An object gets a second life. An old newspaper becomes searchable. A piece of graffiti is preserved even after the wall disappears. Someone gives away a book, someone shares a photograph, someone asks the authorities for answers. Small actions like these build a community.
At Arno.mk, we write about science, art, culture and the world around us. We turn some of those ideas into groups, tools, archives and civic initiatives. We connect people who want to give things away, explore, preserve something valuable or change something that is not working.
On this page, we have gathered those activities in one place. Take a look, make use of something, join in. Your contribution might be what sets the next story in motion.
Solidarity and Everyday Help
Give, Don’t Throw Away
Since 2016, we have been building a culture of giving and reuse. Through “Give, Don’t Throw Away” (“Daj, ne frlaj”), useful objects find new owners: clothes, books, toys, furniture, appliances and many other things that one person no longer needs but that could mean a great deal to someone else. The idea spread through local and related groups, and in 2026 the original group became public to make it more accessible.
Give away something useful, ask for an item you need and honour your agreement with the other person. That is how trust is built. More about the group.
The Environment: Less Waste, Healthier Places to Live
No Plastic Bag, Thank You. I Bring My Own!
A group dedicated to reducing plastic bags and single-use plastics. We share information, examples and civic responses, while encouraging a simple habit: bringing our own reusable bags. Regulations make sense when they are enforced, and everyday choices bring them to life.
Don’t Litter, Don’t Pollute!
An initiative promoting responsible attitudes towards waste and public space, which grew out of “Give, Don’t Throw Away”. Its activities have included clean-ups, documenting illegal dumps, mapping them and sending information to the relevant authorities. This experience also raised a broader question: how can we generate less waste and break the cycle of dumping, landfilling and burning?
Read our short history of citizen-led waste collection campaigns.
Eco-Friendly, Affordable, Effective!
A place for practical ideas for more sustainable everyday living: thoughtful shopping, reuse, reducing harmful products and conserving resources. Looking after your budget and caring for the environment often lead to the same solution.
Give, Don’t Throw Away: “Buying Old Stuff!”
An effort to connect residents more effectively with informal collectors of reusable and recyclable materials. The group is intended for exchanging information about items and materials that can be collected, reused or sorted for recycling, helping keep them from ending up in inappropriate places.
I Cycle to Work Too
A small initiative supporting a habit with a wider impact: cycling to work whenever conditions allow. Fewer cars, fewer exhaust fumes and more physical activity. Sharing experiences can encourage someone else to try their daily commute on two wheels.
Cultural Memory: Preserving What Is Disappearing
Grafit.mk
A piece of graffiti is here today; tomorrow, it may have been painted over. Through Grafit.mk, we document graffiti and street art from Skopje and Macedonia, connect photographs with locations, artists and memories, and talk to people involved in the scene.
This work has led to Graffiti Stories, the “GRRFT” magazine, the graffiti timeline and the interactive map of Skopje’s graffiti. When taking photographs, include the location and date; if you know the artist or the story, share it. That is how the archive becomes more accurate.
Time Capsule
A community archive of collective memory: old newspapers, photographs, advertisements, objects, lost place names and everyday habits. In them, we look for traces of how we lived, what we created and what we have forgotten.
The group connects personal archives and memories with Arno.mk’s research articles. Share a document, clipping or photograph, including its source and approximate date whenever you know them. More about the initiative.
Time Capsule: Old Shop Signs and Lettering
A dedicated initiative documenting shop signs, business lettering, craftspeople’s signs, advertisements, shop windows and other traces of our towns’ visual identities. A single sign can hold an entire family, craft or business history. Photograph it, record its location and share what you know about the people and place behind the name.
Digitisation, Maps and Open Archives
With ArnOCR, we are working to turn scans of old Macedonian printed materials into searchable documents. We are also exploring chatbot assistants for archives to help with research into digitised material.
Through maps and timelines, we connect documents with places, events and people. Explore “Alternative Skopje in the 1990s”, Skopje’s video rental shops, “Electronic Skopje” and our thematic timelines. A broader selection of research is available in the “Time Capsule” open archive.
The Macedonian Language, Science and Education
Language Tools and Dialect Dictionaries
We explore the Macedonian language through play, writing and digital experiments. Our collection of language tools includes pangrams, anagrams, proverbs, haiku and spelling games, alongside the Veles Dialect Dictionary, the Maleshevo Dialect Dictionary and the magnetic poetry tool “Word by Word”.
The tools are experimental and free to use. We are creating a space where Macedonian can be used creatively and local dialects can take a contemporary, accessible form.
An Astronomical Observatory in Macedonia
The group brings together interested citizens, scientists and enthusiasts around the idea of a modern national astronomical observatory. We contribute by researching earlier attempts, gathering information and connecting supporters.
Through cooperation and exchanges with the Citizen Science Space Agency and others familiar with the subject, we have added to the history of these initiatives. In 2026, we also wrote about the new proposal and its arrival in Parliament. This is a long-term shared effort in which every piece of expertise, document and responsible expression of support can help.
Creative Science, Science.mk and Creative.mk
Popularising science and culture was one of Arno.mk’s founding ideas. Alongside “Creative Science”, we created the Science.mk and Creative.mk aggregators. In 2025, we reactivated them in a simplified form at science.arno.mk and creative.arno.mk, making it easier to discover content about science, technology, art and culture.
Free Books and Practical Calculators
We share some of our publications as free e-books. To help with everyday energy decisions, we have also developed energy calculators: for solar investments, electricity consumption and comparisons of heating costs. They are intended as guides and learning tools, with results that depend on the data and assumptions entered.
A Public Voice and Support for the Community
Through Arno.mk, we raise questions about the environment, institutional accountability, cultural policy, access to knowledge and the visibility of the Macedonian language. We share citizens’ demands, investigate problems and propose concrete steps.
These articles include analyses of the accident at the Toranica mine and waste management, a call for solidarity with Antolog and a proposal for supporting music publishing. With the experimental EP “Revolutionary Songs for the 21st Century”, we also brought environmental issues, identity and resistance into musical form.
These activities bring together our own initiatives, collaborations and support for the work of other citizens and organisations. The shared aim is to give public issues attention, informed discussion and opportunities for action.
How Can You Get Involved?
Choose something that matters to you. Give away a useful item. Share an old photograph with its source. Add a detail about a piece of graffiti, a shop, a music event or a forgotten place. Try a tool and report a bug. Pass a useful article on to someone it could help.
If you have a suggestion, correction or material for one of the initiatives, post in the relevant group or write to contact@arno.mk. Share personal details and arrangements for collecting items through private communication.
We will add new activities to this overview and update it as existing ones develop. Some initiatives are more active; others preserve valuable experience and material from earlier years. Each began with a small problem and a desire to do something useful.