AmCham Macedonia Spring 2014 (Issue 41) | Page 10

ANALYSIS we promote mutual cooperation and inclusion of all parties. The planned activities in each part of the Strategy can’t be accomplished without cooperation among all parties,” Kusinikova explains. It seems that at least part of the blame for the lack of volunteerism in the country lies with local business leaders who fail to recognize the benefit giving back by encouraging their employees to volunteer in their local communities. “Our companies must learn how to establish long term volunteer projects,” she says, adding that such projects benefit the local community as well as to increase staff motivation and cohesiveness in the company. Volunteerism is Contagious There are plenty of examples Macedonia could learn from. One such organization that has been working in Macedonia since 1996 is the U.S. Peace Corps. Established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the Peace Corps is a U.S. government agency devoted to helping people in need in over 70 countries around the world. The Country Director of Peace Corps in Macedonia, Kathleen Corey, says their mission is simple: to go in and help without much fuss. “We lead by example, we are quiet and do our job without much pomp,” Corey explains. In this way, the Peace Corps has managed to bring some 500 Americans from all walks of life to live and [[