Albania

Albanian Human Rights Group

$39,320
To encourage public debate on the responsibility of the Albanian Communist regime for human rights abuses committed during its totalitarian rule. The Group will produce and distribute a documentary film containing personal stories by victims, organize debates in five high schools, hold a television debate and a roundtable, and advocate for the creation of institutional mechanisms to address past human rights abuses.

Albanian Media Institute

$30,000
To foster professional, objective reporting on Albania’s June 2009 parliamentary elections. The Institute will conduct six trainings for journalists and editors that will focus on the new electoral system in Albania, the legal framework for election coverage, and professional standards and ethics in journalism. It will also publish and distribute a series of general guidelines on proper media conduct during elections.

Center for Parliamentary Studies

$42,160 *
To encourage public understanding and debate on legislation being introduced in parliament, as well as increase the transparency, accountability and efficiency of Albania’s legislature. The Center will publish six issues of the Review of Parliamentary Law and Politics, which documents and analyzes the work of the parliament, and distribute it to key government officials, political party headquarters, NGOs and international organizations.

Change Center

$15,600
To conduct a nonpartisan voter education program for high school students in southern Albania targeting the June 2009 parliamentary elections. The Center will educate young people about their role as citizens in a democracy and the importance of participating in elections. The program will include workshops, public forums with political party representatives, study trips to the parliament, and a website. The Vlora-based Center will also conduct a regional media campaign to foster greater youth participation in the elections.

European Movement Albania

$44,990
To encourage youth participation in Albania’s June 2009 parliamentary elections. The NGO will conduct a nonpartisan voter education program for students in seven university centers by organizing public lectures, launching an informational website, and distributing a booklet on the country’s new electoral system, electoral legislation, and voters’ rights. It will also conduct a nationwide nonpartisan media campaign encouraging greater youth participation in the elections.

International Republican Institute (IRI)

$150,000
To improve the performance of Albania’s parliament. IRI will work with the Center for Parliamentary Studies to produce MP scorecards and a Parliamentary Guide Book to strengthen transparency and accountability in the parliament. In the lead up to the summer 2009 parliamentary elections, IRI will also build on past efforts to strengthen the work of organizations advocating for the needs of persons with disabilities in parliament.

KRIIK Association Albania

$32,120
To develop the leadership skills of young politicians and NGO activists in Albania and Southeastern Europe. KRIIK will organize a nine-day Summer University in southern Albania for 35 young political and civic leaders from Albania and the region, as well as 21 public debates and meetings at seven university centers in the country. Topics to be examined will include democracy issues relevant to the region and the local communities in Albania.

MJAFT! Movement

$50,045*
To produce independent, objective radio programs encouraging debate on crucial issues facing the citizens of Albania, especially youth. The MJAFT station Radio Rock-RadioActive will produce a series of information and debate programs highlighting the political and social situation in the country, contributing to young voters’ ability to hold decision-makers accountable for their policies and actions prior to the summer 2009 parliamentary elections.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)

$420,000
To make political parties more representative of the public and responsive to citizen concerns by fostering new political leadership. NDI will focus on increasing women’s participation in decision-making processes by helping female politicians to improve their capacity to take part in the June 2009 parliamentary elections, assisting them in developing the skills necessary to become party trainers, supporting participants’ efforts to establish more inclusive party structures, and facilitating discussions between party leaders and program participants on election platform development.

Open Society Foundation for Albania

$44,000
To conduct a watchdog project promoting the financial transparency and accountability of political parties participating in Albania’s June 2009 parliamentary elections. The Foundation and its two partner organizations will research and calculate expenses associated with election campaigns, including advertising costs and public events, and compare the findings with official information submitted by the political parties, and make public the results.