Founder of the ZIP Institute, a leading organization in participatory democracy in North Macedonia, Agim Selami reflects on 15 years of dedication to bridging the gap between citizens and institutions. From the creation of his organization in 2011 to the recent launch of Skopje’s first Citizens’ Assembly on Climate, he examines the country’s democratic and environmental evolution, its persistent challenges, and the central role of citizen participation in the climate transition.
You founded the ZIP Institute in 2011. What motivations and observations led you to create the organization, and how has its mission evolved since then?
I founded ZIP Institute in 2011 out of a mix of frustration and hope. At the time, I was observing a growing gap between formal democratic structures and the everyday realities of citizens, especially young people. Institutions existed, strategies were written, but people felt excluded from decision-making, unheard, and disengaged. Participation was often symbolic, not meaningful.
ZIP started as an attempt to bridge that gap: to create a space where citizens, institutions, and experts could actually meet on equal footing. Over time, the organization evolved alongside the challenges we were facing.
Today, ZIP Institute works at the intersection of democratic governance, participatory processes, and the energy and climate transition. We design and facilitate citizens’ assemblies, policy dialogues, regional forums like the Macedonian and Western Balkans Energy Forums, and we work closely with local authorities, civil society, and international partners to translate participation into concrete public policy outcomes.
Over the past 15 years, the democratic and environmental landscape has changed deeply in the world and in Europe. Is this also the case in North Macedonia? What has improved, and what remains worrying?
Yes, North Macedonia has changed significantly, but in uneven and sometimes contradictory ways.
On the positive side, democratic awareness has grown. Citizens today are far more informed, vocal, and demanding than they were 15 years ago. Environmental issues, once marginal, are now part of mainstream public debate. Topics like air pollution, energy security, renewables, and climate resilience are no longer expert-only conversations.
However, there are also worrying trends. Trust in institutions remains fragile, polarization is high, and participation often stops at protest rather than evolving into structured dialogue. Environmentally, while strategies and action plans exist, implementation is slow and sometimes disconnected from citizens’ needs. Climate urgency is recognized rhetorically, but not always reflected in policy priorities or budgets.
So the picture is mixed: more awareness and openness, but still a serious gap between commitment and delivery.
You recently launched the Skopje Climate Assembly, the first citizens’ assembly in North Macedonia. What led you to start this initiative, and how was it received?
The Skopje Climate Assembly was born from a simple conviction: climate policies will not work if they are designed without citizens.
Skopje faces very real environmental challenges, such as air pollution, urban overheating, and transport congestion, but decisions were often made in a top-down manner. We wanted to test whether ordinary citizens, when given time, information, and a safe deliberative space, could engage seriously with complex climate issues.
The response exceeded our expectations. Participants were deeply committed, curious, and responsible. Many arrived skeptical, but left with a strong sense of ownership and civic confidence. For many residents, this was the first time they felt that their voice genuinely mattered in shaping local climate solutions.
"For many residents, this was the first time they felt that their voice genuinely mattered in shaping local climate solutions
Agim Selami
Founder of the ZIP Institute
How will the recommendations from the assembly be shared and integrated into local policies?
From the outset, the assembly was designed not as a symbolic exercise, but as a policy-relevant process.
The recommendations have been formally presented to the City of Skopje and relevant municipal departments, accompanied by policy briefs and implementation pathways. We are now in follow-up discussions with local authorities to track which recommendations can be integrated into existing strategies, budgets, and action plans.
Equally important is transparency. The full set of recommendations is public, allowing citizens and civil society to hold institutions accountable for follow-up. For us, the assembly is not an endpoint. It is the beginning of a longer governance relationship between citizens and the city.
At the end of November, you were in Paris to receive your Participation Award (three stars) for this initiative. What does this mean to you?
Receiving the Participation Award in Paris was deeply meaningful, both personally and professionally.
It was not just recognition for a single project, but validation of a long-term belief that participation done properly, seriously, inclusively, and transparently, can strengthen democracy. Coming from a smaller country, it also mattered to show that innovative democratic practices do not only come from large capitals or established democracies.
I took part because international recognition creates legitimacy at home. It sends a message to institutions and citizens alike that these processes matter, that they meet high standards, and that North Macedonia can contribute positively to Europe’s democratic future, not just learn from it.
