Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
In September, ATRCformalized a partner-ship agreement withthe International Re-search and Exchan-ges Board (IREX) tosupport the develop-ment of KosovoNGOs under theUSAID funded Ko-sovo Civil SocietyProgram. During thepast few months, wehave been working toincrease our resource capacitiesand expand our service portfolioto better serve the needs ofNGOs. Through our enhancedrole as a full-service NGO trai-ning, resource and informationcenter, ATRC is working tostrengthen the autonomy, effecti-veness, sustainability and impactof the NGO sector as a major ca-talyst in the development of a vi-brant civil society and respon-sive democratic governance. As a service organization,ATRC's programs are designedto meet the current and evolvingneeds of our NGO clients. Oursupport services include basicand advanced training and
consultancy in key areas ofNGO organizational develop-ment, management, advocacyand fund raising; electronic in-formation resources via our up-dated website, marketing andcommunication, public dialo-gues and roundtables, coalitionbuilding, and facilitation ofcross-sectoral partnerships andcooperation.
In November, ATRC conductedfive Proposal Writing Works-hops for NGOs interested in ap-plying for the first round ofIREX/FDI Partnership and Net-working Grants. Workshopswere held in Pristina and North
Mitrovica and at-tracted 148 parti-cipants represen-ting 108 from allregions of Ko-sovo.Welcome to thelatest addition ofThe Advocate,ATRC's bi-monthly electro-nic newsletter forand about the Ko-sovo NGO com-
munity. We hope you find it in-formative and useful. Your com-ments and feedback are alwaysappreciated. If you have a suc-cess story or short article aboutthe impact of your work that youwould like to contribute to futureissues of the Newsletter, pleasecontact us.We look forward to workingwith you and welcoming you toATRC.
The World Bank invitesall interested organiza-
tions, associations and institu-tions to submit innovativeideas for job creation in theformal sector. The best propo-sals from Kosovo, Bosnia andHerzegovina, Albania, Mace-donia and Serbia and Monte-negro will receive some USD35,000 per project, throughthe 2006 West Balkan Deve-lopment Marketplace pro-gram. The West Balkan Deve-lopment Marketplace reflectsthe World Bank's determina-tion to support employment as
one of the biggest challengesfaced by all countries in theregion.The West Balkan Develop-ment Marketplace 2006 isopen to a wide range of peo-ple: civil society groups, so-cial entrepreneurs, privatefoundations, governmentagencies, academia and pri-vate sector. In each of the par-ticipating countries, assess-ment teams comprised of pro-minent individuals will selectfinalists. Special considerationwill be awarded to projectswhich demonstrate the ability
to foster employment of youthand regional and/or cross-bor-der cooperation. Proposalsshould be submitted by e-mail, regular post or deliveredin person by 5:00 PM on Ja-nuary 30, 2006.More information regardingthis program, eligibility andassessment criteria, how toapply, key dates, etc. can befound on:http://www.worldbank.org orplease contact World BankKosovo office; Shpend Ah-meti,[email protected],tel. 038 249 459/248 780.
Volume III • Issue 6 • December 2005
New links for funding op-portunities can be found
on ATRC web site:http://www.advocacy-
center.org/
ADADVV OCAOCATETEAdvocacy Training & Resource Center
TheSupporting the NGO community
ATRC formalizes new partnership withIREX Kosovo Civil Society Program
World Bank funds innovative ideas leading to job creation in West Balkans
Table of contents
ATRC, IREX and FDI information meeting in Prishtina
Page 2"Corruption in our Society:What do we do to fight it?"
"Diplomacy, Negotiations andCivil Society"
"Civic Courage" debate withSvetlana Broz
Page 3All together against human
trafficking
New chairman of "APJK"
Gender Studies Center reportto UN on violence
against women in Kosovo
Page 4Security Sector Management
Active Citizenship
Documentation of human rightsthrough cinema
Page 5International Civil Society
Developments
NGO Funding Opportunities
To learn more aboutATRC's expanded services anddiscuss how we can be of assis-tance to your NGO, We inviteyou to visit us at the Center orcontact us on 038 244 810.
ATRC and the local NGO, Or-ganization for Democracy,Anticorruption and Dignity'Çohu' organized a cross sec-tor public debate on Decem-ber the 5th at ATRC of-fices, to discuss and re-view the mechanismsused in Kosovo tocombat corruption. NGO, government andmedia representativeswere present in the de-bate, moderated byAnton Ndreca,"ÇOHU" member. Panelists for the debate wereHabit Hajredini - Office forGood Governance, BashkimRrahmani - Foundation forDemocratic Initiatives "FDI",Igballe Rogova - Kosovo Wo-men's Network, Sejdi Osmani- RIINVEST, and Fatmire Ter-devci - Koha Ditore. Discussion was opened byBarbara Hall, COP of IREXKosovo Civil Society Pro-gram who discussed the roleof Civil Society in Combating
Corruption. Ms. Hall stressedthat NGO credibility and legi-timacy are most crucial for aneffective role of civil societyin combating corruption.
Panelists commented on theneed for a strong anticorrup-tion civil society coalition. Al-though, Mr. Hajredini, Officefor Good Governance saidthat important laws have beendrafted and adopted in Ko-sovo to fight corruption, otherparticipants responded thatNGO sector and media needthe implementation of lawsand access on official docu-ments. Sejdi Osmani presen-ted RIINVEST opinion sur-
vey published in Novemberthe 5th about the extent andconsequences of corruption inKosovo. The survey showsthat 72% out of 600 small and
medium enterprises, in-volved in the survey,think that corruption iswidespread in Kosovo.The lack of institutionalmechanisms and unap-plied laws are among ba-sic sources of corruption,this survey concluded. Journalists can not conti-nue investigation on cor-
ruption because of the denialto have access in official do-cuments, Koha Ditore journa-list, Fatmire Terdevci stressed. Most of the panelists and par-ticipants agreed that Kosovosociety needs the implementa-tion of the anticorruption law,the prosecution of corruptedindividuals, a strong broad ba-sed coalition and more deba-tes, to achieve effective anti-corruption fight.
Volume III • Issue 6 • Page 2
ATRC, FDI and IREX or-ganized a roundtable mee-ting with Kosovo NGO re-presentatives and MiroslavLajçak, General Directorfor Political Affairs in theMinistry of Foreign Affairsof Slovakia on Decemberthe 6th at ATRC offices.The disscution was aboutthe role of civil society inlaying the ground work for amultiethnic Kosovo. Mr. Laj-cak shared his country's expe-rience focusing on SlovakianNGOs and their partner rolewith the government. Director for Political Affairsin the Foreign Ministry ofSlovakia stressed the impor-tant role civil society can playin strengthening the dialogue
and setting the pace for recon-ciliation and establishment ofa multiethnic Kosovo. "You should get out of clichésand start communicating realconcrete things, how to livenext to each other", Lajçaksaid. NGO representatives mentio-ned that civil society played agood role in key processes inpost war Kosovo, especially
in strengthening the intereth-nic dialogue. Lajçak informed the partici-pants that Slovakia offers toorganize a meeting in Bratis-lava between Kosovo andSerbian NGOs in order toseek how NGOs from bothsides are able to communi-cate with each other. From 2001 till 2005, Miros-
lav Lajçak served as Ambas-sador of Slovakia to the Fede-ral Republic of Yugoslavia(later Serbia and Montene-gro), Albania and Macedonia.
Funding Opportunity for Ko-sovo NGOs that are interestedto apply for Slovakian Go-vernment funds can be foundon http://www.foreign.gov.sk
ATRC and ÇOHU public debate "Corruption in our Society: What do we do to fight it?""It is not time to put up faceless bill boards but to implement laws that fight cor-ruption", Igballe Rogova, representative of Kosovo Women's Network stressed inthe debate
Participants debating corruption in Kosovo
"Diplomacy, Negotiations and Civil Society"
NEWSLETTER
NGO Flash News
"Civic Courage" debatewith Svetlana Broz
The issue "Civic Courage" wasdiscussed on November the 30th
in the Art Gallery between Dr.Svetlana Broz, the niece of formerpresident of Yugoslavia, JosipBroz Tito and Kosovo citizens.The debate was organized by theRepublican Club and Council forthe Defence of Human Rights andFreedoms.Ms. Broz spoke of her experiencesand mentioned practical examplesof civic courage.At the outbreak of the war in Bos-nia and Herzegovina in 1992, Ms.Broz volunteered as a cardiologist,where she began interviewing forthe book that describes human ex-periences during the Bosnian War. These experiences were publishedin her book "Good People in anEvil Time", published in 1999.The book is translated in manylanguages. Director of Sarajevo based NGOGARIWO, Svetlana Broz is wellknown for her lectures in differentcountries about the importance ofcivic courage. Over the past years she has beenlecturing at various Universitiesand International Institutes in Uni-ted States of America, as well as inLondon, Berlin, Geneva, Lau-sanne, Graz, Prague, Milan, Bol-zano, Warsaw, Trento, Verona,Amsterdam, Den Hague, Braun-schweig, Marseille, Lillehammer,Oslo, etc.
Dr. Svetlana Brozbook “Good Peoplein an Evil Time”
Roundtable with NGO represen-tatives and Mr. Lajçak at ATRC
ATRC, FDI and IREX roundtable
Fatos Bytyçi, journalist of Ra-dio and Television of Kosovo,was elected the new chairmanof Association of ProfessionalJournalists during the secondassembly meeting on Octoberthe 23rd held at the Grand Ho-tel, Prishtine. Bytyçi vowed that, during hisone year mandate as the chair-man of this association, willwork hard to ensure betterworking conditions for all Ko-sovo journalists."We will work in favor of alljournalists' interests for betterprotection, in order to put anend to the violence againstjournalists, cameramen andphoto reporters", Bytyçi said. The assembly elected sevenmembers of the board out ofthirteen candidates.
Elected board membersare: Fatos Bytyçi, AstritGashi, Syzana Bytyçi,Ibrahim Rexhepi, LinditaCamaj, Berat Buzhaladhe Artan Mustafa. Representatives fromUSAID and InternationalFederation of Journalistsgreeted APJK assembly."The role of all must bethe protection of journa-lists and the improvement oftheir working conditions",Oliver Money, representativeof the International Federationof Journalists said. TheUSAID Director of Demo-cracy Office, Miles Todertold journalists that the publicshould appreciate the role ofgood journalism.The Association of Professio-
nal Journalists, established in2002, is a nonprofit organiza-tion that aims to increase theprofessionalism of Kosovojournalists and media. This isthe only Kosovo associationthat protects the rights of jour-nalists and it has more than360 members. APJK is a member of Interna-tional Federation of Journa-lists.
Volume III • Issue 6 • Page 3
Kosovo women in civil so-ciety advocate for legislationagainst violence against wo-men, provide counseling andaid to support women whosuffer from violence, andraise awareness about the is-sue. A few examples of goodpractices are: Good Practices on Behalf ofSafe Houses Following the war, the Centerfor Protection of Women andChildren assisted 1,960 vic-tims of war rape, including 29young women who were hel-ped to abort forced pregnan-cies from the war. Kosovowomen in civil society havesuccessfully established andmaintained five safe houses indifferent regions of Kosovo. Kosovo Women NetworkCampaign against Violenceagainst Women
In 2001, this network coordi-nated a campaign, which utili-zed art and theatre to increasepublic knowledge about theproblem of violence againstwomen, including domesticviolence, rape during war-time, date rape, trafficking,and prostitution. Lilja Forever CampaignIn 2004, a coalition of localand international organiza-tions coordinated the "Lilja
Forever" awareness-raisingcampaign about the traf-ficking of women and girls. Legal Support Kosovo women in civil so-ciety have organized legalsupport for victims of vio-lence. Addressing Post-War Traumaamong Men and Women Following the war, Kosovoactivists provided psycho-so-cial support to victims of vio-lence. Activists noticed signi-ficantly lower levels of vio-lence against women in areaswhere activists made aconcentrated effort to workwith traumatized men as wellas women after the war.For the full report or more in-formation, please contact theKosovo Gender Studies Cen-ter at 038 540 719 or visitwww.kgscenter.org.
New Appointment
Fatos Bytyçi is elected the new chairman of Associationof Professional Journalists of Kosovo "APJK"
The voting in APJK
Gender Studies Center sent to UN a report on violenceagainst women in Kosovo
In cooperation with five Kosovo Women's Network members (Asebe, the Center forProtection of Women and Children, Safe House Gjakove and Women's Wellness Cen-ter), Kosovo Gender Studies Center compiled and sent to UN this report on October15th, to inform them about violence against women in Kosovo. Excerpts from the reportbelow contain good practices of Kosovo women in combating violence against women
NEWSLETTER
NGO Flash News
All together againsthuman trafficking
Women Lawyers' Association"Norma" and the International Or-ganization for Migration "IOM"held a workshop on October the 2st
at ATRC offices focusing on thepurpose and target of the traffickingof human beings.Participants, representing eight lo-cal NGOs from different towns ofKosovo and different ethnicgroups, including Albanian, Ser-bian, Bosnian, Turkish and Romaanalyzed different case studies ofhuman trafficking. In addition, they watched and dis-cussed the film "Lilja 4-Ever", di-rected by Lukas Moodysson. The film is a true story on a traf-ficking case about two children,Lilja and Volodya, who live in acountry that was once part of So-viet empire.UNMIK regulation 2001/4 "On theProhibition of Trafficking in Per-sons in Kosovo" was introduced tothe participants, as well. This regulation defines 'traffickingin persons' to mean the recruitment,transportation, transfer, harbouringor receipt of persons, by means ofthreat, coercion, abduction, fraud,deception, abuse of power, or thegiving or receiving of payments orbenefits -"for the purpose of exploi-tation." This workshop is part of the IOMproject "All together against hu-man trafficking".
The film "Lilja 4-Ever" directed byLukas Moodysson
UN is doing a worldwide re-search on violence againstwomen, including Kosovo
Shaban Shabani is an activecitizen of Ferizaj, whose in-volvement in important deve-lopments of civil society hasdirectly affectedthe life of his com-munity by bringingcitizens and theirlegislators togetherto improve localcommunity condi-tions.Shaban's involve-ment in civil so-ciety issues beganwhen he was 17years old with acti-vities to recons-truct a park in thecentre of the town.Now, four years la-ter, Shaban as a coordinator inadvocating on behalf of Feri-zaj citizens through the NGOnet, Avonet, in order to bringsignificant improvement inthe community life. Avonet impartially monitorsthe municipal assembly of Fe-rizaj in implementation of lo-cal laws and regulations. According to Shaban, this im-partiality is the main reason
that Avonet is a successful andtrusted NGO network. "Avonet spent two years tobuild up the confidence in pu-
blic and also to convince localauthority to take us seriously",Shaban said. Some of Avonet major achie-vements in Ferizaj have inclu-des the opening the MunicipalCommittee on Policy and Fi-nances to public, publishing 7periodic and 2 yearly monito-ring reports with specific re-commendations to the localmunicipal assembly on ways
to be more responsive to citi-zens' concerns. These recom-mendations led to the Munici-pal Government's decision to
open their meetingsto the public. In addi-tion, the assemblyhas appointed a youthofficer who workswith youth groups ontheir concerns. Avonet also publi-shes voting recordsof assembly membersto inform citizens onthe positions taken byeach councilor. From the initial in-volvement in the re-construction of a parktill his current advo-
cacy for greater public partici-pation in decision making, Shaban's involvement in civilsociety activities has becomean inseparable part of hisdaily life. He has a clear message forKosovo civil society - "Unless you are active, yourrights defined by law will ne-ver be realized".
Volume III • Issue 6 • Page 4
Avonet building a linking bridge between citizens of Ferizaj and their legislators
Avonet, consisting of four Ferizaj NGOs, "Advo-cacy Center for Progress", "Handikos", "Youth
Future" and "Etika", was founded in 2002.
Kosovo Institute for Policy Re-search and Development "KI-PRED" published on November the7th a report on enhancing civilianmanagement and oversight of the se-curity sector in Kosovo. This ReportSurveys the Provision and Oversightof Security in contemporary Ko-sovo, examining the ways in whichthe security architecture can be deve-loped so that ordinary Kosovarshave a meaningful say in its mana-gement and oversight. It begins bydetailing the current deficit in civi-lian oversight in the territory beforecontrasting current arrangementswith those of the recent past andidentifying priorities that must be ad-dressed if governance is to becomemore democratic in the future.The argument is made that whateverits other merits, Kosovo's security ar-chitecture fails the democratic testsince Kosovars continue to be at thereceiving end of security servicesover which they have little owner-ship or control and they cannot the-refore be said to be democratically orsustainably governed. Until the in-ternational administration in Kosovodeals with the exclusion and under-representation of Kosovars in theprovision, management and over-sight of security, the internationalcommunity's peace support opera-tion there cannot claim success. Theavoidance of genuine local involve-ment and civilian democratic over-sight after an initial period of stabili-zation has come to inhibit the politi-cal development of the territory, pro-bably to the detriment of its long-term stability.The report comes at a time when fi-nal status talks are beginning on Ko-sovo's future and when UNMIK hascommissioned a ground-breaking'Internal Security Sector Review',which aims to lay the foundationsfor an effective and democraticallyaccountable security system in Ko-sovo. The difficult challenges that lieahead for this review are a key focusfor the report. Full Text:http://www.kipred.net/UserFiles/File/SecSectorManagement.pdf
NGO Flash News
Security Sector Management
NEWSLETTER
Active Citizenship
Interview with Avonet coordinator, Shaban Shabani
Thirty films were shown du-ring the festival, most of theminternational."The icon of tears", has wonthe best Kosovo documentaryfilm prize.It is a film about Ferdane Çer-kezi from Gjakova, whosefour sons and husband aremissing since the war in Ko-sovo. Despite the fact that thecorpses of the dead are beingbrought back from Serbia on a
daily basis, she still hopes thather husband and sons willreturn alive. "Seoul Train"has won the bestinternational docu-mentary film prize,which tells desperateattempts of the citi-zens of North Korea asthey try to get out oftheir country.
Human Rights
Documentation of human rights through cinema
Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms "CDHRF" organized thesixth edition of International Festival of Documentary Films on Human Rightswhich, was held in Prishtina from December 5 - 10
One World 2005
Volume III • Issue 6 • Page 5
St. Agim Ramadani Nr. 152nd Floor Pristina, Kosovo
Phone/Fax: +381 (0) 38 244 810
International Civil Society Developments
The U.S. Helsinki Commissionhas urged Russia's parliament torethink the law controlling non-governmental organizations. In a letter to the speaker of theState Duma, the lower house ofthe Russian parliament, theCommission said the plannednew law "would have a chillingeffect on civil society in theRussian Federation, includingthe functioning of non-govern-mental organizations focusedon human rights and demo-cracy...and seriously underminethe rights of individuals in Rus-sia to freedom of association."
Although the first reading of theproposed new law was passed,it but must go through severalfurther readings and be signedby Russian President VladimirPutin before it becomes law.Mr. Putin has pledged to protectcivil society amid this contro-versy about the activities ofnon-governmental organiza-tions. He said he would ensure thatany steps taken would "not in-flict damage on civil society inRussia". NGOs in Russia say it will si-gnificantly curb their activities.
More than 1,000 NGOs havebeen urging the house to rejectthe bill.
Source: Helsinki Commissionand BBC News, World Edition
Acting Executive Director/COP IREX
BARBARA [email protected]
Deputy DirectorRREZE DULI
Training & ConsultancyServices Manager
ILIR HOXHA [email protected]
Trainer & ConsultantMERITA BARILEVA
Trainer & ConsultantDONIKA SALIHU
Program AssociateNATYRA ZHJEQI
Financial & AdministrationManager
GANI [email protected]
IT and Database ManagerARMEND SUSURI
Communication & OutreachManager
ARJETA [email protected]
Helsinki Commission Urges Russian Parliament to Rethink NGO Law
In a 370-18 vote, the State Duma approved on November 24th in the first readingthe bill that would require all NGOs to re-register with a state commission
Croatia's innovative example of NGO/government partnership Croatian Parliament in 2003 enacted the Law on the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment, which is one of the most innovative examples of NGO/government partner-ship in the Central and Eastern Europe
The CroatianParliament en-acted the Lawon the NationalFoundation forCivil SocietyDevelopmenton October15th, 2003. Theenactment ofthe Law marksa critical stepforward for thedevelopment ofcivil societyand the financial sustainabi-lity of NGOs in Croatia. Croa-tia's National Foundation forCivil Society Development isconsidered one of the most in-novative examples of NGOand government partner-ship in the Central and Eas-tern Europe region. Accordingto the Law, the Foundation isestablished as a public lawwhose mission is to serve andstrengthen civil society inCroatia. The Foundation sup-ports innovative programs asdeveloped by NGOs and in-
formal, community-based ini-tiatives. With financing fromstate budget funds, Croatianlottery funds, private dona-tions, income from economicactivities and certain othersources, the Foundationworks to promote the sustai-nability of the sector, cross-sector cooperation, civic ini-tiatives, philanthropy, and vo-luntarism. Core activities ofthe Foundation include: (1)education and publications,(2) grant giving, and (3) pu-blic awareness campaigns.The Foundation is governed
by a manage-ment boardconsisting ofboth govern-ment and civilsociety repre-sentatives; themajority ofthe board po-sitions are re-served for ci-vil society re-presentatives.To ensure thatgrant-making
decisions, whether made bythe National Foundation, theministries, or the local go-vernments, are made accor-ding to established standardsof transparency, a Codeof Good Practices for GrantMaking has been preparedand adopted by Parliament,with The InternationalCenter for Not-For-ProfitLaw and USAID support.
Source: The InternationalCenter For Not-For-ProfitLaw
Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia
Mr Putin is anxious about fo-reign funding of politicalgroups in Russia
