Македонски центар за меѓународна соработка - МЦМС

“We, the undersigned of this Declaration, condemn violent extremism and all forms of violence, regardless of their source, form, or motive. Faith is a call to peace, not to hatred; to dialogue, not to condemnation.”

This is part of the Declaration of Religious Leaders in the Republic of North Macedonia Against Violent Extremism, signed by His Beatitude g.g. Stefan, Archbishop of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Archdiocese of Ohrid (MOC–AO); Shaqir ef. Fetahu, Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Religious Community (IRC) in the Republic of North Macedonia; Msgr. Dr. Kiro Stojanov, Bishop of Skopje and Eparch of the Skopje-Strumica Diocese; Pepo Levi, President of the Jewish Community in the Republic of North Macedonia; Marjan Dimov, Superintendent of the United Methodist Church in the Republic of North Macedonia in the Republic of North Macedonia; as well as Olivera Trajkovska, Director of the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Groups (CRRCG), and Aleksandar Kržalovski, Executive Director of the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC).

"We are witnessing new phenomena in society to which we must respond," said Trajkovska before the signing of the Declaration. "Religious leaders are key actors in society, and we believe they can take a step forward in the fight against violent extremism," she added, explaining the motivation behind the signing. "Religious communities, together with institutions and the civil sector, can successfully respond to this dangerous challenge facing our society," she emphasized.

With the Declaration, the signatories committed to contributing to strengthening the resilience of communities – especially among young people and vulnerable groups; to cooperating with all societal actors – institutions, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and the media – in efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE); and to working against any misuse of religion for political, ideological, or violent purposes that are contrary to its essence and that deeply undermine mutual trust, peace, and cohesion in our society.

Religious communities are among the key actors in the prevention and countering of violent extremism. Their presence within communities, their engagement with citizens and believers, and the trust they enjoy among citizens can be of great value in strengthening communities as a whole and in effectively countering this phenomenon. In light of this, the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC) and the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Groups (CRRCG) initiated this Declaration, which was signed on 13 May 2025 at the Club of Members of Parliament in Skopje.

"With this declaration, we reaffirm our commitment to a society founded on dignity, dialogue, and mutual respect, and we express our readiness for continued interreligious cooperation in building a society resilient to hatred, division, and influences that undermine coexistence – for all citizens, in our joint struggle against violent extremism," the document concludes.

The event is part of the project “The Path to Resilience and Community Based Reintegration of Vulnerable Families” supported by GCERF and implemented by the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC) in partnership with Nexus – Civil Concept and the Association for Active and Healthy Development of Women and Children “Pleiades.”