The magazine, designed to break stereotypes in society, was created in December 2006 in cooperation between VCS and the high school “Dr. Pance Karagjozov”.

Our ideals are the same as at the end of 2006 when we published the first issue of “Voices” magazine. In a much more modest version, but with a powerful message: tolerance. At that time, we were concerned about violence among young people from different ethnic communities in our homeland. We could not silently observe how the already fragile coexistence is going to break on the most innocent and naive – the children. And that’s why we raised our voices. We became the voice. We became “Voices”.

The magazine, designed to break stereotypes in society, was created with the career center at the high school “Dr. Pance Karagjozov”.

“We wanted young journalists, activists and volunteers to quickly spread the word about the ethnic prejudices and tensions that were active among young people at the time. For a short time, the magazine was supported by the Agency for Youth and Sports, and then it became and is the full responsibility, obligation and satisfaction of the Volunteer Center Skopje. In the meantime, the magazine has grown into a quality product, in which hundreds and hundreds of young volunteers have learned to write and think like journalists, to design, to improve their language skills, to learn teamwork in an intercultural environment and to create public opinion.” Nikola Stankoski, founder and director of VCS.

Lindita, Elmedija, Damjan, Monica, Silhan, Harris, Amir, Fikret, Vladimir, Valentina and Nikolce edited the first issues of “Voices” with special support from professor Blagoja Gjorcevski.

“We all need to understand that together we are stronger, only together we can reach a better and more peaceful future. Aren’t we tired of moving away, do we not understand what we are missing and what they are filling our heads with? There is no nation without its own problems, no one should think that prejudices are true, because the reality is different”, the young people appealed.

A decade and a half later, “Voices”, in the year of its 15th anniversary, continues to steadily break down stereotypes in society. Our magazine, which we publish online every month and print three times a year (and distribute free of charge), is written in Macedonian, English and Albanian. It currently writes Jules, Rute, Dafina, Clarissa, Christopher, Simona, Ewelina, Selina, Ana-Maria, Vitoria, Elton, Josip … Foreign volunteers staying in VCS, local supporters, activists and youth workers from Macedonia and from abroad who need to express their views.

We try to be current and modern without getting dirty with politics or hate speech. We offer freshness and optimism to the readers. Media literacy is an important tool in raising democratic awareness in society. Join us, because “we all need to understand that together we are stronger, only together we can reach a better and more peaceful future”.

Goran Adamovski