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Wake up and follow your dream!

Today, more than ever, we need dreamers. We need dreamers that have a shared dream of justice and humanity, freedom and equality, such as the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On the occasion of Martin Luther King’s Day (January 15), we call upon you to dedicate this weekend to your dreams and the dreams of your fellow citizens of the world. What can you do? Read the speech of Martin, spread the word, tell people that dreams may become reality, only if we share it and spread it amongst each other. Reality based on dreams like this is the reality of a humane world.

Don’t be afraid to dream about justice and freedom. Don’t be afraid to demand respect and fulfillment of your dreams. Demand, so they will come true.

Remember January 15, as the birthday of a great representative of the human kind, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and be a proud and demanding dreamer on this day and the days to come.

Wake up and follow your dream!

The Speech

I HAVE A DREAM

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

we wish you a better 2012

12 YEARS CIVIL

established November 25, 1999

International Day for Tolerance, Republic of Macedonia

International Day for Tolerance

Press release, November 16, 2011

JUSTICE! LIBERTY! EQUALITY!

Ethnically motivated tensions and violence amongst young Macedonians and Albanians; institutionalized and social discrimination on ethnic, gender, social, and sexual orientation; deeply rooted prejudices and hatred; rising ethnic, religious, social and political divisions – are the ingredients of the society in the Republic of Macedonia nowadays. Respect for human rights and freedoms, rule of law and freedom of speech are in a free fall. Silence and fear are widespread in the country. The list goes on. Quality education, health and social services, fair employment policies, access to justice, respect for ethnic and cultural diversity are in a phase of extinction from the lives of the country’s citizens.

Following the trends of deterioration of the situation with human rights and freedoms in the Republic of Macedonia on the occasion of the International Day of Tolerance, we express our deep concerns.

Therefore,

We appeal to the relevant state and societal actors to give up current policies and practices, and take immediate measures to end discrimination and violation of human rights and freedoms in the country.

We call for tolerance amongst citizens of this country, mutual respect and solidarity – in spite of the damaging influence of politicians.

Tolerance is the path that will bring more justice, liberty and equality to the lives of each and every one of us. Nationalism, chauvinism and hatred will only bring disarray and destruction.

We invite you to mark this day with tolerance and respect for diversity. Share your story with us. Tell us of injustice you experienced or a positive example of tolerance and respect for your rights and freedoms.

Click http://tolerance-mk.blogspot.com for tolerance!

Call to action and support

Civil – Center for Freedom reaffirms the last year’s slogan on the occasion of the International Tolerance Day: JUSTICE! LIBERTY! EQUALITY!

We call upon all goodwill people to make a personal contribution to improvement of the world through practicing tolerance in their own families, in the neighborhoods, and workplace.

Civil invites all of its activists to support the March for Tolerance that will be held in Skopje, November 16, at noon.

Civil supports and joins all activities of civil society organizations that are in favor of enhancement of tolerance and respect for human rights and freedoms.

Once again, we invite all citizens and organizations to share their story of tolerance with us.

Click http://tolerance-mk.blogspot.com for tolerance!

UN Secretary-General's Message for the International Day for Tolerance

This is a period in which the old world is slowly but irreversibly changing and the contours of a new one are just beginning to take shape. Traditional institutions are being challenged. Budgets are being squeezed. Families are being stressed. All of this flux and churning creates enormous anxiety.

At times of change, we must stay true to the ideals and principles that are at the heart of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Among those core values is tolerance. Our practice of tolerance must mean more than peaceful coexistence, crucial as that is. It must be an active understanding fostered through dialogue and positive engagement with others.

This is especially critical in combating the discrimination that causes so much divisiveness, destruction and death. We all have a responsibility to protect those vulnerable to discrimination, whether based on race, religion, nationality, language, gender, sexual orientation or other factors. Practicing tolerance can serve as the antidote to prejudice and hatred.

UNESCO plays a special role in fostering active tolerance by promoting quality education for all girls and boys; advancing a free and pluralistic media, including on the Internet; and protecting cultural heritage and nurturing respect for cultural diversity.

As we face the complex and global challenges of our times, the United Nations will continue to work for mutual understanding among peoples and countries, a bedrock need in an interconnected world. As we mark this international day, let us remember that active tolerance begins with each of us, every day.

Ban Ki-moon

e-CARD 4 TOLERANCE

CONTRIBUTION TO THE INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF JOURNALISTS

JOURNALIST HANDBOOK launch event, Skopje, November 1, 2011

Integrity and accountability of the journalist and journalism for their public voice, the confidence of citizens and society in media, as well as building and defending dignity of journalism as profession – represent the contents of the Journalist Handbook, launched today at the Club of Journalists in Skopje.

The aim of the Handbook is to remind journalists and media workers that their integrity, accountability and the role in the society can and have to be built only on basis of respect for law, the code of conduct, ethical principles, and professional rules, values, and practices.

The Journalist Handbook is a joint project of Civil Media, as organizational unit of Civil – Center for Freedom, and of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (ZNM). The project is financed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Skopje, and is part of the Annual Program of Civil, supported by the Civica Mobilitas Programme, financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), implemented by the Center for Institutional Development (CIRa).

The Handbook is prepared by the journalists Risto Popovski, Ilir Ajdini, Josif Curciev, and David Brewer, media expert from Great Britain.

The Handbook contains experiences from journalism in Norway that - according to the professional level and the role in the society - is amongst the best in the world. Experiences from Great Britain and Germany are used, as well, as countries where journalism has a long tradition and is characterized by high professionalism. It also contains the Code of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, as well as the annex Journalists Against Corruption.

The Journalist Handbook is published in Macedonian and Albanian language and will be disseminated to every journalist in the country. The President of Civil – Center for Freedom Xhabir Deralla, the President of ZNM Naser Selmani, and the Project Manager Risto Popovski spoke about the project at the launch today. David Brewer has sent a special video address on the occasion of this event.

“Journalists must never forget that the most important dimension of their work is the quest for truth. Journalists should choose between being journalists or merely propagandists in service of political power centers. Therefore, this Handbook is needed for journalists as a reminder of their role in the society. I will carry this Handbook with me from today. The Association of Journalists of Macedonia will take the responsibility to disseminate this Handbook to all its members and to enhance its activity among journalists in defense of their dignity and integrity” – said Naser Selmani.

“Journalists, for the sake of their own integrity and accountability, must not agree to fall under influences or be a subject to pressure, regardless of their background” – said Risto Popovski. He emphasized that “journalists have to persist in balanced reporting on important events, be critical observers, and initiate key issues and debates about important matters. Only by doing so, journalists and journalism may realize their role in the society, to contribute to achievement of human rights and freedoms, development of democracy and promotion of highest moral, human and cultural values”.  

“A society without independent and critical-thinking journalism is a backward society which violates human rights and freedoms, and nurtures values that belong to the darkest times of human civilization. The equation free media = democracy is correct and counts for all societies in the world. Yes, that is how important is journalism and that is why an organization such as Civil – Center for Freedom engages with media sphere, whilst being a human rights and freedoms organization. I have said many times and I will say it again: freedom is not negotiable” – said Xhabir Deralla.

“Journalists work under intense pressure. Not only from external sources such as politicians, businesses, criminals, but also from themselves. Probably, one of the biggest threats to journalism is self-censorship. Our work must be objective, fair, accurate, and impartial. And we need to be reminded constantly of the importance of our role in society. The challenge now is to follow up this handbook and analyze how it works in practice, and offer training and support to those who are trying to apply the guidelines, and support them along the way” – said David Brewer.
The Handbook will be available in Macedonian and Albanian language in the offices of Civil – Center for Freedom and the Association of Journalists of Macedonia. It will be disseminated to journalists and other interested parties at launch events throughout the country.