Nashe Maalo ("Our Neighborhood") is the first Macedonian children's television program created to promote intercultural understanding and to impart conflict resolution skills pertinent to children's everyday lives. Co-produced by Common Ground Productions and Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), the show follows a diverse cast of ethnic Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Roma children as they grapple with issues such as prejudice, stereotypes, friendship and love. Five seasons were produced and broadcast on multiple television stations in Macedonia from 1998 to 2003.
About Nashe Maalo Nashe Maalo is set in an ethnically mixed apartment building in a residential neighborhood of Skopje. The children living there share a common secret--only they know that their building is alive! Karmen, the spirit of the building, acts as a mentor to the kids as they negotiate the trials and tribulations of youth and adolescent life. Using her magical powers, she gives them visions that explain the hopes, fears and beliefs that guide people's actions, thus teaching them to view situations from another person's perspective. In the process, the children learn about Macedonian cultures different than their own.
From the very onset, Nashe Maalo was designed as an intended objectives program. Its efficacy as a instrument of social transformation was carefully planned, monitored and evaluated. In 2004, a study led by the independent group Channel Research concluded that Nashe Maalo was successful both in educating Macedonian children about ethnic groups other than their own and in sparking dialogue between children. Furthermore, over 90% of the children questioned reported having watched at least one episode, indicating the show's widespread popularity in Macedonia. The complete evaluation is available for review in addition to a summary highlighting key findings.
The research confirms the assumption made by Search [for Common Ground] in the design of intended outcomes that children are naturally open-minded on the subject of inter-group relationships, in spite of the fact that many have been exposed to specific negative notions regarding others. [Nashe Maalo] succeeded in getting new messages to the children and made them discuss the NM logic with peers and parents.
- Channel Research, "Evaluation of Nashe Maalo"
