28/05/2026
On May 27, 2026, in the sports hall of the Community of Disability Organizations (CDO), “Mobility Bitola” organized a thematic workshop entitled “One Thing Is Hope, Another Is Expectation”, attended by around forty members and friends of our association, as well as guests from the associations from Štip, Kočani, and Kumanovo. The promoter and first speaker at the event was the President of “Mobility Bitola”, Prim. Dr. Niko Jankov. In his presentation, alongside one of many reflections on what hope is and what expectation is, with all the parameters of opposites such as positivity–negativity, perseverance–giving up, vision–passivity, he defined hope as the primordial drive for survival and the achievement of life goals, while expectation was described as the outcome and materialization of the impulse arising from hope. This also includes stopping an unfavorable condition or process, overcoming and accepting challenges, support from family and the community, implementation of regulations, life perspective, and more. This was followed by the second lecturer at the workshop, Metropolitan of Kruševo-Demir Hisar, Mr. Jovan, who is also our regular and active member. From his perspective on hope and expectations, there is both overlap and difference in interpretation, emphasizing spirituality, that is, faith, as a very important factor. Thus, a philosophical and theological approach was added to the discussion, grounded in the workshop’s original concept. Through the discussion, the viewpoints were shaped into this common approach that we need during this turbulent moment for persons with disabilities. The goal is to overcome these truly serious and disturbing reflections leading toward apathy — not to say an existential crisis — which we must overcome at any cost and with all the tools available to us. Overall, it was a successful gathering that concluded with coffee and light refreshments. Gratitude goes to everyone who contributed most to the organization of the event, especially Dejan and Ivona. The activities continue.
