User:MegjashiWiki/The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi

First children's embassy in the world - Megjashi Republic of Macedonia was founded on the 29th of April 1992 in Skopje, Macedonia. Megjashi is a world association of citizens and represents an international nonpartisan, nongovernmental and nonprofit humanitarian association for the care of children and the children's rights.

The name Megjashi stands for honoring children's personality through the protection of their rights, and through the enrichment of their movemenet for protection of children rights in the Republic of Macedonia, by developing a volountary approach.

"During the period from 1992 until 2015, Megjashi was initialy focussing on protection of the children's rights", say from the First children's embassy in the world - Megjashi.

How it all started
It all started as a reaction on the eruption of the war in former Yugoslavia, in June 1991, the small region around the small village Megjashi was declared as "The first children's country in the World". This village is situated on the border of the country Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia.The "Megjashi" project drew a remarkable amount of attention, upon itself from the ex-Yugoslav and European media alike, representing a world without violence in which children's rights are respected.

In the April 1992 a appeal was forwarded from Sarajevo for the temporary evacuation of thousands of children who needed to be saved from all-destructive shelling. In Skopje this appeal was heard, after which Gordana Pirkovska - Zmijanac, and her husband Dragi Zmijanac, took the initiative to found the First children's embassy in the world Megjashi. What followed was the establishing of an airlift from Sarajevo to Skopje, through which around 6000 mothers and children found refugee in Macedonia. During the following years Megjashi continued to offer support to children affected by war and violence. At first only for the children and mothers from former Yugoslavia, later also refugees from Kosovo and Macedonia found their way to Megjashi. In the course of it's existence more that tens of thousands of mothers and children from all denominations and nationalities have found safety through the support of Megjashi.

In the moment, Megjashi is recognized as the leading Macedonian NGO for advocating and promoting children's rights. As a confirmation of it's work, Megjashi received the first award for civil society and democracy in 2001. The award was given in recognition of it's lasting and sustainable contribution in developing civil awareness of children's rights.

Monitoring of Children's Rights
The report on the realization of children's rights in Macedonia gives a general overview of the situation regarding the realization of the right to education by children with special educational needs, as well as the inclusion of Roma Children in the overall educational process. This report also elaborates on the situation in the areas of breastfeeding, juvenile justice, respect for children's rights in the area of child participation, children who use drugs and children victims of sale, trafficking and kidnapping.

Aims
Megjashi stands for respect of the child's personality through protection of the children's rights and living in peace, by strengthening the NGO movement for the children's rights, encouraging and developing volunteerism and implementation of the Convention for the rights of the child.

Year by year, the number of projects that Megjashi is in charge with is bigger, therefore with the new strategic plan these programs. The assigned working plan intents to strengthen the capacity of the organization through realization of the above activities.

MISSION AND VISION OF THE ORGANIZATION
The First Children's Embassy in the World - Megjashi is a World Association of citizens and represents an International non-partisan, non-governmental and non-profit humanitarian association for the care of children's rights.

Through Extensive advocacy and campaigning Megjashi is helping to bring down the wall of silence concerning children's rights, especially the ones related to physical, sexual and economic abuse of children, thereby exposing to the public numerous cases of abuse and directly supporting mechanisms for children's protection.