Cross Border Cooperation in Prespa Ohrid Region - DOC

							                       Grant Summaries – REGIONAL
                             FY 2006 and FY 2007

FY 2006
1. Alliance for Lake Cooperation (ALLCOOP)
2. Alternative Academic Educational Network
3. Association of Bulgarian School of Politics
4. Association of Multiethnic Cities – Philia
5. Association of Political Science Students
6. B92 Fund
7. Belgrade Circle
8. Belgrade Women‘s Studies and Gender Research Center
9. Center for Cultural Decontamination and Belgrade Circle
10. Center for Development of Civil Society MilenijuM
11. Center for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies
12. Center for Liberal Strategies
13. Center for Migration Studies
14. Center for Peace and Democracy Development
15. Center for Regionalism
16. Civic Action for Human Rights
17. Civitas Foundation for Civil Society
18. Committee for Civic Initiative
19. Democratic Transitions Initiative
20. Economic Policy Institute
21. FAMA International
22. For the Earth
23. Forum for Ethnic Relations
24. Free Minds Association
25. Grantmakers East Group (GEG)
26. Humanitarian Law Center
27. InfoBus
28. Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS)
29. Institute of International Politics and Economics
30. International and Security Affairs Center
31. KosovaLive News Agency
32. Media Center Nis
33. Media Education Center
34. Mother Theresa Society
35. NGO Association Clubture
36. Prishtina Regional Enterprise Agency
37. ProConcept
38. Project on Ethnic Relations (PER)
39. Refugee Return Service
40. STINA News Agency
41. TRANSFUSE
42. Youth Initiatives for Human Rights – Kosovo
FY 2007
1. Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)
2. Center for Nonviolent Resistance
3. Group 484
4. Syndicate for International Social Matters (Civic Dialogue)
5. Youth Initiative for Human Rights


FY 2006
1.     Alliance for Lake Cooperation in Ohrid, Macedonia, and Prespa, Albania
       (ALLCOOP)
       Institutionalizing Cross-border Network in the Prespa/Ohrid Euroregion
       $38,600

The Alliance for Lake Cooperation in Ohrid, Macedonia, and Prespa, Albania
(ALLCOOP) supports cross-border activities in the fields of the environment and civic
action. This BTD-funded project builds upon and provides follow-up support for East-
West, cross-border cooperation in the Prespa/Ohrid region, while simultaneously
strengthening efforts to establish a Euroregion throughout the border areas of Macedonia,
Greece, and Albania. Through the provision of trainings, seminars, and various
opportunities for NGO cooperation, the project fosters the development of a regional
NGO network concentrating on environmental issues in the Ohrid region.

2.     Alternative Academic Network
       Regional Tuning – Toward European Higher Education Area €21,000

Founded in 1998 in response to the passing of the repressive University Act in the
National Parliament of Serbia, the Alternative Academic Educational Network (AAEN)
is committed to the reform of Serbian higher education. The BTD-funded project aims to
synchronize the educational structures of Universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro, in an attempt to draw these countries‘ educational
systems closer to that of the European Higher Education Area. Through a series of
seminars, consultations, and working groups between the region‘s educational leaders,
educational structures will be tuned into the fields of the humanities and social sciences,
to allow for greater academic mobility and mutual recognition of academic credentials.
Project participants will be selected from Dayton Triangle countries‘ institutions of
higher education, the business sector, and state officials.

3.     Association of Bulgarian School of Politics
       Political Debate in Southeast Europe $34,480

Founded in 2000, the Bulgarian School of Politics is a registered nonprofit,
nongovernmental organization working to cultivate a community of young political
leaders and public servants sharing a commitment to the integration of Southeastern
Europe within Euroatlantic structures. The ‗Political Debate in Southeast Europe‘ project
is the second of two grants that BTD has awarded to the school. A total of 39
participants drawn from across the region (including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro, as well as Kosovo),
will partake in three six-day training courses. Seminar content will center on such
pressing topics as conflict management, democratization, political transition, and public
confidence. The project addresses the gap dividing the Balkan electorate from their
political representatives by bringing together talented young representatives of the
political, media, and civic sectors to discuss the challenges facing the region.

4.     Association of Multiethnic Cities – Philia
       Association of Multiethnic Cities of Southeastern Europe €60,000

The Association of Multiethnic Cities is a newly-founded organization, recently
registered with the Federal Ministry of Human and Minority Rights of Serbia and
Montenegro. The BTD funded project supports the Association‘s efforts to assist
communities and partner NGOs in the development and implementation of actions aimed
at solving regional issues, strengthening local governments, and improving the overall
quality of life within the region. The majority of the grant is dedicated to the
Association‘s small grants program, which provides seed money and matching funds in
the range of €5,000 to €30,000 to municipalities and NGOs wishing to carry out projects
and programs in line with the Association‘s aims. In supporting such projects, the
Association empowers local communities to tackle issues that are important to their
constituents and thus raise the bar of democratic consolidation.

5.     Association of Political Science Students
       International Association of Political Science Students (IAPSS) Bridges
       Network $15,288

Marked to take place in Bucharest, Romania, the BTD funded ‗International Association
of Political Science Students‘ project supports the implementation of the provocatively
entitled ―New Europe: Who‘s Afraid of Democratization‖ conference, a forum for 30
political science students of the region. In its will to spark both dialogue and analysis of
the issues related to political culture, IAPSS will seek to teach participants of the means
by which to forge a political culture respectful of the rule of law and democratic
principles. In addition, the project aims to create a space within which this knowledge
can be crafted to motivate students to become active players in the region‘s political
activities. At present, a website is maintained in promotion of the conference. Following
the conference‘s conclusion, the site will serve as a resource center and forum for
political science students, as well as a place where students can network and share ideas.
This network, to be called ―the Bridges Network‖, marks the long-term collaboration of
many of the region‘s future leaders.

6.     B92 Fund
       Documentary Vukovar – Final Cut – finalization and promotional activities
       $12,000
Founded in 2003, the B92 Fund seeks to provide support for the production and
presentation of analytical and critical culture, promote the values of an open and
democratic society, and develop programs and projects that offer accurate public
information on current social problems afflicting the region. This BTD-funded project
supports the final post-production phase and promotional activities of the documentary
project Vukovar – Final Cut, which is one of the largest documentary projects ever
conducted in the Dayton Triangle, and the first joint Croat-Serb project of its kind.
Documenting the tragedy of the siege on the Croatian town of Vukovar, it exposes the
difficulties faced by both Serbs and Croats in confronting the recent past. ‗Vukovar –
Final Cut‘ relies on archival footage, previously unreleased, from military, private and
other sources in Serbia and Croatia, and lists, among others, interviews with Tomislav
Mercep, Vesna Bosanac, Branko Borkovic, Marin Vidic-Bili, Martin Spegelj, Vukovar
defenders, Serbian volunteers, members of paramilitary groups, etc. According to
screenplay writer Drago Hedl, ―We tried to present as universal approach to the material
as possible. The film provides an introduction to the war in Vukovar and makes an
attempt to answer what happened and why it happened there.‖ The documentary will be
both produced and aired on Television B92 as well as featured in several highly
acclaimed documentary film festivals in the region.

7.     Belgrade Circle
       Seminar “Transitional Justice in the former Yugoslavia- the role of the media”
       € 20,000

Since 2004, Belgrade Circle has worked with the Center for Cultural Decontamination to
promote neglected voices, democratization, and pacifism. This BTD-funded project
supports a regional seminar to be held in Belgrade, with institutional partners and
participants drawn from throughout the region and beyond. The seminar will center on
an analysis of the role of media in the conduct of Serbia‘s democratic transition and path
towards reconciliation. Seminar content will force participants to re-address and re-think
the role of the media in the diverse fields of transitional justice, particularly as a means to
build effective new alliances between academia, policy makers, media representatives,
civil society, and students.

8.     Belgrade Women’s Studies and Gender Research Center
       Regional cooperation €33,000

This project is a key part of a regional initiative to create a network of gender/women‘s
studies initiatives in SEE which will provide a strong mutual support system based on
exchanges of human and other resources. In the two year process of building strategies
for the women‘s/gender studies in SEE, this regional initiative has organized a series of
meetings and exchanges and created a database of all resource centers including teaching
materials. The project also envisions the organization of the 6th annual seminar at the
IUC on the topic of Differences in (the Balkan) Context. This seminar has been a rare
and rewarding experience bringing together students and their professors to present and
debate controversial issues in a regional context.
9.     Center for Cultural Decontamination and Belgrade Circle
       Transitional Justice in the former Yugoslavia € 9,316,

Consisting of almost 70 speakers from various local, regional, and international
institutions, this project brings the subject of transitional justice to the forefront of the
debate between the region‘s academics, civic activists, governmental leaders, and the
broader public. With the assistance of documentaries and self-published books
examining each of the seminars‘ themes, the Center aims to relieve citizens of their
collective guilt and in so doing, set their sights toward a collective perspective. Aside
from the aforementioned publications (which are to be distributed free-of-charge to
members of Serbian parliament, seminar participants, and libraries throughout Serbia), a
bilingual textbook will be published following the completion of every third seminar.
Seminars will be broadcast on radio and television, with text coverage in Belgrade
dailies. The seminars will take place in Belgrade (Serbia), Zagreb (Croatia), and
Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) throughout a one-year period. The project fosters
support for an institutionalized reconciliation process in conjunction with the prosecution
of war criminals at both domestic and international levels.

10.    Center for Development of Civil Society MilenijuM
       Start Negotiating €19,900

Founded in April 2004 by Serbia‘s former Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic, the Center for
Development of Civil Society MilenijuM seeks to actively engage citizens in decision-
making processes, thereby contributing to a broader civic consciousness. The BTD-
funded project ‗Start Negotiating‘ aims to support intercultural communication and active
civic education by facilitating the engagement of university students in intergovernmental
problem-solving and decision-making processes in four post-conflict former Yugoslav
towns: Nis (Serbia), Skopje (Montenegro), Pristina (Kosovo), and Tetovo (Macedonia).
Project content—focusing on such topics as reconciliation, the near future, Balkan
politics, and Balkan history—will be presented in an engaging and interactive manner,
with activities centering on a series of simulations including mock parliaments, debate
forums, and classroom role-playing which will serve to allow students to learn
experientially, taking better account of the alternative perspectives.

11.    Center for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies
       Disclosing Hidden History: Lustration in the Western Balkans €20,000

This BTD-funded project supports an extension of the ―Disclosing Hidden History:
Lustration in the Western Balkans‖ project, originally funded in 2004 by the European
Commission and USAID. The project‘s aim was that of enhancing lustration legislation
and practices, as well as extending citizen participation in public debates on the topic of
‗dealing with the past‘ in the Western Balkans. In light of the project‘s enormous
success, additional publicity was necessary in order to bolster the project‘s impact. The
grant provided by BTD enables the printing and dissemination of the project‘s results, as
well as a press conference to be held in Belgrade. The project seeks to increase citizen‘s
awareness of the following conclusions: efforts of lustration are still lacking in the
Western Balkans; the public‘s interest in lustration has been overshadowed by war and
nationalism, and lustration efforts will aid countries in their path toward EU accession.

12.    Center for Liberal Strategies (CLS)
       The Challenge of the New Populism $25,000

The Center for Liberal Strategies (CLS) represents a new generation of think tanks
seeking to spark democratic change in Southeastern Europe. The chairman of its board,
Ivan Krastev, boasts a long history of collaboration with the Balkan Trust, including
work with the International Commission on the Balkans. In recent years, CLS has sought
to address the rising tide of populism compounding the region. This BTD-supported
project aims to bring together leading academics, politicians, and civic activists during a
two-day conference analyzing the emergence of this new populism. A series of six panel
discussions will be held, addressing such topics as: the negative and positive attributes of
populism; the societal impact of populism; the social origins of populism; etc. A total of
120 participants drawn from North America, the EU, and southeastern Europe are to
partake in what is to be a genuinely international conference.

13.    Center for Migration Studies
       Kosovo Perspectives Weekly Bulletin $25,000

The Center for Migration studies includes a number of highly skilled and experienced
professionals who have built their careers in leading government and private
organizations. The team is committed to the promotion of core human values including
reconciliation, tolerance, compromise, and the region‘s common European future. In an
effort to shift the region‘s focus back on substance, the Kosovo Perspectives project
supports the cross-border exchange of information by way of unbiased, independent
overviews of information regarding timely topics such as the ongoing negotiation process
and the future status of Kosovo. Content is to be presented through analytical articles,
interviews, and editorials. By producing each issue in three languages—Albanian,
English, and Serbian—the project works to ensure respect for and appreciation of the
current multiethnic composition of Kosovo.

14.    Center for Peace and Democracy Development
       Initiating the Process of Reconciliation €24,000

Founded in Belgrade, Serbia in 1991 under the name ‗Center for Antiwar Action‘, the
newly renamed Center for Peace and Democracy Development (CPDD) seeks to
establish durable peace, democracy, cooperation, and reconciliation throughout the
former Yugoslavia. The BTD-funded project will be implemented by a network of
partners including the CPDD, the Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, and
the Center for Human Rights (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Together, these partner
organizations seek to support the process of reconciliation in their respective countries by
organizing three five-day meetings to be held in Belgrade, Zagreb, and Sarajevo.
Meeting content will address various aspects of reconciliation and constructive dialogue,
with project participants being drawn from youth branches of the chief political parties
active in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia.

15.    Center for Regionalism
       The Truth about the Past – The Foundation for the Future €19,700

The Novi-Sad based Center for Regionalism is dedicated to the democratization and
decentralization of the former Yugoslavia, in tandem with the normalization of relations
between members of the Dayton Triangle countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
and Serbia and Montenegro). A BTD grant to the Center supports the formulation of a
tripartite model of reconciliation to be applied within each of the Dayton Triangle
countries. The project builds on the Center‘s long record of achievements in the realm of
reconciliation and confidence building, including the implementation of three widely-
reputed Presidential summits, the founding of ‗Philia – The Association of Multiethnic
Cities,‘ and the televised documentary series, ―Those Who Spoke Differently.‖ The
Truth about the Past project includes a series of expert meetings, public panels, and
promotional events seeking to garner public support for the successful implementation of
the reconciliation model.

16.    Civic Action for Human Rights
       Regional Youth Network €25,000
Building on its previous efforts to reconcile and unite the region‘s youths, this BTD-
funded project provides for the organization of three workshops focusing on topics
ranging from human rights and civil society development to local efforts aimed at dealing
with the past. The proposed workshops are to take place in the cities of Pristina
(Kosovo), Pljevlja (Sanjak – Montenegro) and Priboj (Sanjak – Serbia), culminating in a
single advanced seminar concentrating on the subject of human rights and civic activism.
In tandem with these activities, the project envisages the ongoing consolidation of a
Regional Youth Network - a network of newly trained activists who will continue the
work of civil society development. Students participating in the project will serve to lay
the groundwork for future youth-collaboration in areas of human rights and
reconciliation. Through their leadership, a regional approach to dealing with the past and
upholding the rule of law may be achieved.

17.    Civitas Foundation for Civil Society
       SEE motion – Youth Participation in Public Decision-Making $24,017

Civitas aims to promote more active citizen participation in local governance by finding,
developing and promoting good practice examples in the SEE region concerning the
development of local youth policies. The project involves a partnership of the local
authorities and NGOs in Romania, Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

18.    Committee for Civic Initiative
       The Question of Guilt and the Answer of Responsibility-Path to the Future
       $19,840
Founded in 1996 in reaction to the onslaught of electoral fraud charges facing the then-
ruling Serbian administration, the Committee for Civic Initiative (CCI) is a Serbian NGO
striving to develop an open and democratic civil society in the former Yugoslavia. The
‗Path to the Future‘ project seeks to create the conditions upon which such openness can
take root by focusing on the restoration of interethnic trust and cooperation in the
Western Balkans. The project will focus on the restoration of relations between
communities in southern Serbia and Macedonia (Serbs, Macedonians, Albanians, and
Romanians) through the organization of a series of educational seminars to be held in
Nis, Vranje, and Vranjska Banja (Serbia) and Prilep and Tetovo (Macedonia).
Attendants are to include 60-80 journalists, young political party activists, and NGO
members drawn from these communities, each seeking to understand the causes and
consequences of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Seminar content will stress the
historical background of the 1991-1999 conflicts, as well as the theoretical foundations of
transitional justice, individual versus collective guilt, etc. Essentially, the project seeks to
stimulate debate and dialogue amongst the various ethnic groups in southern Serbia and
Macedonia to avoid the repetition of past atrocities. CCI organized similar initiatives in
previous years however this is the first involving Macedonian participants.

19.    Democratic Transitions Initiative
       A Road to Europe $38,880

Working amidst a context of fervent nationalism and political apathy, the BTD-funded ‗A
Road to Europe‘ project supports the production of a 5-episode documentary series,
offering its viewers a comparative study of the issues crucial to the political/socio-
economic transitions now ongoing in the countries of Southeastern Europe. The televised
series will lay special emphasis on Serbia, providing a comprehensive overview of its
present course toward Europe, taking care to indicate the level of progress which was
made along the course of its transition. By providing a single platform in which the
voices of experts, citizens, and representatives of political parties and governing structure
can be heard in tandem, the problems which face the region, as well as the means by
which to solve them, may be uncovered. Each series will be presented in an attention-
grabbing manner so as to bring the subject of EU-accession closer to the citizens of
Southeastern Europe. By sparking citizen interest in the subject, the project ultimately
provides fodder for a regional consensus on the subject of EU-integration and the need
for reform.

20.    Economic Policy Institute
       Networking of Young Public Servants from Southeastern Europe toward
       European Integration $24,236

This project seeks to sustain a program aimed at intensifying contacts between, and the
administrative and professional capacity of, Southeastern Europe‘s young public
administrative representatives in preparation of the region‘s future accession into the EU.
Since 2000, EPI has been actively involved in this process through its contribution to the
establishment and maintenance of contacts among young public leaders of the SEE
region. The present project develops the notion of sustaining achieved results while also
extending project outreach and content. This is to be achieved via the implementation of
two interrelated activities: first, the organization of the 6th Annual Summer Seminar
―Preparation for EU Accession‖ 2005, to be followed by the holding of a second series of
small-scale professional meetings on European integration issues to sustain a network of
young public servants.

21.    FAMA International
       Ten Years after Dayton $25,000

FAMA International is a multimedia group based in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.
Active since the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia, the organization advocates the
tenants of justice, respect for human rights, and democratic principles. This BTD-funded
project distributes 500 educational packages to official and independent educational
institutions and libraries in Serbia in support of efforts aimed at establishing an honest
interpretation of the region‘s recent history leading up to and following the signing of the
Dayton Peace Accords in November of 1995. To maximize the utility of these
documents, FAMA will hold a public ‗Multimedia History Class‘ in Belgrade, Serbia.
With this project, FAMA ultimately aims to stimulate Serbian citizen‘s will to participate
in the search for truth and reconciliation, thereby creating a nation-wide consensus on the
matter of transitional justice and war crimes accountability.


22.    For the Earth
       EBRD AGM - Opportunity for Balkan NGOs $15,723

This BTD-funded project supports a network of NGOs (Stability Pact Watch) in the
region that are monitoring the Balkan Stability Pact and European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development activities. For the Earth and Stability Pact Watch
advocate for transparency and public participation in the decision-making processes
surrounding Balkan reconstruction and infrastructure initiatives.

23.    Forum for Ethnic Relations
       2006 ASN Conference on Globalization €25,000

The Forum for Ethnic Relations (FER) is a Serbian NGO that organizes academic
research and training programs in cooperation with governments working towards the
democratization of post-Communist societies. This BTD-funded project supports the
participation of 40 young researchers from Southeastern Europe in the three-day
conference on Globalization, Nationalism, and Ethnic Conflict in the Balkans and its
Regional Context scheduled to take place in Belgrade, Serbia. The conference will serve
as a stage for the aforementioned researchers to present their work to the relevant
international experts.    Conference content will stress both the theoretical and
methodological framework for research and understanding of globalization, nationalism,
ethnic conflict, and a variety of related phenomena of a national, regional, and global
scale. By drawing together researchers from across Southeastern Europe, the project
aims to promote their inclusion within the wider debate now ongoing between academics
and experts across the globe.

24.    Free Minds Association
       Way to Europe – Youth Bridges for a Common Future $25,000

Founded in 1999, the Free Minds Association is a Romanian NGO working to stimulate
democratic participation and interethnic cooperation amongst young people throughout
the region. The BTD-supported ‗Way to Europe‘ project aims to stimulate dynamic
youth-driven exchanges along the border of Serbia and Romania. Cross-border projects
have diminished in recent years due to restrictions on freedom of movement triggered by
Romania‘s EU accession requirements. The project is a sequel of 2004‘s ‗Youth and
Regionalization‘ project which sought to create greater ties among the youths of Hungary
and Romania. The present project will center on five 2-day seminars consisting of
conferences, lectures, presentations, and specialized trainings. Seminar content will
stress the path to Euroatlantic integration and bilateral cooperation between Serbia and
Romania. By reestablishing cross-border cooperation among youths, the project
promotes greater intercultural dialogue and understanding.

25.    Grantmakers East Group (GEG)
       Grantmaking in Central Eastern Europe/Newly Independent States $10,000

Since its founding in 1992, the Grantmakers East Group (GEG) has grown into a vibrant
grantmaking network bringing transatlantic, private and public donors together in the
pursuit of a joint grantmaking strategy towards Central and Eastern Europe. In recent
years, the organization has focused on Southeastern Europe and the Newly Independent
States. By providing donors with a platform upon which to increase the effectiveness of
their grantmaking efforts, GEG aims to promote the development of the region‘s civil
sector. The BTD-funded project supports a concrete manifestation of the Transatlantic
Civil Society Dialogue launched by the U.S. State Department and the European
Commission in 1997. The project—which provides for one meeting hosting GEG‘s 180
donors as well as several other conferences of a smaller nature—fosters U.S. and EU
private and public cooperation to promote civil society development throughout the
region.

26.    Humanitarian Law Center
       Monitoring Regional War Crimes Trials $57,924

The Monitoring Regional War Crimes Trials project aims to strengthen the rule of law
and provide public education in relation to war crimes accountability efforts in the
western Balkans. The HLC, together with its regional partners, will monitor and report
on all war crimes trials in Serbia and Montenegro, as well as selected trials in Croatia and
Bosnia and Herzegovina. This process will encourage the courts to ensure that the rights
of the defense are properly upheld. By way of press conferences and the issuance of
press releases, the trial monitoring team will inform the general public about war crimes
and accountability efforts in an unbiased, impartial manner. At project completion, the
HLC and its regional partners will compile war crimes trials analyses to be made
available to all relevant stakeholders. Finally, the HLC will hold three roundtables, one
in each target country, for the presentation of findings and recommendations to
representatives of the judiciary, thereby strengthening the Rule of Law across the region
and supporting an atmosphere conducive to the long-term process of reconciliation.

27.    InfoBus (Three Grants to Municipal Public Libraries: Goce Delcev,
       Macedonia; V.B. Strunjo, Montenegro; Vuk Karadzic, Serbia)
       Mobile Information and Communications Centers (MICC) $56,340

The Mobile Information and Communications Centers (MICC) project, known as
InfoBus, is a multimedia mobile classroom, roaming Internet café and lending library that
reaches out to disadvantaged communities, empowering rural residents across
Southeastern Europe. 98% of library costs are financed by local self-government
budgets. The three BTD grants compliment what the Open Society information project
created by funding the expansion of the project, including public meetings with local
public authorities targeting rural populations that would not otherwise have access to
local public institutions. Particular attention is to be drawn to increasing the active
participation of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in local public policy-making.

28.    Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS)
       Empowering Civil Society through Advocacy $38,318

This six-month pilot project is aimed at increasing the capacity of civil society
organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia to effectively represent civic
interests through transferring advocacy know-how from Bulgaria. The broader goal of
the project is to strengthen democracy by introducing advocacy as an instrument of
establishing and reproducing civil solidarity, defending public, civic interests within a
network of legitimate relationships between citizens and institutions of public authority.

29.    Institute of International Politics and Economics
       A Regional Response to the Visa Liberalization Issue $25,000

Freedom of movement remains an issue of pressing importance in the Balkans, a fact
which has been reiterated not only by the region‘s various national governments, but
most recently by the International Commission on the Balkans. In an effort to address
this issue, the Institute of International Politics and Economics promotes a regional stance
toward visa liberalization. This BTD-funded project supports the creation of a
sustainable network of professionals, experts, government employees, NGO activists,
politicians, and media which will work to exert pressure on the relevant institutions to
expedite the process of visa liberalization. On the basis of the Institute‘s research, actors
from across the region will formulate and implement a regionally-applicable visa system,
with integrated border control and management. Through its research and accompanying
network, the project promotes regional cooperation and facilitates future EU integration.

30.    International and Security Affairs Center
       Intensifying Regional Cooperation Series €24,319

The International and Security Affairs Center (ISAC) is the successor of the Defense and
Security Studies Center and is a Serbian think tank promoting Serbian accession into
Euroatlantic structures through the publication and dissemination of policy studies,
research, and specialist education. The BTD-supported project envisions a three-day
Balkan seminar focusing on European security and defense policy. Тhe conference
brings together public servants from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and European
Integration, Defense, and Internal Affairs, as well as parliamentarians, scholars, civic
activists, and members of the media from each of the Dayton Triangle countries. The
goal of the conference is to raise the quality of pro-Europe rhetoric by training project
participants to assume active roles in the EU and NATO accession debate.

31.    KosovaLive News Agency
       Albanian-Serb Information Exchange Forum $25,000

Since 2000, the KosovaLive Agency has been the main local provider of daily news in
Kosovo, focusing on grassroots issues of local consequence. The Agency is an
indigenous nonprofit, nongovernmental organization and produces its broadcasts in both
English and Albanian. The BTD-supported project fosters civic dialogue among
Albanian Kosovars and the Serbian minority by opening channels of communication
between the two groups. The BTD grant supports the second phase of the Exchange
Forum, within which citizens, members of the media, and political party representatives
engage in substantive dialogue with individuals from the ―other‖ side. The project
provides for an Internet Forum, as well as news service dissemination in three languages,
the conduction of opinion polls, and two press conferences. In light of the onset of final
status negotiations, the facilitation of uncensored exchanges between those communities
at the center of the crisis (i.e. Albanian and Serbian) takes on new importance.

32.    Media Center Nis
       A View Over the Other Side $5,645

This BTD grant supports the production of six half-hour episodes depicting the daily
lives of Serbian and Kosovar Albanian youths and families on either side of the
administrative border. The episodes will highlight not only the physical and geographical
proximity of these individuals, but also their similar hopes and struggles. By providing
honest portrayals of life along the Serbia-Kosovo border, the project implicitly seeks to
launch a multi-ethnic dialogue on the topic of Serb-Albanian identity and ethnic
reconciliation. The series will be broadcast by local and regional media in SE Serbia
(namely, Nis, Presevo, Bujanovac, Leskovac, Novi Pazar, and Krusevac), as well as
Kosovo (RT V 21 Pristina).

33.    Media Education Center
       The Fallen Pride and Prejudice II $19,695
Media Education Center (MEC) serves as a meeting point for activists engaging in
scientific and professional research into the influence and application of media as a tool
for investigative journalism. This BTD-funded project supports the second phase of the
Fallen Pride and Prejudice project, aiming to overcome misconceptions regarding the
work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) among
young people in the Dayton Triangle countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and
Serbia and Montenegro). As did its predecessor project, this initiative envisions the
production of a youth-led documentary, tracing students‘ experiences in The Hague and
with Tribunal officials. Following a series of workshops teaching students about digital
equipment for filming and recording sound, web design, etc., participants will partake in
a five-day stay in The Hague, the Netherlands, where they will record their visits to the
Tribunal and interviews with relevant officials. Upon their return, students will edit the
material into thee short films and one TV documentary. The project serves to generate an
accurate public debate throughout the former Yugoslavia on the topic of transitional
justice and the process of reconciliation.

34.    Mother Theresa Society
       Civic Dialogue Small Grants Fund €62,800

In 2002, the Mother Theresa Society joined forces with the Center for Regionalism (Novi
Sad, Serbia), and the OSCE Mission to Kosovo to launch the project Civic Dialogue.
Civic Dialogue is a non-partisan, multi-ethnic initiative of over 250 nongovernmental
organizations from Serbia and Kosovo working toward the reconstruction of trust and the
normalization of relations in the region. The BTD grant supports a small grants fund
financing exceptional, multi-ethnic programs involving a minimum of two partner
organizations from Kosovo and Serbia or differing ethnic groups within Kosovo.

35.    NGO Association Clubture
       Phase 1: reload €42,000

Established in 2002, NGO Association Clubture seeks to strengthen youth and cultural
civil society throughout the former Yugoslavia. The BTD-funded ‗Phase 1- reLoad‘
project aims to facilitate regional collaboration by creating the preconditions and context
upon which to map the possibilities and obstacles confronting a regional NGO network.
Over a span of ten months, the Association will implement eight collaborative programs
to be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro.
Program content will stress contemporary Balkan culture through exhibitions, video
projections, roundtables and public discussions, concerts, theory and education, dance,
and more. Programs are managed at the hands of at least 30 partner organizations, each
of which will be incorporated within a future Balkan NGO network. By organizing
inclusive, multiethnic cultural events led by civic activists from throughout the Balkans,
the project seeks to enhance future regional collaboration and addresses past animosity.

36.    Prishtina Regional Enterprise Agency
       Regional Economic Cooperation €20,437
Prishtina Regional Enterprise Agency (Prishtina REA) provides business advisory and
training services for small and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurs, and local and
central level governmental institutions in Kosovo. The agency also promotes local
economic development throughout the Pristina region. Local Advisory Boards have been
established in seven municipalities including Pristina, Obiliq, Fushe, Kosova, Drenas,
Lypjan, Shtima, and Podujeva. The Boards are composed of representatives of
municipalities, civil society, the business community, women and youth groups, and the
international community. By involving a range of actors drawn from the local, regional
and national arenas, the project aims to develop local-regional-national partnerships. In
this manner, the project fosters regional economic cooperation between municipalities,
chambers of commerce, government officials, and business associations in Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro, including Kosovo.

37.    ProConcept
       Rethinking the Way NGOs Do Business: Session 2 €12,500

Founded in May 2004 as an offshoot of the Center for Free Elections and Democracy
(CeSID), ProConcept is an intermediary support organization working to build the
capacities of local NGOs and nonprofits in Serbia. A BTD grant supports the
establishment of a Southeastern European NGO forum, within which best practices and
sustainable strategies may be shared. The forum will serve as a conduit of sustainability,
whereby indigenous civic organizations may learn to be increasingly self-sufficient in
both organizational and financial terms. The project provides for a conference, during
which NGO leaders will learn of business plan writing, effective communication
strategies, and the importance of social capital. The conference will also serve as stage
upon which civic activists may share innovative ideas and proven best practices with the
larger NGO community. In the aftermath of the project, ProConcept will maintain
contacts with select conference participants to evaluate their implementation of best
practices and progress made in the realm of income-generating activities.

38.    Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) and the Regional Center for Central, East
       and Southeastern Europe in Romania
       Serbs in the Twenty-First Century $50,000

Through a series of three roundtable discussions, this project supports policy-oriented
dialogue among a wide array of actors including: senior leaders of each of Serbia‘s
political parties; leaders of Serb communities residing in Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Romania, Hungary and Kosovo; senior
government representatives of countries bordering Serbia; foreign diplomats; and
Serbia‘s most influential intellectuals. The dialogues are to focus on issues pertaining to
Serbian identity, national minority-majority relations, the political participation of
minority groups in Serbia, relations between Belgrade and Serbs outside of Serbia,
Serbia‘s future aspirations, and Serbia‘s place within Southeastern Europe. The project
ultimately aims to produce a minimum consensus on the aforementioned issues, upon
which a foundation of joint policy recommendations for the government of Serbia may be
formed. In this manner, the project works to facilitate Serbia‘s advancement toward
potential integration within the European Union. PER has been conducting similar
projects in the region since 1991.

39.    Refugee Return Service
       Jubilee: The First Ten Years of the Dayton Agreement $25,000

The ―Jubilee‖ project supports the democratic consolidation of the signatories of the
Dayton Agreement and their efforts to seek justice, reconciliation and lasting peace
throughout the region. Refugee Return Services, in consultations with key stakeholders,
will produce a documentary film on the successes and failures in the implementation of
Annexes 6 and 7 of the Dayton Agreement (pertaining to human rights and refugees and
displaced persons), as well as on the priorities for the future. The documentary will be
broadcast on national/local TV stations in each of the Dayton Triangle countries (Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro) to trigger wide-reaching public
debate and exert pressure on governments to renew their focus on refugees/returnees.

40.    STINA News Agency
       Media Network for Supporting Post-Conflict Communication $20,000

STINA is a Croatian-based media house working to overcome the region‘s past conflicts
and to stimulate further post-war cooperation among Croatia and her neighbors. The
first phase of the project allows for the production of a series of educational seminars for
journalists from each of the Dayton Triangle countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
and Serbia and Montenegro). Seminars are to focus on the promotion of cooperation and
understanding, reconciliation, and the return of refugees. The second phase concerns the
production of joint media content. Through a total of 32 electronic bulletins and radio
broadcasts documenting the life-stories of citizens from each of the Dayton Triangle
countries, the wider public will be educated as to importance of cross-border
collaboration and reconciliation.

41.    TRANSFUSE w/Transparency International Macedonia
       Fourth International TRANSFUSE Conference $20,000

This project aims to ease the transition of Balkan countries along their paths toward
future EU membership. Bringing together young politicians from across the Balkans, the
BTD-funded conference works to foster cooperative, democratic partnerships on both
internal and external fronts (i.e. within the Balkans and with its European and
Transatlantic partners). Day one of the conference is dedicated to a presentation by
members of the ‗International Commission of the Balkans.‘ Speakers will discuss the
commission‘s findings as documented in The Balkans in Europe’s Future, and its
implications for international policy. The second day is dedicated to ‗the art of politics‖
on the national and European level, as well as the question of legitimacy in light of recent
transfers of power from national parliaments to EU institutions.

42.    Youth Initiatives for Human Rights – Kosovo
       Look on the Other Side $59,980
Founded in 2003 in response to a climate of denial and widespread human rights
violations, Youth Initiatives for Human Rights (YIHR) believes that value of human life
lies at the foundation of every open and prosperous society. Building on the successes of
the BTD-funded YIHR (Serbia) ‗Visiting‘ project, YIHR (Kosovo) will facilitate cross-
border exchanges between young people from Kosovo and Serbia in an attempt to
establish mutual respect and understanding. A total of 30 youths and young professionals
from Kosovo and Serbia will travel for 2-3 days to the territory inhabited by ‗the other.‘
During their stay, participants will meet with leading professionals in their field of
interest and partake in field visits to the cultural and political sites of their preference
(museum, theater, media houses, etc.). Throughout the project, young people will be
asked to examine their attitudes and prejudices prior to visiting the ‗other side,‘ and
reflect on their experiences upon their return. They will also be asked to maintain a
journal throughout the duration of their visit, later to be published in YIHR‘s monthly
publication ‗Rez.‘ In addition to the aforementioned series of Serbia-Kosovo exchanges,
the project will organize a one-day youth festival to take place on the streets of Prizren
(Kosovo). The event will include theater, multiethnic DJ performances, multimedia
installations, and displays of ethnic arts, crafts, foods, etc. ‗Look on the Other Side‘
project participants will be encouraged to participate in the event by manning their own
project stall in partnership with partners from the ‗other‘ side. In this manner, the project
fosters greater understanding between the peoples of Serbia and Kosovo, thereby laying
the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous coexistence.



FY 2007
1.     Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)
       Balkan Insight Training and Publishing $75,000

With over 15 years of professional experience including journalist training and
investigative reporting, the BIRN network has come to be synonymous with quality,
reliability, and impartiality. With its interconnected cadre of journalists, BIRN will train
investigative teams of Balkan journalists to analytically report on the key processes of
transition and European integration. Two types of activities are thus envisioned: the
capacity building of cross-regional teams of specialist investigative journalists able to
enhance regional information exchange regarding the common challenges and
opportunities faced on the road to EU integration, and the publication of its weekly online
news outlet, Balkan Insight, which is mailed to 15,000 regular local, regional, and
international subscribers. In so doing, the project will allow BIRN to better advocate for
EU integration processes in the Balkans, while simultaneously strengthening its own
internal capacities in the pursuit of greater sustainability.

2.     Center for Nonviolent Resistance
       Towards the Inclusive Society €43,500
As the negotiations of the final status of Kosovo draw to a close, indigenous efforts
seeking to encourage multiethnic co-existence are of paramount importance. The Center
for Nonviolent Resistance proposes to do precisely this in the divided communities of
Southern Serbia and Kosovo. The project‘s two chief components— a policy paper
assessing the needs of minority communities and direct Serb-Albanian dialogue —will
provide a basis for productive multiethnic cooperation. First, an assessment study will be
conducted in Southern Serbia examining the possibilities for greater integration of the
Albanian minority in mainstream processes, political and otherwise. Second, the Center
proposes to target the Serbian community in Kosovo, in the hopes of facilitating their
integration within Kosovar society during and after final status talks. The needs of the
Serbian community will be addressed through open discussions, trainings and seminars to
support further capacity building of the vulnerable group.

3.     Group 484
       Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation in the Western Balkans €50,000

A non-governmental organization, Group 484 works to empower forced migrants
(refugees, internally displaced persons, and asylum-seekers) with the knowledge and
know-how with which to protect their rights. In an effort to encourage greater cross
border cooperation in the field of migration, Group 484 will produce a policy study
examining the migratory processes at work in the region, the results of which will be
disseminated to policy makers throughout the Balkans. The proposed study will be
conducted by a regional team consisting of NGO activists, independent researchers, and
government employees. This cross-sectoral team will conduct individual country studies
concentrating on the implementation of European and international human rights
standards in migration management. Once completed, the study will be presented during
a regional migration conference, incorporating key stakeholders from throughout the
region. During this time, the merits of the studies will be discussed, as well as the means
for greater regional cooperation. Finally, conference results will be included within the
publication ―Regional Migration Policy Research,‖ which will again be disseminated to
policy makers throughout the Balkans and in European Union.

4.     Syndicate for International Society Matters (Civic Dialogue)
       Civic Dialogue $50,000

Founded in 2003, Civic Dialogue is a syndicate of over 250 civic organizations
promoting greater interaction and reconciliation within Kosovo and Serbia. In lieu of
productive official dialogue between these territories, Civic Dialogue aims to sustain a
grassroots NGO movement serving as a discussion forum for concrete issues facing
citizens in their everyday lives. The project includes a comprehensive series of
interlinked activities (conferences and working meetings) aimed at engaging young
people from all backgrounds in Kosovo and Serbia in joint analysis and action on their
common problems and futures. Project activities include the organization of a number of
conferences and working meetings.
5.     Youth Initiative for Human Rights
       Dealing with the Past 2006 €35,000

Now in its third year of operation, Youth Initiative‘s heralded Dealing with the Past
project supports the realization of transitional justice through the promotion of the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the building of
capacities of local domestic war crimes courts, and the inclusion of youth in the process
of dealing with the past. The project centers on a promotional campaign of the ICTY and
an amendment to war crime legislation allowing for greater transparency of war crimes
prosecutions. Taken together, the project‘s activities support growing awareness of the
need for transitional justice, and the place for youth activism within the process.