Nansen Dialogue Center Skopje is a local non-governmental organization established at the end of 1999 by several enthusiastic youngsters, supported by the famous Norwegian Professor Steinar Bryn. This organization is part of the Balkans Dialogue Project and the history of that project goes back in 1995.

The project named: “Democracy, Human Rights and Peaceful Conflict Resolution” has been created in the Nansen Academy in Lillehammer. It was intended for the young leaders from the Balkans and the goal was to train them through a 12-week course (training program) to work and operate in the fields of democracy, human rights and conflict resolution in their own communities.  

At the end of 1999 on the initiative of the Director of the project: “Democracy, Human Rights and Peaceful Conflict Resolution” Professor Steinar Bryn from the Nansen Academy in Lillehammer - Norway, several meetings have been held in Skopje with several students from Macedonia who took part in the training courses organized by the Nansen Academy – Lillehammer and the University in Oslo. 

The initiative of Professor Bryn was to launch a non-governmental, non-party, non-profit and multiethnic organization that will work with a vision for development of the civil society, promoting dialogue as a basic tool for peaceful and constructive conflict resolution among individuals and groups. 

The initiative has been accepted and completely realized in a short period of time. After a selection of candidates for employment with NDC Skopje has been made and an approval of the project has been provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom Norway (main donor of this organization), NDC Skopje Office has been officially opened in January 2000 and started to operate as the second out of ten offices opened on the Balkans constituting the Nansen Network and the Nansen Dialogue project.

Mission:

Promoting the Nansen dialogue - a tool for peaceful conflict resolution, providing a neutral space for dialogue, strengthening the people who live in conflict areas, applying dialogue, transforming and solving conflicts and providing support in the process of reconciliation between the parties at the same time promoting the democratic values, human rights, tolerance and cooperation. 

What is actually Nansen Dialogue?

There is nothing mystical or magical about dialogue. It is simply an open and sincere conversation between two or more parties in which there is an equal relation between talking and listening. The goal is not necessarily to reach an agreement, but to enhance the level of understanding between the parties. Nansen Dialogue is famous for its efforts to provide a neutral and open space, so that in such setting different participants in the conflict would have an opportunity to meet tete-a-tete in sincere and open communication. The purpose is to decrease the images about the enemy and to improve the level of understanding of different positions, interests and needs. The facilitators and lecturers aspire to simulate a cognitive analysis of the conflict as such, as well as change of roles of the parties in the conflict. The focus is not set on figuring out who is right or who is guiltier, but on how to build respect towards the democratic principles, human rights and peaceful conflict resolution in order to improve the society in the future.

The Nansen Dialogue Centre Skopje Office is named after one of the most outstanding Norwegians Fridtjof Nansen, Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Donor: 

Main donor of NDC Skopje is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom Norway, as well as the Embassy of the Kingdom Norway in Skopje.