Dates: 3-5 May 2018
Country: Macedonia, Skopje
Fifteen representatives of the Macedonian civil society organisations for people with disabilities gathered in Skopje on 3 – 5 May 2018. They participated in the workshop on media relations and campaigning as part of the new project led by the Media Diversity Institute (MDI) and in partnership with the Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM) and National Council of People with Disability Organizations of Macedonia.
The aim of the project „Disability: A Matter of Perception“ is to strengthen visibility of persons with disabilities (PwD) in the media. A weakened role of the media as protectors of public interest in Macedonia on one hand, and the difficult climate in which civil society organisations operate on the other, led to the shrinking of media space for pressing needs of disadvantaged groups, and consequently to citizens’ misperceptions in recognising the existing discrimination. The invisibility of PwD in the media hampers their true participation in public life and full exercise of human rights and social inclusion.
The participants in Skopje exercised several traditional and digital media campaigning techniques. Several sessions were dedicated to new media tools and platforms, social media as well as to principles of advocating and campaigning in order to achieve better visibility in the media. MDI, MIM and the National Council are organising a second workshop in Ohrid on 4-6 June 2018.
After two workshops for organisations representing people with disabilities in Macedonia, MDI will provide sub-grants for up to 16 organisations and their media campaigns. The aim of sub-granting process is to stimulate engagement of PwD in activities contributing to raising awareness and visibility in the media. CSOs will be provided with opportunity to independently create their own messages and projects which will further contribute to visibility and perception of people with disabilities by the general public.
