Sixth March for Tolerance – JUSTICE! FREEDOM! EQUALITY!

Hate speech and hate crimes committed on the basis of racial, religious, ethnic, racial, gender and sexual orientation as well as institutionalized discrimination based on political affiliation resulting from deeply rooted prejudice and hatred have inevitably produced tensions and divisions in the Republic of Macedonia nowadays.

The consequences directly affect the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, since they are deprived of the possibility to adequately exercise their right to healthcare, education, social services, equal access to employment, as well as equal access to justice and respect for their difference. Human rights and freedoms, rule of law and the right to freedom of speech have been reduced to only being declarative efforts on paper. The International Day for Tolerance is the day when we express our concern about these serious violations of the state of human rights and freedoms in the Republic of Macedonia.

We urge the competent state authorities, organizations, institutions and municipal as well as social stakeholders to renounce the present policies and practices and take urgent measures to deal with the discrimination and violation of human rights and freedoms in the country. We call on the Public Prosecutor to finally get informed about the hate crimes committed here and to do his job in accordance with the competences laid down by law. We call out for tolerance among the citizens of this country, respect for differences and solidarity as a response to the harmful policies of the structures of power. Tolerance is the road leading to equality, freedom and justice. Nationalism, chauvinism and hatred are bound to lead to more chaos and destruction and the victims are always the citizens of this country.

Call for action and support:

The Helsinki Committee of the Republic of Macedonia and Civil – Center for Freedom, reaffirm their call on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance: JUSTICE! FREEDOM! EQUALITY! We call on all the good-willed people to pay their personal contribution towards the improvement of the world by practicing tolerance within their own families, neighborhoods, workplaces and in public. The Helsinki Committee calls out for all activists to support the March for Tolerance that will take place in Skopje, Sunday, 16 November starting at 5 to 12 at noon, in front of the Museum of the City of Skopje. The participants in the March will start their march from the Museum of the City of Skopje, along Macedonia street, 11 Oktomvri Street, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, Goce Delchev Bridge to the plateau of the SEE University, where a performance and a DJ set will be held.

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