In light of current events in Macedonia, we wanted to summarize some of the recent activities of UMD’s youth initiative, Generation M.
Generation M is back and better than ever with a revamped board and regional representatives. Take a look at all we’ve achieved in just the first 6 months of the new board’s inauguration, from May to the end of December, 2018!
In addition to the volunteer effort needed to run Generation M, putting together events can take a fair bit of financial support. We kindly ask that you donate to UMD today to keep Generation M and our activities running – we firmly believe that the youth is the future and investing in us is crucial.
If you or anyone you know would like to get involved in Generation M, please feel free to reach out to us via email, social media, @GenMacedonia, or even through our Global Co-Chairs Kristina Dimitrievski (416-557-5454) and Petar Petrovski (708-407-1239) personally at any time.
Coming up in 2019…
- Expanding Australia and EU presence
- Conducting Birthright Macedonia info sessions
- Professional Foundations Workshops on Facebook Live
- Continuing Mentorship Program
- Planning the 5th Canadian-Macedonian Leadership Conference
- Celebrating Birthright Macedonia’s 5th Anniversary
- Looking for new, talented writers for UMD Voice
Our Work in 2018
Throughout 2018, Generation M focused a lot of effort on recruitment. We were excited to see a significant jump in membership in comparison to previous years, which has allowed a greater impact in our engagement and outreach efforts. One example of an outreach initiative that our increased membership made possible was to have many Generation M college students reach out to their schools and advocate for the purchase of Macedonia 2013 – 100 Years After the Treaty of Bucharest for their school libraries.
Regional Representative Appointments
Our regional representation has also grown this year, and the following members have become Generation M Regional Representatives:
Evgenija Kiteska – Detroit, MI
Francesca Metlov – Chicago, IL
Jasmina Naum – Baltimore, MD
Ena Peeva – Milan, Italy
Alexander Polinsky – Chicago, IL
Jana Savevska – Greater Toronto Area, ON
Stefani Taskova – Melbourne, Australia
More members has meant increasing social media engagement and quality content as we grow. Generation M is active on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (@GenMacedonia), and page views and engagement have been increasing, breaking previous records every month.
Board Member Elections
Last May, Generation M elected its third Board of Directors, bringing in a fantastic new team of experienced and new members who plan to focus on increasing both membership and engagement on important issues to continue building our impact worldwide. The new Board is as follows: Kristina Dimitrievski (Global Co-Chair), Petar Petrovski (Global Co-Chair), Filip Simeski (Board Secretary), Natasha Carovska (Chair of United States Operations), Luka Petrusevski (Chair of Canadian Operations), and Emilija Dimitrievski (Vice-Chair of Canadian Operations).
Birthright Macedonia 2018
From June 29 to July 30, 2018, 5 students embarked on a 3-week long journey to discover their ancestral homeland. Kristina Blazevska, Alexander Bouneff, Emilija Dimitrievski, Vanessa Owen, and Evan Simoff participated in internship programs in a variety of fields, including Taskforce BPO, Cabinet of the President of Macedonia, and the Genetics Laboratory at the Zan Mitrev Clinic.
In addition to their internships, the students participated in weekend trips and excursions to experience Macedonian culture, including a tour of Skopje and trips to Ohrid and Galichnik for the traditional Galichnik Wedding Festival.
Stanford University Ilinden Picnic
Generation M Board Secretary, Filip Simeski, hosted a celebration of Macedonia’s national holiday on the Stanford University campus on August 11, 2018. Many Macedonians in the San Francisco Bay Area gathered to celebrate with a traditional Ilinden Picnic.
Ivanov School of Leaders
Generation M Global Co-Chair, Kristina Dimitrievski had the honour and privilege of being chosen to participate in the prestigious Ivanov School for Leaders, hosted by President of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov from August 21-30, 2018 in Struga, Macedonia. Kristina learned leadership and team-building skills from top leaders from all over the world.
Canadian-Macedonian Leadership Conference
Generation M’s Canadian branch worked together with UMD to organize the highly successful 4th Canadian-Macedonian Leadership Conference (CMLC2019) in Ottawa, Ontario on September 27-29, 2018. The Conference included a private tour of Parliament Hill, meetings with Members of Parliament Brian May and Rob Oliphant, a reception with the Macedonian Ambassador to Canada, Toni Dimovski, at the Macedonian Embassy in Canada, and a day of speakers and panel discussions. Current and former Generation M Board members, Kristina Dimitrievski, Emilija Dimitrievski, and Mario Hristovski, as well as the other members of Generation M’s CMLC2019 planning committee participated in panel discussions on disability, women’s rights and challenges, and current affairs.
Macedonian Film Festival
In October, the 13th Annual Macedonian Film Festival in Toronto screened several notable new Macedonian movies and was widely attended. UMD and Generation M members Angela Bosilkovski, Kristina Dimitrievski, and UMD Advisory Council member Elizabeth Naumovski enjoyed attending The Witnessand meeting the film’s director, Mitko Panov.
Secret Ingredient Washington, D.C. Premiere
On December 19, 2018, approximately 70 Macedonians and film-enthusiasts gathered at Landmark’s E Street Cinema for the Washington, D.C. premiere of Secret Ingredient, organized by UMD and Generation M. The film is Macedonia’s official Oscar submission for the Foreign Language Film category.
UMD Voice
UMD Voice Magazine is Generation M’s publishing platform for supporting and promoting new and rising Macedonian writers. Writing for UMD Voice gives these young Macedonian writers valuable experience, feedback, and exposure for honing their professional writing skills. UMD Voice’s audience has continued to grow in the past few months, with 8+ new articles posted with thousands of views each.
Albanian-Macedonian Cultural Festival
On behalf of UMD, Generation M Global Co-Chair Kristina Dimitrievski and UMD Macedonia Director Veronika Tomova were pleased to attend the 11thMacedonian Cultural Summer Festival in Pustec, Albania on July 25-30, 2018 to present a $6,500 grant. The festival suffered a drastic decrease in funding last year, and UMD was happy to support its efforts to promote both tourism and Macedonian culture in the beautiful Prespa Lakes region of Europe.
Generation M Volunteers at UMD’s Detroit MakBall
UMD hosted the Macedonian Tribute Ball in Detroit on September 22, to celebrate the Macedonian community and honor dignitaries and long-time friends of the Macedonian community, including President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, Congressman Paul Mitchell, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, and Evelyn Dinu. Many Generation M members were able to attend and volunteer to help make the evening such a resounding success. It was a wonderful networking opportunity for Generation M members to meet successful Macedonian-Americans.
Thank you for your outstanding support, and we look forward to updating you on our future events!
