According to the 2006 Australian Census there were over 83,000 Australians who declared their Macedonian identity. The greater the number of people with Macedonian identity and ancestry, the more attention will be paid to the community by the government and important organisations and groups.
The forthcoming Census on 9 August 2011 is an excellent opportunity for everyone in our community to freely and accurately declare their connection with Macedonia through birth, language, ancestry and religion. Participation by everyone is important because by correctly completing the Census form you can:
– Meet your legal obligations to the Australian Bureau of Statistics;
– Build the profile of the Macedonian community across Australia;
– Empower the Macedonian community to get better educational, health, social and policy outcomes from the Australian Government and the Australian Parliament as well as from state and local government;
– Assist the Australian Government as well as state and local government to better understand and plan for the diverse needs of the Macedonian community;
– Help researchers and policy makers in Australia and in Macedonia to develop evidence based reports and policies in support of the Macedonian diaspora;
– Contribute to the historical profile of Macedonians in Australia which current and future generations can use to map and piece together family units and family trees.
The ABS Census is an important source of information on the state of the Australian multicultural nation and the state of the Macedonian community. It captures important information which government, industry and communities can use to plan and deliver better social, economic and environmental outcomes for Australian society.
The Australian-Macedonian Human Rights Committee has prepared two leaflets in both English and Macedonian to bring awareness about the importance of the Australian Census for Macedonians. There are four questions on the Census that specifically relate to Australian Macedonians.
http://macedonianhr.org.au/wip/images/stories/pdf/2011_Census%20_EN.pdf (In English) http://www.macedonianhr.org.au/wip/images/stories/pdf/2011_census_mk.pdf (In Macedonian)
For more information on the ABS Census, please visit http://abs.gov.au/census.
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UMD NEEDS YOUR HELP TODAY TO CONTINUE ITS IMPORTANT WORK!!!
Here are a few ways you can help:
– Become a Member of UMD by clicking HERE; or
– Become a monthly donor to UMD, $20, $50 goes a long way, or make a one-time donation by clicking HERE; or
– Pledge your support to become a Macedonian Companion (donating $1,000 a year for 3 years, comes out to $84 a month) by e-mailing UMD Vice President Aleksandar Mitreski at amitreski@umdiaspora.org ; (Learn more about the Macedonian Companions Program by clicking)
– Buy a book on Macedonian history through UMD’s Amazon Store and donate it to your nearest public library by clicking HERE. (UMD can earn up to 15% from Amazon for each purchase)
– Conduct all your searches through UMD’s Yahoo-powered search engine by clicking HERE. (UMD earns a penny from every search conducted)
– Please Pass this website link to every Macedonian you know!
Have you seen some of the videos or pictures from the 3rd Annual UMD Global Conference this past June 23-25, 2011 in Washington, D.C.? Please click HERE.