The Bridging Religions in Macedonia programme was launched in 2003,
as an initiative of the Macedonian Centre for International
Cooperation (MCIC) in cooperation with the religious communities in
Macedonia.
The overall goal of the program is to increase the level of
understanding amongst the religious communities and the
understanding of the Macedonian public about them.
The target group is the general public, with an emphasis on
members and activists of the religious communities in Macedonia,
specifically the students and the professors from the educational
institutions (Theology Faculties and to some degree the High
Schools) within the religious communities.
Cooperation, dialogue and understanding among religious communities
are the essential components in building a sound democratic society.
The members of religious communities, the clergy, may play
significant role in peace promotion and respect of difference,
particularly as these values should be embedded in their personality
and should be conveyed to their believers.
The programme has mainly targeted the students of the Orthodox
Theology Faculty and the Faculty of Islamic Science, who as future
priests should understand the other religions, nurture the relations
with the priests from other religions and promote the dialogue and
cohabitation among citizens of different ethnic and religious
background as this is the only way towards building a sustainable
and constructive society.
In order to accomplish these results several projects were
undertaken (exchange lectures, visit to theology faculties and
religious facilities, basic skills training, summer camps, positive
examples and providing technical support to the theology faculties,
local meetings and debates, inter-religious calendar, fund for the
initiatives of religious communities, bulletin for inter-religious
cooperation, info and dialogue centre, comparative studies and
address book of religious communities).
The project aimed to develop the educational, cultural and
informational component in the target group. Besides the students of
the two theology faculties, the programme activities have also
covered the other religious communities that do not have educational
institutions in the country, such as the Catholic Church, the United
Methodist Church and the Jewish Community, while in some of the
activities even the smaller religious communities took part.
The Bridging Religions in Macedonia is a unique programme, which in
the past four years has indeed succeeded to build bridges of good
will and cooperation among Orthodox, Islamic, Catholic, Jewish and
Protestant priests, students and members of these religious
communities in Macedonia.
With support from MCIC, the programme should continue until July
2008. Afterwards the religious communities should continue the
cooperation and some of the activities on their own.
The programme is supported by the Danish and Norwegian Government,
in cooperation with the
DanChurchAid (DCA) and the
Norwegian Church
Aid (NCA). |