Friday, 12 April 2013
REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IPS ALUMNI
The Regional Conference of the former students participating in the International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS), project of the German Bundestag in collaboration with the Humboldt University in Berlin, was held today in organization of the Association for Parliamentary Cooperation IPS Macedonia. The topic of the Conference was the IPS heritage in focus: through active IPS associations to increased participation in the political and social life in the home country. Members of the IPS associations from the Balkans and officials of the Federal Republic of Germany took part in the event.
Through the IPS Programme the German Bundestag is giving opportunity to young graduate students from South-Eastern Europe to learn more about the parliamentary system in Germany during the 15-week internship. The International Parliamentary Scholarships is aimed at young people with higher education who are interested in politics and want to participate actively and responsibly in the development of democracy in their countries.
The goal of the Conference was the exchange of experiences among former IPS students about the possibilities for social activism with assistance from the IPS alumni network in the different countries and the relevant German and regional stakeholders.
Mr. Trajko Veljanoski - President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Marc Bomhoff from the Bundestag, and Ms. Karin Foistner - Deputy Head of Mission in the German Embassy in Macedonia, addressed the participants.
In his welcoming address, President Veljanoski expressed satisfaction from the fact that he took over the patronage of the IPS Programme which helps in the building of the capacities of the young people from South East Europe.
Ms. Radmila Sekerinska - Chairperson of the National Council for European Integration, Mr. Antonijo Milososki - Chairman of the Foreing Policy Committee and Head of the Parliamentary Group for Cooperation with the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Ivan Petrusevski - member of the International Cooperation Department responsible for implementation of the Programme in the Assembly, Dr. Heinz Bongartz - representative of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Ms. Daniela Popovska from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Mr. Marc Bomhoff - official responsible for international exchange programmes in the Bundestag, talked about the work of the IPS associations and their role in the social and political life.
H.E. Ms. Gudrun Steinacker - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Macedonia, closed the three-day Conference.