On 16 July, an MoU for the project “Establishing a School Based Drug Prevention Programme in Macedonia” was signed by the Trimbos Institute ( www.trimbos.nl), the Macedonian NGO HOPS ( www.hops.org.mk) and the Macedonian Ministry of Education and Science. The Netherlands Ambassador to Macedonia, H.E. Simone Filippini and the Macedonian Minister of Education Nikola Todorov gave short speeches at the event, and the representatives of Trimbos Institute and HOPS, as implementing organizations, gave a short presentation of the project.

The project, which is being funded from the MATRA social transformation programme of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to establish a school based drug prevention programme in Macedonia, whose long term aim is to reduce the level of risky and problematic drug use among young people and raise public awareness about the unfavorable position and social exclusion of the drug users. The activities in the programme will take place in three pilot locations, with a goal to use the successful elements of the pilots and develop a national school-base drug prevention programme.

“In my opinion, the cooperation between the Netherlands and Macedonia indicates that Macedonia is using a very progressive and modern approach for educating children on drug issues.” Said H.E. Simone Filippini in her address.

The MATRA programme of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been open for Macedonia since 2008. It aims to support the transformation to a plural, democratic society governed by the rule of law. It therefore supports activities that promote reform of the state and its institutions, civil society organisations and the connections between them. Matra is based on the philosophy of institution-building by developing and strengthening 'twinning' networks between the Netherlands and the Matra target countries and encourages 'matchmaking' between Dutch organisations and like-minded 'agents of transformation'.

Links:
 http://www.mia.com.mk/default.aspx?vId=66202903&lId=1
 http://www.vmro-dpmne.org.mk/mk/zapis.asp?id=4881
 http://www.mon.gov.mk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=276:2009-07-16-13-15-57&catid=67:novostimon&Itemid=128
 http://www.utrinski.com.mk/?ItemID=035633C9B666DC4EB75A81460763EEFB