Minority Rights Group International and Minority Rights Group Greece
Interactive Workshop: SOUTHEAST EUROPE: DIVERSITY AND DEMOCRACY Recognition of Minorities in Southeast Europe

Athens, March 30 - 31, 2001

Pavle Voskopoulos was pleased to represent the RAINBOW party at the latest Minority Rights Group workshop in Athens. The importance of the workshop was further enhanced by the participation of representatives of numerous minority organizations from throughout the Balkans. We would like to point out here the attendance of members from the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, (OMO-Ilinden PIRIN) and Albania (PRESPA).

The Workshop was chaired by Alan Phillips and presentations were made by such well-respected rights advocates as:

Youri Reshetov, Vice-President of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Zdenka Machnyikova, Senior Legal Adviser, Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Boris Tsilevich, Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe and Latvian Parliament, Founder and Consultant of MINELRES, Latvia

Eurig Wyn, MEP, Greens/European Free Alliance , European Parliament

Andreas Takis, Senior Investigator at The Greek Ombudsman's Human Rights Department, Athens, Greece

RAINBOW, along with representatives of the Macedonian minorities from Albania and Bulgaria, were able to present the difficulties facing the Macedonian minorities in Greece, Albania and Bulgaria and had an opportunity to exchange views and thoughts on this issue with the other participants and guests.

List of Participants:

ALBANIA
• Tilemachos Lahanas, Omonoia
• Gjergji Vurmo, "Prespa Organisation"

BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA
• Salko Music, Roma Association of Zenica
• Bojana Sekulic, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of Republika Srpska
• Ernest Jovic, Returnees' Rescue Center

BULGARIA
• Ismet Ussein Karmiz, Understanding Association, Plovdiv
• Iliya Ivanov Kochev, Cultural-educational and Social Development Association
• Stoyan Mechkarov, "Omo Ilinden", Party of the Macedonians in Bulgaria

CROATIA
• Jovan Vejnovic, Serb National Council
• Ivana Djuric, Local Government and Public Service Initiavative, Open Society Institute
• Ramiza Memedi, Roma Women's Association of Croatia "Bolja buducnost" (Better Future)

GREECE
• Nafsika Papanikolatos, Minority Rights Group - Greece
• Pavle Voskopoulos, Vinozhito - Ouranio Toxo (RAINBOW)
• Panayote Dimitras, Greek Helsinki Monitor
• Cemil Kapza, Consultative Committee of the Turkish Minority, Greece
• Mihalis Vasiliadis, Journalist
• Andreas Takis, Greek Ombudsman's Human Rights Department
• Panagiotis Sabanis, AGISO

MACEDONIA
• Senat Bekiri, Association of Turkish Citizens Millenium
• Valentina Curlinovska, Civil Society Resource Center
• Vjolca Demiri, Association for Democratic Initiatives ADI Macedonia

FR YUGOSLAVIA
• Olivera Puric, The Belgrade Center for Human Rights
• Janos Orosz, Provincial Secretariat for National and Minority Affairs, Administration and Legislation

MONTENEGRO
• Nedeljka Neda Sindik, Ministry for National and Ethnic Groups Rights Protection

KOSOVA
• Bujar Ibishi, Association for Democratic Initiatives ADI - Kosova

OTHER
• Anna Maria Biro, Minority Rights Group International
• Magdalena Syposz, Minority Rights Group International
• Max Peberdy, INTRAC
• Zdenka Machnyikova, Office of the High Commisioner on National Minorities
• Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
• Alan Phillips, Minority Rights Group International
• Yuri Reshetov, UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Boris Tsilevich, Parliamentary Assembly
• Eurig Wyn, European Free Alliance, Wales