Македонски центар за меѓународна соработка - МЦМС

Author: Dejan Donev
Date: 2008
PDF: nevladiniot-sektor-kako-eticki-korektiv-na-opstestvoto-2008.pdf

If the end of the 20th century began with awarding of the Nobel Peace Award, we started the 21st century with the notion that we leave behind a century which, historically speaking, witnessed the most profound events.

Namely, whether Alfred Nobel was the person who reminded the world that we should search for way out of the misuse of creation and discovered, I am not aware! However, one thing is certain and that is the 20th century events changed and developed in unbelievable oscillations. Unfortunately, it ended with global slaughter which culmination was the concentration camps and Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This slaughter is, unfortunately, still ongoing although in different form. No matter the reality, all those survivors of the slaughtering, learnt an important lessons: We select the politicians that lead us to life which give peace, love, freedom, happiness… Unfortunately, many of them managed to fool us and made us live a life of animal instincts. That is why it is high time we found manner to show them and prove them that there are large number of questions to which we, as ordinary citizens, can provide much better answer.

The result from this notion is what is today the main topic of discussion, not only in this book, but also in the planning of every state, every post-election campaign, every product – non-governmental organizations. However, we should view the non-governmental organizations, not as a political opponent, but as a ethical corrective of the society. We should not forget that, regardless of the social setting, to every society the fundamental actor and goal is the Human.

This notion of the people in the world, regardless of the religious, cultural and political affiliation and ethical result from it, is the reason this book is present here before you.

My personal happiness and sorrow is to live in a time to experience, assess, review and value this role of the non-governmental organizations.  The happiness comes from the fact that I live in a time when my state is attempting to grow out of one system into another, for which it deems it better. However, the sorrow stems from the fact that diverting my attention to the ethics of the non-governmental organizations in Republic of Macedonia, and beyond, I realized that at times the non-governmental organizations are more aware of the ethical consequences from the action taken by the state, political parties than these actors themselves. This notion was the second reason which convinced me in the justification of the review of the ethics in the work of the non-governmental sector and its meaning as an ethical corrective of the society until its ultimate democratization.

Namely, the consequences of the inappropriate model of privatization and inefficient economy, as well as the immature politics which partially is result from the unsolved historical frustrations in the socialism, as well as the insufficient understanding of the contemporary social and political processes, has produced a society in Republic of Macedonia which finds itself half-way between departure from the previous system and reaching the foreseen goal: real democratic open civil society. That is why, this society which is still developed, requires significantly the action of the non-governmental sector, which is one of the elementary reasons for its existence and action.

Among the reasons which justify the need from greater involvement of the non-governmental sector, among others, are of course the accompanying side effects and occurrences from the changes taking place in our society. The society, hurrying to reach the world-European values, forgot that one system, regardless of its structure, may be successfully replace with another only if t he changes are found on real true universal ethical values. I stress this fact because Macedonia still pays high price for the so called transition, due to international political constellation and own historical heritage. This has culminated in severe attack on the fundamental universal ethical values.

As a consequence, from the independence until the present days, there are more than 5000 non-governmental organizations in Macedonia, which represent the voice of the people who are unsatisfied with the from the inability or absence of will on behalf of the state to meet and satisfy the needs of the people, try not only to fill the gap left by the state, but also to their ethical corrective.

Unfortunately, there are other non-governmental organizations which collude with the government and parties, and not rarely they are their secretive associates. Thus, instead of being unprofitable, non-governmental and civil socity organizations, representatives of the needs of the citizens, they are trying to share the profit, political or economic, at the expense of the citizens. That is why the non-governmental organizations have become the subject of the day in the daily press and involved in the daily political and economic calculations. Let me give additional clarification – the non-governmental organizations are written about, talked about, referred by different persons trying to prove a certain thesis. But what I am concerned and what should be of concern to all humans is the fact that in this process no one seems to pose the question: a what kind of ethical, value-based, axiomatic system is offered by the non-governmental organizations, not only as the societal corrective but also as a forum in which we may actualize ourselves in more ethical manner!?
This was the reason and the idea behind it, but the basic task of this book - is to show what is missing in our understanding of the so called third sector; to examine, represent and expound the ethics of the action of the non-governmental organizations; evaluation and consequences from their action on the ethical awareness of the society and the members thereof. Namely, precisely due to the previous remarks, the goal of this book is to review and evaluate, and predominantly to revalue the ethical mechanisms in the operations of the non-governmental organizations. This, in turn, in order to single out and offer as valuable system those values which should be the real reasons for moving in the right direction, which will determine the essence of their action, will give the meaning of their existence and the foundation of their ethical justification, philosophy and axiology of the societal engagement, to fulfill their role in the society: ethical corrective of the system which does not realize the ethical requirements of every individual.
This notion is the foundation of this work since the lack of  this approach in the operations and actions of the non-governmental organizations results in atmosphere of underestimation of  their role.
If the end of the 20th century began with awarding of the Nobel Peace Award, we started the 21st century with the notion that we leave behind a century which, historically speaking, witnessed the most profound events. Namely, whether Alfred Nobel was the person who reminded the world that we should search for way out of the misuse of creation and discovered, I am not aware! However, one thing is certain and that is the 20th century events changed and developed in unbelievable oscillations. Unfortunately, it ended with global slaughter which culmination was the concentration camps and Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This slaughter is, unfortunately, still ongoing although in different form. No matter the reality, all those survivors of the slaughtering, learnt an important lessons: We select the politicians that lead us to life which give peace, love, freedom, happiness… Unfortunately, many of them managed to fool us and made us live a life of animal instincts. That is why it is high time we found manner to show them and prove them that there are large number of questions to which we, as ordinary citizens, can provide much better answer. The result from this notion is what is today the main topic of discussion, not only in this book, but also in the planning of every state, every post-election campaign, every product – non-governmental organizations. However, we should view the non-governmental organizations, not as a political opponent, but as a ethical corrective of the society. We should not forget that, regardless of the social setting, to every society the fundamental actor and goal is the Human. This notion of the people in the world, regardless of the religious, cultural and political affiliation and ethical result from it, is the reason this book is present here before you.My personal happiness and sorrow is to live in a time to experience, assess, review and value this role of the non-governmental organizations.  The happiness comes from the fact that I live in a time when my state is attempting to grow out of one system into another, for which it deems it better. However, the sorrow stems from the fact that diverting my attention to the ethics of the non-governmental organizations in Republic of Macedonia, and beyond, I realized that at times the non-governmental organizations are more aware of the ethical consequences from the action taken by the state, political parties than these actors themselves. This notion was the second reason which convinced me in the justification of the review of the ethics in the work of the non-governmental sector and its meaning as an ethical corrective of the society until its ultimate democratization.Namely, the consequences of the inappropriate model of privatization and inefficient economy, as well as the immature politics which partially is result from the unsolved historical frustrations in the socialism, as well as the insufficient understanding of the contemporary social and political processes, has produced a society in Republic of Macedonia which finds itself half-way between departure from the previous system and reaching the foreseen goal: real democratic open civil society. That is why, this society which is still developed, requires significantly the action of the non-governmental sector, which is one of the elementary reasons for its existence and action.Among the reasons which justify the need from greater involvement of the non-governmental sector, among others, are of course the accompanying side effects and occurrences from the changes taking place in our society. The society, hurrying to reach the world-European values, forgot that one system, regardless of its structure, may be successfully replace with another only if t he changes are found on real true universal ethical values. I stress this fact because Macedonia still pays high price for the so called transition, due to international political constellation and own historical heritage. This has culminated in severe attack on the fundamental universal ethical values.  As a consequence, from the independence until the present days, there are more than 5000 non-governmental organizations in Macedonia, which represent the voice of the people who are unsatisfied with the from the inability or absence of will on behalf of the state to meet and satisfy the needs of the people, try not only to fill the gap left by the state, but also to their ethical corrective. Unfortunately, there are other non-governmental organizations which collude with the government and parties, and not rarely they are their secretive associates. Thus, instead of being unprofitable, non-governmental and civil socity organizations, representatives of the needs of the citizens, they are trying to share the profit, political or economic, at the expense of the citizens. That is why the non-governmental organizations have become the subject of the day in the daily press and involved in the daily political and economic calculations. Let me give additional clarification – the non-governmental organizations are written about, talked about, referred by different persons trying to prove a certain thesis. But what I am concerned and what should be of concern to all humans is the fact that in this process no one seems to pose the question: a what kind of ethical, value-based, axiomatic system is offered by the non-governmental organizations, not only as the societal corrective but also as a forum in which we may actualize ourselves in more ethical manner!?This was the reason and the idea behind it, but the basic task of this book - is to show what is missing in our understanding of the so called third sector; to examine, represent and expound the ethics of the action of the non-governmental organizations; evaluation and consequences from their action on the ethical awareness of the society and the members thereof. Namely, precisely due to the previous remarks, the goal of this book is to review and evaluate, and predominantly to revalue the ethical mechanisms in the operations of the non-governmental organizations. This, in turn, in order to single out and offer as valuable system those values which should be the real reasons for moving in the right direction, which will determine the essence of their action, will give the meaning of their existence and the foundation of their ethical justification, philosophy and axiology of the societal engagement, to fulfill their role in the society: ethical corrective of the system which does not realize the ethical requirements of every individual.This notion is the foundation of this work since the lack of  this approach in the operations and actions of the non-governmental organizations results in atmosphere of underestimation of  their role.