October 23, 2008 - The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) has awarded two matching grants to the Bosniak American Advisory Council of Bosnia Herzegovina (BAACH)and the United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD). Under the grant, TCA will match donations collected by the two charitable organizations for up to 150,000 USD each over the next three years.
"Turkish and Bosnian people have always had a close relationship and special bond. The TCA grant allows the Bosnian diaspora in United States , over 300,000 strong, to join Turkish Americans to further our mutual interests for peace and security in the Balkan Region. We are pleased and honored to share our heritage and our success with TCA," stated Dr. Mirsad Hadzikadic, President of BAACH. "This historic agreement is a testament to the growing partnership between Macedonian- and Turkish-Americans. Both communities are working cooperatively to ensure that their voices are heard on the world stage on vital matters of mutual interest in Southeast Europe , including NATO enlargement and the promotion of security, democracy and human rights in the Balkans, " stated Metodija A. Koloski, President of UMD.
TCA also established scholarship programs for Macedonian and Bosnian American students to study a semester in Turkey . Lincoln McCurdy, President of TCA, stated that these two major grants further augment the coalition building efforts by TCA, which focus on grants to national and local Turkish American organizations, as well as outreaches to the Hispanic, African and Native American communities.
Founded in 2006, the Bosniak American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH) is a non-profit, non-government and non-partisan organization dedicated to advocating for Bosnian-Americans in USA and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and initiating educational and developmental programs.
Founded in 2004, United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) is an international non-governmental organization addressing the interests and needs of Macedonians and Macedonian communities throughout the world.
