Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Empowered lives.
Resilient nations.
IN THIS ISSUE
Innovation
STORIES
UNDPs activities in the country are within the framework of the UN Development
Assistance Framework 2010-2015, agreed between the Government and the UN
Agencies in 2009.
In this issue
Finding work just got a whole lot easier with
a new app that brings all the latest job openings
directly to your mobile
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Dear Readers
UNDP
The app can be downloaded free at Google Play. And while youre downloading the
app, check out the new accompanying site at www.prv.mk.
With Prv.mk, young people can find out about all the latest job openings across the
country, including internships, volunteer positions and entry-level job placements.
The app was developed by UNDP, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the National
Employment Agency and the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering at the
Social Innovation Hub, as an innovative solution in the countrys efforts to tackle
unemployment.
Young people were involved in every step of the apps developmenteven coming
up with the nameto make sure that the app fully matches their job-hunting needs.
Even with a staggering youth unemployment rate of over 50 percent, 90 percent
of young people in the country have access to the Internet, and over half own
smartphones.
So what better way to tackle the issue of youth unemployment than with an app that
can be accessed anytime, anywhere?
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
A smart solution:
Reaping the fruits
of technology
How can SMS and
Facebook help farmers
in Prespa?
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My
Municipality
A new initiative
for greater public
inclusion in local
policy-making
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Launched
Its Your City
It Depends on You
In December 2014, UNDP launched the first climate challenge ever attempted in the
country, inviting citizens to step up and play a role in addressing the issue, by submitting
proposals for innovative projects aimed at solving three fundamental climate-related
challenges:
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The idea is to harness the energy potential of items in daily use to provide a second
function for already existing products, such as shoes and bikes.
2. ECO-TAXI
The idea is to create Eco-Taxis by converting existing vehicles into environmentallyfriendly electric vehicles with low consumption, no exhaust or greenhouse gases and
no noise.
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4. SOLAR COOLING
6. E-SWITCH
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8. VIRAL VIDEOS
9. CLIMATE CAF
Early
Early
warning
warning
for
disasters
for disasters
only aonly
swipe
a swipe
awayaway
UNDP-supported
A UNDP-supported
mobilemobile
application
application
helped
helped
reduce
reduce
the risk
theofrisk
suffering
of suffering
and and
damage
damage
during
during
recent
recent
flooding.
flooding.
After three days of heavy rain, hundreds of homes
were flooded around here. We were cut off for two days
and without drinking water, but at least we were able
to keep informed about what was happening through
our smart phones and this new app, says Vase Krstev of
the village of Murtino in Strumica municipality.
In early 2013, Murtino was one of several villages in the
southeast of the country to be hit by floods, with more
than 80 percent of the land under water and damage
to over 400 homes.
The country is exposed to various types of natural
hazards, and floods are increasing in frequency, intensity
and losses. With the new app, developed by UNDP and
supported by the Crisis Management Centre, for the
first time emergency services were able to use smart
phones and tablets to keep people informed with upto-date and on-demand information that is easy to
navigate during a disaster.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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US $10,000
The fact that
billions of people
use mobile phones increases the
potential for applications that
can provide vital information
and help during disasters
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More
quality job
opportunities
UNLESS THESE
NEEDS ARE MET,
WE RUN THE
RISK OF:
Reduced
migration
CITIZENS
IDENTIFIED THREE
KEY PRIORITIES:
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Further
migration
from rural to
urban areas,
and more
emigration
from the
country
Improved
education
Deepened
poverty,
leading to
social
conflicts
A reduction
in the quality
of the youth
workforce
Finding
ways to
encourage
young
people to
stay in the
country
Protecting the
environment
and reducing
air pollution
SOLUTIONS
PROPOSED BY
THE CITIZENS:
Reducing disparities
between rural and
urban areas
Reforming
the
education
system
Ensuring better
education,
providing skills
in demand on
the market
THE MAJOR
CHALLENGES
TO OVERCOME
BY 2020 ARE:
Strengthening
institutions so
they are able to
deliver equal
services for all
Supporting
young peoples
transition from
school to work
UNDP/Andrej Ginovski
The Roma
Information
Center
of the
Future
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Catering
to fresh talent
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w w w. m o j k e t e r i n g . m k
UNDP
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Getting Ahead
of the Game:
Foresight to
Address Complex
Water-Related
Challenges
The Strumica River Basin is one of
the countrys most vulnerable
regions to climate change.
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Pick a card
To generate new perceptions, data, and future scenarios for the Stumica River Basin,
we used a methodology called foresight eXplorer.
Featuring a localized deck of cards - in both English and Macedonian - the foresight
eXplorer uses collaborative, face-to-face gaming dynamics to generate novel
discussions and new learning opportunities.
In less than two months, 12 workshops were held, drawing 300 people from the
regions six municipalities.
Participants were eager to share insights and perspectives on the critical aspects of
sustainable water management and possibilities for what might lie ahead.
Flood
prevention
emerges as
highest priority
among local
residents in the
Strumica River
Basin
While the EUs Water Framework Directive and programme of measures were used to
build content for the game, the idea of the foresight eXplorer is to widen the scope of
analysis, so gamers were given the opportunity to generate content at any time.
The process identified the prevention of flooding as the top overall priority for local
stakeholdersa finding that matches the conclusions of ongoing expert analyses.
It also provided an excellent basis for designing and implementing a comprehensive
basin-scale flood risk management programme by supporting investments in
ecological restoration projects and in the sectors most affected by water-related issues,
including agriculture and forestry.
In addition to charting the challenges facing the region, participants were also asked
to consider opportunities and wild cardsevents that seem unlikely but will have a
big impact. Some of the wild card events suggested by participants at the workshops
include: bioterrorism, degradation of the Turia Dam, and problems surrounding the
Ilovica Mine, which has not yet been constructed.
Using the foresight eXplorer helped the project team to explore radical possibilities
for what might lie ahead. Furthermore, it enlivened public engagement in monitoring
and management of critical water issues and inspired new and deeper conversations
amongst those affected most by climate change.
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UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
A game-changing approach
to promoting sustainable
farming in Prespa
Unsustainable agricultural practices among the apple farmers of Prespa Lake have been proven to be a major cause
of pollution in the ecologically vulnerable region.
One of UNDPs key aims has therefore been to help farmers change these harmful agricultural practices and adopt
more sustainable farming methods.
Bringing about such a shift from traditional methods of farming is a major challenge. This is a region where many
livelihoods depend on agriculture and unsustainable methods of farming have become long-standing habits.
To overcome this challenge, it is crucial to raise awareness among the farming community of the damage caused
by unsustainable farming and the many risks involved if they do not adopt more environmentally responsible
practices.
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OPENING
THE WINDOW
ON MUNICIPAL
SERVICES IN
GEVGELIJA
Before now, most people outside the administration
found it quite difficult to access and understand a
lot of information about the key functions of the
municipality, says Risto Atanasovski of the local NGO
Foundation for Local and IT Development in Gevgelija.
This was especially the case with the environmental
protection and communal services provided by the
municipalitythings like waste management and
water supply. But now with this new IT tool, Dashboard,
all this information is available at a glance in a highly
user-friendly and interactive format. This is a major step
towards greater transparency and citizen participation
in local government.
Dashboard is the latest innovative tool designed to
open the window on municipal functions and facilitate
greater public participation in local decision-making on
environmental protection services.
Launched in April 2014, this new interactive online web
tool developed with UNDPs support is now successfully
operating in the Municipality of Gevgelija and looks set
for expansion to other local government functions and
services.
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The public can now easily contact and give feedback to the relevant
department through the site. In this way they will be directly
involved in the creation of municipal policy, since we will use this
feedback to help improve the quality of our services. All in all,
Dashboard is a great breakthrough in the transparency
and accountability of local administration.
Ivan Frangov, Mayor of the Municipality of Gevgelija
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Development is about people and Development Stories brings people and their stories
to the forefrontthe people we work for and the people we work with.
Through interviews and feature stories, news and reviews of all our latest projects, and
interesting facts from UNDP-backed research, this magazine brings our development
work to life.
Contact us:
United Nations Development Programme
Address: 8-ma Udarna Brigada 2
1000 Skopje
Tel: (+389 2) 3 249 500
Fax: (+389 2) 3 249 505
web site: www.undp.org.mk, www.un.org.mk
Follow us on twitter: @UNDPMK
Spring 2015