Author: birnEU

Free Press Unlimited, FPU

DONOR
Free Press Unlimited works to ensure that reliable news and information are and remain available to people across the globe, especially in the countries struggling with freedom of press.

By supporting local media professionals and journalists, Free Press Unlimited helps to enable as many people as
possible to gain and keep access to the information they require to survive and develop.

Free Press Unlimited is active in over forty countries, in those areas where its help is needed the most. In these areas, Free Press Unlimited focuses on strengthening the capacity of local media professionals and media organisations. Together with these partners, we create room for people to speak freely, debate social issues and find out what is going on in their immediate environment.

In each area, FPU works together with local journalists, media pioneers and media organisations – which can make a difference. Free Press Unlimited supports these change agents in the development of their knowledge and skills.

Free Press Unlimited supports BIRN Kosovo’s research, publication and training programmes with a focus on Gazeta Jeta ne Kosove.

Access: Website

Institute for Advanced Studies (GAP)

PARTNER
The Institute for Advanced Studies is a Kosovo think tank organisation.

A priority of the institute is to mobilise professionals to address the country’s pressing economic, political and social challenges.

GAP partners with BIRN Kosovo on the following programmes:
-Media Production
-Research and publications

Together with BIRN Kosovo, GAP Institute is part of the Kosovo Civil Society Consortium for Sustainable Development (KOSID).

Web: http://www.institutigap.org/

International Visegrad Fund

DONOR
The International Visegrad Fund is an international organisation based in Bratislava founded by the governments of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Republic of Poland, and the Slovak Republic, in Štiřín, Czech Republic, on June 9, 2000.

The purpose of the fund is to facilitate and promote the development of closer cooperation among citizens and institutions in the region as well as between the V4 region and other countries, especially the Western Balkans and countries of the Eastern Partnership.

The fund does so through grant support of common cultural, scientific and educational projects, youth exchanges, cross-border projects and tourism promotion, and through individual mobility programs (scholarships, residencies).

BIRN Kosovo

Since BIRN Kosovo sees it vital to deal with sustainable development issues in Kosovo the project “Sustainable economy and environment for sustainable development in Kosovo” supported by International Visegrad Fund will serve as a valuable tool to identify economic problems in Kosovo.

Moreover, the foreign partners of this project will offer their important insights on the economic and environmental aspects of their countries, as key features of the Visegrad alliance. These will serve as comparison points to the situation in Kosovo, a country vying for EU accession, for the purposes of televised reports to be produced.

Web: http://visegradfund.org/

IREX Serbia

DONOR
IREX is an international nonprofit organisation providing leadership and innovative programmes to improve the quality of education, strengthen independent media, and foster pluralistic civil society development.

IREX has supported independent media in Serbia since 1997. IREX works with over 30 independent media outlets and organisations to support the development of the skills and capacity of journalists through training, consulting and small grants. The Serbia Media Assistance Program in Serbia is funded by USAID.

Since becoming involved in the region, IREX has supported numerous BIRN Serbia projects, including the most recent report “How media are financed by local governments”, which is available for download on the BIRN website.

Web: https://www.irex.org/region/europe-eurasia/serbia 

NALED

PARTNER
NALED is a business association in Serbia that brings together representatives of all three sectors of society – companies, municipalities, and NGOs, who work together on improving the conditions for local economic development and doing business in Serbia.

By organising a large number of events and business meetings, NALED has been promoting dialogue between the public, private and civil sector.

Web: www.naled-serbia.org

The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs

DONOR
The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively involved in addressing issues such as poverty reduction, climate change, respect for human rights and the rule of law and eliminating conflict, along with coordinating and carrying out Dutch foreign policy.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina

As of 2012, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports the implementation of BIRN BiH Justice Series Programme through its MATRA Program.

MATRA is a program run by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs that supports the process of social transformation in Central and Eastern Europe.

MATRA seeks in particular to strengthen the fabric of civil society, stressing the importance of cooperation and interaction between the private and public bodies.

In Kosovo

The ministry also provides support to a variety of development programmes implemented by BIRN Kosovo.

In Serbia

Matra supports the efforts of BIRN Serbia and its partner organisation ProConcept in developing the “Make your own budget” web application for the Parliament of Serbia.

Web: Official web site

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

DONOR
The Royal Norweigan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively involved in addressing issues such as corruption, civil society development, culture, public diplomacy and information activities, gender issues, peace and state building, respect of human rights and eliminating conflict, in addition to coordinating and carrying out Norway’s foreign policy

The Ministry provided support to the implementation of BIRN BiH Justice Series Programme (2008-2016), and BIRN Hub project Advancing Sustainability of Independent Online Investigative Journalism (2007-2015).

Web: https://www.regjeringen.no/en/id4/

Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSF)

DONOR
Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina is an independent, nonprofit organisation founded in 1993 as part of the Open Society Foundations.

The Fund works to restore a sense of community and future among the country’s young people through programs that promote civic engagement.

The fund’s education activities focus on advancing social inclusion, overturning school segregation, and facilitating long-term education reform through initiatives such as the publication of new textbooks that reject ethnic stereotypes.

The fund also seeks to build a local civil society that can give communities an active and effective role in guiding development policies. The fund uses local engagement to advance anticorruption and good governance. The fund has been a leader in promoting Roma inclusion and empowerment.

At the local level, the Fund has implemented a number of initiatives to improve the justice system, education, health, and independent media for the protection and improvement of people’s lives in marginalized communities.

The Open Society Fund in BiH has previously supported BIRN BiH’s Justice Series Programme.

Web: www.soros.org.ba

Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

DONOR
The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organisation, with 56 states from Europe, Central Asia and North America.

It offers a forum for political negotiations and decision-making in the fields of early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation, and puts the political will of its participating States into practice through its unique network of field missions.

The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and  human aspects.

It addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism, and economic and environmental activities.

Web: http://www.osce.org/mission-to-serbia

Radio Television of Kosovo, RTK

PARTNER
RTK is Kosovo’s public service broadcaster. It includes a television service – broadcast on the terrestrial transmitter network and digital satellite – and two radio stations. RTK television is the market leader and is watched by 92.1 percent of the population.

RTK is committed to fair, balanced and accurate news and information and to serving all the communities of Kosovo. RTK is led by a Director General who is answerable to a non-political Board of Directors.

RTK partners with BIRN Kosovo on the Media Production programme; the public network broadcasts BIRN Kosovo’s Life in Kosovo and Justice in Kosovo weekly televised programmes.

Web: www.rtklive.com