Youth aspirtion survey in Republic of Macedonia SUMMARY The Youth Aspiration Survey is one of the first projects in the Republic of Macedonia that completely covers young people's perceptions regarding vital social and economic issues, domestic and foreign policy issues, as well as issues related to education, migration, human rights, etc. The survey was conducted by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung) Macedonia, in partnership with the Institute for Democracy“Societas Civilis” Skopje. The research presented here consists of two parts: a public opinion poll of the young population, and an analysis of data obtained from the poll. The YAS was carried out on a national level between April and June 2006. Public Opinion Poll – Methodology Used The public opinion poll for the Youth Aspiration Survey(YAS) was conducted on a standardized and stratified sample that representatively reflected different aspects of the Republic of Macedonia's young population. Demographic specifics of the youth(gender structure, age, educational level, occupation and ethnic background) were considered in the sample, and the respondents' places of residence were furthermore classified(as urban or rural environments, with the city of Skopje being regarded as a separate entity due to its own specifics). Respondents from all regions in Macedonia were included in the sample. Each municipality, including the rural environments it governs, was represented by a percentage equivalent to the number of its inhabitants in proportion to the whole population. The survey included a total number of 1197 respondents, of which 697, or 58.2%, were men, and 500, or 41.8%, were women. The respondents were grouped by age into three strata. On the basis of this division, 456 of those who were surveyed, or 38.1% of the young people, were of the age of 18 to 22; 452, or 37.8%, were of the age of 23 to 26; and 289, or 24.1% of the respondents, were aged 27 to 30. A majority of the respondents had completed a high school education, i.e. 62.1%, while only 0.7% of the respondents had not completed their elementary education. Of the survey participants, 3.8% had completed only their elementary education, 4.7% had post-secondary education, and 28.8% had higher education. With regard to the occupation of the respondents, the greatest percentage of them, i.e. 35.8%, were students, followed by those in the private business sector(19.8%) and those unemployed(19.1%), while farmers represented only 1.4%. Depending on their ethnic background, there were 74.8% Macedonians, 22.5% Albanians, 1.4% Turks, 0.8% Serbs, 0.1% Roma and 0.3% Vlachs. According to their place of residence, 25.7% lived in villages, 19.2% in smaller towns, 30.1% in larger cities, and 25% lived in the capital city of Skopje. The respondents were proportionally divided depending on the electoral districts to which they belonged, i.e. as follows: 16.5% belonged to the Electoral District(ED) 1, 16.4% to the ED 2, 17.1% to the ED 3, 14.5% to the ED 4, 18% to the ED 5, and 17.5% to the ED 6. Analysis of the data gathered in the public opinion polls included cross-tabulation according to respondents' demographic characteristics, place of residence, and the electoral district they belonged to. The public opinion poll was conducted between May the 10th and May the 28th of 2006. A team of experts at the Institute for Democracy“Societas Civilis” in Skopje supervised the teams, processed the data, and analysed the results. Perceptions of the Youth in the Republic of Macedonia – short Summary The second part of the Youth Aspiration Survey (YAS) in the Republic of Macedonia is an analysis based on the data from the public opinion poll, as well as other sources that serve as a comparative basis for analysing the surveyed themes. With regard to the themes themselves, the analysis consists of four sections: domestic political situation and general perceptions thereof; international relations; education; and a section devoted to the economy and emigration. Each of these parts is followed by appropriate conclusions and recommendations intended for the Republic of Macedonia's relevant factors, from the government and other“policy-makers“ to the media and the non­governmental sector. That being the case, the analysis was primarily intended for the target group represented in the poll – youth between the ages of 18 and 30. The first section of the YAS analysis describes some general perceptions of the respondents, as well as perceptions about the Republic of Macedonia's domestic political situation. It clearly depicts a lethargic attitude among the young population, accompanied by distrust(or very low trust) towards state institutions. Despite the low level of current interethnic social activity, there are positive attitudes towards the development of this sphere of social life, which suggests slow but gradual progress in this area. On the other hand, young people show great trust in the third sector and the religious institutions. Concluding the area of general perceptions and attitudes towards the domestic political situation, the results indicate a consensus among the youth that corruption is the most urgent problem of Macedonian society and the most threatening factor for the Macedonian economy. Despite this, however, the percentage of youth that would accept corruption as a profitable practice is worrying. Regarding human rights, young people's social sensitivity and feelings of solidarity towards handicapped and socially endangered persons is evident, but the fact that they show resistance towards the advancement of women's and homosexuals' rights is worrying. Respondents' attitudes towards international relations indicate very interesting and positive viewpoints towards several issues in this area. The question of the Republic of Macedonia's joining the European Union is not disputed, and it represents a point about which there is maximum agreement among young people of all demographic categories. The respondents perceive that EU membership would be a stabilizing factor and an agent for economic progress in Macedonia, and they express no fear for the country's identity and the communities' traditions in that context. Regarding other international relations topics, the respondents have positive perceptions of the NATO alliance and the Republic of Macedonia's membership in it, although there were slight differences in views along ethnic lines. As for the responses concerning the operations of the United Nations and its specialised agencies, there is an impression that young people in the Republic of Macedonia need to be Friedrich Ebert Stiftung 8