PROGRAM OF GOVERNMENT 2017-2020 Building one society for all Certain politicians in the past decided to pursue divisive policies, policies that stirred conflicts and split people along binary lines. These are policies that are stuck in the past, not looking toward the future. Cultural and ethnic differences became instruments for political struggle and abuse. Confrontations increased the gap between different ethnic communities, increased religious intolerance, and stimulated intolerance towards different minority and marginalized groups in the society, such as members of the LGBTI community, oftentimes resulting in outbursts of group or individual violence. The new Government will pursue policies that will enshrine Macedonia as a civic state of all its citizens: Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Serbs, Vlach, Roma, Bosniaks and all other communities. We will build a multicultural society based on the principles of greater intercultural communication and the spirit of respect of differences and cultural pluralism. We will work on the reduction of ethnic, social and economic differences between communities and implement projects based on integrative practices and the investment in unbiased state. We will support language policies that support the needs and interest of all citizens, all ethnic communities and the state as a whole. In this regard, the new Government will propose legal arrangements on the use of languages in view of extending the use of the official language spoken by at least 20% of citizens, i.e. the Albanian language, within the constitutional limits set by Amendment V to the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia. The law will extend the use of the language, clearly define the obligations of institutions and enable ethnic Albanian citizens to communicate with state institutions in their mother tongue, thus providing means for easier and more effective enjoyment of their constitutional rights. Concurrently, the law will fully guarantee the appropriate use of the Macedonian language and all other languages in official use in certain local self-government units – Turkish, Roma, Serbian, Vlach and Bosniak. In this regard, the Government will establish a national language center and a corresponding inspectorate. Our common goal is to build a tolerant society. Consequently, we will support programs which, together with measures pursued in the education, social policy and cultural spheres, will liberate young people from the ethnic chains and existing prejudices and open up channels of communication based on mutual respect. Dialogue is the only road to mutual understanding. Mutual understanding is the only thing that can save us from ethnic misunderstanding. Successful societies are built on the principles of respect and care of both one’s own culture and the cultural values of other communities. The values of our mutual society will be built in kindergartens and schools. Consequently, we will introduce elements of multicultural learning for all children across the country, based on projects and activities enhancing their understanding of freedom, tolerance and coexistence. We will implement worldwide best practices in intercultural education. We will stimulate projects of multicultural playing and inter-linguistic communication in higher levels of education. We will not create ethnocentric cultures, closed within the four walls of one’s ethnic belonging. We envisage a country where cultures coexist, cooperate, build on each other and mutually reinforce each other. This is the strength of our culture. In order to preserve this heritage, we will develop solutions which will proportionally support and enhance 18