OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, "LET’S BUILT FRIENDSHIP AND SCHOOL SAFETY TOGETHER"

Описание: OSCE School Safety Project – Closing Ceremony & Police Open Day (Saraj, Skopje | 2007)

This video shows a segment from the national evening news in North Macedonia covering the Closing Ceremony of the OSCE project “Let’s Build Friendship and School Safety Together,” implemented in Saraj Municipality, Skopje.

The project was carried out between March–May 2007 during my assignment as Community Police Advisor with the OSCE, involving 16 schools and focusing on student safety, awareness, and community-oriented policing.

Detailed project description:

This video documents the Closing Ceremony / Police Open Day of the project “Let’s Build Friendship and School Safety Together,” implemented in the Municipality of Saraj, Skopje, under the coordination of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje. The project was prepared and implemented during my assignment as Community Police Advisor with the OSCE between 2004 and 2007, and was carried out over a three-month period (March–May 2007). The primary objective of the project was to raise students’ awareness of personal safety and everyday risks in and around schools, particularly concerning malicious groups targeting children, suspicious individuals approaching students near school premises, and unknown or itinerant vendors operating in school surroundings and neighbourhoods.

Throughout the project, I personally visited 16 elementary and secondary schools, where I delivered interactive awareness sessions combining structured information with open discussions. Students were advised not to engage with unknown or suspicious individuals, not to accept requests, offers, or items from strangers, and to avoid individuals or groups displaying concerning behaviour around schools and residential areas. Strong emphasis was placed on reporting concerns to school authorities, parents, or the police. Using proactive, scenario-based discussions, practical examples, and age-appropriate dialogue, students’ attention was actively engaged, encouraging critical thinking, situational awareness, and responsible decision-making rather than fear-based messaging.

The project was implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, the General Police Directorate, local and traffic police units, school principals, and neighbourhood representatives in the Saraj Municipality. The Closing Ceremony, held on 30 May 2007, brought together students, educators, police representatives, and local authorities. During the event, OSCE officials formally thanked participating school principals and awarded certificates of appreciation. Students received educational brochures and handbooks, while police units—including Traffic Police and Narcotics and Anti-Smuggling Units—conducted live demonstrations, including drug-detection dog demonstrations, offering practical insight into policing and public safety work.

This video is a segment from the national evening news in North Macedonia, where the project and its closing ceremony were covered as a public-interest story. As the project was fully designed, implemented, and presented by me on behalf of the OSCE during my tenure as Community Police Advisor, the video is shared on my personal YouTube channel for documentation, institutional memory, and knowledge-sharing purposes. The content reflects a preventive, child-centred, and community-oriented policing approach, aimed at strengthening school safety, building trust between youth and law enforcement, and fostering long-term community resilience.