Author: Aleksandra Vrbica

Call for CSOs and Media: Apply for Sub-Grants – Society Against Corruption in Montenegro and Kosovo

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and Civic Alliance (CA) announce a new opportunity for local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and media outlets in Montenegro and Kosovo. Funded by the US State Department, the initiative seeks to combat corruption, a major impediment to establishing the rule of law in Montenegro & Kosovo.

Background:

Corruption remains one of the main obstacles to strengthening the rule of law across the Western Balkans, undermining democratic governance, public trust, and fair access to public services. Politicised decision-making, weak oversight, and limited accountability mechanisms continue to create space for abuse of power, particularly where public resources and appointments intersect with narrow political or private interests.

In Montenegro, corruption continues to affect public confidence in institutions and the credibility of reforms. Progress on transparency and accountability remains uneven, and civil society and independent media have repeatedly flagged gaps between formal commitments and practice. For example, reporting has highlighted how the state still lacks key transparency tools in areas like public procurement and access to data that would enable meaningful scrutiny and oversight. Reporting has also underlined the importance of ensuring that anti-corruption bodies have the independence and resources needed to function effectively.

In Kosovo, corruption and clientelism remain persistent challenges, particularly in areas such as public contracting and institutional governance, where accountability mechanisms are often perceived as weak or inconsistently applied. Balkan Insight’s country governance profiling similarly points to ongoing issues linked to corruption risks and the need for stronger transparency and oversight in public decision-making.

Across both contexts, education, healthcare, and the environment remain sectors vulnerable to politicisation, conflicts of interest, and misuse of public funds. Addressing these risks requires stronger cooperation between citizens, civil society, and local media, so that community concerns translate into credible evidence, public scrutiny, and pressure for institutional follow-up.

This initiative in a broader sense aims to contribute to free speech, open debate and free sharing of information, reducing corruption, all forms of organised crime including drug and human trafficking, influence from hostile entities and countries, creating a more favourable democratic and business environment.

Objectives:

  • Increase capacities of local media, civil society and citizens to identify corruption in their communities, report it to responsible authorities and hold institutions accountable;
  • Empower civil society and media to report and counter corruption at national and local level and influence changes with special emphasis on environment, education and healthcare;
  • Improve constructive engagement among civil society, government(s) and/or private sector and policies, laws and/or anti-corruption practices.

Outputs and Activities:

  • For Media Outlets: Cases of corruption in Montenegro and Kosovo identified and revealed
  • Developing factual and objective in-depth articles based on the needs of local communities
  • Increased public awareness in Montenegro and Kosovo regarding the importance of anti-corruption efforts and available mechanisms for citizen engagement and public oversight
  • Enforcing anti-corruption campaign via mainstream and social media
  • For CSO’s: Recommendations developed and delivered to improve anti-corruption policies, laws, and practices
  • Developing anti-corruption policy papers based on the needs of local communities
  • Increased public awareness in Montenegro and Kosovo regarding the importance of anti-corruption efforts and available mechanisms for citizen engagement and public oversight
  • Enforcing anti-corruption campaign via mainstream and social media

Eligibility and Grants:

  • Maximum grant amount: $12,430.00
  • Number of grants: 16
  • Total estimated amount: $198,880
  • No co-financing required from applicants.

Application Process:

  • Eligible entities: Registered CSOs and media outlets in Montenegro & Kosovo.
  • Eligible activities: Development of anti-corruption stories/policy papers, implementation of promotional campaigns, participation in capacity-building initiatives.

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Relevance of proposed story/policy paper
  • Capacity
  • Financial proposal
  • Potential and social impact

Timeline:

  • Call issued: January 27, 2026
  • Deadline for submission: February 21, 2026
  • Information session:  The Info sessions will be held on Zoom, on Monday, February 2, 2026, at 11:00 CET.
    Meeting link: Click HERE

Meeting 842 6512 3028
Passcode: 213984

  • To read the full call to apply, click HERE.

For more details, download the application form and budget template.

Join the fight against corruption in Montenegro & Kosovo – Apply now!

Contact: [email protected]

BIRN Kosovo Holds Training Session for Justice System Professionals on Transitional Justice

BIRN Kosovo organized a one-day training session on transitional justice, war crimes, and responsible media reporting on January 26, 2026, at the Reporting House Museum. The training was held within the framework of the Reconcile project, supported by the European Union, and brought together justice system professionals and university students.

During the training, four lectures were delivered by experienced experts in the field: Jeta Xharra, Executive Director of BIRN Kosovo; Drita Hajdari, former war crimes prosecutor; Ibrahim Makolli, human rights and dealing with the past expert; and Labinot Leposhtica, Head of the Legal Office at BIRN Kosovo. The speakers shared their professional perspectives and first-hand experiences in war crimes documentation and investigations, as well as the ethical challenges of reporting on sensitive and complex issues.

A strong focus of the training was placed on the documentation and prosecution of war crimes, a topic that generated extensive discussion among participants representing various institutions and professions within the justice system. The sessions covered topics such as the documentation of war crimes in international media; the collection of evidence from institutional and non-governmental sources; the transition of war crimes investigations from international to domestic mechanisms, with particular attention to strengthening prosecutorial capacities; and the impact of hate speech and disinformation on establishing truth and accountability for war crimes.

Participants came from a wide range of institutions and professional backgrounds, including legal officers from Basic Prosecution Offices and Courts, lawyers and legal practitioners, representatives of the Kosovo Correctional Service, staff from the Kosovo Institute of Forensic Medicine, and police officers from the Kosovo Police unit responsible for investigating war crimes.

All training sessions were designed to be highly interactive, allowing participants to actively engage through questions and the exchange of perspectives on the issues discussed. Participants highlighted the need to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation to improve outcomes that benefit society as a whole, particularly by clarifying the fate of missing persons. Special emphasis was placed on understanding reconciliation not as forgiveness, but as the recognition of victims’ suffering and the acknowledgment of their rights and dignity.

The training brought together 58 participants, 30 of whom were women, representing various public-sector institutions.

The “Reconcile” project is funded by the European Union. The content and views expressed are the sole responsibility of BIRN Kosovo and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Workshop Overview and Participant Breakdown

Date: 26 January 2026

Location: Pristina, Kosovo

Number of participants per country: Kosovo 58

Total number of participants: 58

The full findings and activities are available in the EDS Report, which can be accessed here.

Investigative Journalism and Transitional Justice Training Held in Sarajevo

A regional training on the role of investigative journalism in transitional justice processes was held in Sarajevo from 20 to 23 January, bringing together 23 journalists, students and NGO professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro.

The training focused on strengthening journalists’ capacity to report responsibly and evidence-based on war crimes, accountability, and transitional justice in post-conflict societies. The programme combined theoretical grounding with practical skills and was led by expert trainers from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The training opened with a public panel discussion on the state of the transitional justice process in Bosnia, held at Europe House in Sarajevo. The panel gathered around 60 participants, including victims associations, members of international organisations and embassies, journalists and civil society, and provided a platform to reflect on three decades of transitional justice efforts, ongoing challenges.

Over the following two days, participants engaged in intensive training sessions covering the theoretical foundations of transitional justice, as well as the role of domestic and international criminal justice mechanisms. Particular attention was given to monitoring criminal court proceedings, interviewing war victims in line with safeguarding and ethical guidelines, and reporting on the issue of missing persons.

The second day of training focused on the development of investigative journalism in the Western Balkans in the post-war period. Participants explored methodologies for fact-checking, countering disinformation, and responding to genocide denial, with an emphasis on responsible reporting and the protection of historical truth.

As part of the programme, participants also attended a screening of the BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina documentary Justice and Truth at the Historical Museum of BIH, which explores the themes of peace, transitional justice, and accountability through the experiences of Bosnia and Herzegovina and war-torn Ukraine. The screening provided an opportunity for reflection on the relevance of transitional justice beyond the region and the importance of documenting crimes in ongoing conflicts.

By bringing together journalists from across the region, the training aimed to foster cross-border exchange, strengthen professional networks, and contribute to more accurate, ethical, and impactful reporting on transitional justice issues in the Western Balkans.

As a result of a BIRN training program on the role of investigative journalism in transitional justice, held in January 2026 in Sarajevo and bringing together journalists, civil society actors, and students, a training guide was produced and can be found here.

Workshop Overview and Participant Breakdown

Dates and place: 20 to 23 January 2026, Sarajevo

Number of training participants per country:

Kosovo 14

BiH 15

Serbia 34

Montenegro 11

Croatia 1

Total number of participants: 75

The full findings and activities are available in the EDS Report, which can be accessed here.

BIRN Panel Brings Bosnian Transitional Justice Into Focus

A panel discussion in Sarajevo shed light on three decades of transitional justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as panellists reflected on the achievements, shortcomings and steps still needed to ensure justice for the victims of the 1992–95 war.

A panel discussion held in Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, on Tuesday focused on the transitional justice efforts that the country went through since the end of the 1992-95 war, which took more than 100,000 lives.

The discussion brought together representatives of victims’ associations, international organisations, legal experts and EU officials, all of whom agreed that while some progress has been made, the burden of seeking justice has largely fallen on victims themselves rather than on the state.

Bakira Hasecic, founder and president of the Association of Women Victims of War, warned that many survivors remain excluded from legal protection and basic rights. She said that civilian victims who survived torture and abuse are not recognised under existing laws if they no longer hold Bosnian citizenship.

“Survivors who went through those ordeals are not recognised under this law and cannot exercise their rights because they are not citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Hasecic said, adding that although authorities have promised to correct this injustice, months have passed without progress. “It is obvious that this is a political issue,” she said.

According to Hasecic, such legal barriers have far-reaching consequences. “In this way, we are losing witnesses, justice and truth,” she said, stressing that survivors are being systematically discriminated against. She urged institutions to recognise the rights of victims who took another citizenship after the war, noting that they endured torture while they were still Bosnian citizens. “We, the victims, are doing the job that the state should be doing,” she said.

Klaudia Kuljuh, head of programmes at TRIAL International BiH, said Bosnia and Herzegovina still lacks a comprehensive state-level law on civilian victims of war, despite repeated attempts and international pressure. While entity-level laws exist both in the Federation and Republika Srpska, their implementation remains incomplete.

“The UN also put pressure on the authorities and nothing was done,” Kuhulj said, explaining that international recommendations allow for the absence of a state law only if entity laws are fully harmonised and implemented, which is not the case.

She noted that while some financial support has been secured, other crucial aspects, such as rehabilitation, access to information and memorialisation, remain unresolved. “Biology does its work, and we have fewer and fewer beneficiaries of this law,” Kuhulj warned. “The state owes a lot to those who remain – support, information about places of disappearance, marking sites of suffering.”

Legal expert Prof. Dr Goran Simic questioned the broader impact of war crimes trials, arguing that the expectations placed on the judiciary were unrealistic. “We naively believed that war crimes trials bring justice – they do not, or they do so only in a very small number of cases,” he said, noting that compensation was awarded in only a handful of cases out of more than 900 adjudicated.

Simic also criticised the tendency to reduce responsibility for wartime atrocities solely to convicted individuals. “You cannot transfer responsibility for war crimes onto just 1,000 people,” he said, adding that despite those convictions, genuine reconciliation has not been achieved.

He identified education as a critical missing link, saying that court verdicts rarely find their way into school curricula. “Our problem is not that we do not have verdicts; the problem is where those verdicts are,” Simic said, pointing to ethnically divided narratives that portray one side exclusively as victims and others as perpetrators.

Lejla Gacanica, human rights officer for transitional justice at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNHCR, said most progress so far has been driven by victims’ groups and civil society organisations, a model she described as unsustainable. “It is time for the state to take bigger steps in relation to current needs,” she said.

Representing the EU Delegation, policy officer Fermín Córdoba stressed the importance of institutional cooperation, particularly in the context of EU accession talks. He said transitional justice falls under the first cluster of negotiations and key priority Number Five, but acknowledged persistent resistance from authorities. “We tried to negotiate with the authorities, but we always hit a wall,” Córdoba said.

The panel concluded that without stronger political will, full legal implementation and meaningful engagement with victims, Bosnia risks allowing time to erode both justice and truth, leaving reconciliation an unfulfilled promise, three decades after the war.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the panelist(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or BIRN. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Workshop Overview and Participant Breakdown

Date and place:  20 January 2026

Number of participants per country: 

BiH 28

Austria 1

Netherlands 2

Belgium 2

Czech Republic 2

France 2

Spain 1

Germany 2

Sweden 2

Total number of participants: 42

The full findings and activities are available in the EDS Report, which can be accessed here.

BIRN Kosovo Trains Professionals and Students on Transitional Justice

BIRN Kosovo organized a one-day training session on transitional justice, war crimes, and responsible media reporting on January 19, at the Reporting House Museum in Pristina. The training was held as part of the “Reconcile” project, supported by the European Union, and brought together professionals working in transitional justice and university students.

During the training, a series of lectures was delivered by experienced trainers in transitional justice. The sessions covered topics such as the documentation of war crimes in international media; the collection of evidence on war crimes from institutional and non-governmental sources; the transition of war crimes investigations from international to domestic mechanisms, with a focus on building prosecutorial capacity; and the impact of hate speech and disinformation on establishing the truth about war crimes.

The sessions were delivered by experienced practitioners, including Jeta Xharra, Executive Director of BIRN Kosovo; former war crimes prosecutor Drita Hajdari; human rights and dealing with the past expert Ibrahim Makolli; and Labinot Leposhtica, Head of the Legal Office at BIRN Kosovo. All trainers shared their professional perspectives and experiences in war crimes documentation and investigations, as well as the ethical challenges involved in reporting on sensitive and complex issues.

Participants in the training came from institutions directly involved in transitional justice and dealing with the past in Kosovo, including the Institute for War Crimes in Kosovo (IKKL), the Transitional Justice Division of the Kosovo Ministry of Justice, the Government Commission on Missing Persons, as well as law students from the University of Gjilan and the University of Mitrovica.

All participants were highly engaged throughout the training, particularly during discussions on documenting war crimes through media reporting and the historical overview of judicial proceedings related to war crimes in Kosovo. Participants emphasized that impartiality is essential when documenting war crimes and that achieving this requires a deep understanding of the past in order to build peace in the present.

The training session brought together 63 participants, of whom 42 were women, representing various institutions and academic backgrounds.

The “Reconcile” project is funded by the European Union. The content and views expressed are the sole responsibility of BIRN Kosovo and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Workshop Overview and Participant Breakdown

Date: 19 January 2026

Location: Pristina, Kosovo

Number of participants per country: 63

Total number of participants: 63

The full findings and activities are available in the EDS Report, which can be accessed here.

BIRN and Mnemonic Invite Applications for Documenting Atrocities and Human Rights Violations Workshop

BIRN Hub in cooperation with Mnemonic invites students, journalists, researchers, civil society activists and human rights practitioners from the region to apply for a three-day regional workshop on documenting and archiving human rights violations and international crimes, to be held in Sarajevo from 11 to 13 March.

About the Workshop

The workshop will focus on practical and ethical approaches to the documentation, preservation and use of information related to international crimes and human rights violations, with particular attention to contemporary challenges in digital archiving. The training will be delivered by the Mnemonic team, an internationally recognised organisation specializing in digital archiving, open-source investigations and the preservation of evidence of human rights abuses.

Through a combination of expert-led sessions, participants will strengthen their capacity to responsibly collect, verify, archive and manage sensitive materials related to human rights violations.

Key Topics Include:

  • Principles and standards of open source investigations
  • Digital archiving methodologies and tools
  • Verification and contextualization of digital content
  • Ethical, legal, and security considerations when working with sensitive data
  • Practical case studies and hands-on exercises
  • The use of AI in open source investigations.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to participants aged 20 to 36 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia who are actively engaged in:

  • Law studies (including international law and international humanitarian law), political science, transitional justice studies, or related fields.
  • Human rights documentation and advocacy.
  • Investigative journalism.
  • Research and archival work.
  • Transitional justice, memorialization, or accountability initiatives.

A strong interest in transitional justice, archiving and documenting international crimes and human rights violations is essential.

Practical Information

  • Dates: 11–13 March
  • Location: Sarajevo
  • Working language: English
  • Costs: Travel, accommodation, and meals will be covered by BIRN for selected participants.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to:

  • Fill out the application form with a short biography (up to 200 words) and a brief motivation statement explaining your interest in the workshop and how it relates to your current work.
  • Register for the Info session for all those interested, to be held on January 23 at 16:00 CET. Register here.

Applications should be sent no later than 29 January at 17:00 CET.  Only selected participants will be notified, in the first two weeks of February.

By submitting this application, you confirm your availability to participate in the workshop from 11 to 13 March, including travel days on 10 and 14 March. Please note that accommodation and travel arrangements will be organised in advance, and the associated costs will be covered accordingly.

Early applications are strongly encouraged, as they will facilitate timely selection and the organisation of travel and visa arrangements, where applicable.

For any questions about your application, contact [email protected]

Bosnian History Teachers Visit Former Camps in Brcko and Learn How to Teach About War

To help school teachers learn more about how to teach students about the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a group of teachers from several towns and cities visited detention camps in a former elementary school in Brcko.

Almost 30 teachers attending the first in a series of trainings on “How to Learn and Teach About the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina” from January 12 until January 14, organised by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, the Srebrenica Memorial Center, and the Association Forgotten Children of War, visited the former Partizan and Luka detention camps in Brcko. The visit was organised by Senad Osmanovic, Head of the Education Department of Brcko District, and former Luka camp detainee Amir Didic.

In front of the detention camp where the Fourth Elementary School in Brcko is located today and the Partizan facility, they recalled how their fellow citizens were beaten up and killed at these places during 1992, despite the facilities being in the town centre and not far from the police station.

“No one reacted,” Osmanovic told the teachers, adding that, unfortunately, many people who went missing from the Brcko District are still being searched for.

Walking towards the former Luka detention camp in Brcko, the teachers spoke to Didic, who had been detained and tortured there aged only 23.

“Every visit means a lot to me and all detainees, to spread the truth,” Didic said.

As they looked at pictures of the suffering and the missing in the former Luka detention camp premises, the teachers, from Tuzla, Bihac, Sarajevo, Cazin, Bijeljina, Travnik, and other cities, said it was unimaginable that someone could commit such crimes, and that just visiting the place left a huge impression on them.

“I have visited many different detention camps, but I must admit that this has affected me emotionally,” said teacher Amila Kunosic from the Centar Elementary School in Tuzla.

According to the Database of Judicially Established Facts, created with the help of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peace Building Fund, PBF, through the project “Building Long-Term Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Investing in the Future”, from May 3, 1992 onwards, in Brcko Municipality, Serbs detained primarily Bosniak and Croat civilians at 14 locations. They included the Brcko Public Security Station, the Laser bus company, the Partizan sports hall, the Vestfalija restaurant, the football stadium, the elementary school in Loncari, the Pelagicevo agricultural cooperative store, the mosque in Kolobare, the Posavina hotel, the hospital in Brcko, the fire station, the JNA garrison, and the Luka detention camp.

The Hague war crimes court established that from May 8 to June 6, 1992, a large number of people were shot and killed in the Luka detention camp, and that, in addition, detainees were interrogated and abused. Those killed were buried in graves, or their bodies were thrown into the Sava River.

The training participants discussed these and other facts with transitional justice experts and BIRN BiH journalists, who prepared video content for use in classes and drew the conclusions of the trial chambers concerning the wartime events from all verdicts. The materials are adapted to all ages and are available for free. The teachers talked about the methodology and conduct of such classes with history professor Melisa Foric Plasto, who has created a manual for teaching about the war. A special segment of the training was dedicated to genocide, which the teachers discussed with Muamer Dzananovic, co-author of Handbook on Srebrenica – From Siege to Genocide.

The biggest concern for all teachers is how to rise above personal experiences and remain professional during classes while discussing such sensitive topics, and how to properly talk about them with students, for which trauma expert Azra Frlj was at their disposal.

On the third day of the training, a special focus was on sexual violence, specifically on children born as a result of war, with members of the Association “Forgotten Children of War” assisting teachers at the workshop.

“The training is great. I will greatly use the workshops that you have shown us, and show the same to the students. It is much better than the traditional way of teaching,” said Amila Kunosic.

Nedzad Kapidzic, a high-school teacher from Travnik, said that teachers also needed to adapt to new generations and this kind of training is useful for class preparations and new knowledge, “so that no one is offended while speaking about the truth and what has been judicially established, which is not my opinion or that of my colleagues but the facts,” Kapidzic said. He pointed out that teachers are obliged to educate themselves and adapt to new generations who were not born during the time of the Bosnian war and mostly have gained knowledge only from their families.

The training, which will be held also in Zenica and Mostar after Brcko, is intended for history teachers and focuses on the practical use of the Database of Judicially Established Facts about the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina and on the handbook, How to Learn and Teach About the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“The goal of the training is to empower teachers to use factual, verified, and multi-perspective approaches in studying contemporary history and to develop critical thinking and empathy for all victims among students,” said BIRN BiH project manager Mirza Halilcevic.

Open call: Training Session for Justice System Professionals on Transitional Justice, War Crimes, and Responsible Media Reporting

About the project:
The project “Reconcile”, supported by the European Union, is being implemented by BIRN Hub and BIRN Kosovo and is taking place in Kosovo as well as in several other Western Balkan countries.

This project represents an additional effort to increase discussion on transitional justice and dealing with the past in Kosovo and across the Western Balkans more broadly. The project aims to strengthen reconciliation and non-recurrence by empowering diverse communities in the Western Balkans, with a focus on training media professionals, public institutions, and students, by providing them with specialized knowledge on topics such as war crimes, judicial processes, reporting ethics, the role of the media in documenting the truth, as well as the impact of hate speech and disinformation in distorting the truth.

About the training

The training aims to provide participants with theoretical knowledge and practical skills on:

  • War crimes and international legal standards
  • Transitional justice mechanisms and accountability
  • Ethical principles and challenges in reporting on sensitive issues
  • The role of the media and civil society in shaping public opinion
  • Professional standards and fact-based reporting

Who can apply?

The call is open for:

  • Professionals of the justice system (judges, prosecutors, legal officers, police officers, forensic doctors, lawyers).

BIRN Kosovo encourages interested individuals from non-majority ethnic communities, without distinction, to apply and participate in the student training session, in line with the principles of equality and inclusiveness.

Applicants must demonstrate:

  • Interest or experience in the topics of war crimes, transitional justice, or media reporting
  • Motivation to apply the acquired knowledge in their professional or academic work

When and where will the respective training sessions be held?

The training session for professionals of the justice system (judges, prosecutors, legal officers, police officers, forensic doctors, lawyers) will be held on 26 January 2026 at the Reporting House Museum, Prishtina.

Applicants may apply through the Google application form.

Selection of participants:

Selection will be based on:

  • The relevance of the applicant’s professional or academic profile to the respective training
  • Motivation to participate
  • Experience or interest in the thematic areas

During the selection process, gender equality and inclusiveness will be taken into account, in line with EU principles.

How to apply?

Interested individuals are invited to complete the online application form at this link, depending on the group to which they belong.

Language of the training: The training sessions in the field of transitional justice will be conducted in Albanian; interpretation will be provided for participants.

Application deadline: 22.01.2026

Only selected participants will be contacted.

Open Call: Training Session for Professionals in Transitional Justice, War Crimes, and Responsible Media Reporting

About the project:
The project “Reconcile”, supported by the European Union, is being implemented by BIRN Hub and BIRN Kosovo and is taking place in Kosovo as well as in several other Western Balkan countries.

This project represents an additional effort to increase discussion on transitional justice and dealing with the past in Kosovo and across the Western Balkans more broadly. The project aims to strengthen reconciliation and non-recurrence by empowering diverse communities in the Western Balkans, with a focus on training media professionals, public institutions, and students, by providing them with specialized knowledge on topics such as war crimes, judicial processes, reporting ethics, the role of the media in documenting the truth, as well as the impact of hate speech and disinformation in distorting the truth.

About the training

The training aims to provide participants with theoretical knowledge and practical skills on:

  • War crimes and international legal standards
  • Transitional justice mechanisms and accountability
  • Ethical principles and challenges in reporting on sensitive issues
  • The role of the media and civil society in shaping public opinion
  • Professional standards and fact-based reporting

Who can apply?

The call is open for:

  • Professionals of the justice system (judges, prosecutors, legal officers, police officers, forensic doctors, lawyers).

BIRN Kosovo encourages interested individuals from non-majority ethnic communities, without distinction, to apply and participate in the student training session, in line with the principles of equality and inclusiveness.

Applicants must demonstrate:

  • Interest or experience in the topics of war crimes, transitional justice, or media reporting
  • Motivation to apply the acquired knowledge in their professional or academic work

When and where will the respective training sessions be held?

The training session for professionals of the justice system (judges, prosecutors, legal officers, police officers, forensic doctors, lawyers) will be held on 26 January 2026 at the Reporting House Museum, Prishtina.

Applicants may apply through the Google application form.

Selection of participants:

Selection will be based on:

  • The relevance of the applicant’s professional or academic profile to the respective training
  • Motivation to participate
  • Experience or interest in the thematic areas

During the selection process, gender equality and inclusiveness will be taken into account, in line with EU principles.

How to apply?

Interested individuals are invited to complete the online application form at this link, depending on the group to which they belong.

Language of the training: The training sessions in the field of transitional justice will be conducted in Albanian; interpretation will be provided for participants.

Application deadline: 22.01.2026

Only selected participants will be contacted.

Call for Applications: Grant to Attend Dataharvest 2026

Are you a journalist interested in attending Dataharvest – The European Investigative Journalism Conference in May 2026? Do you want to benefit from advanced training, networking opportunities, and connections with editorial teams from all around Europe? BIRN, in partnership with the conference organisers, Arena for Journalism in Europe, and with the support of ERSTE Foundation, invites interested journalists to apply for a grant that can help make this experience possible.

Conference Dates: 28 to 31 May 2026

Location: Mechelen, Belgium

Eligible countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia.

Number of individual grants: 22

About the Grant

Journalists are invited to apply for a grant to attend Dataharvest 2026 – The European Investigative Journalism Conference, one of Europe’s major annual events dedicated to investigative, data, and collaborative journalism. Over the course of the event, participants will engage in practical training, workshops, expert sessions, and networking, with the aim of enhancing professional skills and fostering collaboration across countries and media organisations.

The grant is designed to support journalists whose participation in international professional events may be limited by financial or logistical constraints. By enabling their attendance at Dataharvest, we want to strengthen professional skills, facilitate international networking, and encourage cross-border collaboration within the European investigative journalism community.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to professional journalists, with particular encouragement for freelance journalists and those working in small or independent media outlets, based in the following countries:

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia.

What the Grant Offers

Each selected journalist will receive a lump-sum grant of €700, which is intended to cover:

  • Travel costs to and from the conference;
  • Daily expenses (per diem) during the conference.

In addition, the following will be arranged and covered directly by the conference organisers:

  • Conference registration;
  • Accommodation (three nights, 28, 29, and 30 May);
  • All necessary practical information to participate in the event.

Kindly note that the grant covers the registration for and accommodation during the main programme of the conference (29 – 31 May 2026), and not the full-day masterclasses on 28 May 2026. The ticket for masterclasses needs to be purchased separately if one wishes to attend.

How to apply

All interested journalists are encouraged to apply by completing the online application form.

Applications must be submitted by 2 February 2026, 17:00 CET. Successful candidates will be notified mid-February 2026.

Online presentation

Join us for the presentation, and get a comprehensive overview of Dataharvest, including its professional development and networking opportunities, as well as detailed information on grant-supported participation. Participants will learn what to expect from the 2026 conference, how to strengthen their grant applications, and how to make the most of this opportunity.

The session will be hosted by Jelena Prtorić, Dataharvest Director and Project Coordinator.

Date: Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Time: 11:00 AM CET
Registration link (registration required; the access link will be shared ahead of the event): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQJwtp6V7aZ3OHCdolPPr4Bvz2xxcLPNH6FYfVRaUZPxTsHQ/viewform

A dedicated Q&A session will allow participants to ask questions about the programme, participation, grants, and other practical aspects of the conference.

Selection Process and Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel and assessed based on the following criteria:

  • Years of relevant professional experience and areas of journalistic work;
  • Motivation to participate, including the clarity and relevance of the applicant’s interest in the conference;
  • The applicant’s potential contribution to the conference programme, discussions, and peer exchange.

Final selections will be made collectively by the panel, taking into account the overall quality of applications and ensuring a balanced representation of countries of residence among selected participants.

We look forward to receiving your applications!

Should you have any questions about the grant or the application process, please contact us at: [email protected]