By Xhabir Deralla
December 22, 2024, Skopje, North Macedonia
As the holiday season unfolds with Christmas and New Year celebrations, the world remains quaked by uncertainty, unrest, violence, and war. A major power shift looms in the United States, Germany prepares for early elections, France’s government faces a significant reshuffle, and political turmoil engulfs numerous European countries. Meanwhile, the Middle East is gripped by devastating developments, with mounting evidence of ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza. Russian forces continue to escalate their aggression, deploying ever deadliest missiles against civilians and vital infrastructure, leaving countless lives shattered.
Across the Balkans and beyond, unrest adds to the volatile landscape. Protests and tensions in Serbia and Georgia, festering divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the emergence of fraught political dynamics in North Macedonia underscore the precarious state of global and regional stability. These harrowing realities mark the close of yet another year defined by violence, polarization, and suffering for many nations and communities across the world.
Amidst this turmoil, efforts to defend democracy and human rights stand as a crucial beacon of hope. Last week, CIVIL – Center for Freedom from North Macedonia and MEDIA DIALOGUE/Y4M from Germany, with the support of the government of North Rhine-Westphalia, organized the international conference Defending Democracy and Human Rights in the Face of War, Nationalism, and Authoritarianism, held in Skopje, North Macedonia, on December 11-12. The initiative was also part of the Human Rights Week, an international program initiated by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
In his address, Minister Nathanael Liminski of North Rhine-Westphalia highlighted the urgency of collective action in the face of these challenges, emphasizing the interconnectedness of regional and global efforts. Similarly, German Ambassador Petra Drexler and Lithuanian Ambassador Vilma Dambrauskiene reiterated the vital need for cross-border solidarity and the defense of shared values. Their words resonated deeply with the audience, many of whom recognized the conference as a timely intervention in the escalating struggle for democratic principles and human dignity.
The conference produced a wealth of robust media content, reflecting the scale and significance of the event. CIVIL’s team, in collaboration with its partners, created hours of livestreamed video feed in Macedonian, Albanian, and English, providing comprehensive coverage of the discussions. Additionally, hundreds of pages of transcripts and an elaborate document containing actionable recommendations are being prepared. This documentation aims to become a meaningful and concrete basis for developing strategies to defend democracy and human rights in the coming years.
The team also conducted several in-depth interviews with prominent participants, including Roger Casale of the New European People’s Forum, Professor Edward Joseph of SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, Gudrun Steinacker, Vice-President of the Southeast European Association, Dr. Wolfgang Ressmann, President of Media Dialogue, Professors Vytis Jurkonis and Konstantinas Andrijauskas of Vilnius University, and Erwan Fouéré of CEPS, among many others. These interviews, some of which have already been published while others are set to be released in the coming weeks, offer valuable insights that enrich the broader narrative of the conference and its impact.
This intensive effort will continue in the coming weeks and into 2025, maintaining the same dynamic focus on producing and sharing high-quality content to inform and inspire. The work of CIVIL’s team, in collaboration with partner organizations, is designed to serve as a navigation tool for democratic forces worldwide. At a time when democracy and human rights face unprecedented threats, this initiative seeks to empower societies with knowledge, strategies, and actionable steps to confront authoritarianism, nationalism, and war.
This conference stands as a catalyst for a far-reaching movement that transcends national and regional boundaries, striving to extend its influence beyond Europe. Skopje, the capital of a small nation on the fringes of the European continent, seeks to establish itself as the epicenter of a global initiative—#DefendingDemocracy. Supported by steadfast partners from Germany, Lithuania, and other strongholds of democratic values, this initiative is a bold declaration of collective resolve.
We will endure. We will fight relentlessly for democracy and human rights – to deter aggression, rebuild nations devastated by war, and restore dignity to those who have suffered. No matter how long the journey, no matter the sacrifices demanded, we will stand united through purposeful cooperation and unwavering solidarity. Together, we will defend human rights and freedoms for all, resolutely and uncompromisingly refusing to yield to oppression or authoritarianism. Democracy will not falter – it will triumph. This is our promise, our mission, and our enduring fight for a just and free world.
CONFERENCE, FULL VIDEO, Streamed live on December 12, 2024:
https://youtu.be/1f2Eo1ZXEQ0
PHOTO ARCHIVES: #DefendingDemocracy, Panel 1: Democracy under Siege
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.994398716055531&type=3
#DefendingDemocracy, Panel 2: The Rise of Far-Right Nationalism
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.995019619326774&type=3
#DefendingDemocrcy Panel 3: Countering Authoritarianism
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.995771969251539&type=3
#DefendingDemocracy conference, Panel 4: Commitment to democracy
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.996548069173929&type=3
#DefendingDemocracy Conference (overall)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.993726732789396&type=3
#DefendingDemocracy – workshop and meeting with the press
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.992924672869602&type=3
#DefendingDemocracy PRESS CONFERENCE
https://youtu.be/19GAn7azNvY
For more information on the Conference, please visit the special website DefendingDemocracy
