The National Roma Centrum of Macedonia is running a BUVERO camp at Etno Selo in Kumanovo. Together with mentors from Hungary’s Romedia Foundation, they have been instructing Romani women aged 18-25 in "citizen journalism".
The camp runs from 13-26 July and will train the women in professional filmmaking, journalism, and the study of the Romani identity. Another BUVERO camp is also being held in Hungary for the third year in a row.
The word "buvero" means "shell" in Romanes, symbolising "good communication, positive relationships, and the power of womanhood", according to organizers. The camp has been open to any members of the press interested in interacting with organizers and participants.
Freedom House, a US-based organization that monitors press freedom, among other issues, gave Macedonia a 57 for its freedom of the press on a scale from 0 to 100 last year, where 0 is the most free and 100 is the least free (countries among the "worst of the worst" include Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan). Hungary was ranked 37 this year; countries with the freest media include the Czech Republic (ranked 21), but only 14 % of the world’s population live in countries with a free press.
