MACEDONIAN RED CROSS PARTNERSHIP MEETING
Dear Ministers, Dear associates and partners of the Red Cross,
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the Partnership Meeting organized by the Macedonian Red Cross for the ninth time. The goal of this important event is to promote the humanitarian values and capacities of the Macedonian Red Cross in order to encourage strategic partnerships for the implementation of joint useful social projects.
Let me first express my deep gratitude to Minister Carova for the support that the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy unreservedly provides to the Macedonian Red Cross in carrying out the humanitarian work and accomplishing its mission. The Macedonian Red Cross as a supporter to the state is intensively working to promote its own values and is increasingly seeking to recognize itself as an important partner of the business sector. By building a common partnership and mutual trust in achieving positive changes in the communities, above all the citizens ‘trust in the society, in the state institutions, the Red Cross, citizens’ associations and companies.
The practice in our country shows that every year the number of companies that practice social responsibility is increasing, and they are investing in protection of the environment, social programs, education, which directly influence the sustainable development of local communities. In this direction, I would like to emphasize that the cooperation between Red Cross and the companies is very important and they are more influencing the joint development of the communities and the promotion of greater social responsibility.
In recent years, the Red Cross organization has invested in building its own capacity in order to be able to respond to the demands of enterprises in the implementation of various community investment projects. A number of joint project activities have been implemented in cooperation and with support of companies in the country.
What is particularly important is the support that the Red Cross enjoys from the top managers of companies that with their own contribution enable realization of partnership relations for implementation of joint initiatives of public interest. It is important to emphasize the fact that in the implementation of humanitarian activities, a lot of employees from the companies are taking active participation, which confirms their social responsibility.
One of the key challenges in the implementation of humanitarian activities is their sustainability and the achievement of greater and long-term influence in the communities. The creation of strategic partnerships, especially with the business sector, can help for greater influence and encouragement of principled and effective humanitarian action. At the same time, system support is needed to the state to contribute together with the civil sector in ensuring sustainable development of social initiatives. From this point of view, the Macedonian Red Cross emphasizes more the cooperation and development of the tripartite cooperation with the governmental institutions and the corporate sector, and of course, a close partnership with the civil sector.
New ideas, new concepts that will be more and more promoted through the Red Cross on local level, by building the capacities for the development of social enterprises. This concept, which is still in the beginning in Macedonia, is an opportunity to achieve sustainable social initiatives in the communities. Social enterprises are actually a bridge between achieving economic social goals and cooperation with traditional enterprises. Cooperation and support from the business community is especially important in order to develop such economic and social ideas. As a positive practice, I would point out the project “Kopce” shop for second hand clothes, which is opened with the support of the corporate sector. Opening and developing care services for older and frail people is also a necessary need.
This cooperation of the Red Cross and the business sector for the development of social enterprises can be realized through financing, providing mentoring, social volunteering, etc. Certainly, the Macedonian Red Cross remains open for cooperation with companies through the implementation of recognizable, traditional but at the same time new joint initiatives on local and national level in the direction of creating a better and happier environment with expressed true values of living and awareness for mutual assistance. At this meeting, please let me once again emphasize the importance of the support and partnership cooperation with the Macedonian Chambers of Commerce, which is an important role in encouraging the social responsibility of the companies and their proactive action for the development of the local communities and beyond. The Macedonian Chambers of Commerce in the past years provided unreserved support to the in promotion of the humanitarian values of the Macedonian Red Cross in front of the business sector. The chambers of commerce provide continuous support in the implementation of humanitarian activities and campaigns targeted for provision of assistance to vulnerable population by encouraging companies to involve them and support them. I would like to thank for their cooperation and support.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me finally thank you for your presence and once again express my satisfaction from the current partnership cooperation with the Red Cross. I hope this event will encourage interest in new partnerships and opportunities for supporting projects of common social contribution.
