The Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) is a recent example of the many outstanding organizations supported by NED.

Central and Eastern Europe

2008 was a challenging year for the Western Balkans. Kosovo’s declaration of independence on February 17 increased radical nationalist sentiment in Serbia, culminating in an attack on the U.S. Embassy and a series of anti-western and anti-EU statements by government officials. These events forced early parliamentary elections in May. The new government has shown greater signs of stability and willingness to cooperate with the international community, as demonstrated by the delivery of Radovan Karadzic, a leading war criminal, to The Hague.

Newly independent Kosovo continued to face serious challenges, including a tense relationship with Serbia and the Serb-populated north, and the disputed nature of international supervision. In neighboring Macedonia, tensions grew after the country’s NATO membership was blocked at the Bucharest Summit in April. Violent clashes around the subsequent parliamentary elections and a continuing lack of political dialogue among governing and opposition parties threatened to reverse progress made toward Euro-Atlantic integration.

Of serious concern were developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where efforts to consolidate its democratic transition, build interethnic harmony, and integrate two entities into a unified state have stagnated. Despite signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement in June, the country has been unable to make significant progress toward EU integration. Although some gains were made by multiethnic parties, the results of the October local elections demonstrated how deep the country’s ethnic divisions remain.

In Moldova, the ruling Communist Party responded to recent election losses and falling popularity by increasing its attacks on independent media and efforts to stifle civil society. While the issue of the country’s breakaway region of Transnistria became more prominent in the wake of the Russia-Georgia clash, no progress was made in resolving this “frozen conflict.” Nevertheless, the region did witness some positive steps toward the consolidation of democratic transitions. Albania and Croatia received offers of NATO membership, and Montenegro was invited to apply for EU candidate status.

To address the region’s growing challenges, the Endowment continued to increase its support for indigenous NGOs and core grantees, awarding a record 84 grants in 2008. NED continued to concentrate the majority of its resources on Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina-countries which remain deeply divided along ethnic, political, and social lines. Recognizing the importance of developing new generations of civic and political leaders, NED continued to devote special attention to youth-oriented programs, including those fostering interethnic reconciliation and activism, especially youth participation in elections. :: MORE