The American Bar Association - Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI) is implementing a USAID funded project to provide assistance targeted to Roma communities and Roma individuals who would like to "regularize" their citizenship and become naturalized citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. The amendments to the citizenship law passed in 2004 included a temporary provision under which long-term residents could apply for citizenship under relaxed requirements. This provision expires on March 2, 2006.
USAID hopes to provide funding and legal assistance to more than 1,000 applicants before the temporary provision expires in March 2006.
In order to reach as many potential applicants as possible and to recruit and train volunteers, law students, lawyers, and attorneys to assist potential applicants, CEELI has conducted a number of trainings and informational workshops throughout Macedonia. In cooperation with the Soros NGO Support Centers, funded by Open Society Institute, Swiss Embassy and the European Agency for Reconstruction, CEELI organized a series of trainings throughout the country. After each training, the NGO Support centers offered volunteers interested in working with the project free use of office equipment and telephone lines to assist citizenship applicants. Additional trainings were organized in cooperation with the local self-government in communities without a NGO support center. To date CEELI has organized 20 workshops. The participants at these trainings represented over 100 NGOs from around the country.
In addition, CEELI has supported the creation of a network of NGOs and volunteer groups throughout the country. CEELI is currently working directly with 25 NGOs and volunteers to conduct community outreach and information activities. CEELI staff and lawyers from our partner NGOs are working with each of these community groups to provide the necessary financial and legal support to the volunteers and potential applicants.
CEELI, through its partner NGOs, is also providing assistance to applicants in obtaining necessary documents from neighboring countries. A system for obtaining documents from Serbia has been established between CEELI's three NGO advocacy sub grant recipients and an agreement with the UNMIK office in Skopje was recently established to facilitate the acquisition of documents from Kosovo
For more information:
U.S.Agency for International Development
U.S Embassy, Samoilova 21,1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Telephone: +(389) 2 310 2000 Fax +(389) 2 310 2463
USAID Mission contacts:
Kathy Stermer
E-mail: kastermer@usaid.gov
Sladjana Srbinoska
E-mail: ssrbinoska@usaid.gov
USAID Development Outreach and Communication office
Biljana Velickovska, DOC Specialist