Preserving Our History
for the Future
Since 1922, the Macedonian Patriotic Organization’s mission has focused on preserving Macedonian history and culture by creating a sense of community here in the U.S. and Canada. Our common heritage is what bonds us and by coming together as part of the MPO community, we ensure our history lives on for future generations. We invite you to learn about our history and culture and encourage you to become an active member of our Macedonian community.
Upcoming Events & NEWS
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM NICHOLAS STEFANOFF
NEW PRESIDENT OF THE MACEDONIAN PATRIOTIC ORGANIZATION
OCTOBER 2024
For the last several years, I have been writing MACEDONIAN TRIBUNE articles about the need for all Macedonians world-wide to reconcile our differences and end the polarization between those Macedonians who identify as Macedonians with Bulgarian roots and those who identify as ethnic Macedonians or simply as Macedonians with no qualifiers whatsoever. The demonization based on Cold War narratives must end once and for all. We are all ONE PEOPLE or one extended family who have a common patriotic Macedonian consciousness and, in spite of our disagreements, we must learn to respect, love and care for each other as most families with disagreements do. As the new president of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization of the United States of America and Canada, my time for writing is done, it is now time for clear and focused action!
Since the unanimous adoption of our revised bylaws at the 2023 MPO annual convention, our official mandate is now the unification of ALL Macedonians regardless of their ethnicities. This was a founding principle of our MPO forefathers, a principle that got sidetracked into an identity crisis with our own Cold War narrative demonizing the ethnic Macedonian identity because ethnic Macedonians were doing the same to us with their Cold War narrative.
The best way to end the demonizations and animosities between our people is for the MPO to lead by example and showing the world that the Macedonian Patriotic Organization stands for the One People, Two Identities, a concept that requires our acceptance of respecting the right of all Macedonians to self-identify as they wish and our acceptance of the prerequisite that all Macedonians respect each others’ ethnicities. This is no longer an issue of who is right and who is wrong, who is telling the truth and who is lying; it is an issue of tolerance, acceptance, recognition and an understanding that we as a people were forced to follow different paths since the partition of our homeland in 1913. It is also an issue of understanding that in today’s world the differences in our ethnic identities are not something we are forced to accept; they are something that we choose to accept. References from the past to fascism, communism, brainwashing, ethnic cleansing and Nazism are no longer factors influencing who we are today. The only thing that really matters is that we are all Macedonians.
To lead by example, we must end all references to the past Cold War narratives and accept each other for who we are. Unfortunately, references to these narratives still exist within our organization and they are a cancer that mitigates our prime mandate. These narratives have no place in our very positive One People, Two Identities narration of today! One People, Two Identifies does not ignore the past, it remembers the past with an important twist. Our Macedono-Bulgarian and Bulgarian Macedonian identities are the same as in the past without the animosities and hatred toward ethnic Macedonians and our ethnic Macedonian identity is the same identity of the past minus the hatred towards Bulgaria and everything Bulgarian.
It is essential that all MPO members and chapters adhere to our present narration because by not doing this, our credibility as the leading voice in Macedonian unity is nil. This is why I say the following: If there are any individual members or chapters that cannot adhere to our mandate of today, there is no place for them in our organization.
It is time to open all of our minds to the present realities because this is absolutely necessary for the success of our mission and for the very existence of our organization for the next 100 years! I do have faith in all of our chapters and members that they can and will step up to the plate. Please do not prove me wrong.
I want to add one more point. Stepping up to the plate does not mean you need to agree with everything we do with respect to our mandate. It means that you voice your objections in a courteous and civil manner without demonizing individuals and chapters and it means providing constructive criticism and alternate solutions that will more effectively contribute to the success of our noble objective.
May God bless us all and may God bless the MPO!
99 Years of the MACEDONIAN TRIBUNE
First published on February 10, 1927, the MACEDONIAN TRIBUNE is the longest-running Macedonian newspaper in the world.
Click on the link below to download for free the October 2024 issue of the MACEDONIAN TRIBUNE, which covered the events of the 103rd Annual Convention of the MPO as well as the life and work of Todor Aleksander, the legendary leader of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), whose legacy shaped the formation and development of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization.
For the past 103 years, the Annual MPO Convention has been the center of the cultural and social life of our organization – as well as a reflection of the strength of the Macedonian spirit in North America.
Our History
This kingdom, Macedon, became a great power under the leadership of Philip II and his son, Alexander the Great. The Macedonians of this era were likely Illyrians, an ancient people who were probably the distant ancestors of the present-day Albanians. By 148 B.C., Macedonia was conquered by the Roman Empire and became a Roman province.
Support Our Mission
Thank you for your interest in supporting the MPO. We are grateful for the generosity of hundreds of individuals who have offered their time, talent and resources to support our organization over the last century. With your help and through its mission, the MPO will continue to expand thus supporting the next generation for the next 100 years!
Become a Member
Become a member of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization! These membership levels are open to any person of Macedonian descent who is at least eighteen (18) years old and their spouses/partners.
Macedonian Tribune
First published on February 10, 1927, the Macedonian Tribune is the longest-running Macedonian newspaper in the world!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
