonians;
  6. allow the free use of the Macedonian language in private and public life without fear of reprisals or persecution;
  7. allow the teaching of the Macedonian language at all levels of the educational system;
  8. allow the production of radio and television programs in the Macedonian language, as well as books, newspapers, journals, etc.;
  9. end the harassment of ethnic Macedonians in general, and of Macedonian human rights activists in particular;
  10. recognize the Macedonian Orthodox Church, and encourage their ecclesiastical authorities to do likewise;
  11. recognize the right to freedom of religion by allowing the restoration of old Macedonian Orthodox churches and the building of new churches, and allowing the use of the Macedonian language during worship;
  12. allow the registration and establishment of ethnic Macedonian political, cultural and other associations and their participation in the political and cultural life of the country;
  13. end the discriminatory economic practices against the ethnic Macedonians in the government employed public sector by allowing ethnic Macedonians to be hired in proportion to their representation in the general population;
  14. allow ethnic Macedonian emigrants from Greece and their descendants to return for visits and resettlement by repealing Law 28-12-1982 and Law 1540 of October 4, 1985;
  15. allow ethnic Macedonian emigrants and their descendants to return to Greece on the same basis as ethnic Greeks, without any bias as to ethnicity;
  16. allow ethnic Macedonians emigrants born in Greece and their descendants the right of inheritance to property and goods inside Greece;
  17. stop supporting campaigns of destabilization of Macedonian communities around the world, most notably in Canada and Australia.