The IICP was asked to support the project "Intercultural Communication and Social Work", which is run by the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Entwicklungshilfe - AGEH" in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Prof. Rainer Jaroschek set up this praxis oriented research and study program at the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy within the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Skopje.

The aim was to contribute to the resolution of conflicts emerging from the rights of nations, ethnic groups and religious minorities to self-determination, on the one hand, and on the other, to maintain the multi-ethnic state of FYROM. The project attempted to foster the adequate understanding of multiculturalism and the value of co-existence by exploring the various groups' different ways of life. It came up with new approaches of intercultural social work, that contributes to conflict transformation.

Within the project, students became active in the neighbourhood of Chair, which is a multicultural district of Skopje. Chair is inhabited by 48% Macedonians, 38% Albanians, 4% Turks, 3,5 % Bosniaks, 2% Serbs, 1,5% Roma and 3% others. The local administration regards Chair as one of the problem zones where ethnic tensions exist.

In 2003-04 some of these tensions crystallized at the Arseni Jovokov school based in Chair. Seven Albanian school classes were to be integrated at the former Macedonian-only school. This led to strikes of the Macedonian pupils, protest by the parents and public demonstrations.

The students of the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy, under the guidance of Prof. Jaroschek, decided to become active as mediators. The IICP was asked to support this effrot.

In May 2004 a training in conflict transformation (supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation) was delivered to the students, and a mediation session with the conflict parties took place under the guidance of Wilfried Graf and Gudrun Kramer.

Further training for some of the students was provided at the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution - ASPR.

In June 2005 the IICP was invited to deepen the conflict transformation skills of the students and to provide supervision for the students. This initiative was supported by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

For further information see IICP Working Papers.