No, I’m not
going to delve into this painful problematic – Macedonia… Wether you are
Bulgarias or not, let’s let this to personal (political) convictions
(manipulations) for a moment. What I will talk about is a recent event where two Skopije’s students talked about
their university and students life.
Macedonia –
a smal country where the nation is highly politicised. Only parties’ members
obtain job (even the simpliest one!) and a bed in the student’s residence. No
option for protests – your life and the
life of your family depends on obeying this “law”…
Just as in
Bulgaria, no work for the youngsters, however a masters dipolome is essential. Students
crave for a bulgarian citisenship in
order to emmigrate latter in Denmark, Ingland, Neitherlands…
The open
discussion started with a presentation of the students’ organisation whose
members fight for:
·
Public
universities
·
Assembly,
direct democracy instead of the Student’s Parilament
·
Betterment
of the student’s residences
The first
goal of our macedonian friends is to achieve a public university where the
tuition fees won’t surpass twice the average salary. Also, they want to
erradicate the procedure of buying your diploma, which is at its height
nowadays (if you can pay your studies you’re garantied a dipolma, no matter how
much (or if at all) you know…).The same situation as the one here, except… The
problem there worsenes by the political influence over the students and their
families. No protest can be organised – no one will go out. Why? Because if
they do, they may lose their beds (litterally) or their parents may be given
the sack (and then – no mony for studying, thus no chance to emmigrate…). Also,
just as here, people have a different way of thinking… Yes, they feel the
problem, they see it, they moarn, still they don’t do a thing. “What can I do?
It’s the state that should fix it, I can’t contribute, I’m just a simple victim
of the situation.”… Balkanian mentality of people who have been oppressed for
five centuries… As our macedonian friends said, only 1% per year of the state
budget should be deviated towards the universities and they will become
accessible to everyone. Alas, this won’t happen… On the contrary, the tuition fees will grow
higher…
Of course,
differently to our experience, students have occupied the university of Skopije
once for four months (those ones who were originally from Skopije). The
solution of the university – classes would be given in another buildings all
over the city and the ones who should miss them would be banished…
Then we
come to the Student’s Parliament… A very important organisation that… Does
nothing… (both here and there). How do they choose the “deputies”? The
candidates go around the students’residences, knock on every door and say “”You
will vote for me, or you will lose your bed.”. Democracy in practice J… the parliament is sponsored by the
parties, so it’s cool to be part of it. Also, you have no obligations except to
organise some events or another such as an exchange of carts on the Valentine’s
day, etc… Frequently the SP is even an obstacle for the students, as it doesn’t
deffend their interests but the one of its sponsors…
What our friends want is an assembly so that
everyone could be able experss their point of view and ideas. Decisions to be
taken by this assembly, by the students themselves…
This “situation”
leads to another one, equally complicated. The lack of a students’campus or
even centre for meetings. This would be a place where students would gather and
would talk about their problems, would give different ideas… Cultural centre…
For the time being no such thing has been permited by the university…
The final
demand of the students is on the issue of the students’residences. As I’ve
said, they are spreaded all around the city. What is more, people can gain a
place(bed) in them only with political ties… A public secret… Above all, the conditions in
them are inhuman – cold, broken rooms, bad elaboration of the furniture, bad
construction of the building (worse for the mony that is said to have been invested),
many beds in one room, toilet/shower – two for eachfloor …
The open
discussion finished. Macedonia… So close, yet so far… We’ve exchanged
experience, ideas. You have your problems, we have ours, still they coincide a
lot… I guess we should just forget our national controversies and… Cooperate.
If the states can’t unite, then at least we can live in peace and make our lifes
better by working together. After all, it’s not a matter of politics but human
approach, at least when the people and their wellness is of primordial
importance!
