VINOZHITO’s Second Congress held in the Village Sorovichevo, Lerin Region

By Dimitar Chulev

Translated and edited by Risto Stefov




Sorovichevo, Lerin Region – Around two hundred delegates, European Union guests and journalists attended VINOZHITO’s Second Congress held in the village Sorovichevo, Lerin Region. Top priority was the demand that the Greek government accept reality; the ethnic Macedonian minority exists in Greece and Greece had better start answering to the demands of this party around which this Macedonian minority gravitates. The Congress also insisted that the Greek government open schools and start teaching the Macedonian language.

The gathering at this picturesque Lerin Region village did not pass unnoticed by the Greek nationalists. A group of about twenty nervous looking ultra nationalists, belonging to the racist Golden Dawn organization, attempted to disrupt and prevent the gathering. They were giving out leaflets with slogans like “Get out Bulgarians and Skopje-phils” and “If you came to Amindeo (Sorovichevo), you have come to nowhere” trying to intimidate the delegates. The ultra nationalists were held back by the police who discreetly blockaded them to the road around the cultural building, where the gathering initially began.

The aim of the large presence of police vehicles, since the early morning hours, was to intimidate and discourage the delegates coming from Boden, Seres, Drama, Kukush, Enidzhevardar, Kostur, Kajlari Regions and from the Solun Region villages from attending the Congress.

Pavle Voskopulos, member of the collective VINOZHITO leadership, greeted each delegate individually with much emotion and called out the place in Macedonia where each came from. Delegates were applauded as they arrived.

Grigoris Vallianatos, recently sacked Media Advisor to the Greek PASOK leader Georgos Papandreu, who a short time ago openly expressed his personal opinion asserting that Greece needs to recognize the Macedonian minority, was apologetic to those present because, as he put it, he did not know the Macedonian language.

“In this country officially there are only Greeks, but unofficially, you know and I know that there are Albanians, Turks, Catalonians, Orthodox, transsexuals… but there are also Macedonians: Greek Macedonians or pure Macedonians, generally it is not a question whether we agree or not. This is reality.”

In a press conference Vallianatos said “The people think that Macedonians don’t exist, but here we are in this village as guests – people whose identity is not Greek. The problem is that people in Greece learn about Philip and Alexander and after that there is a long period of emptiness which needs to be filled up.” Regarding learning the Macedonian language in Greek schools, Vallianatos said that in the European Union it is not unusual for different ethnic groups to coexist.

Athanasios –Nase Parisis, VINOZHITO member and president of the Greek European Bureau of Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL) is optimistic that through demands we can push the Greek government to introduce learning of the Macedonian language in Greek schools. It is a reality and can be achieved. “That would be attainable as long as the EU transforms its political power and strengthens its authority to demand of some of its members, like Greece and Bulgaria, to relax their chauvinistic doctrines and negation of their minorities in their countries.”

Max Sinoni from the Corsican movement, an old friend to VINOZHITO who in 1994 invited leaders of this party to Strasburg, was first to congratulate the delegates. “Thank you for inviting me for the second time to come to Macedonia and to encourage you that you as part of the Free European Alliance have full rights to struggle for your rights,” said Sinoni. He also added that “Macedonian or Corsican – we are part of something that is missing but we are representatives of real cultures which exist today.”

Jan Dietrich, representative of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) said that “Sometime we forget how hard it is to be a minority in Europe. But the rights of the minorities are not something that is acquired, for that you have to fight.” He called on members of VINOZHITO to continue with the struggle for which there is support in Europe, where every seventh person belongs to a minority or speaks a minority language different from the official language of the state.

“The European Federation consists of 84 organizations from 35 countries and one of its basic principles is achieving rights through dialog; there is no room for aggressive methods,” said Dietrich. According to Dietrich, Greece and its minorities will soon find themselves on the European Parliament agenda.

Neli Maes, European Free Alliance President, sent his congratulations to the Congress by letter with a message to the Greek government which said, “The road to real and democratic Europe starts from Athens, passes through Lerin and ends up in Brussels.”

Abdulhaum Dede from the Anti-Nationalistic Initiative gave his speech with his back turned to the audience. “I am not going to address a non-existent minority, as Karamanlis claims. You exist… We exist, but they don’t want to look at us. They notice us only when they want to call you ‘Skopjani’ and us ‘Musulmani’.”

During the discussion it was ascertained that it was time for the delegates to work harder on the ground and to familiarize the people with their rights and not to be still afraid to freely reveal their identity.

Stojan Georgiev greeted the delegates on behalf of the six-thousand OMO Ilinden-Pirin members and added that the Macedonians from Bulgaria, Greece and Albania are leading a struggle for the recognition of the Macedonian minorities. We see a united Macedonia in the framework of a European Union and of Balkans without borders.

Edmond Temelko, mayor of Pustets, in the name of the Macedonian Community in Albania, which in 2005 registered a political party, ascertained that “We can achieve our rights only through system integration in the country where we live.” Temelko informed the delegates that all schools in Pustets now teach the Macedonian language and Macedonians in Albania are working to implement the same in all regions where Macedonians live.



The first VINOZHITO Congress was held in Solun four years ago.

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MHRMI Thanks Canadian Macedonian Community for Continued Support



Toronto, Canada, December 3, 2008 - Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) would like to thank the Canadian Macedonian community for its dedication to the Macedonian cause and tremendous support for Macedonian human rights.



MHRMI held an information forum on October 26, 2008 at St. Clement of Ohrid Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral in Toronto. Along with special guests Archimandrite Nikodim Tsarknias (in person), and Pavle Filipov Voskopoulos (via telephone), MHRMI gave the community an update on recent human rights developments and its activities surrounding the pursuit of human rights for Macedonians worldwide and specifically in Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and the Republic of Macedonia.



For over two decades, MHRMI has brought the plight of Macedonians to the attention of the world through: meetings with governments, key international policy-makers and non-governmental organizations; targeted attendance at international human rights conferences; and reporting and publishing on the human rights abuses suffered by Macedonians.



Our vision sees a future where Macedonians are officially recognized and can enjoy the most basic of human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and respect for their right to self-identification as Macedonians.



The Macedonian communities of the world have become organized, energized and determined to pursue their struggle for long denied, universal human rights. Macedonian Human Rights Movement International needs your support so that we may continue to assist Macedonians in their struggle for human rights.


Please consider giving a monthly, annual or one-time donation by visiting www.mhrmi.org/donation.asp. For more information, please contact us at 416-850-7125 or info@mhrmi.org.