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Last Update: 2001.04.23.
Objective: To raise the level of debate
This site's purpose is to fairly and objectively assess of the state of democracy in Macedonia. You will not find pictures or non-supported rhetoric or accusations. Nor do we claim to be neutral, we believe that Macedonia has not a perfect, but a very good record on democratic development. Good enough to encourage anyone seeking civil liberties to work through democratic channels and to strongly discourage violence.
This page will site neutral and credible resources. Furthermore, so that the reader can clearly follow our research, both the methodology and the empirical evidence will be clearly stated. In addition, we will not "spin" or delete key paragraphs, sentences or words from documents, testimony or other material. When deletions occur and when we summarize, it will be for the sake of brevity and clarity. We will also site the original source. We know that it would be shortsighted if we were to distort materials, thereby discouraging usage by those who are trying to understand Macedonia and the region of Southeastern Europe.
If you have any disagreements with our research methods or sources, please address all questions to the web master and we will honestly assess the validity of your argument. If your comments are found to be informative or a valid, we will openly address your statement on this site under the Comment section.
The KLA and NLA: How Close Are Their Organizational Ties?
The extremist claim that they are primarily independent of Kosovo and the KLA. The government claims the violence has spread from Kosovo and the KLA are heavily involved. To research these claims, we developed a test to measure how close are the organizational ties between the KLA and NLA. Our finding support the Macedonian's government claims.
The Record on Democracy part I
RecordThe extremist claim that they are fighting because they are denied basic rights. The Macedonian government claims that, though democratic reform is still needed, basic rights and democratic institutions exist. To research these claims, we take well-respected human rights reports
The Record on Democracy part II
The extremist claim that they are fighting for democracy, nevertheless, what about women's rights. We have seen the extremist willingness to take up arms for the rights of mail minorities, but what will they do for women. The research supports, using well-respected human rights reports, that certain groups of Macedonian women are denied their rights and liberties due to cultural practices.
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