Years ago, I thought that building a civil society is never-ending challenge where one can afford growing up intellectually. Years ago I started with a strong believe that enhancing and making the change would be enough. But as Indira Gandhi said “The power of question is the basis of all human progress”.
Starting questioning and exploring things, the Center for Civic Initiative has been born. As all small children reckless in behavior and laud in ambitions, we thought that the change will happen very soon, very easy. Soon enough we realized that the society is a living cell much older that our ambitions and challenges that we thought are easy to accomplish. Soon enough the small reckless child started to get mature.
In a decade of work Center for Civic Initiative has realized that values such as equality for all men and woman, respect and justice are not the easiest paths to follow. It has never been a matter of hard work, it has never been a matter of endless nights and putting energy in carefully selected challenges. It is always a matter of dedication and questioning. Educating the environment about the importance of the democracy and good governess, about human rights and the importance of building a strong civil sector is still the major force driving CCI to existence and the impacts it has in the environment where acting.
The change we accomplished in our 20 years of work is put on the pillars of leadership and strong believes in the challenges to bring them in accomplishment.
The transition period in Republic of Macedonia and the political circumstances in the Western Balkan have brought foreign help from the EU countries and the United States of America. The importance of building a strong and healthy civic society was enhanced through support of civic organizations. As it grew, CCI started to address human rights issues through involvement in securing education for the citizens, started building capacities of its staff and today to other NGOs, and started to communicate with the state institutions on professional and serious level.
For all its work CCI gained trust from the donors who become serious CCI partner in the struggle for better society for happier citizens. In this direction I would make a promise to the community that a new decade of changes has just began.
Goce Todoroski
Executive director