Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee



25th Annual Fundraising Function, a dinner dance to be held in Melbourne;


Date: Saturday 28th March 2009
Venue: Grand Neret Receptions (19 Salicki Ave, Epping, VIC, 3076)
Time: 7:00pm


Special Guest Delegates from:

Vinozito: Nace Parisis & Dimitri Ioannou
OMO Ilinden Pirin: Stojko Stojkov


Also featuring on the night will be a LIVE band playing Macedonian music.

For tickets, please call our office on (03) 9460 2910 or email: macedonian_rights@hotmail.com


The Committee looks forward to your attendance and is grateful for your continued support of Macedonian human rights.

Guys, you've got to get a tape for G. Stoyanov, of Natse talking in his native dialect. He's from Negush.

Also, if possible, get a copy of the Macedonian representative from Golo B'rdo Albanasko - and pay attention to how he pronounces B'rdo.

A tape of Stoikov from Pirin would also be amazing for the others here to hear as well. He talks mighty fast!!!

I will be there but I have a 21st so Ill come at 10.30. The karate kid Pece Naumovski will be attending.

I had the great pleasure of meeting both Nace and Stojko and they speak perfect Macedonian, that is to say like the Macedonians from Ohrid, Bitola, Resena and prespa region. Nace spoke very well and informed me that he knows of my tatko's celo Lazec- they speak the same. As for Stojko I couldnt see any dilectal form as he spoke that same as anyone from Vardar. I have conluded therfore becouse they come from regions closer to the border of R.Makedonija they would naturaly speak the same way even with the "border issue".

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak- ... 314322.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak- ... 969238.jpg

Lavce, did you know that I'm from Lazhets?

PM me and tell me who your dad is.

No.

They all speak stock standard literary Macedonian - it has nothing to do with "no dialectal differences".

I guarantee you when Stojko Stojkov or Nace speak to their co-villagers etc, it would be totally different to how they spoke in their public speach.

Stojko in his speech used the litaraturno Makedonski "vistina" (a Serbianised bastaradization of "vo istina") and then later in the same speech he used the usual Macedonian version "istina"...I guess it musta slipped out.

Whatever the case, neither Stojko from Pirin, Nace from Solunski sela and Dimitri Ioannou from Kajlar spoke in their regional dialects - they all spoke literary Macedonian - for better or worse.

It was a wonderful emotional night.

The average age must have been around 60 and you just feel that it was wonderful that we could celebrate 25 years since the inception of AMHRC, but I really am pessimistic of there being a celebration in another 15 years time let alone 25 years time. The reaper will take care of that sadly.

The speeches were all excellent:

Vasko Nastevski spoke wonderfully well about the significance of the evening and the 25 years anniversary.

George Vlahov spoke succinctly in a very serious tone about the achievements of the organization over the last 25 years and he made the point that the Australian organization works hand in hand with the Canadian organization as well as with the internal organization.

George Vlahov then called up Stojko Stojkov to say a few words and he spoke very well and seems like a very nice man. I had the opportunity to speak to him earlier and he has a very likeable demeanor.

George then called up Nace Parisis and Dimitri Ioannou to say a few words and they spoke with feeling about what they feel the contribution of the AMHRC contributes to our people "over there".

Touching stuff.

Johnny Tsiglis was the MC for the raffles and Jason Kambovski then conducted the auctions with aplomb. The highlight was the $2,400 paid by Lazo Genev (Genis) of Banica for the Vino Zhito flag beating out his mate Con Filin from Ovchareni. Both were sitting next to me and both bid in good spirit for the honour of owning the flag.

I felt very emotional all evening not being able to walk more than three steps in any direction without somebody coming up to me and hugging me and asking where/how my mum and dad are. To see so many of them now old and frail (as indeed my mum and dad are) really put a lump in my throat and made me wonder how will we ever carry on when the golden generation eventually all pass on into that other world.

I really wonder why God has dealt us such a cruel hand of fate sometimes.

Unless the Macedonian youth make an effort to attend these types of events with their friends rather then making all kinds of excuses ALL Macedonian organizations will cease in in the next 20 years.

Macedonians conventions getting smaller and smaller
Ilinden Picnic getting smaller and smaller
Village picnics - thing of the past

Selo Nevoleni in Toronto use to hold 3 picnics and 3 annual dances (Jane and Seven Country Club) with 1,000 persons sega ..

Bog da prosti!

They speak the new literary language, as well as their own local dialects as well as Greek and Bulgarian, and probably English too.

It would have been a simple matter to speak to them in their native dialects - I did because I wanted to hear them.

Kosturski Orel, you have a charming way of spinning things in a positive manner.

Don't dwell on the evil hand we've been dealt, dwell on what you can do to overcome all this evil - and then do it. That is the message of your get together in Melbourne.

You were all extremely fortunate to have met these activists. Support them in every way you can.

Too true Lubi.

I was very impressed with the quality of the three guys.

All of them are a credit to their families and a credit to our people.

All spoke intelligently and struck me as people who would inspire confidence in our people "over there" with their level headedness. In these positions you need people with credibility, people who will give the masses a reason to ask questions of themselves and the authorities.

I actually liked the fact that the activists were not from the usual Kostur/Lerin/Voden devils triangle...I reckon it causes the Greeks even more grief having a guy from Negush (Naoussa) villages and another from Kailar (Ptolamaida) villages - it demolishes the Greek argument that Macedonians are largely a construct of the effects of the Greek Civil War in Western Macedonia. The more guys from Central and Eastern Aegean Macedonia who get involved at the higher level really add extra thorns in teh side of the nationalist Greek arguments.

Of course, no Macedonian organization would be complete without representatives from Kostur, Lerin and Voden - but it great to see people from all over involved. It is very heartening.

Yes, I met them on Sunday afternoon at The Preston Lions Football Club. They are a credit to their families and to our people.

Lubi, pozdrav imas od Dimitri i od Victor.

I spoke to Dimitri about some of the encounters we have here on MakNews, especially about what Vodenka has told us about them not reaching the people. He said he would get online when he gets back and check it out. He told me they know they have alot of work still to do and that many people are coming around as a result of their efforts.

It was an honour to shake the hands of these honourable Macedonians.

Their was a good interview on SBS radio just now. They said you could hear the full interview on their web site. I couldn't find it. here is the site;

http://radio.sbs.com.au/language.php?la ... Macedonian

It will never die out, as long as there are people who feel strongly about their roots, and the injustices being done to the Macedonians.

I agree with you that no-one in the world has it worse than the Macedonians - the genocide of the Jewish people, by Hitler, doesn't even come close, because there will always be Jews. Stealing our identity, stealing our rightful heritage - telling lies, the atrocities committed against Macedonians that have been covered up (because we are called Bulgarians, instead of Macedonians); its systemic, there is a schemata of Denialism that is well established, and in place to take our souls, bit by bit. As long as people feel strongly about their heritage, it will never end. These fkers who talk about compromise in Macedonia, and in UMD - they are blood suckers, and more evil than the worst Greek, because they promise "peace" if only we give it all up.

i am not sure the average age at the function was 60, it looked like a much younger crowd to me i also want to note that all the activists in the committee are in their 30s and 40s.


in our part of macedonia the word vistina was used by people of my great grandfathers generation at least and that was during ottoman times when there was no serbian influence. if anything there would have been bulgarian influence. its true va istina is used old macedonian, but it doesnt mean that all macedonian dialects would have neccassarily sounded like the suho dialect that it was based on and there would have been dialectical nuances in the 9th century as there still are now.

Well Im 20 and my brat is 19

Thank you Mikail, if you should see them please give them my warmest regards.

My pleasure. Will do. Victor is a nice guy. he is adding me to his email list and told me about how you helped him start out. You've done a fantastic job at supporting various Macedonian groups and causes. Bravo

Well done AMHRC!!! great effort bring the OMO Ilinden and Vinozhito reps out.

Can any tell me if Ico Najdovski was present? This man is a culprit of derailing these sort of events.

Yes he was

What do you mean?

What I mean is he was there, he had a table made up.