OSCE Mission to Skopje supports citizen-police initiative to raise ecology awareness among students

SKOPJE, 10 October 2008 - Some 70 students, teachers and parents from the technical high school in Kumanovo took part in an event today to clear rubbish from the school compound, previously used for waste disposal.

This was part of a community initiated ecology awareness project supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje. The clean-up was discussed at a meeting of the Citizens Advisory Group, formed with the Mission's help to boost co-operation among local stakeholders, including representatives from local self-government, schools, local police and concerned citizens.

"This is an illustration of how ecological concerns relevant to the local community are resolved through partnerships between all sections of the community; in this case the local municipality, police and the schools," said Raymond Hirons, the Acting Head of the OSCE Mission's Police Development Department.

Violeta Bogdanovska, of the Kumanovo Police Department, said that closer co-operation between police and citizens helps make the work of the police force more decentralized and transparent, which serves the interests of the people. "The citizens, in particular the young population, should be encouraged to see in the police a secure partner for solving existing problems in the community," she added.