United Macedonia Diaspora

[Vangelovski]

Originally Posted by UMDiaspora.org

UMD is a registered Australian organization as well.

Is this so? ASIC seems to disagree.

Even if it is registered in Australia, so what? It is such a marginal organisation which recieves its orders from Washington, it plays no legitimate role in representing OUR views to OUR government.

[makedonche]

]

Originally Posted by Currency Trader

This particular topic will just expand the subject further than I intend to participate on. It can be discussed endlessly. I'd focus on what UMD is actively doing and what their policy is, rather than get stuck with their name. For me, its not the name that matters the most, but what policy they are driving and what they are trying to achieve.

Ct- the subject is the university survey and my questions/comments relate to it. I am focussing on what they're doing by questioning by what authority they have become part of the survey. For me it's how did they become part of the survey and why weren't the Macedonian Communities involved or notified, because the local communities are the representatives of the Australian Macedonian Diaspora, not UMD.
What policy are they driving and what are they trying to achieve?

There are diaspora Macedonians who accept UMD to represent them.
There are more diaspora Macedonians who do not accept them as representatives.

Their members most notably - As for methods they use, like everything else in life. There will always be differences of opinion of what should have been done and what should not have been done. I may like how they are pro-active, but in certain cases I would question some statements or action. That's only normal. The point is, every organisation will have its own set of "fans" and its own set of "enemies". This seems to be the case with Macedonian organisations.

When they purport ot represent the Diaspora without consultation or authority, they need to be questioned.

I cannot blame them for being on the survey. After all, they are looking after their own interest for the work they are putting in.
I can blame them for being on the survey without due process in notifying the Diaspora prior to entering into this survey



No I don't think so - Would it be fair to assume that you did not fill out the survey due to UMD's methods and role?
It would be fair to assume I did not fill out this survey because I couldn't verify it's validity, purpose, intent or authority from the Australian Macedonian Diaspora.



If UMD is not the preferred organisation in Australia, then what do they stand to gain in your opinion?
UMD is not the preferred organisation in Australia, they are trying to gain credibility by being part of the survey.

Have you asked UMD why they didn't consult with appropriate parties for this survey?
UMD are on this forum and have read all of the posts here, so the answer is yes they have been asked, but have yet to post a response.


--

CT
I hope this gives you a better idea of where I am coming from. If everbody decides to create their own Macedonian Diaspora and act as if they represent the entire Diaspora it would dissipate the Macedonian Diaspora into some irrelevant bunch of organisations with no credibility. As it stands the Australian Macedonian Communities have enormous credibility and are true representatives of the Australian Macedonians and have been for many decades.

[Currency Trader]

Originally Posted by Risto the Great

100% of UMD's members are probably not even sure what UMD stands for much less agree with it. I tried to ask them publicly but the answer was underwhelming..

You asked all 100%?

Originally Posted by Risto the Great

Here read it:
http://macedoniantruth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1303

Let me know what exactly you disagree with. Make sure you do.

That was a nicely written cause.

[Risto the Great]

Originally Posted by Currency Trader

You asked all 100%?

I did say probably. For good reason I might add.

Originally Posted by Currency Trader

That was a nicely written cause.

Do you agree with it?

Rogi created it in the first instance. It has had some changes but the sentiment has always been clear. The UMD thought it could be written better but would not endorse it or suggest what parts were problematic. The only assistance offered was to use more "whereas" words.

[Vangelovski]

I have just noticed that Questions 8, 9 and 10 in the survey list the possible languages the respondent may speak as:

English
Macedonian
Albanian
Other

Interesting to note that UMD felt Albanian should be given its own category rather than been grouped with other.

[indigen]

Originally Posted by Vangelovski

I have just noticed that Questions 8, 9 and 10 in the survey list the possible languages the respondent may speak as:

English
Macedonian
Albanian
Other

Interesting to note that UMD felt Albanian should be given its own category rather than been grouped with other.

You might find the answer in the following thread:

2-04-2010, 05:45 PM #1
aleksandrov

UMD Policy on the Ohrid Framework Agreement

Does the following public statement by the UMD organization amount to support for the Ohrid Framework Agreement or not?

"UMD Remembers President Trajkovski

Monday, 26 February 2007

[...]

http://www.macedoniantruth.org/forum...ead.php?t=2617

[Rogi]

Yes, I felt that question was quite odd too, given that the number of Albanians from Macedonia living in Australia is very, very minimal.

But more importantly, it goes to the heart of the question of who is Macedonian and who the UMD view as Macedonian - is it anyone originating from the Republic of Macedonia, or does the term Macedonian represent an actual ethnic group? Because if this were a survey of the Macedonian community, meaning the ethnic Macedonians in Australia, then the options should be Macedonian or English or Other. But if this is a survey of the 'people from the Republic of Macedonia living in Australia' rather than the 'Macedonian Community' then so be it - if that's what the UMD views as 'Macedonian'.

[Rogi]

I suppose I'll answer my own post/question above.

The introduction to the survey reads:

"...The survey is about the ways in which connections with Macedonia are maintained by migrants, children of migrants and those who have a close connection with Macedonia..."

So this is not a survey of the Macedonian community, rather a survey of anyone with a 'close connection with Macedonia'.

I suppose this then also welcomes all the Pontian Greeks who settled in Aegean Macedonia, then moved to Australia and feel a 'close connection with Macedonia' to also fill in the survey.

There are far more people in Australia with a Roma background, originating from Macedonia, than there are Albanians - perhaps they should have given some more respect and there are even more Greeks originating from Macedonia (it does not say 'Republic of Macedonia'), perhaps Greek should have been an option under language more so than Albanian?

[Pelister]

This is UMD looking for some 'clout' where none exists.

The 'sample' will not be representative of the larger part of the Australian Macedonian diaspora, but it will be used nevertheless by UMD to present itself as the leading representative authority of the Macedonian diaspora in Australia.

These are the kind of 'top-down' tactics used by Macedonia's enemies over the last century - MPO, the 'Central Committee' in Sofia all tried to go over the heads of genuine Macedonian rank and file organisations. Same tactics.

This reminds me of the tens of thousands of signatures that UMD had collected behind some clever campagin slogans - just so it could (falsely) represent itself as being the representative body of over 70,000 Macedonians worldwide...etc.

[Vangelovski]

Originally Posted by Pelister

This reminds me of the tens of thousands of signatures that UMD had collected behind some clever campagin slogans - just so it could (falsely) represent itself as being the representative body of over 70,000 Macedonians worldwide...etc.

That petition was started in 2004 and was mean't to be sent to various governments. Six years later and its gone nowhere. While I was still at UMD I continually brought it up as asked why that petition was not being sent out only to come up against a wall of silence.

But now you've it the nail on the head Pelister - it was a massive stunt to claim support for an organisation that does not even believe in or act on the statements laid out in that petition.