2009 annual report

Crossborder

Bulgarian School of Politics
$49,900
To develop the leadership skills of and promote dialogue among young politicians and NGO activists in Southeastern Europe. The Sofia-based School will organize a series of courses, workshops and meetings with representatives of government institutions and parliaments for young politicians and NGO activists from the region. Participants will work together as members of a Balkan Parliament, drafting resolutions regarding youth issues in the region that will be submitted to EU and national decision makers for consideration.

Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe
$68,000
To train Bosnian and Kosovar schoolteachers in modern teaching methods that promote democratic principles, such as the awareness and understanding of multi-perspective history, comparative approaches, and participatory learning. The Greece-based Center will distribute civic education teaching materials to high schools and organize training-of-trainers sessions on using the unique history materials in each country.

E-Civis
$26,000
To establish an offshore website to promote freedom of information and democratic change in Moldova. The Bucharest-based site (http://www.eliberatimoldova.eu), to be in Romanian, Russian and English, will be directed towards a domestic Moldovan audience as well as international observers. It will report on human rights issues, offer objective news and information about breaking developments, and raise international awareness about Moldova’s democratic transition.

East European Democratic Center (EEDC)
$42,850
To launch a crossborder program that will strengthen Moldovan civil society and foster greater networking among Polish, Ukrainian and Moldovan NGOs. The Warsaw-based EEDC will organize four seminars for Moldovan NGOs, two study trips to Ukraine and Poland for 22 participants, and conduct a roundtable in Balti, Moldova, to facilitate the development of a NGO network between Moldova, Ukraine, and Poland.

EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy
$21,400
To strengthen the capacity of think tanks and experts in Kosovo to advocate for the democratic reforms needed for EU accession. The Institute will organize a four-day seminar in Pristina for Kosovar and Czech think tank experts. Three working groups will be formed to address three priority challenges identified during the seminar and produce nine policy papers that will be published and disseminated to the wider Kosovar public.

People in Need Foundation (PIN)
$57,527
To conduct a two-part project to strengthen the skills of political leaders in Moldova and promote the development of civil society in the breakaway region of Transnistria. The Prague-based PIN will oversee training seminars for municipal officials as well as a small grants competition and training workshops for Transnistrian NGOs.

People in Peril Association (PIPA)
$43,490
To build the capacity of NGOs in Serbia’s multiethnic region of Vojvodina. The Slovakia-based PIPA will organize three study visits and trainings to improve the public outreach and civic education skills of young activists from at least 15 NGOs. The program will result in a human rights film festival and a network of school film and debate clubs.

Transitions Online (TOL)
$39,328
To build the capacity of new media in Moldova, the Czech Republic-based TOL will hold five new media clinics throughout the country. Three of the most promising new media activists will attend TOL’s New Media Summer School in Prague. To expose activists to best practices in web development and new media strategies, a travel grant fund to attend various new media events in the region will be maintained and a resource website will be created.