United Macedonian Diaspora
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| Founder(s) | Aleksandar Mitreski, Hristina Bojadzieva, Zak Milenkovski, Marina Veljanovska, Denis Manevski, Boban Jovanovski, Metodija A. Koloski, Steve Gligorov |
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| Type | Human Rights, Advocacy, Cultural |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Location | 1510 H Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005 United States |
| Key people | President of the Organization Board of Directors |
| Area served |  United States Canada Australia United Kingdom Belgium Germany France Austria Ukraine Russia |
| Focus | To foster unity among Macedonian people, and advance their cause |
| Members | N/A |
| Motto | "United, We Can!" |
| Website | umdiaspora.org |
The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) (Macedonian: Обединета македонска дијаспора, Latinic: Obedineta makedonska dijaspora) is an international membership organization founded in 2004 and based in Washington, D.C. addressing the interests and needs of ethnic Macedonian communities throughout the world. UMD has representatives serving Macedonian communities around the world, including Brussels, Canberra, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, Perth, Stuttgart, Sydney and Toronto. The UMD is a not-for-profit entity and a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
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[edit] Goals
The United Macedonian Diaspora states its main goal is to "foster unity among Macedonian people, and advance their cause".[1] The UMD is involved in advocacy on issues concerning the Republic of Macedonia and ethnic Macedonians around the world. UMD also endeavors to promote, present and preserve the historical, spiritual and cultural heritage of the Republic of Macedonia and the ethnic Macedonians. UMD is achieving these goals by active advocacy, charity engagements and various educational programs.
[edit] Board of directors
The current members of the UMD Board of Directors are as follows:
Metodija A. Koloski, President
Aleksandar Mitreski, Vice President
Ivona M. Grimberg, Secretary
Denis Manevski, Treasurer
Ordan Andreevski, Director of Australian Operations
Jim Daikos, Director of Canadian Operations
Stojan Nikolov, Board Chairman
Dame Krcoski, Board Member
Goran Saveski, Board Member
[edit] Publications
UMD publishes its magazine UMD Voice four times a year. The magazine keeps the UMD members informed on the latest events concerning the Republic of Macedonia and the ethnic Macedonians as well as UMD organized events and initiatives. The newest issue of UMD Voice is available free of charge at this location. The editor of UMD Voice is Mark Branov.
[edit] Criticism
The United Macedonian Diaspora states its main goal is to "foster unity among Macedonian people, and advance their cause", however, it is also lobbying intensively to spread the nationalistic antiquization policy which VMRO-DPMNE, the ruling party of the Republic of Macedonia, has pursued since the coming to power in 2006,[2][3] and is also lobbying for the Republic of Macedonia on the Macedonia naming dispute.[4][5] The UMD is active in a "cultural war" against Greece[6] using polemic attitudes and pejorative language,[7][8] and supports and promotes the irredentist United Macedonia concept.[9]
The UMD operates as a tax-exempt, international non-profit organization in the U.S under Law 501 C3, which prohibits lobbying within the U.S to those who are authorised to run non-profit organisations. Those who intend to lobby professionaly, have to proceed with the establishment of such bodies, under even stricter financial control, such as the IRS.[10] However, Metodija Koloski and the UMD lobby inside and outside the U.S., an action which constitutes a conflict of interest; In mid 2008, the UMD paid the Orion Strategies, a lobbying firm founded by Randy Scheunemann which is lobbying on behalf of the Republic of Macedonia, with the amount of $ 300,000.[11][12][13][14] Metodija A. Koloski, the president of UMD, has been operating as an agent for the Turkish government since 2008[15] through DLA Piper which is officially lobbying for Turkey.[16][17][18] Koloski is also a contributor to the Turkish Coalition USA,[19][20] a project of the Turkish Coalition of America[21] which donated to the UMD the sum of $150.000.[22][23] In 2010, the Turkish Coalition of America sponsored a visit to the Republic of Macedonia of a delegation organised together with the United Macedonian Diaspora.[24]
According to U.S. Law,[25] foreign agents as well as non-profit organisations are not allowed to lobby within the U.S. in favour of foreign countries/principals without disclosing to the U.S. Congress that they are not representing the interests of U.S citizens. The UMD is not, by its own by-laws, a U.S. organization representing the interests of U.S. citizens. However, Koloski, a registered Foreign Agent and the UMD, an international non-profit organization representing the interests of Macedonians all over the world, created a Macedonian Caucus with the help of a US Congresswoman Rep Candice Miller.[26][27][28]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "United Macedonian Diaspora - Mission and Officers". http://umdiaspora.org/content/view/31/67/. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ^ Ghosts of the Past Endanger Macedonia's Future, BalkanInsight, October 27 2009
- ^ Ludomir R. Lozny, Comparative Archaeologies: A Sociological View of the Science of the Past (ch. The Macedonian Question), Springer, 2011, p.427
- ^ Countryman: Now is the time to solve name issue, Individi, 25 June 2011
- ^ NEW UMD CAMPAIGN: Australia, Recognise Macedonia Today!, United Macedonian Diaspora
- ^ Loring Danforth, in Ethnic Groups of Europe: An Encyclopedia (Ethnic Groups of the World), ABC-CLIO, 2011, p.252
- ^ Metodija A. Koloski & Mark Branov: Time to let Macedonia play with the big boys, National Post Nov 28, 2011
- ^ Support Macedonia’s Struggle Against Greece’s Intransigence, UMD
- ^ UMD interview, UMD President Metodija A. Koloski interviewed UMD Lifetime Achievement Award recipient John L.N. Bitove.
- ^ IRS, Lobbying
- ^ 5 Foreign Governments Orion Strategies Has Represented
- ^ Foreign Lobbying, Orion Strategies
- ^ Foreign Lobbying, Contacts on behalf of Government of Macedonia
- ^ Ethnos
- ^ Koloski's registration at the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of the U.S. Department of Justice
- ^ Foreign Lobbying, DLA Piper
- ^ ProPublica: Adding it up: The Top Players in Foreign Agent Lobbying
- ^ Ali H. Aslan, How did last-minute hopes turn into disappointment?, Zaman, 10 October 2007.
- ^ Turkish Coalition USA PAC Contributors
- ^ TC-USA PAC
- ^ New Turkish American PAC Established
- ^ UMD and TCA Announce Historic $150,000 Matching Grant Agreement
- ^ Turkish Coalition of America
- ^ TCA Congressional Delegation Completes Macedonia Visit, TCA
- ^ FARA
- ^ [1], Exclusive Dnevnik Interview with Congresswoman Candice Miller
- ^ [2], Macedonia Independence Day Message from Congresswoman Candice S. Miller]
- ^ [3], First Macedonia Caucus in US Congress formed
[edit] External links
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