Dobracina 44 T +381 11 3036 454 E [email protected] 11000 Belgrade F +381 11 3288 022 W www.gmfus.org/balkantrust Ser Serbia

June 30, 2008 Michelle Barrett Regional Program Officer USAID Regional Services Center for Europe and Eurasia Bank Center, Granit Tower Szabadsag ter 7-9 1944 Budapest, Hungary

Dear Ms. Barrett: On behalf of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) Board of Directors and staff, please accept our report on the Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD) and financial activities for Fiscal Year 2008. In 2008, BTD made 123 grants totaling $3,235,706. Our report illustrates how the GMF-USAID partnership has been instrumental in supporting community development, policy changes, and reconciliation initiatives in the Balkans, and highlights the value of sharing best practices and building networks that improve cooperation throughout the region. BTD’s support of indigenous projects in the Balkans has led to positive changes in communities and situations throughout the region. This year’s report again includes a section on impact analysis that reflects these changes. This information is provided in a statistical overview under Grantmaking, and a more detailed examination of project impact is included in the section on Analysis by Objective and Project Type. Please find enclosed a narrative report that includes financial activities and impact analysis, an overview of BTD’s key developments, grantmaking operations, and annexes for reference. Thank you, once again, for your generous support and the opportunity to unite our efforts as we build stronger civil and democratic societies in the Balkans and beyond. Sincerely,

Ivan Vejvoda Executive Director, Balkan Trust for Democracy

The Balkan Trust for Democracy A Project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States

Annual Narrative and Financial Reports Fiscal Year ending May 31, 2008

The Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD) is a $30-million grantmaking initiative that supports democracy, good governance, and Euroatlantic integration in Southeastern Europe. This award-winning public-private partnership was created in 2003 by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (C.S. Mott). BTD is structured to allow European and U.S. partners to join the effort in strengthening transatlantic cooperation in the Balkans. Since its founding, additional contributions from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Belgrade, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Tipping Point Foundation, Compagnia di San Paolo, the Robert Bosch Foundation, and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs have made BTD a true transatlantic partnership. Grantmaking Operating from the German Marshall Fund's Belgrade office, BTD awards grants in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. BTD also gives regional grants to organizations promoting the benefits of a pan-Balkan network. Policy Dialogue In addition to grantmaking, the Balkan Trust for Democracy continually works to accelerate the region's integration into Euroatlantic structures and to raise the profile of the Balkans. Together with GMF's Washington headquarters and its other European offices, BTD connects local actors with European Union (EU), American, and other international individuals and institutions in order to build networks and consensus on Balkan issues from a broader, multi-stakeholder perspective.

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

1

I. Overview of Key Developments

2

FUNDRAISING

2

GRANTMAKING

3

TERRITORIAL SCOPE

4

OUTREACH

5

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

5

PERSONNEL

6

CONFERENCES AND POLICY EVENTS

6

MARSHALL MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

8

II. Grantmaking

9

INTRODUCTION

9

STATISTICAL OVERVIEW OF GRANTMAKING PROGRAM: PROJECTS FUNDED IN FY 2008

9

STATISTICAL OVERVIEW OF GRANTMAKING PROGRAM: PROJECTS COMPLETED IN FY 2008

12

HOW IT WORKS

15

GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW

15

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

17

ANALYSIS BY OBJECTIVE AND PROJECT TYPE

19

A) Linking Citizens with Government

20

i. Fostering a Culture of Dialogue 1. Public Debate 2. Leadership Development 3. Policy Work ii. Increasing Participation for Equity

20 ……………… ……………… ………………

20 23 26 28

4. Civic Education 5. Mechanisms

……………… ………………

iii. Promoting Transparency and Accountability 6. Advocacy ……………… 7. Monitoring ……………… 8. Implementation and Enforcement ……………… B) Cooperation and Collaboration

33 35 37

39 ……………… ……………… ……………… ………………

v. Encouraging Reconciliation and Confidence Building 13. Reconciliation

33

39

iv. Fostering Partnerships 9. Shared Objectives 10. Best Practices 11. Networks 12. Re-granting

28 30

………………

III. Annexes and Related Documents Board of Advisors and Grant Committee members Selection Criteria Financial Tables List of Grants by Donor (separate document - attached) Grant Summaries (separate document - attached) Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (separate document - available on request) Asset Managers Report (separate document –attached) Audit Report (separate document – not yet available for FY2008)

39 41 43 44 45 45

Introduction from the Executive Director The Western Balkans has made significant progress since the violent conflicts and crises that plagued the region for nearly two decades by continuously working to advance democratic and economic development. While intricate problems remain in the Balkans, the worst years of inflamed ethnic intolerance seem to have ended. Indeed, the majority of citizens in the region want their countries to strive for democratic development and economic prosperity through Euroatlantic integration. Since its founding in 2003, the Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD) has earned a well-deserved reputation both inside and outside the region as a grantmaking initiative that supports democratic development and reconciliation. BTD staff brings a combination of expertise and experience, providing BTD with the ability to adapt and react effectively to the changing political environment in the Balkans. BTD works in ten countries, including Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. A new initiative, the Bulgaria Fund, was launched in November 2007, as a legacy program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that is managed by BTD. The Bulgaria Fund both reinforces and compliments BTD’s own network and grants. BTD, in tandem with the Bulgaria Fund, continues to provide support to all of the countries in the region with a comprehensive and targeted grantmaking program. Through its policy work in the Balkans, BTD strengthens democratic development and provides the international community with expert analysis on the political situation in the region. BTD will celebrate its 5th anniversary in Belgrade this fall, which will be an excellent opportunity to showcase BTD, present BTD programs that are planned for the next five years, and underscore the region’s progress toward European integration. In addition, the 2009 Sofia Debates, organized by the German Marshall Fund and the Sofia-based Communitas Foundation, will provide policymakers and opinion-makers with an opportunity to engage in high-level, in-depth conversations about key issues in the Black Sea region. The following report reflects BTD’s monitoring and evaluation efforts begun in FY 2007. BTD will continue to enrich its successful model of grantmaking and policy dialogue with new ideas that correspond with the ever-changing political situation in the region.

Ivan Vejvoda Executive Director

1

I. OVERVIEW OF KEY DEVELOPMENTS FUNDRAISING Since its inception in 2003,, BTD has successfully secured funds from public and private sources throughout Europe and the United States. To date these include: Founding Donors

$26 million German Marshall Fund of the United States United States Agency for International Development

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Donors Total

Starting from

Compagnia di San Paolo

€200,000

2007

Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

$500,000

2008

Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs

€600,000

2005

Robert Bosch Foundation

€200,000

2007

Rockefeller Brothers Fund

$150,000

Royal Netherlands Embassy – Belgrade

$1,365,291

2005

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

€745,543

2005

Tipping Point Foundation

$125,000

2005

2

2005

Supplementary funds (additional to core GMF, USAID, and Charles Stewart Mott endowments) allotted to BTD grantmaking in FY 2008 amounted to $1,018,644. Significant developments to date include the following: 

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs awarded €360,000 and an additional €40,000 for Serbian election-related projects;



The Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation provided €175,000 under a twoyear agreement (total €750,000);



The Robert Bosch Foundation from Germany contributed €150,000 toward the second Balkan Student Travel to Europe project.

In 2006, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) approached GMF- BTD with the idea to create a legacy mechanism for closing its programs. GMF signed an agreement with USAID on September 27, 2007, that established the Bulgaria Fund, a 3-year, $3-million grantmaking initiative that continues the USAID reform agenda in Bulgaria and is managed by the Balkan Trust for Democracy. The Bulgaria Fund was launched two months later, on November 15, 2007, in Sofia. Nearly 300 representatives from Bulgarian civil society, government, and media attended the launch, and speeches were delivered by Miglena Tacheva, Bulgarian minister of justice, and John Beyrle, U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria. A website for the program was also created, www.gmfus.org/bulgariafund, which informs and announces calls for proposals in three priority areas that rotate on a six-month basis, including good governance, vulnerable groups, and competitiveness. This program will be addressed in more detail in future reports. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs is BTD’s newest contributor, and has pledged €200,000. The disbursement will begin in FY 2009. The Czech government is the fifth European government to support BTD’s work in promoting democracy, good governance, and the development of civil society in the Balkans. GRANTMAKING To date, BTD has invested more than $13 million in approximately 550 projects across the region, including $3,235,706 toward 123 projects in FY 2008. The tables below provide an overview of the growth of grantmaking in numerical and financial terms. In FY 2006, the greatest expenditure and number of projects were supported due to a number of factors, including about $1 million in additional funds from the Swedish International Development Agency.

3

Million(s) of USD Spent

Grantmaking Expenditure

5

FY4 2004 - FY 2008 3 2 1 0

FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007

Fiscal Year

FY 2008

Of the 123 projects supported in FY 2008, 91 were granted from BTD Endowment funds (USAID, GMF, and C.S. Mott) at a total of $2,217,062, $ including $1,280,215 1,280,215 million m from the USAID contribution, and $278,557 from the C.S. Mott contribution. The following table summarizes the use of donor contributions toward FY 2008 grantmaking. Summary of Grantmaking by Donor €*

Donor U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

$ 1,280,215

C.S. Mott Foundation

278,557

German Marshall Fund (GMF)

658,290

Sub-total total Endowment Funds

2,217,062

Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE)

156,215

Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF)

220,842 10,000

Greek Government

88,875

125,971

Compagnia di San Paolo

38,850

54,147

Robert Bosch Foundation

135,000

211,950

Danish Government

255,180

395,734

Sub-total total Supplementary Contributions

1,018,644

Total Grantmaking Funds Dispensed 3,235,706 *Euros converted to U.S. dollars ollars at conversion rate at date of fund disbursement of each individual project; eight projects were not paid out by the end of the fiscal year and were thus calculated using the May 28, 2008 conversion rate of 1 Euro:: 1.57 Dollars.

TERRITORIAL SCOPE BTD continues to work in the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia.

4

OUTREACH BTD engages in a number of initiatives and activities that connect it with a broad range of democracy programs and actors and inform the public about its work: 

Advisory Board: The BTD Advisory Board provides a network of locally connected “ambassadors” who spread information about the organization’s programs and funding mechanisms.



Donors: BTD actively engages with the offices of its donors in each country, sharing information and encouraging them to refer local organizations to BTD as appropriate.



Bulletin: The BTD electronic bulletin was launched in FY 2006 to provide an overview of BTD-led events and grantmaking highlights. It is sent quarterly to around 3,300 international organizations and individuals, including donors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), governments, grantees, applicants, Advisory Board members, and other partners in the region and beyond. The bulletin features grantee and policy dialogue that underscores BTD’s grantmaking impact and illustrates the link between BTD’s policy and grantmaking objectives. In FY 2008, the BTD bulletin added interviews with notable civil society leaders and information on upcoming events.



Website: The Balkan Trust for Democracy modified and updated its website in FY 2007. Applicants and current grantees can now use the website for updated information on grantmaking guidelines, procedures (including project selection criteria), and forms. Links to the BTD bulletins and expanded information about BTD also provide a more complete picture of BTD’s work and how it functions.



Field Visits: BTD program staff makes field visits to meet with grantees and applicants and with other relevant organizations and activists, including representatives of civil society and government, donors, and international agencies such as the Organization for Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), UN agencies, Open Society Institute, and the National Democratic Institute.



Staff Presentations of BTD: Staff presents BTD work at local events throughout the region as well as in the United States and Europe. As other donors pull out of the region, BTD’s executive director regularly presents BTD at donor events in Europe with the aim to publicize BTD as a potential funder.



Conferences: BTD’s executive director represents BTD at a range of high-level meetings across the region (most often as a speaker or moderator), raising BTD’s profile among senior international and national actors. Examples of FY 2008 events are described in the Conferences and Policy Events section below.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION BTD developed and implemented a Monitoring and Evaluation strategy in FY 2007, comprising a mix of qualitative and quantitative objectives plus indicators to monitor performance and measure impact at the program and project levels. An analysis of the

5

information received through Monitoring and Evaluation activities can be seen in Grantmaking (Section II). BTD has amended, grouped (into essential and desirable), and prioritized project selection criteria, and has posted it on the website. When BTD was founded in 2003, an external evaluation from inception through year four of operations was scheduled. This evaluation was conducted from May – October 2007. A draft evaluation was made available at the annual BTD Advisory Board meeting in Cavtat, Croatia on September 22-24, 2007, and the final version was submitted in October. The evaluation focuses on the structure, performance, and impact of BTD’s grantmaking activities in order to help the organization make decisions about future strategy. PERSONNEL The total number of Belgrade-based staff increased from seven to eight as follows: Executive Director Program Officer Program Associate Program Assistant Office Manager

1 3* 2* 1* 1*

(Ivan Vejvoda) (Gordana Delic, Pavlina Filipova, Jovan Jovanovic) (Mary Kate Boughton, Dane Koruga) (Filip Vojvodic-Medic) (Suzana Markovic)

*Gordana Delic was promoted to Senior Program Officer in June 2007. Mary Kate Boughton and Dane Koruga were promoted to Program Associates in June 2007. Filip Vojvodic-Medic joined BTD as an additional Program Assistant December 2007. Suzana Markovic permanently replaced Natalija Prelevic in October 2007. CONFERENCES, POLICY EVENTS, AND POLICY NETWORKS BTD’s policy objectives include fostering transatlantic dialogue on Balkan issues, supporting policy efforts on Euroatlantic integration in the Balkans, helping to connect political and civic actors throughout the region, and strengthening regional ties. In FY 2008, BTD participated in and organized a number of events linked to its goals and activities. These events provided BTD with the opportunity to inform the discourse on relevant issues and to disseminate information about the organization. 

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Hearing: Ivan Vejvoda, BTD executive director, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for a hearing on March 4, 2008, entitled “Kosovo: The Balkans’ Moment of Truth.” The hearing examined the situation in the Balkans following Kosovo’s declaration of independence. Vejvoda stressed the importance of including Balkan countries in Euroatlantic structures.



Brussels Forum: Heads of state, senior EU officials and institutions, U.S. government officials, Members of Congress, Parliamentarians, academicians, and media representatives were among the participants at this annual conference to address pressing challenges currently facing both sides of the Atlantic. BTD helped to organize the session on the future of the Balkans.

6



Transatlantic Cities Network: In spring 2008, Belgrade was one of the 20 American and European cities to be included in the first round of the Transatlantic Cities Network, the main component of GMF’s expanding Comparative Domestic Policy (CDP) program. The network acts as a forum, exposing leaders to alternative approaches, and encouraging active exchanges of information on a local and regional level in the areas of urban, regional, and social policy. BTD will assist CDP in recruiting representatives to take part in the network and organizing the first Transatlantic Cities Network study tour to take place in September 2008.



Bucharest Conference: BTD staff participated as part of the GMF team effort to organize the Bucharest Conference, held alongside the official NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania from April 1-3, 2008. The conference served as a platform for policymakers, scholars, and business people to discuss the pressing issues facing NATO, and included a “night owl” session on “The Balkans after Kosovo: What Next?” The conference was organized by the German Marshall Fund with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chatham House.



Study Tours: Study Tours of the Balkans are an important part of BTD’s work, serving to raise the profile of the region and contributing to better and more accurate awareness of the issues facing the Balkans. In May 2008, BTD hosted an 8-member bipartisan Congressional staff study tour that visited Belgrade, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Pristina, and Mitrovica.

7

MARSHALL MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM The German Marshall Fund of the United States’ Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF) program draws fellows from 21 European countries and the United States to travel and meet with a range of policymakers and prominent members from the business, government, political, NGO, and media communities. Candidates are selected through a competitive national process. Last October, BTD’s selection committee chose eight candidates from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The BTD office has evolved into a hub for MMF activities in the region. In FY 2008, BTD hosted two groups of American MMFs in Belgrade in October 2007 and February 2008. In Belgrade, the fellows visited with BTD grantees, experts, professionals, and academicians who shared an overview and insights into Serbian society, including their thoughts about Kosovo's declaration of independence. The fellows also had an opportunity to learn about economic developments, business, and everyday life in Serbia. For the first time, they took part in a one-day tour of Serbia's northern province, Vojvodina, known for its great pastoral plains and Austro-Hungarian heritage. The MMF program is an important component of GMF’s policy work. Many of the more than 1,500 fellows in the program’s history represent the next generation of American and European business, nonprofit, media, and political leaders who reinforce the value of maintaining the transatlantic relationship. Distinguished alumni from the MMF program include José Sócrates, prime minister of Portugal; Evripidis Stylianidis, deputy foreign minister of Greece; Ivailo Kalfin, foreign minister of Bulgaria; Kristian Jensen, minister for taxation of Denmark; and members of the European Parliament Emine Bozkurt (Netherlands) and Paulo Casaca (Portugal). Notable American alumni include Morenike Irvin, president of the Riordan Foundation, Los Angeles; Cam Ward, state representative in Alabama; and Ginette Dennis, Colorado’s secretary of state.

8

II. GRANTMAKING PROGRAM INTRODUCTION This section provides an overview of BTD’s FY 2008 grantmaking program and activities. Two sets of data have been analyzed to provide provide the content in this section -- projects funded in FY 2008, and projects rojects completed in FY 2008. The first shows dispersal of funds in FY 2008; i.e. the organizations funded by BTD and their planned activities. The second shows results/outcomes of completed project activities; i.e. the impact generated in FY 2008 by BTD-funded projects. Grantmaking activities es are classified according to two program areas reas or goals. These goals goal are further broken down into five objectives, objectives, which are achieved through the implementation of activities within 13 different project types. types. (See Programmatic Overview by Program Area, a, Objective, and Project Type.) Type. Within each project type, ype, examples of FY 2008 activities are given (projects rojects funded in FY 2008), followed by highlights of the results achieved (projects rojects completed in FY 2008). STATISTICAL OVERVIEW OF GRANTMAKING PROGRAM: PROJECTS FUNDED IN FY 2008 This section presents a statistical overview of BTD’s current grantmaking program, namely types of funded organizations, target groups, estimated outputs/activities outputs/activities,, as well as BTD’s approach oach to its grantmaking program, including levels of investment in particular pa organizations (funding funding history and grant size),, and BTD’s coverage of communities outside capitals, where support for democratic consolidation is especially important important. The following graphs were produced with data from all 123 projects that BTD funded in FY 2008.

Organization Type Spin-Off

74%

Media 11% 2% 5%

8%

9

Organization Type In FY 2008 the vast majority of BTD support went to nonnon governmental organizations, organizations with media organizations and independent research institutes inst (think tanks) comprising 11 and 8 percent respectively.

Number of Projects

Target Groups Each of the 123 projects Target Groups supported in FY 2008 target 70 specific groups either as 60 participants or beneficiaries of 50 40 project activities. Projects 30 might aim to reach multiple 20 target groups. Youth are a 10 0 priority target group because they are one of the most marginalized groups in the Balkans, and in FY 2008, 2008 46 projects specifically aimed to transfer skills, empower, and Type of Target Group promote active engagement of youth.. An important aspect of many projects is to spread awareness and knowledge among the general population with advocacy campaigns. 50 projects targeted the population in this way. 59 projects included participation of, or directly targeted, the government, governmen and linked citizens with their government. Outputs/Activities Projects in FY 2008 seek to undertake certain outputs/activities. BTD identified these 14 outputs. A large number of projects, projects 48 total, conduct training programs, particularly for emerging leaders. Eight organizations are taking advantage of spreading technology by creating virtual forums and databases to debate issues and share information throughout a country or across borders.

Funding History 34%

Previou s Grant…

Funding unding History More than one third of organizations that received BTD funding in FY 2008 were first-time time BTD grantees.

66% Percentage of 123 projects that received funding prior to FY 2008

10

Grant Size 26% up to…

74%

Percentage of 123 projects that received grants of greater than or less than $25,000

Project Location 33% 67%

Outside Capital In Capital

Percentage of 123 projects that included activities located outside capital

11

Grant Size BTD grantmaking procedure requires that projects up for approval of more than $/€25,000 €25,000 must also be approved by the German Ger Marshall Fund’s Board. More than oneone quarter of projects in FY 2008 received funding in excess of $25,000 and up to $70,000.

Project Location More than two-thirds thirds of projects funded in FY 2008 included activities ac located outside of the capital city of the project country country. Reaching citizens in rural areas as well as towns and cities outside the administrative center is crucial to ensure full democratization within countries and across the region.

STATISTICAL OVERVIEW OF GRANTMAKING PROGRAM: PROJECTS COMPLETED IN FY 2008 This section presents a statistical overview of projects completed in FY 2008. Using data from organizations that completed project activities, BTD evaluated the results and impact of the activities on a (comprehensive) program level, illustrating overall impact achieved in FY 2008. Specific analysis according to objective and project type can be found in the section on Analysis by Objective and Project Type. Program-level impact achieved during FY 2008 is shown below. Data is comprised of projects completed in FY 2008, no matter the fiscal year of their funding. The following graphs were produced with information collected from the 79 projects that were completed in FY 2008.

Participants

Percentage of projects that included/targeted the following participants 120%

Percentage

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Participant Type Participants This data reflects an organization’s ability to involve participants in project activities. Civic leaders were the most represented in project activities at 71 percent, followed by government participation at 62 percent, which demonstrates success in bringing citizens closer to their government. Nineteen percent of the projects funded by BTD made an effort to include Roma participants, while twenty percent worked to improve women’s participation and leadership capabilities. Of the projects funded in FY 2008, youth development was a primary concern with 62 percent of the projects targeting youth.

12

Outreach Informing the public about project activities is important to both convey the value of the project and to encourage participation. The majority o of projects included distributing a newsletter or report, while others held professional press conferences nces to garner media attention or advertised activities. activities Other innovative means of reaching the public included civic ivic actions, web podcasts, video interviews, open days to introduce training programs, and distributing posters, leaflets, and brochures. Media Coverage Similar to outreach, utreach, media Percentage of projects that received coverage overage is important to spread a 120% the following types of media coverage project’s message and successes 100% to the broader public. Reflecting 80% BTD grantees’ strong 60% relationships with media outlets, 40% most projects received a wide 20% range of coverage, especially in 0% local and national media. 75 percent of the projects received Types of Media national attention, and more than 70 percent received radio, television, and newspaper coverage. Another significant trend is shown with 27% of projects achieving internet media coverage, illustrating the increase in internet usage ge and online media publications in the region. Percentage

Media Coverage

Outcomes Of the 79 projects completed in FY 2008, 48 conducted training programs for young political leaders, judicial and government officials, journalists, civil society leaders, and marginalized groups, among others. others 35 projects included first-time first encounters between people who would not normally have the opportunity to meet, allowing them to work together on common problems and contribute to reconciliation. 13

The training programs and cross-border cross initiatives atives also facilitate networking among the participants, which results in sustained cooperation on shared objectives. As a result of project activities, 31 networks were created or strengthened strengthened, 21 new mechanisms were created that contribute to linking citizens c with th their government and improving citizens’ access to services and information, informati and 35 projects issued policy recommendations to their government. At the time of project completion, five organizations succeeded in getting one or more recommendations ions adopted into law. Other significant outcomes include journalism awards and a human rights film festival.

Project Sustainability

Project Sustainability Of the 79 projects completed in FY 2008, 2008 more than three-quarters quarters continued to pursue project activities without BTD funding.

77%

Spin-off Projects 46 percent of projects completed in FY 2008 resulted in the creation of new initiatives that evolved directly from the BTD-funded funded activities. Spin-off Spin projects include those that were established through partnerships with other organizations during project implementation, ass well as projects that replicate best practices or successful models in different locations facing similar challenges.

Spin-off off Projects 46%

14

Percenta ge of projects that resulte…

HOW IT WORKS The Balkan Trust for Democracy awards grants to indigenous civic groups, NGOs, news media, think tanks, governments, and educational institutions in order to strengthen democratic structures in Southeastern Europe. BTD awards grants to ten countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. Applications for grants from BTD are received through the web portal (www.gmfus.org/balkantrust), which contains information (in English) on BTD’s structure and mandate, grantmaking parameters, and the application form. Proposal review takes place on a rolling basis (the Grants Review Committee meets 6-8 times each year) and all applications received go through the process described below. The core part of the review process is the selection criteria that provide a standard and engender consistency and transparency in the review system. These criteria are at the center of a progressive appraisal process involving multi-stage reviews by different groups, as follows: 1. Review by Program Officer (according to the selection criteria); 2. Informal presentation and review discussion among BTD staff; 3. Distribution for review feedback from network of well-informed peers and donor staff in project location; 4. Formal presentation and review by GMF Grants Review Committee (which includes donor observers); 5. Formal presentation and review by GMF Board (if proposal budget exceeds $/€25,000). This process provides stakeholders with the opportunity to observe or participate in proposal reviews, and helps to form consensus on each proposal, while also meeting the need to maintain accountability. This combination of uniform selection criteria with a layered review process best reconciles the advantages of standardization with the need to maintain flexibility toward new ideas and changing priorities at the local or regional level. GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW Regarding the geographic breakdown of investment, less than one-third of grantmaking funds (32 percent or $1,053,105) were allocated to regional (or cross-border) projects, with the remaining 68 percent spread among the ten countries as follows:

15

Regarding in-country untry (or non-regional) non regional) grantmaking, BTD attempts to balance balanc its spending geographically. However, owever, countries are not allocated fixed proportions of the available resources. Other factors include: 

Quality of proposals received: This is the first priority in the approval process (see selection criteria for further details). BTD aims to respond to local initiatives, and awards given depend on the quality of applications received from a particular country. country If the number and quality ty of proposals proposal received is weak in a particular country,, BTD staff will work to intensify contacts and/or revise priorities to reflect the capacity of actors.



Demography: BTD operates in countries that vary in size and level of democratic consolidation.. Montenegro comprises approximately 650,000 citizens, while Romania has a population of around 22 million. As of January 1, 2007, Bulgaria and Romania are EU member states, while Bosnia and Herzegovina has yet to sign a Stabilization Stabiliz and Association Agreement eement with the EU. Regardless of the size and the level of democratic consolidation, BTD tries to spend roughly equal resources per country, but these numbers can vary depending on concrete needs at a given point in time. (See ( also Donor preferences.)



Strategic priorities: BTD goals and programs apply throughout the region. However, each country may be at a different phase in its democratic development. For example, Kosovo, which this year declared independence, has particularly weak institutional capacities and lacks practical services for its citizens. Serbia has had a particularly difficult year, as the government collapsed in part due to the Kosovo issue and the debate over its future in Europe, and subsequently held multiple elections.



GMF programs: Expanding its grantmaking initiatives, GMF launched the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST) in October 2007. BST is a public-private private partnership modeled on the Balkan Trust for Democracy. Overlapping with BTD, the Black Sea Trust also awards grants in Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania. In Romania and Bulgaria, the BST focuses on regional projects, not in-country in projects, that are covered by BTD. GMF is also one of five founding private partners part of the Central entral and East European Trust for Civil Society (CEE Trust) that also works in Bulgaria and Romania. BTD,

16

BST,, and the CEE Trust communicat communicate regularly and cooperate on these countries in order to ensure a level disbursement of funds. 

Donor preferences: BTD donors have various criteria or priorities (particularly concerning supplementary donations). donations). For example, projects allocated for Danish financing in FY 2008 were focused on Kosovo and Serbia. Funding from the Dutch and the Robert Bosch Foundation is limited to the Western Balkans with the exception of Croatia (the country furthest along in its EU accession process), while grants from Compagnia di San Paolo focus on supporting independent policy research and projects that engage youth. In addition, USAID endowment funds are not available for M Moldova oldova (USAID works in Moldova through other existing structures).

As mentioned, Bulgaria and Romania are now EU member states, and although demands from Bulgaria this year were less, spending in Bulgaria increased significantly in FY 2008 with the new Bulgaria Fund Fund, a USAID legacy program that is managed by BTD. BTD This year, BTD also focused on Kosovo and Serbia Serbia, as well as independent policy think tanks. Additional analysis in this report focuses primarily on programmatic themes. However, under each of the following sections on objectives, a table lists the projects by country that can be used for identifying projects in the Grant Summaries document issued with thi this report. PROGRAM OVERVIEW BTD supports democracy through two principal programs or goals: 

Linking Citizens with Government provides grants to local and national organizations that work to improve citizen engagement with government; encourage participa participatory decisionmaking and problem-solving; solving; and promote active citizenship, political reform, civic education, monitoring government performance, and other creative and effective projects related ted to democratic consolidation.



Cooperation and Collaboration includes the above criteria, and aims to foster increased d cooperation within countries, across borders, and with region-wide efforts,, and to share best practices, address common problems of democratic development, and build networks among governments, NGOs, NGO civic initiatives, and other institutions working to improve cooperation throughout the Balkans.

17

BTD awarded $2,419,824 2,419,824 to support 91 projects seeking to link citizens with government, and $815,882 to support 32 projects fostering cooperation and collaboration.

Number of Projects by Program Area

Cooperation(Total of 123 Projects) and Collaboration 32 Linking Citizens with Governmen t 91

While the majority of cooperation and collaboration projects are regional, the policy concerning this program specifically includes in in-country initiatives. While there is a strong correlation between programmatic and territorial breakdowns, the two are not identical.

18

ANALYSIS BY OBJECTIVE AND PROJECT TYPE Within the two programs areas, grants can be classified under of a set of five complementary objectives, and further into 13 project types as follows: Programmatic Overview by Program Area, Objective, and Project Type BTD

A. Linking Citizens with Governments

I. Dialogue

II. Participation

B. Cooperation and Collaboration

III. Transparency

IV. Partnerships

V. Reconciliation

13. Reconciliation 1. Public Debate

4. Civic Education

6. Advocacy

9. Shared Objectives

2. Leadership Development

5. Participatory Mechanisms

7. Monitoring

10. Best Practices

3. Policy Work

8. Implementation and Enforcement

11. Networks

12. Re-granting

19

While a project often fits equally within many objectives, every effort was made to choose the best fit, even though another may serve as well. Grantmaking expenditure is broken down by objective in the table below, followed by a more detailed narrative analysis describing activities under each project category.

Allocation of BTD Spending by Objective Partnership 18%

Reconciliation 7%

Dialogue 27%

Participation 21%

Transparency 27%

A. Linking Citizens with Government

i. Fostering a Culture of Dialogue To help foster a Culture of Dialogue in the Balkans, BTD allocated $869,629 869,629 to support a total of 34 projects in the following three categories: 1. Public Debate Public debate forums that bring together diverse groups and perspectives provide a direct link between citizens and government. In FY 2008, BTD disbursed $$407,730 in grants to 16 public debate projects including: 

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, two organizations aim to foster cooperation among the country's various ethnic groups by providing objective and factual information, and creating debate to counter the power of nationalist parties and their rhetoric. The country’s main media outlets cater to political parties or low low-quality quality mass entertainment, making alternative media so sources necessary to engage citizens in meaningful debate on issues important in everyday life. Alternative television programs and public debates expose crime and government corruption through independent dent investigative journalism, and provide facts citizens can use to make informed decisions rather than ethnic-based decisions. Independent Radio Studio "N," for example, has undertaken the difficult task of educating the public to reduce its reliance on "safe voting" -- voting for leaders based on ethnicity -- by promoting 20

rational choices through a focused media campaign that includes call-in shows on key issues, and interviews with stakeholders, local NGOs, and government officials. 

In Kosovo, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) organized 33 televised public debates in 30 municipalities leading up to municipal and mayoral elections, breaking records in Kosovo for the number of election debates and viewer participation. During the second round of elections, the program format enabled face-to-face debate between the final two candidates and audiences in each of the municipalities.



The B92 Fund, media company B92's charitable arm, is producing a documentary film that will for the first time systematically research, document, and present to the public the history of the World War II-era Staro Sajmiste ("Old Fairgrounds") concentration camp in New Belgrade, Serbia, where at least 10,636 people lost their lives. The project aims to generate support to create a museum of tolerance on the site, while raising debate about the devastating consequences of intolerance in the past and inspiring citizens to confront intolerance today -- a process that is essential to nurture in the Balkans. The film is projected to reach an audience of about 1.5 million.

Fostering public debate on everyday issues in Bosnia The complex political system and dominance of ethnicity in politics is increasingly disruptive to the soci-economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In order to fuel widespread debate about the political system in BiH, research aimed at constructing public policy and the establishment of local think tanks is needed. Community Development Foundation Mozaik and its partner, European Stability Initiative (ESI), are creating a new Bosnian research institute, Populari, to initiate innovative policy discussion. Best practices, including staff training from the extremely successful regional think tank ESI, will be transferred to the new institute. Two research papers will be produced on the successes and shortcomings of socio-economic development and institution building in multiethnic Central Bosnia, and dispelling widespread myths (such as levels of corruption and organized crime) in order to create a factual picture of the country where decisions such as foreign investment can be made. Citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina lack professional research on the topics most important to them. Populari will work to remedy this situation by providing the information necessary to better engage citizens in debate on these issues. The professional assistance and experience of the influential ESI will ensure that Populari evolves into an institute with real impact.

21

Grant List: Public Debates Organization

Territory

Funds

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)

Regional

BTD

45,000

Centre of Cultivating Dialogue

Regional

BTD

19,565

European Movement in Montenegro

Regional

CSP

Hourglass (Pescanik)

Regional

BTD

21,960 16,020



$

29,750

Production Group MREZA

Regional

BTD

Alternative TV

Bosnia

RNE

Community Development Foundation - Mozaik

Bosnia

BTD

48,990

Independent Radio “Studio N”

Bosnia

BTD

7,200

The Red House Centre for Culture and Debate

Bulgaria

BTD

24,800

Association for Independent Media Culture

Croatia

BTD

25,000

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) – Kosovo

Kosovo

BTD

24,600

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) – Kosovo

Kosovo

BTD

14,300

Radio KIM Forum- Center for Strategic Research and Documentation (ForumCSRD)

Kosovo

BTD

12,686.40

Macedonia

BTD

24,720

B92 Fund

Serbia

BTD

20,000

Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence

Serbia

Danish

15,300

25,000

Impact Projects Completed in FY 2008 - Public Debate Eight Public Debate projects were completed in FY 2008 that resulted in significant changes and brought citizens closer to issues important to them. These projects raised awareness, enabled direct communication with decision-makers, and exposed citizens to differing viewpoints. In Serbia, BETA Press and Radio Sto Plus organized 44 radio programs in the multi-ethnic Sandzak region that brought together local government and civil society leaders to engage in constructive debate in a region where citizens are often marginalized and lack access to reliable information. As a result, local officials became more aware of public concerns and showed a new willingness to cooperate with civil society leaders and media. Five projects were completed by media organizations in Kosovo that reached a broad audience and engaged the general public -- regardless of their ethnicity -- on important issues during a period of uncertainty. Two BTD grants enabled Radio KIM, located in Gracanica, Kosovo, to continue its successful political programming that includes interviews with key international and local diplomats such as Joachim Rucker, special representative of the secretary-general and head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), and Fatmir Sejdiu, president of Kosovo. Radio KIM seeks to spread cooperation and understanding through dialogue and has a large inter-ethnic audience, including Serbs and other minorities in Kosovo. The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) - Kosovo achieved great success with three public debate media projects, bringing more than 550 inter-ethnic and international participants together for the televised debate program “Life in Kosovo” and for the mayoral debates. Notable guests who appeared on “Life in Kosovo” included Madeleine Albright, 22

former U.S. Secretary of State, and Hashim Thaci, then-leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo and now prime minister of Kosovo. A wide variety of topics were addressed that ranged from anti-corruption to government monitoring. In one case, Kosovo’s deputy prime minister organized a press conference to answer questions raised during the program and announced an official hour when information would be available to the media. Another BIRN - Kosovo project brought together 23 mayoral candidates from multiple municipalities for the first time to appear in televised public debates that enabled citizens to gain better insight into the different positions of the candidates. These debates provided one of the only opportunities for citizens living outside the capital to learn firsthand the platform of each candidate, rather than from the usual Pristina-based view of issues in Kosovo. During the second round of mayoral debates, the candidates were remarkably better prepared, demonstrating that holding debates compels the candidates Candidates for mayor in Pristina participate in a to become more aware and responsible to live televised debate organized by BIRN - Kosovo. constituents’ concerns. In an effort to bridge differences and support constructive inter-ethnic dialogue, the Advocacy and Training Resource Center (ATRC) organized 25 public forums in 30 municipalities (comprising 1,900 participants) to discuss issues involved in the Ahtissari plan for the future status of Kosovo. The debates, roundtables, and public town hall meetings brought the concerns of citizens to the forefront, and helped the participants to overcome stereotypes and look at problems realistically. Participants were asked to rate how well informed they were after participating in each event. 82 percent replied that they were more informed, 13 percent felt minimally more informed, and only 5 percent said they remained uninformed. 2. Leadership Development A second part of BTD’s effort to promote a culture of dialogue aims to empower a new generation of change agents -- politicians and civil servants, journalists, civic leaders, and policy experts -- who are committed to democratic principles. By providing this group with pragmatic skills through trainings and seminars, BTD encourages and enables them to sustain social momentum toward consolidated democracy. Many participants in this type of project are active in their professional field and often stay in touch through alumni networks. In FY 2008, BTD made $237,926 worth of grants to support a total of 11 leadership development projects, including: 

In order to move forward, Moldova must produce a new generation of well-educated, responsible, and accountable leaders. Two organizations in Moldova are working to improve the leadership skills of existing and future young politicians and civil servants. One initiative, IDIS Viitorul, builds on previous BTD-supported political trainings with advanced debate and lobbying trainings for emerging leaders. Another organization aims to empower young women, particularly in rural and isolated areas, by advancing their 23

leadership capabilities in order to increase female representation in government, which is currently very low in Moldova. Trainings and debates at the State University of Comrat will benefit more than 400 women. 

The Centre for Development of Civil Society Milenijum’s project, Start Negotiating! teaches university students from Kosovo, Macedonia, and Serbia how to discuss and debate political and intercultural matters in an effective and respectful manner, while also helping them to develop the forward-thinking that is necessary for the region’s progress. In addition, these young leaders receive training in positive conflict resolution and intercultural dialogue that they then can share with their peers, while also developing the skills necessary to organize events at their universities.

Schools of Politics The Bulgarian School of Politics’ successful five-year regional program, “Political Debate in South-East Europe,” has established a regional alumni network of young political leaders and civil servants who share a commitment to Euroatlantic integration. This network stays in regular contact, and the individuals often hold prominent positions in local and national governments. This year, 42 young political and civic leaders from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia will participate in courses that will effectively transfer leadership skills while strengthening cross-border cooperation. Kosovar Civil Society Foundation’s (KCSF) School for European Integration is Kosovo’s only institution that provides an education on EU integration. The project also includes a regional conference on the process of European integration for the Balkans, and specifically targets public officials, NGO and community leaders, journalists, entrepreneurs, and representatives of trade unions.

Grant List: Leadership Development Organization

Territory

Funds

The Anglo-Serbian Society

Regional

BTD

16,000

Association Bulgarian School of Politics

Regional

BTD

25,000

Center for Development of Civil Society Milenijum

Regional

BTD

24,750

KRIIK Albania Association

Albania

BTD

25,000

Kosovar Civil Society Foundation

Kosovo

BTD

24,900

Macedonian Institute for Media Center for Development of Democracy and Civil Society of the Republic of Moldova (CDDCS) NB USAID funds excluded

Macedonia

Greek

Moldova

BTD

IDIS Viitorul NB USAID funds excluded

Moldova

BTD

24,600

Nansen Dialogue Center Montenegro

Montenegro

BTD

25,000

NGO New Horizon

Montenegro

BTD

12,000

I-Cube Association (ORICUM Initiative)

Romania

BTD

8,850



$

25,000 15,185

Impact Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Leadership Development In FY 2008, Leadership Development projects trained 1,143 emerging young political, civic, and business leaders, and equipped them with the knowledge, skills, and capacities to become effective leaders in their communities and countries. Participants received training in European and democratic values and standards, active citizenship, and regional and multiethnic cooperation. Five projects included lecturers from foreign universities and the international community who transferred first-hand knowledge of European and 24

international institutions. Three schools of politics held seminars, workshops, and conferences on a regional level that brought together participants from countries across the Balkans, while other in-country projects took place in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia. The graduates of Kriik Albania’s Summer University “Democracy and Participation” have had many successes since their participation in the program. Gjon Dedaj was elected mayor of the Rreshen municipality, some participants were elected councilmen, and others are employed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Internal Affairs in Albania. A spin-off project is organizing a summer school on gender issues for women leaders. The project is led by an association of women’s organizations and chaired by a woman who attended the Kriik Albania summer program. After attending the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence’s (BFPE) seminars, young Serbian political leaders of the BFPE network formed the first City Parliament of Youth in Politics in Kragujevac, while in Cacak, local youth branches established an office to educate youth of all political parties. The Let’s Group in Serbia empowered 700 young people in communities with low youth Let’s Group empowered youth in Kraljevo, Serbia activism to initiate local community action with take part in a street action to get young people the support of local authorities. As a result, a involved in their community. youth group in New Belgrade is now registered as an NGO, and the municipality donated free space for a youth office. In the city of Kraljevo, another youth group greatly increased its cooperation with the municipality and has succeeded in attracting strong media coverage for its work. The Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM) again trained 12 exceptional Roma youth in its yearly journalism program. MIM used innovative outreach strategies to ensure that high-quality candidates applied by holding an Open Day to introduce the program, distributing information packages, publishing a recruitment call in major dailies, weeklies, and magazines, posting inclusive information on the web, and organizing meetings with civil leaders and editors-in-chief from a The 12 students participate in MIM’s journalist training variety of organizations and media program. outlets. Graduates of the program signed contracts with the biggest and most popular mainstream media in Macedonia, including TV A1, the daily Vreme, Radio Free Europe, Radio Ravel, and the weekly magazine Forum. 25

3. Policy Work Independent policy thinking is particularly important in a region where political parties are often founded on narrow interest bases and/or constituencies. Research organizations can inform the public about their policy choices and demonstrate the costs and benefits of providing this knowledge by providing high quality expert analysis, polling data, and research surveys. In FY 2008, BTD made $223,973 worth of grants to support seven projects that aim to support policy formation, including the following: 

A regional research team, formed previously with BTD’s support, continues to raise public awareness of the importance of migration for economic development in the region. The team generates interest in migration among relevant stakeholders to cooperate, monitor, research, and regulate migration, and will continue to research labor migratory movements, convene regional roundtables, and launch a virtual regional center on migration.



Two organizations conducted regional projects on Slovenia’s presidency of the EU -- the first post-communist and former Yugoslav state to hold the presidency. This provided an opportunity to advocate for Balkan concerns, notably EU integration efforts and security issues. A coalition of regional think tanks launched the Ljubljana Agenda that suggested and advocated for concrete steps toward EU membership and building consensus, while a regional conference that was held in Slovenia that focused on security in the Western Balkans and aimed to initiate more effective policies to stabilize the region.

Grant List: Policy Work $



Organization

Territory

Funds

European Movement in Serbia

Regional

BTD

Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia

Regional

Greek

18,520

Group 484

Regional

RNE

45,000

Institute for Regional and International Studies Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT) NB USAID funds excluded

Regional

BTD

Moldova

BTD

23,657

Atlantic Council of Serbia

Serbia

BTD

18,000

Centre for Civil-Military Relations (CCMR)

Serbia

BTD

24,951

25,000

40,000

Impact Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Policy Work In Bulgaria, organizations that focused on policy work helped to create an environment more conducive to developing new immigration policies in Bulgaria, which resulted in significantly increasing the local government’s willingness to work with civil society structures. In Moldova, policy work that focused on national development led to an invitation from the government to civil society organizations to contribute to the 2008 – 2011 National Development Plan.

26

Several BTD-funded organizations work to liberalize the visa regime in the Western Balkans in an effort to bring the region closer to the White Schengen List -- a list of nations that do not need visas to enter most EU member states. Citizens’ Pact for South Eastern Europe formed a group of young researchers in a newlyformed Serbian think tank to contribute to the visa reform effort. The Agenda Institute in Albania identified the necessary reforms that must be undertaken to move Albania toward the White Schengen List, shared this information with the public, and for the first time revealed data on visa applications, refusal rates, and reasons for refusal. This resulted in an amendment to the law on foreigners and the establishment of the regional network “White Young researchers work together in Citizens’ List Group” that comprises NGOs from the Pact’s Fresh Minds for New Policies project. Western Balkans. These activities contributed to the EU’s recent decision to ease visa restrictions for some Western Balkan countries. Riinvest’s policy work on Kosovo’s diaspora contributed to the creation of an office for the diaspora in the Prime Minister’s office, as well as a database for remittances and socioeconomic aspects of the diaspora. The Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) covers everyday issues that might be ignored by other research organizations and official institutions. Its policy recommendations concerning gambling in Macedonia were adopted, and a law on gambling and sport betting was changed according to its recommendations. CRPM’s research and recommendations on the high cost of flying from Macedonia were considered by the government when it signed a Europe-wide “open sky agreement” and decreased handling costs and airport taxes at both of the country’s airports. In Macedonia, a new publication was launched, entitled Forum Analitica. The magazine includes research by leading experts and has become a significant new tool to influence debate and help guide decision-makers in formulating practical policies for Macedonia.

The Jefferson Institute’s publication on alternative energy.

In Serbia, the Jefferson Institute has contributed to encouraging public discussion on alternative energy. International energy experts and policy experts from Kosovo and Serbia gathered at a conference to share innovative approaches to energy issues. The Institute published its policy recommendations on alternative energy in Kosovo and Serbia as a 20-page insert in Ekonomist Magazin, Serbia’s only economic weekly. 5,000 copies were printed and the insert was downloaded 27,000 times in the first 30 days after publication. Three weeks after publication, the prime minister issued the Serbian government’s first major public statement on alternative energy since 2000 in an op-ed in the weekly Vreme. He stressed the need for Serbia to more aggressively pursue opportunities for alternative energy 27

production and energy conservation. One week later, the minister of energy made his first public statement about the importance of developing renewable energy sources in Serbia. This project also demonstrates a synergy of GMF-BTD programs. Marshall Memorial Fellow Michael Webber, an international energy expert from Texas who previously visited the Balkans, returned to Belgrade to actively participate in the Jefferson Institute’s conference on alternative energy.

ii. Increasing Participation for Equity Emerging from an era of one-party systems, Balkan societies are still relatively new to the practice of participatory democracy. Legacies from the past have created a general apathy toward government that in turn provide a space for corruption, manipulation, and other bad practices among elected officials. BTD seeks to address this problem by supporting projects that educate citizens on what they have a right to expect from their government, what to do if they are not getting what they need, and projects that bring politicians and citizens into more direct contact. As a contribution to these efforts, BTD made 25 grants totaling $675,746 to help increase participation for equity. This year’s focus is on the following two sets of activities: 4. Civic Education Raising awareness and understanding of basic democratic rights, responsibilities, and mechanisms enables citizens to participate effectively in the political process. Students and young people are the primary beneficiaries of this set of projects. In FY 2008, BTD devoted $276,702 to the following 12 civic education initiatives: 

Youth projects in Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania, and Serbia educate youth about how a democracy functions and increase youth participation in the community. Projects include: o 700 students in 28 schools throughout Bulgaria will learn how democratic institutions function, and the processes of interactive civic education involving role-playing, trainings, a roundtable with the Minister of Education, and student participation in radio and television programs. At the same time, teachers will test a new education program entitled World and Society that is designed to increase students’ knowledge and promote active involvement in political and social life. o The Croatian NGO, A Small Step, has developed a successful civil education program that has received accreditation by the Ministry of Education and will now be implemented in six counties. 156 teachers and 120 students in six counties will receive training in topics such as active citizenship, civil society, stereotypes/prejudices, and authority and leadership, and will then transfer knowledge in classrooms and peer education workshops under the slogan “Do we need civic education and human rights in schools?” o A project in Timisoara, Romania, creates interaction between youth structures and local authorities by helping young activists create advocacy plans and 28

develop a transparent mechanism for distributing public funds for youth projects. Increasing Civic Involvement in Tuzla, Bosnia Three projects in the city of Tuzla, Bosnia, encourage citizen participation, particularly among youth, in public affairs. Tuzla suffers from passive and unmotivated citizens who often lack the knowledge and skills to become more involved in society and in the work of local authorities. Community Foundation Tuzla works to persuade young people to take responsibility in their communities. Among other activities, the two-year project will convene a leadership program designed to educate and increase the capacities of individuals and leaders of small youth groups, provide grant support for well-planned youth activities, help develop community centers, and transfer organizing skills to the community and schools. Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Tuzla had significant success in increasing first-time youth voter participation in the 2006 elections. Best practices learned from that project will be applied to the current project for the 2008 elections that seeks to counterbalance the emotional rhetoric of populist and nationalist parties that is appealing to young people across the Balkans. Through dialogue about multiculturalism, including an online forum and a series of events and activities conducted in partnership with other youth organizations throughout the country, young people of different nationalities will learn about the importance of democratic procedures and the values of working together in order to take their messages to local policymakers and increase the youth vote. Human Rights Office Tuzla will work with local self-government and administration to strengthen the capacities of the newly-formed Commission for Community Development Planning in the Zivince municipality. It will hold eight educational workshops for commission members on how to be responsive and accessible to citizens, and seven strategic planning workshops for the group of partners (NGOs, local community representatives, unions, youth, etc.). The commission members and partners will build local democracy and promote good governance by producing strategic plans and promoting the results in the community. This project could become a model for other communities.

Grant List: Civic Education Organization

Territory

Funds

Institute of Gender Applied Policies

Albania

BTD

Community Foundation Tuzla

Bosnia

RNE

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Tuzla/Youth Resource Centre Tuzla

Bosnia

BTD

$



22,000 17,000 22,300

Human Rights Office Tuzla

Bosnia

BTD

24,000

Foundation “Partners for Effective Solutions”

Bulgaria

BTD

25,000

Political Science Center

Bulgaria

BTD

22,733

Centre for Peace Studies

Croatia

BTD

24,495

A Small Step – Center for Culture of Peace and Non-violence

Croatia

BTD

24,000

Youth Initiative for Human Rights - Kosovo

Kosovo

BTD

25,298.10

Institute for Democracy NB USAID funds excluded

Moldova

BTD

15,970

The Regional Association for Oratory, Rhetoric Banat

Romania

BTD

18,010

Centre for Nonviolent Resistance

Serbia

Danish

18,000

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Civic Education In FY 2008, BTD grantees organized various Civic Education activities that educated more than 2,000 citizens in communities outside the capitals of Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania.

29

Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo (YIHR) encourages youth activism throughout Kosovo through education and civic involvement pursued as a peace-building mechanism. Through wide-ranging activities and events, YIHR recruits young people to become active members of their extensive youth network. 60 activists were directly involved in carrying out project activities, 798 were reached through field activities in seven towns, and 4,860 signatures were gathered from young people supporting the network’s activities. The network, Nisma Ime, is already conducting its own projects, including one that examines the level of transparency and discrimination in public institutions. In 30 schools in 6 cities throughout Albania, the Open Society Foundation has made significant progress in promoting school autonomy and reforming education by engaging teachers, principals, local inspectors, parents, and the community with local authorities. As a result, the Ministry of Education recently decided to support establishing a local Board of Education that will enable schools to make decisions at the local level without having to rely on a central decision-making body. Promotional materials for the Open Society Foundation’s project on school autonomy in Albania.

In Timisoara, Romania, the West Foundation for Regional and Euro-regional Journalism held public meetings and conducted radio programs to identify the needs of citizens and the priorities of local authorities. The project succeeded in supporting partnerships and increasing dialogue between citizens and consultative district councils and public administration in all districts of Timisoara. A number of local council decisions have been directly influenced by citizen initiatives, including the adoption of five laws on matters ranging from regulating financial support provided by local authorities for NGO activities, to regulating street trading. 5. Participatory Mechanisms Complementing the civic education projects, BTD also supports the establishment of mechanisms where citizens put their rights into practice. These mechanisms, which are designed to close the gap that often exists between political elites and ordinary citizens, include among others forums, associations, and community centers. These mechanisms are particularly important outside of capital cities, where citizens often need a more structured way of participating in local governmental decisions. In FY 2008, BTD devoted $399,044 to 13 projects aiming to establish mechanisms for civic participation, including: 

The establishment of formal bodies in local self-government in six communities in Dalmatia and Slavonia, Croatia, that will serve as long-term models for maximum citizen participation in assessing community needs and defining priorities.



A network of ecological NGOs created local environment committees (comprising government and citizen leaders) and sustainable community outreach programs to achieve large-scale public participation, implementation, and enforcement of critical 30

environmental legislation that is important to communities in Kamenitza, Makedonski Brod, and Valandovo, Macedonia. 

Three projects outside of Albania’s capital established mechanisms to increase public participation in smaller communities. The Institute for Democracy and Mediation will continue its successful work in establishing community-based groups in Shkodra that create and sustain new community-based groups and community centers. Another project increases opportunities for citizen participation -- including marginalized groups in rural areas -- by establishing council committees and public relations offices in four communities that are fully supported by local governments. Finally, a new anticorruption mechanism in Kukes will work to improve the quality of services provided to citizens and facilitate access to information in order to bring citizens closer to their government.



The Humanitarian Law Center is conducting a series of consultations on truth-finding and truth-telling mechanisms on a regional level with its partners, Documenta from Zagreb and the Research and Documentation Centre from Sarajevo. During the Yugoslav wars, an estimated 130,000 people were killed and 18,000 went missing, but to date there has been no comprehensive fact-finding mission done on a regional level. This project builds a civil society coalition that will educate and motivate the public and national governments to create a regional truth-seeking and truth-telling body to deal with the unresolved legacy of the wars. Regional NGO activists will create a joint report that contributes to an advocacy campaign, making a clear statement that the countries of the Western Balkans must build a common future by critically reflecting upon their shared past.



Serbia has the largest number of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Europe, and only 20 percent are legally employed. The Novi Sad Humanitarian Center’s project combines labor market research with practical activities aimed at tackling unemployment and integrating refugees and IDPs into society by equipping them with transferable skills in the market. This project supports 10 help desks throughout Serbia that facilitate access to citizens’ rights, medical care, and other social services. It also provides local communities with expert advice so that refugees and IDPs have a tangible mechanism to help them become fully integrated citizens where they now live.

31

Grant List: Participatory Mechanisms Organization

Territory

Funds

Center for Nonviolent Resistance

Regional

RNE

$

€ 37,500

Humanitarian Law Center

Regional

BTD

25,000

Association of Women with Social Problems

Albania

BTD

20,000

Institute for Democracy and Mediation

Albania

BTD

24,950

Society for Democratic Culture, Kukes branch

Albania

BTD

19,800

Women’s Alliance for Development Foundation

Bulgaria

BTD

24,440

Organization for Civil Initiatives - OCI

Croatia

BTD

49,500

Forum for Civic Initiatives (FIQ)

Kosovo

BTD

25,000

Ecologists’ Movement of Macedonia (DEM)

Macedonia

BTD

25,000

OXO Civil Association

Macedonia

BTD

25,000

Center for Democracy Foundation

Serbia

BTD

25,000

Civic Initiatives

Serbia

BTD

50,000

The Novi Sad Humanitarian Center

Serbia

Greek

24,960

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Participatory Mechanisms In FY 2008, 21 new mechanisms were established through projects that included forums, citizens associations and coalitions, and new bodies within local governmental structures to better enable citizen participation. The Center for Development of Serbia (CDS) monitored the performance of local authorities in Belgrade and Toplica county to identify local problems that needed to be addressed and the means citizens can use to influence their local authorities. CDS reached around 150,000 people with policy recommendations that were distributed in Serbian dailies, discussed on panels between citizens and local officials, and disseminated in commercials on three television stations. As a result, CDS established Community members interact with local multiple mechanisms for citizen involvement, officials at an outdoor discussion in including the Office for Youth -- the first local body Belgrade, as part of CDS’ efforts to enable in the Vracar municipality in Belgrade to promote citizens to influence local authorities. and support youth initiatives. The position of Municipal Manager was also created to oversee local economic development in Vracar. Civic Initiatives established a local youth coalition in Obrenovac, Serbia. The coalition consists of 12 organizations that work together to fight for the development of a local youth policy, and participate in the national Youth Coalition of Serbia. In Belgrade, Group 484 developed a virtual regional Migration Center where resources and data on migration are available to the public, researchers, and policymakers. The Center includes expert analysis, papers, books, magazines, documentation from conferences and seminars, laws, and media presentations.

32

The Croatian Alumni Club of the Fund for American Studies held a conference in Opatija, Croatia for the Fund’s regional members, which comprise a network of young professionals from the business, government, academia, and non-profit sectors. The leadership conference led to the unanimous adoption of the Opatija Declaration on Cooperation of Alumni Clubs from Central and Eastern Europe, Mediterranean, and the Caucasus, which creates four annual forums that work to revive the regional network and promote democratization of the region.

The conference of the Fund for American Studies in Opatija, Croatia, where participants agreed to create annual forums to revive the regional network.

iii. Promoting Transparency and Accountability Corrupt government practices can be prevented by ensuring that the public is informed about government processes and active in monitoring the performance of state institutions and representatives. BTD supports these pillars of democracy by providing $874,449 to 32 projects in three categories as follows: 6. Advocacy Countries in the Balkans have not yet completed the complex range of regulatory reforms that provide the legal framework for transparent and accountable governance. There are a number of laws and regulations not yet in place, or not performing effectively. BTD supports local efforts to reform and strengthen the regulatory framework through a range of analysis, drafting legislation, and advocacy efforts. BTD gave out $426,223 to 17 grantees whose main activities are advocacy campaigns, including: 

Construction is a rapidly expanding industry in Bulgaria, yet property issues are mishandled at the local administrative and judicial levels. The Civic Association against Corruption and Illegal Construction’s previous BTD project introduced civic monitoring into the court system and exposed malpractices at the local level in Sofia, creating sufficient public pressure to produce an amendment of the Bulgarian Territorial Division Act. This project raises the awareness of property ownership rights and obligations in the judiciary and the public, with the ultimate goal of improving the legal system and legal protection of property rights. The Chairman of the Sofia City Administrative Court, Mr. Lozan Panov, gave his consent and support for the proposed activities.

Advocating for Citizen Engagement in Choosing the Direction of Serbia’s Future Over the past year, Serbia faced many challenges on its path toward Euroatlantic integration. Its presidential and parliamentary elections and Kosovo’s declaration of independence were all moments when Serbian citizens faced decisions concerning their future. BTD supported seven projects in Serbia that advocated for European values and integration, particularly those that promoted civic engagement in choosing a positive path forward. In order to create a comprehensive, realistic picture of the integration processes and avoid possible future disappointments, Serbia needs intensified information campaigns on the EU and NATO membership process. Projects included:

33

European Movement in Serbia organized three visits with parliament members and experts to towns throughout Serbia to engage citizens in conferences and debates about the European Union, the integration process, and the benefits for Serbia becoming an EU member. Civic Initiatives conducted two projects that promoted EU integration for Serbia in both the February 2008 presidential election and the May 2008 parliamentary election. Ahead of the presidential election, Civic Initiatives and the Federation of Nongovernmental Organizations of Serbia conducted a campaign to identify candidates who support Serbia’s Euroatlantic integration and recognize the value of civil society involvement in choosing Serbia’s future. These ideas were presented in strongholds of nationalistic thought, and showed the benefits of EU integration. In advance of the parliamentary election, Civic Initiatives conducted another campaign by translating and spreading the European Union anthem, Ode to Joy, across the country and promoting the concept of unity and tolerance within the structure of Europe. The Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) also conducted two projects leading up to the presidential and parliamentary elections in Serbia that raised voter awareness and engagement. Through radio spots, flyers and stickers, and a door-to-door campaign that demonstrated the possibility of a better future for Serbia, CeSID raised voter turnout in both elections. By supporting advocacy efforts that promote a better future for Serbia, these projects succeeded in raising voter turnout to a record 67 percent in the second round of presidential elections and 61 percent in the parliamentary elections.

Grant List: Advocacy Organization

Territory

Funds

Albanian Media Institute Association Alumni of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies (ACIPS)

Albania

BTD

24,100

$

Bosnia

BTD

15,000

Civic Association against Corruption and Illegal Construction

Bulgaria

BTD

25,000

Women’s Information and Documentation Centre

Croatia

BTD

21,400

Association of Professional Journalists of Kosovo

Kosovo

BTD

16,700



NGO Info-centre

Macedonia

BTD

25,000

Institute for Public Policy

Romania

BTD

33,400

Resource Center for Public Participation (CeRe)

Romania

BTD

25,000

Romani CRISS - Roma Centre for Social Interventions and Studies

Romania

BTD

24,800

Center for Free Elections and Democracy -CeSID

Serbia

BTD

25,000

Center for Free Elections and Democracy -CeSID

Serbia

Danish

Centre for Advanced Legal Studies

Serbia

RBF

Civic Initiatives

Serbia

Danish

25,000

Civic Initiatives

Serbia

Danish

10,000

20,000 10,000

European Movement in Serbia

Serbia

BTD

Fund for an Open Society, Serbia

Serbia

Danish

25,000 10,000

ISAC Fund – International and Security Affairs Centre

Serbia

Danish

35,000

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Advocacy Advocacy campaign projects completed in FY 2008 contributed to increasing public awareness and compelling the authorities to respond to concerns raised by the public. The Center for Civil Communications (CCC) worked to decrease corruption in the most vulnerable sectors in Macedonia by gathering anti-corruption experts and representatives of relevant institutions and the business community for six workshops that addressed corruption in each of the sectors examined. The workshops produced six policy 34

recommendations that included concrete measures on key sectors, including public procurement, public services, management composition of public enterprises and institutions, illegal construction, education, and health. CCC disseminated the recommendations to the public through an extensive advocacy campaign that involved publications in nation-wide newspapers, nightly news broadcasts, internet portals, and coverage on BBC Radio and Radio Free Europe. These recommendations resulted in the adoption of several laws. Additionally, the Education Development Bureau announced plans to introduce compulsory anti-corruption education in primary schools. The Professional Journalists Regional Association advocated for increased transparency in Albanian local government, and ending the disrespect for laws and the culture of power abuse. A community center was established that enables direct communication between citizens, local governing administration, and the media. With this new mechanism, citizens are now able to directly express their concerns to local officials and advocate for the implementation of their suggestions. The Association of Professional Journalists of Kosovo (APJK) advocates for further development of independent and professional journalism, the right to access information, and the protection of journalists. In large part due to APJK’s work in this area, there were no assaults on journalists or obstacles to reporting by police officers or other law enforcement officials reported in 2007 in Kosovo, in large contrast to previous years. This is APJK president, Gazmend Syla, and prime minister, illustrative of the progress made in Agim Ceku, at the conference on freedom of expression establishing free and inclusive media in and information May 3, 2007 in Pristina. Kosovo, and ensuring that citizens have access to all information. Agim Ceku, then-prime minister, said at a conference on freedom of expression and information, “Free press is not only a companion and index of the level of democracy in a country, it is a prerequisite for democracy.” 7. Monitoring In order for citizens to have confidence in their government, they must believe that elected officials and public servants make decisions and act in the public’s interest. BTD encourages local organizations and institutions to monitor governmental performance and integrity and disseminate these findings to citizens. BTD made 11 grants totaling $306,737 aimed at monitoring government performance, including: Working with the Humanitarian Law Center in Serbia and the Research and Documentation Centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights in Croatia monitors and reports on war crimes court processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. It also conducts an advocacy campaign directed toward relevant institutions and the public for domestic trials that are fair and free of bias or misinterpretation.

35

Monitoring the Work of Government and Public Servants in Montenegro The corruption level among public servants and government representatives is among the top concerns of Montenegrin citizens. BTD supports two organizations that monitor the work of public servants and the government by seeking to improve government transparency and accountability. Building on past initiatives, CEMI – The Monitoring Centre, one of two Montenegrin organizations monitoring conflict of interest among public officials, will educate 280 public officers and 30 media representatives on government corruption, while also motivating 15 NGOs to work on reducing conflict of interest and corruption through advocacy campaigns. Following Montenegro’s new constitution that reduces citizen interaction and allows the parliament's insufficient transparency to persist, the Network for Affirmation of NGO Sector – MANS continues to monitor the work of the Montenegrin Parliament and increase citizen and civil society involvement in its operations. MANS’ previous Parliament Index project measured the activity of MPs and published their findings. Following MANS’ advocacy campaign, the governing party replaced three of its most inactive MPs. The latest Open Parliament project will not only increase the effectiveness of the activity index, but will also publish voting records (which MANS discovered were not made public), monitor parliament expenditures, and monitor the use of discretional powers by the president of the parliament. Finally, MANS will use its current position as an organization with strong public and media support to establish and institutionalize the Committee for Cooperation with Citizens and support citizens who request information on parliament operations and submit initiatives and relevant documents to the parliament and MPs.

Grant List: Monitoring Organization

Territory

Funds

Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights

Regional

BTD

$



57,250

Serbian Democratic Forum

Regional

RNE

European Movement in Albania

Albania

BTD

25,000

22,815

Kosova Democratic Institute

Kosovo

BTD

24,900

Organization for Democracy, Anticorruption and Dignity – ÇOHU!

Kosovo

BTD

15,926

Association for Citizen’s Tolerance and Cooperation

Macedonia

BTD

25,000

Citizens Association MOST

Macedonia

BTD

25,000

CEMI – The Monitoring Centre

Montenegro

BTD

25,000

The Network for Affirmation of NGO Sector – MANS West Cultural Foundation for Regional and Euro-Regional Journalism – Timisoara –Romania (WFJ)

Montenegro

BTD

39,720

Romania

BTD

13,120

Center for Development of Serbia (CDS)

Serbia

BTD

24,890

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Monitoring Monitoring projects completed in FY 2008 made significant impact in pressuring authorities to change their patterns and become more transparent, accountable, and accessible to citizens. Citizens Association Most’s monitoring efforts measured the performance of every member of the Macedonian parliament, published its findings, and held three well-organized press conferences that had an enormous impact on the public. Coverage in the most popular print, television, and radio media outlets reported in detail the poor performance of parliament members. As a result, parliament has become significantly more efficient in law enactment, has enacted three times more laws in six months than in the previous period, and has dramatically increased the number of law proposals. 36

The Ohrid Institute for Economic Strategies and International Affairs issued bi-monthly analysis and expert reporting on government activities that monitored how well the governing coalition in Macedonia followed through with its campaign promises. Extensive media coverage resulted in heightened public awareness of government performance and provided an impetus to hold public debates and forums on various subjects. The project inspired government initiatives, including the citizen journal The Ohrid Institute presents a leadership monitoring campaign on transparency and antireport to the public with strong media presence. corruption, and the Ministry of Economy decision’s to adopt the Ohrid Institute’s performance-based monitoring matrix on the performance of its administration. Prokosko Lake, a unique natural area that inhabits 15 percent of all endangered species in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was under threat from illegal construction and other polluters. The Centres for Civic Initiatives (CCI), a Bosnian NGO, contributed to strengthening the rule of law by pressuring politicians to take greater responsibility for their work and to be more responsive to citizens’ needs, as well as more responsible toward the preservation and protection of the area. CCI campaigned for the adoption of the Protected Area Management Plan that was accepted by the Central Bosnia cantonal government in late 2006. It declared the lake a monument of nature and protected area, and included concrete measures and the allocation of necessary funds, ensuring long-term sustainability of the plan. CCI also advocated for the protection of Prokosko Lake to inform the public of the law’s necessity. Ecological projects have also been formally introduced into the cantonal budget, with procedures institutionalized biannually that create a mechanism linking citizens and NGOs with their government. 8. Implementation and Enforcement If reforms and positive changes in legislation occur in Southeastern Europe, implementation is often not sufficient or simply does not happen at all, resulting in little practical change. In FY 2008, BTD made 4 grants for a total of $141,489 that help to implement or enforce current legislation. 

The health care system in Kosovo, like all institutions there, has recently been restructured into a system that follows West European models. However, this restructuring has occurred from the “top down,” leaving citizens out of the decisionmaking process. Entire communities have neither understood nor been able to implement the reforms, and do not benefit from the resources available to them. To implement reforms and enable citizens to benefit from improved health services, the Association for Health Education and Development conducts health education sessions, assesses community needs, establishes regular information sources, composes curricula

37

and guidelines for community health education, and promotes participation in decisionmaking through the establishment of joint committees. 

In order to implement international standards of law in Montenegro, the Center for Democracy and Human Rights will complete the Center’s three-year endeavor to improve the knowledge and functioning of Montenegro’s judicial system. For the third year in a row, BTD supports the Center’s project that addresses this problem by training 30 young judiciary staff in international standards for future work, the role of Montenegrin institutions in the implementation of human rights and freedoms, and correct procedures. As in the previous projects, the main focus of seminars will be on the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms provisions, specifically Article 1: Obligation to respect human rights; Article 6: Right to a fair trial; and Protocol 1, Article 1: Right to peaceful enjoyment of property. Grant List: Implementation and Enforcement

Organization

Territory

Funds

$

Civil Society Promotion Centre

Bosnia

BTD

49,960

Serbian Democratic Forum – SDF

Croatia

BTD

46,645

Association for Health Education and Development (AHED)

Kosovo

BTD

24,884

Center for Democracy and Human Rights

Montenegro

BTD

20,000



Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Implementation and Enforcement In FY 2008, projects were completed that increased the implementation of legislation regulating political party financing, access to information, and electoral procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, and Serbia. The Association of Election Officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina strengthened networks among governments, civil society, and media in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia in an effort to encourage the implementation of political party financing legislation. The project brought together government officials from both countries to exchange examples of best practices. Seminars and workshops that brought together civic and media leaders concluded that these sectors in Serbia should advocate for increased political party financing, as in Bosnia. Plans to extend these models will include other neighboring countries, such as Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. The League for Defense of Human Rights of Moldova (LADOM) worked to strengthen the capacities of electoral servants to enforce electoral laws and raise awareness of electionrelated issues in order to contribute to efficient, free, and fair elections for the governor of Gagauz autonomy. The high voter participation (68 percent) and a change of governing parties attest to increased voter confidence in the election process. In contrast to previous elections in 2002 and 2003, citizens were more aware of voting procedures and the process was not marred by serious incidents. A LADOM-administered hotline that fielded electionrelated questions from inhabitants received 1,200 calls in the three months leading up to the elections, including offers to volunteer as observers.

38

The Centre for Free Access to Information conducts training for judicial officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Centre for Free Access to Information in Bosnia and Herzegovina trained judicial officials on how to properly implement the Freedom of Information Act in order to enforce the act in their daily work. Participants were comprised of judges, court presidents, information officers from courts in both entities, as well as Brcko District, the self-governing administrative unit. Cooperation was established with the Center for Education of Judges and Prosecutors, which decided to require the training for judges and prosecutors in 2007 and conferred certification to participants.

B. COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION

iv. Fostering Partnerships Apart from the moral perspective of reconciling divided peoples, there is a compelling practical argument for linking governments and citizens across borders or among various groups living inside of a country. Citizens in the Balkans face many of the same challenges. Establishing partnerships to work together increases efficiency by jointly addressing common issues, coordinating analysis endeavors, and building stronger advocacy efforts to achieve greater impact on common goals. In FY 2008, BTD dedicated $580,911 to a total of 21 partnership projects. 9. Shared Objectives Organizations with common goals and shared objectives can work together more effectively when they combine their skills and resources. In FY 2008, BTD dispersed $310,820 to 10 partnership projects with the goal to achieve shared objectives, including: 

After helping to establish and develop rural associations in Albania, the Rural Association Support Programme (RASP) is in the final phase of a three-year project that builds on its last two years of success. With the involvement and support of both the rural communities and policymakers, this final phase helps the associations develop problem-solving strategies on three key issues: local food for local people, eco-tourism, and sustainable harvesting. The associations from Kukes and Puka will be able to more effectively influence policy with the skills they have acquired through RASP’s program.



In Macedonia, the Youth Council of Ohrid organizes youth groups from Ohrid and Struga that coordinate future youth activities and aim to make the youth civil sector more effective. Through forums and public debates, the project will increase cooperation between the youth sectors and their respective local governments, resulting in a Local Youth Action Plan that will be presented to Community Councils in Ohrid and Struga for their input and approval.

39

Travel to Europe Due primarily to visa restrictions and a lack of financial resources, the majority of young people from the Western Balkans have never had the chance to travel abroad. However, the benefits of traveling to EU countries would give students an opportunity to become acquainted with the culture and way of life in Western Europe, and would help them appreciate the freedom of movement and increase their awareness of some of the reforms that need to be undertaken in their own countries. During their visits, the students would also contribute to giving EU citizens a more accurate idea about the political, social, and economic realities in the Balkans. European Movement in Serbia (EMinS) was the first to organize the successful Travel to Europe project. In 2006, it enabled 200 Serbian students to travel to EU countries of their choice. Building upon this great success, a regional project coordinated by BTD and EMinS and carried out by partner NGOs from each of the countries involved, sent students from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia to Western Europe in the summer of 2007. With the continued support of the Robert Bosch Foundation, the regional Travel to Europe project will continue in the summer of 2008. The participants are chosen according to different criteria, such as academic performance, but most importantly, preference is given to those who have never traveled abroad and lack the financial means to do so. Students are then supplied with Eurail passes, one-month Schengen visas, and pocket money to travel freely throughout Europe. The trip begins with a meeting in Berlin, where participants meet with high-level government officials and get to know each other. This also has the added benefit of introducing young people to peers from neighboring countries, with the possibility of traveling together – and contributing to reconciliation in the Balkans. The trip ultimately serves to bring these young Balkan ambassadors closer to Europe, and bring Europe closer to the Balkans. Results from last year’s trip are summarized in the Impact section.

Grant List: Shared Objectives €

Organization

Territory

Funds

$

Youth Information Agency

Regional

Bosch

Citizens Association “Most” (Bridge)

Regional

Bosch

18,000

European Movement in Montenegro

Regional

Bosch

10,000

European Movement in Serbia

Regional

Bosch

44,000

MJAFT!

Regional

Bosch

Open Society Club Ruse South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM)

Regional

BTD

24,920

Regional

BTD

24,400

Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo

Regional

Bosch

Rural Association Support Programme (RASP)

Albania

BTD

24,750

Youth Council of Ohrid

Macedonia

BTD

24,800

25,000

20,000

18,000

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Shared Objectives The summer 2007 Travel to Europe project selected the highest achieving students from six countries to participate in the program. In all, 30 students travelled from Albania, 24 from Bosnia, 20 from Kosovo, 40 from Macedonia, 20 from Montenegro, and 300 from Serbia, totalling 414 participants. Education was promoted as a credible way to succeed in life and tackle youth apathy. The project established partnerships with the German and Austrian embassies in each respective country, which in turn facilitated visas for the students. In Albania, the administering organization, Mjaft!, lobbied for visa liberalization for Albanian students and held a large conference devoted to visa liberalization and a public debate entitled “Beyond Visa Facilitation – In Search of a Success Story.” In part due to their 40

efforts, the visa facilitation agreement was signed with the EU in 2007. During their first trip to the EU, the Albanian students visited leading universities in their fields in order to explore possibilities to further their educations. In Bosnia, Centres for Civic Initiatives employed a journalist and cameraman to travel for 10 days with students that resulted in a documentary and promotion of the entire project. During their stay in Berlin, Bosnian Macedonian student participants meet with the German Ambassador prior to their travels. students were invited to participate in one of Radio Berlin Brandenburg’s programs, further spreading their message in Germany. Many groups organized extensive photo exhibitions in their own countries and online, and produced brochures and reports to spread awareness at home and inform Europeans during their travels about life in the Balkans. 10. Best Practices Best practices involves sharing lessons learned from one country to another, and also from one group to another, such as professional groups, citizens, media groups, civil society, and governments. BTD supports initiatives that share best practices and target communities at the local and regional level. In FY 2008, BTD gave $43,947 to two projects that shared best practices in FY 2008, including: 

A project that transferred positive practical experiences, best practices, knowledge, and skills to youth and community work from Vukovar, Croatia to Bac, Serbia. The two communities had significant youth populations that lacked structure and community work for young people. The project established close cooperation between youth from war-torn Vukovar and youth in Serbia, particularly during exchange study visits.

Sharing Best Practices with Minority Media in Kosovo The minority media in Kosovo are marginalized by their distance from Pristina, Kosovo’s capital. Conversely, local television and radio stations, agencies, and newspapers, have the potential and advantage to cover hotspots, but are insufficiently trained and motivated to report immediately, accurately, and impartially. This project addresses the principles and ethics of journalism in Kosovo by transferring best practices from professional media outlets on topics such as competencies, mobility, impartiality, fact-checking, and information searching, with a focus on minority media. Workshops will deal with issues such as crisis reporting, ethics in journalism, investigative reporting, and minorities in the media. Lectures will be given by experts from the BBC, BIRN, and The New York Times to ensure quality and impartiality. This project aims to share best practices, enable cooperation between minority groups and the majority in Kosovo, and help journalists serve their communities by ensuring fair coverage of local events.

41

Grant List: Best Practices Organization

Territory

Funds

PRONI Centre for Social Education - Osijek

Regional

BTD

NGO Jelena Anzujska

Kosovo

Danish

$



17,000 18,600

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Best Practices In FY 2008, completed Best Practices projects focused on sharing lessons learned from new EU members Bulgaria and Romania with other Balkan countries, from donors outside of the region with indigenous donors in Southeastern Europe, and exchanging experiences among youth from the Dayton triangle countries. The Foundation for Creative Development supported a network of 225 youth activists from 15 communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia to participate in positive social change by sharing best practices and implementing activities that contribute to youth development in their countries. Two regional exchange visits to Dubrovnik, Croatia and Uzice, Serbia facilitated first-time encounters among youth from the three countries and enabled them to share lessons learned and ideas about how to develop domestic youth policies. Peace building and conflict resolution training groups in Bosnia succeeded in creating partnerships with the ministries of education and communication in five cantons in both entities, while youth groups in Croatia developed similar Young people exchange ideas for creation cooperation with municipality officials in five of a community campaign. communities. Government representatives in Tuzla, Bosnia, asked the youth group Urbana Kultura to continue its project on transferring information and communication technology training to teachers in Tuzla schools. 126 young representatives of public administration from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey took part in the Economic Policy Institute’s (EPI) programs that improve administrative and professional capacities. A main component of the program is gathering young Bulgarian and Romanian experts and officials with their counterparts from other countries in Southeastern Europe that have yet to integrate into Euroatlantic structures. One of the Romanian participants gave a presentation on the Romanian Agency for Information Society Services, which now accepts online fiscal declarations from companies and enables citizen access to information online. That presentation motivated participants Young civil servants from the region listen to one of the from Macedonia and Serbia to advise their presentations during an EPI summer seminar. superiors and ministers to undertake similar actions. Concrete steps are now being taken in those two countries. 42

11. Networks Sustainable networks in the Balkans provide a solid foundation for countries to share expertise and best practices, undertake joint actions, and encourage increased public cooperation throughout the region. In FY 2008, BTD dispersed $126,644 to 7 network projects targeting youth, media, NGO activists, and public officials. 

BTD supports two regional networks of young professionals. The goal of the networks is to share ideas and build a community of young experts who will contribute to democratic changes in the region. The first project engages members of an 8,000-strong network (3,000 of whom are from the Balkans) in a conference focusing on human capital development in the region. The second project builds an informal network of young leaders from Croatia and Serbia involved in politics and business to meet, discuss, and improve bilateral relations. These types of networks will engage young people and help to accelerate regional cooperation and the Euroatlantic integration processes.



The Grantmakers East Forum (GEF) network in Southeastern and Central Europe shares best practices and sustainable strategies among the region’s donor community, while also exploring challenges faced by independent donors and how to stimulate citizen participation. By providing donors with a platform where they can formulate joint strategies, GEF ultimately increases the effectiveness of grantmaking efforts and promotes coordinated development of the region’s civil sector.



In Bosnia’s Republika Srpska, BTD supports the creation of a sustainable network of secondary school student councils. The network will develop efficient mechanisms of cooperation with government, school authorities, civil society, and increase student participation in decision-making, as well as contribute to the effectiveness of educational reform.

Grant List: Networks Organization

Territory

Funds

Croatian Alumni Club of the Fund for American Studies

Regional

BTD

13,000 17,345



$

European Circle Croatia (Academy for Political Development)

Regional

BTD

European Foundation Centre

Regional

Greek

Women’s Studies and Gender Research Center

Regional

BTD

22,300

Youth Communication Center (YSS)

Bosnia

BTD

24,922

Association of Sociology Students at Sofia University (ASSSU)

Bulgaria

BTD

9,420

Youth Initiative for Human Rights - Kosovo

Kosovo

BTD

25,000

10,000

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Networks As a result of Network project activities, 31 formal and informal networks were created or strengthened in FY 2008. In Albania, Mjaft! created nine civic and student clubs in nine different cities throughout the country. The clubs now have the capacity to recruit new members, maintain financial 43

sustainability, and contribute to wider network efforts by monitoring local government structures and undertaking individual initiatives to raise issues of public concern. Each club works in close cooperation with the wider Mjaft! clubs network. Mjaft! trained more than 1,500 citizens in advocacy and lobbying techniques, organized nine city hall hearings with citizens and local decision-makers, and created tailor-made “toolkits” for each club. Club members include students, young professionals, women, and retired citizens. Some of the club’s activities have included organizing public debates among mayoral candidates, and organizing local protests against water shortages in Lezha and Gjirokastra and environmental pollution in Fier. 12. Re-granting Along with building networks, BTD seeks to engage the region’s indigenous donor community. Re-granting projects facilitate greater local ownership of civic-based initiatives and serve as the foundation for sustainability. In FY 2008, BTD awarded two grants to local foundations amounting to $99,501. These included: 

Ten youth media organizations outside the major cities in Serbia will be trained in how to structure effective media projects with broad public outreach. The goal of this training will be to increase public participation in issues concerning the community. Five of the ten organizations will receive funding to implement media projects that focus on issues important to youth and communicating their message to the public -- most importantly, to their peers.



In Kosovo, the Foundation for Democratic Initiatives provides small grants to multiethnic initiatives seeking to link communities that were once at odds. With Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence, NGO grassroots initiatives help foster cooperation between Serbian and Albanian communities and lead toward reconciliation, peace building, and a common future. Grant List: Re-granting $



Organization

Territory

Funds

Balkan Community Initiatives Fund (BCIF)

Serbia

Danish

40,000

Foundation for Democratic Initiatives (FDI)

Kosovo

Danish

25,000

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Re-granting The four re-granting projects completed in FY 2008 distributed 27 small grants to grassroots organizations located outside capitals to implement community improvement projects in Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. The re-granting organizations carried out trainings, workshops, and seminars to transfer the knowledge and skills small organizations needed to accomplish their projects. They also offered technical and logistical assistance during project implementation. These small-scale programs are effective ways to empower citizens who aren’t normally involved in civic activities, and these four projects engaged Roma, youth, and women, including a Roma women’s NGO.

44

Partners Foundation for Local Development’s training and re-granting program supported cooperation among different ethnic groups and sectors within and among multiethnic towns and cities in Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. This project directly involved 790 participants, including training 16 facilitators on capacitybuilding and project management, who subsequently transferred their newly-acquired knowledge and skills to the beneficiaries of the small grants program. After the training programs were completed, 92 percent of the facilitators said that they will use the training materials in their current work.

Training for facilitators in participatory planning November 7-12, 2007in Novi Sad, Serbia.

The Balkan Assist Association’s program encouraged cooperation among nine villages in Bulgaria to create a common vision and practical steps to solve the development problems in their community. Project organizers faced a region with a great deal of skepticism and reluctance to work on common problems. However, a spirit of teamwork evolved from the project activities and energized citizens and local authorities to become involved. As a result, local villagers created an association for drafting and promoting regional development proposals for the local and regional authorities.

v. Encouraging Reconciliation and Confidence Building Millions of people in the region personally experienced the effects of conflict that dominiated the Balkans in the 1990s, whether through the death or wounding of a family member, displacement, destruction of property, or economic disintegration. BTD supports government and civic initiatives that aim to acknowledge the past, heal wounds, reestablish links among former adversaries, and recreate severed ties with neighboring communities. Similar to public debate projects, outreach components serve to ensure that reconciliation initiatives have a far reaching impact on the entire community. 13. Reconciliation In FY 2008, BTD spent $234,971 on 11 projects seeking to encourage reconciliation and confidence building, including: 

In order to build a common future, citizens must learn the truth about the violent dissolution of Yugoslavia -- based on firmly established facts -- through a social climate that enables open-minded and extensive dialogue. Media projects that educate and inform the wider public about past and present issues facing the region, and facilitate dialogue and reconciliation are the best way to achieve this: o Ebart/Media Documentation, well-known for its impartial approach and skilled staff, has undertaken an ambitious project to create a database of actions, statements, and interviews of political actors published in various dailies, weeklies, and biweeklies in Serbia during the 10-year period between 1990 and 2000. Open to the public, this archive will be an important resource that provides invaluable insight into the thinking of decision-makers, intellectuals, and 45

public figures within Serbia during the turbulent period that continues to have residual impact on the country today. o Control over narratives of war, established through political statements and official documents, is particularly felt in smaller war-torn towns where local media bring only mainstream views, making minority perspectives and interpretations of war events almost impossible. The organization Documenta will record personal war memories in the cities of Sisak and Osijek to deepen dialogue on their violent past and to improve cooperation between civil, governmental, and scientific institutions in order to build sustainable peace. o FAMA International’s multimedia educational package “The Siege of Sarajevo 1992-1996” will provide a creative and innovative approach to one of the key (and not fully understood) events of the war that citizens in the region must comprehend in order to begin the reconciliation process. The package will target youth, journalists, intellectuals, and political elite, and inspire participants to take part in an extensive debate that could lead to a regional consensus on the causes and effects of the wars. 

Two regional initiatives organized by Belgrade Circle deal with existing fault lines between youth in the former Yugoslavia, particularly Albanians, Bosnians, and Serbs. 50 Serbian and Kosovar youth and scholars have the opportunity to work together on sustainable development and EU integration for both Serbia and Kosovo. The second initiative builds reconciliation between students in Belgrade, Pristina, and Sarajevo. Seminars dealing with issues important to the futures of all young people will also take place in each city. Meanwhile, students and humanities professors from Serbia will visit Pristina to take part in the seminar and meet with their Kosovar counterparts.

Reconciling Ethnic Differences Among Northern Serbian Youth According to a survey conducted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vojvodina, Serbia, more than 50 percent of interviewees perceive ethno-cultural diversity as an unavoidable cause of tension and conflict, and believe that countries “without minorities” find themselves in a far better position in every sense. Young people, 23 years old and younger, display the highest level of ethnocentrism. This is not surprising since young people in Serbia have been raised in a society with a distorted set of values, where intolerance, hatred, and violence are usually attributed to patriotic feelings. On the other hand, young people generally strive to acquire knowledge, skills, and information they have been either deprived of or given in misguiding forms. This project is a follow-up to a previous project where young people learned how to rationally discuss delicate issues and raise issues they consider important to their local authorities. The aim of this project is to create another nucleus of reformist decision-makers in Vojvodina, the most developed part of Serbia with the highest potential for Europeanization, but that struggles with integrating members of its various ethnic communities. The project will hold three three-day conflict prevention workshops for the 20 trainees -- secondary school and university students up to age 25 from all ethnic communities -- and organize a three-day visit to Srebrenica for them. Some of the Committee’s volunteer activists will also participate in the workshops.

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Grant List: Reconciliation and Confidence-Building Organization

Territory

Funds

Belgrade Circle

Regional

CSP

Belgrade Circle

Regional

Danish

Center for Regionalism

Regional

RNE

Centre for Peace and Democracy Development

Regional

BTD

24,500

FAMA International

Regional

BTD

18,270

Mother Theresa Society

Regional

BTD

25,000

Youth Initiative for Human Rights

Regional

Danish

Documenta – Centre for Dealing with the Past

Croatia

BTD

$

€ 9,100 13,580 18,600

15,000 24,995

Center for Cultural Decontamination (CZKD)

Serbia

Greek

Ebart/Media Documentation

Serbia

BTD

20,000

10,395

Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia

Serbia

BTD

23,515

Impact Results of Projects Completed in FY 2008 – Reconciliation Reconciliation projects completed in FY 2008 involved 3,819 citizens from throughout the Balkan region, who were mostly from the former Yugoslav countries. These projects demonstrate that people in the region share common goals, while at the same time show that differences can be respected and celebrated. The Center for Non-violent Resistance worked to integrate young members of minority populations in southern Serbia and Kosovo by strengthening youth groups and redefining strategies toward minorities. Young Serbs in Kosovo are often skeptical of civil society and the impact young people have on making changes in their communities and their own lives. The Center held workshops on civil activism and strategic planning that succeeded in changing their minds. For example, a group of young people from North Mitrovica and Zvecan created a group to organize activities for students, and a policy paper that was written on the integration of the Albanian community in southern Serbia complemented workshops for Albanian and Serbian high school students on values, identity, and citizenship. This gave young ethnic Serbs and Albanians the rare chance to work together with their peers. As one participant said, “No one ever used this approach…which is much more interesting than what we do in our schools. I particularly liked to be together with our Albanian colleagues. You see, they go to a different school. We don’t get to see them.” The Center for Democracy and Protection of Human Rights in Croatia contributed to reconciliation in the region by working in Split, Osijek, Zadar, and Zagreb to ensure that citizen’s rights are recognized, including for refugees and returnees. The project educated 287 returnees on their rights and supervised state bodies that deal with administrative procedures involved in obtaining rights for 679 cases. The Center secured housing for 15 households, and successfully advocated on behalf of citizens to prevent the governmentdemanded eviction of 34 displaced families in Osijek. As a result of the Center’s activities, the government committed to improve the 2002 and 2003 housing care programs that target war-torn areas, and also agreed to a moratorium on evictions until the state is able to provide alternative and appropriate housing. The Committee for Human Rights Karlovac also contributed to recognizing minority human rights in Croatia. Activities included legal assistance for 800 beneficiaries who cannot afford 47

legal guidance, workshops to help disabled persons, non-violent conflict resolution for school children, rights for people of all sexual orientations, and advocacy campaigns, street actions, and a human rights film festival to spread the message of tolerance and equality for everyone. The project activities led to an increase in support and recognition for minorities by citizens and local authorities.

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Balkan Trust for Democracy Advisory Board Members As at 31 May 2008 ________________________________________________________________________ Kristof Bender, European Stability Initiative, Austria Misha Glenny, Author, UK Sorin Ionita, Romanian Academic Society, Romania Remzi Lani, Media Institute, Albania Mariana Milosheva-Krushe, Creating Grassroots Alternatives, Bulgaria Jelica Minic, Senior Advisor, European Movement in Serbia, Serbia Stevo Muk, Center for Civil Society Development, Montenegro Sasho Ordanoski, Center for Strategic Research and Documentation, Macedonia Zarko Puhovski, Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Croatia Zoran Puljic, Mozaik Foundation, Bosnia and Herzegovina Luan Shllaku, Open Society Institute, Kosovo Alexandros Yannis, European Council, European Union, Brussels Grants Committee As at 31 May 2008 Mark Cunningham, Black Sea Trust, GMF Bucharest Gordana Delic, Balkan Trust for Democracy Pavol Demes, GMF Bratislava Pavlina Filipova, Balkan Trust for Democracy Corinna Horst, GMF Brussels Jovan Jovanovic, Balkan Trust for Democracy Dakota Korth, GMF Washington Ursula Soyez, GMF Berlin Peter Van Praagh, GMF Washington Ivan Vejvoda, Balkan Trust for Democracy Observers Michelle Barrett, USAID, Regional Program Officer, Budapest Michael Fritz, USAID, Mission Director, Sofia Nicolo Russo Perez, Compagnia di San Paolo Ivica Vasev, USAID, Macedonia Walter Veirs, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, UK Janna van der Velde, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Belgrade

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Balkan Trust for Democracy Selection Criteria for Grantees Applicants must apply to the Balkan Trust for Democracy through the official application and budget forms available on the website (see below). Grants are awarded according to the nature and relevance of the project, as well as the specific selection criteria listed below in order of priority. Criteria in italics are optional requirements (i.e. non-essential but positive attributes), and criteria in normal font are mandatory. Further information on BTD’s mandate and grantmaking program is available on our website: www.gmfus.org/balkantrust. 1. Project Assessment: a.

Project clearly supports one of the following BTD programs: Linking Citizens with Government and Regional Cooperation and Collaboration. All applications must include an element of linking citizens with government, while the regional aspect is optional;

b. Project is designed on the basis of a realistic assessment of the problem, needs, opportunities, and risks associated with the targeted issues; c. The goals, objectives, and timeframe are feasible. Project activities are clear and effective and likely to lead to the accomplishment of the proposed objective(s); d. Project takes into account other activities in the sector and seeks to avoid duplication; e. Project incorporates efforts to build sustainability and clearly demonstrates the nature of the project’s legacy after the grant has drawn to a close; f.

Innovative approaches and lessons learned are identified and effectively included within the proposed approach;

g. Project has an effective outreach/communication/advocacy strategy to inform the project stakeholders and the wider community and disseminate results and stages of project implementation; h. Project application is coordinated with other initiatives supported by, and creates synergy with, BTD and other donors. 2. Results and Monitoring: a.

Project includes a clear and effective monitoring and evaluation plan, including a plan for data collection and a lucid description of indicators.

3. Organizational Capacity and Past Performance: a.

Applicant has the capability, organizational knowledge, and technical expertise needed to implement the proposed project, or can convincingly demonstrate a plan to acquire such expertise;

b. Applicant organizational structure and composition is transparent and accountable; c. Applicant is positively regarded within the local and donor community; d. Applicant (and, if applicable, partner organizations) demonstrates successful past performance in managing projects of a related nature.

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4. Environmental Impact: a.

Where applicable, project makes a positive contribution to environmentally sustainable development.

Note: Cost has not been ranked. However, the project budget must be realistic, reasonable, and cost-effective. A cost-benefit analysis will be made in all cases to ensure that project cost does not outweigh project value (i.e. output and/or outcome). Cost sharing is evaluated according to the level of financial participation proposed and its corresponding added value. All necessary resources for effective implementation of the project must be included within the application.

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