The 2023 Meto Jovanovski National Award, honoring endeavors in championing human rights, was presented in Parliament on Sunday. The recipients included representatives from the Lice v lice street magazine and Borche Stojmenov, an activist born in Kavadarci renowned for refurbishing donated computers and distributing them to those in need.

Founded in 2012, Lice v lice is committed to advancing sustainable development, social justice, equality, democracy, and humanity. The magazine, printed on recycled paper and available online since 2020, was acknowledged for its significant advocacy.

Maja Ravanska, the magazine’s editor, accepted the award and highlighted Lice v lice’s focus on issues such as the right to work and advocacy for marginalized communities. Notably, their work with 150 street paper vendors, including Valentin Rakip, who transitioned from being undocumented to a spokesperson for undocumented individuals, was emphasized.

Additionally, Stojmenov received recognition for his “Donate a Computer” initiative, which involves refurbishing broken computers and donating them to socially disadvantaged families since 2016. His efforts became particularly critical during the pandemic when the lack of access to computers for online education became apparent.

Stojmenov, upon receiving the award, underscored the importance of internet access as a fundamental human right, citing his contributions of approximately 2,700 computers to disadvantaged families and the setup of 40 classrooms across the country.

The Meto Jovanovski National Award, named after the Macedonian writer and human rights advocate Meto Jovanovski, is presented annually on World Human Rights Day. Jovanovski, the first president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, left a lasting legacy in advocating for human rights causes.