The citizens of Skopje saved over 111 million denars from destruction
When you are well organized, 24 hours is enough time to travel to the other side of the planet, read a book, or learn a new skill. However, 24 hours is enough time for the “destruction” of a lot of money which North Macedonia loses every day from corruption. Through a 24-hour “Whistle for the End” performance in Skopje, at “Macedonia Square” on June 23, 2021, the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) demonstrated to citizens how they can save money from corruption, by pressing a button, i.e., symbolically blowing the whistle.
During the performance at the Square “Macedonia” in Skopje, the destruction of money was shown symbolically, while in reality it is really destroyed through corruption, which is all around us. Untouchable until the citizens, by their actions and raising their voices, change it. This time they did it by actively participating in the performance and choosing to “whistle for the end” to corruption by pressing a button, and with their actions they saved more than 111 million denars.
Mrs. Aneta Arnaudovska, the Senior Anti-Corruption Advisor at the RAI Secretariat, noted in front of the media: “With the street performance, we wanted to draw attention to the damage that corruption causes to our society and to the significant role that each person has in the fight against corruption.”
In his address at the event, the EU Deputy Head of Delegation, Mr. Julian Vassallo highlighted: “The right to report corruption is a tool to foster transparency and integrity. And a way of protecting the common good. That’s why it is essential to establish mechanisms for citizens to report corruption safely and to be protected from any forms of retaliation, be it legal, economic or personal. Whistle-blowers can be truly encouraged to speak out against corruption only when they really trust the institutions that receive their complaints. Only then, citizens can fully contribute to the fight against corruption”.
The performance Whistle the end! on the central square in Skopje took place on the World Whistleblowers’ Day 2021. Mrs. Sofka Pejovska Dojchinovska, Member of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, emphasized the following: “Today, in a symbolic way, through this event, we demonstrated that each of us can contribute to the fight against corruption. However, in order to encourage more individuals to refuse participation in corruption and to actively get involved in the fight against corruption, institutional support is necessary. Anyone who wants to submit an initiative for possible corruption, especially whistleblowers, must have the support and the protection from the institutions.”
