During the COVID-19 crisis, CSOs were among the first to recognize the urgency and show great solidarity in providing support to marginalized groups and vulnerable communities. Many activists took steps to show solidarity in their communities, and found ways to be helpful to their target groups. The organisations have adapted to the new situation and redirected their regular activities, and some even their project activities, to meet the needs of the people in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Red Cross with its municipal organisations, but also organisations such as the Food Bank-MK, True Works of Kindness, Avaja, numerous Roma organisations and many others have carried out countless activities to provide and distribute humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable categories. This humanitarian aid is often provided by the business community, which has shown great solidarity and cooperation with CSOs in a state of crisis for businesses as well.
Although the mobile teams of the Red Cross lead the process, many local and national organisations selflessly provided services of logistical support for vulnerable target groups of the population by purchasing medicines, food and personal hygiene items and delivering them to the homes of the elderly and people living alone, chronically ill, families with disabled people and other vulnerable categories of citizens.
CSOs activities
The issue of lack of information, especially to the most vulnerable categories, was largely addressed by CSOs through their preparation and sharing of information, announcements, advice and guidance on health care and dealing with the COVID-19 crisis to the target groups.
Organisations that provide free legal aid as part of their regular activities or have other appropriate expertise have responded quickly and redirected their activities to provide free legal aid, psychological support, and other SOS support lines for the target groups in the crisis situation as well as services for helping and supporting victims of domestic violence.
Further on, organisations working on research and analysis, those monitoring government work or conducting regular monitoring of human rights protection, and many other CSOs during this period have developed and shared analyses and research on the impact of COVID-19 in the relevant areas. However, the organisations did not only do analyses but also reacted to state institutions on issues they have expertise and could help to deal better with the crisis together. Individual organisations, platforms and networks as well as informally organized groups of organisations prepared and sent joint proposals, reactions, requests to state institutions. Thus, CSOs have shown that they are open to cooperate and to act together before the government institutions for issues and key search for the good of the target groups and the citizens in general.
The efforts and initiatives of a number of organisations working on providing tools, educational and resource materials for the target groups should not be left out and forgotten.
These are just some of the activities and initiatives undertaken by CSOs to deal with the crisis caused by COVID-19 in March-April 2020. More information on a number of other actions is available at: https://civicamobilitas.mk/covid-19/ as well as on CSOs’ websites and social media.
Information
- Institute for Communication Studies, More important measures against coronavirus in one place
- Macedonian Young Lawyers’ Association, Your rights and obligations during COVID-19
- Association of Citizens with Rare Diseases LIFE WITH CHALLENGES Bitola, Recommendations for patients with rare diseases during COVID-19 pandemic
- BORKA – For every new day, Information related to cancer and coronavirus; Chemotherapy and coronavirus
- National Association of Multiple Sclerosis, Advice for people with multiple sclerosis related to COVID-19
- Association ESE, Advice on how to talk about the new coronavirus to children, families, friends and people from you community; Information for people taking care of patients infected with COVID-19 at home etc.
- Institute on Human Rights, Human rights in time of COVID-19
- Association Konekt, Recommendations about socially responsible companies during coronavirus
- Business Confederation of Macedonia, Guide for employers on management at workplace during COVID-19; Guide for companies’ action during COVID-19
- Macedonian Association for Occupational Safety and Health, Recommendations for prevention of employees in administration/office work;
- HOPS, All important information on social protection in one place
Legal Aid, psychological support, other SOS support lines
- Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
- Macedonian Young Lawyers’ Association, Free legal aid for asylum seekers and refugees in Republic of North Macedonia
- Multikultura
- Educational-Humanitarian Organisation EHO, Shtip
- Support line for workers who need advisory assistance their proceeding to employers and institutions
- BORKA- For Every New Day, SOS Line for support of patients with cancer
- Elipsa Kumanovo, SOS line for psychological support to all citizens, particularly the vulnerable groups
- Association Support Gevgelija, Phone lines for psychological support
- Association of Citizens with Rare Deceases LIFE WITH CHALENGES Bitola, Help line – available psychologists and psychotherapists
- Chamber of Commerce of Psychologists of Republic of Macedonia, СList of available licensed psychologists for providing psychological support to people in self-isolation and quarantine
- LGBTI United, Free line for psychological support to LGBTI community during COVID-19
- HERA, Services of HERA for HIV, sexual and reproduction health and gender based violence
- Social Businesses serve marginalized groups during COVID-19
Support to victims of domestic violence
- Crisis Centre Hope, SOS line (02)15 315
- National Council for Gender Equality, SOS Line (070/075/077)141 700
- National Network to End Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
- Contact phones of all centres that offer help to all victims of domestic violence or are in risk of domestic violence
- Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Centre for free legal aid (02)3119-073; (02)3290 469
- Organisation of Women of Skopje, SOS line (02)15700
- Coalition All for Fair Trial
- First Family Centre (02)3200-007
- Women’s Organisation Sveti Nikole, Centre for free legal aid (032)444 620
- Florence Nightingale-Kumanovo, Centre for free legal aid (031)414 291
- http://www.reagiraj-bidibezbedna.mk/
Prepared and shared analyses and research on the impact of COVID-19
- Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Monthly Informer on Discrimination for March 2020; Monthly Report on Human Rights in RNM, March 2020
- European Policy Institute, On shaky grounds: Human rights and COVID-19 in North Macedonia after the derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights
- Romalitiko, Research on the situation and the views during COVID-19 crisis
- Rural Coalition, Analysis on gender equality in rural areas during crisis
- Mladiinfo International, Report on challenges and needs of the youth civil society during COVID-19 pandemic
- Finance Think, Crisis impact on the economy – views and opinions
- Nexus – Civic Concept, Continuous monitoring of news on COVID-19 and other topics for detecting disinformation
- Open gate, La Strada, The impact of COVID-19 on the protection of the rights of victims of human trafficking and exploitation
- Foundation Metamorphosis, Privacy policies of the application StopKoronа! in line with the principles of transparency during personal data processing
- Centre for Civic Communication, Monitoring urgent public procurements related to protection from COVID-19
- Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation, Anticorruption during crisis and Government measures
Proposals, reactions and requests to state institutions
- Information on undertaken measures by associations and foundations in combating the pandemic COVID-19 and request for including representatives from associations and foundations in the respective anti-crisis bodies
- COVID-19 – Requests and urgent recommendations sent to relevant institutions for undertaking urgent protection measures during crisis and state of emergency
- Youth in crisis – urgent recommendations for decreasing the negative effects from the COVID-19 crisis on youth
- National Network to End Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, Request on immediate amendment of the Decision on restriction of movement of citizens on the entire territory of the country
- First Children’s Embassy Megashi, Request to Ministry of Education and Science for more attention to the needs of children during the pandemic
- Anima Mundi, Request to the Government to allow walking a pet (dog) near the place of residence
- Journalists’ Association of Macedonia, Request to the Government for financial support to journalists and media workers as an intervention measure
- Coalition “All for Fair Trial”, Public call for prevention of potential and serious infection with COVID-19 in the institutions where persons deprived of liberty are located
- Macedonian Association for Occupational Safety and Health, Request for specific recommendations for implementation of the Law on occupational safety and health during COVID-19 crisis
- Reactor – Research in Action, Appeal to the Government and the institutions for the availability, functionality and efficiency of the institutions in this crisis period
- Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Request to the Government for protection of workers and the poor
Tools, educational and resource materials for the target groups
- TACSO3, Digital Tools for Online Work and Remote Collaboration
- Mladiinfo, Online resources on different topics
- Association Eco-logic, Online tools for informal activities to complement the current school curriculum
- Journalists’ Association of Macedonia, Useful digital tools for teleworking
- Youth Educational Forum, A Series of outstanding lectures for young people
- Association “Interaction plus” – Skopje, Online speech therapy classes, in order for these children not to be excluded from the educational process and rehabilitation
- MASIT, Digital tools for support during COVID-19
- National Association for Multiple Sclerosis, Digital tools and resources to be used by people with multiple sclerosis during coronavirus
- Foundation Metamorphosis, Open Educational Resources
