Category: News and Events

BIRN’s Journalism Summer School Opens in Slovenia

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network’s annual summer school for investigative journalism has begun at Lake Bled with 30 young journalists participating.

The journalists – from Serbia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, Austria, Estonia, France and Romania – heard on the first day about investigative stories, methods of online research and the challenges of reporting on human trafficking.

Renowned British journalist David Leigh explained that working on investigative stories is a dangerous game. “In essence, you’re blundering along blind, because you don’t know what you’re looking for, but despite this, it is your job to collect the evidence and proof,” said Leigh.

He added that the longstanding principles of Britain’s Guardian newspaper – honesty, integrity, courage, fairness and a sense of duty – are applicable to modern investigative journalism.

Leigh told the participants about a seven-year-long investigation that he was part of, which uncovered bribery in arms dealings in Britain, highlighted the need for patience and hard, written evidence for investigative stories.

“Comment is free, but facts are sacred. This is why it is the job of journalists to get the facts right,” said Leigh.

German executive producer and journalist Marcus Lindemann discussed various online research possibilities. He revealed effective ways in which journalists can get information online about companies, individuals and issues.  

The summer school’s first working day ended with a discussion about the challenges of investigative reporting about human trafficking. Independent consultant and adviser Ruth Rosenberg spoke about the need for journalists to be highly sensitive to victims’ needs when reporting about trafficking.

“We must take care of the privacy, confidentiality and security of victims when reporting on human trafficking stories. You, as journalists, must bear in mind that your stories can have extreme consequences for the people you interview,” said Rosenberg.

Slovenian state prosecutor Savica Pureber and Katjusa Popovic from the NGO Kljuc talked about how the state and non-governmental sector work together to deal with human trafficking issues, highlighting the need for media to cover these stories, but in a sensitive and professional manner.

Meanwhile, Marija Andjelkovic from the NGO ASTRA in Serbia told the journalists about her organisation which runs a trafficking hotline which has received thousands of calls.

“The trends of trafficking in Serbia are changing. Ten years ago we had mostly victims of trafficking from Moldova, Russia, but today 99 per cent of victims are from Serbia. We are also seeing a rise in under-age victims,” said Andjelkovic.

Katrin Adams, who works on the prevention of human trafficking for Germany’s Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, said that because these issues have been in the public eye for a while, the situation in the region has improved compared to 15 to 20 years ago.

“Prosecutors and judges have been sensitised. We have NGOs and they cooperate very well, but we have problems with sustainable and coherent ideas to improve the social welfare system. We need sustainable prevention,” said Adams.

BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2013 is organized in cooperation with the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and with support of King Baudouin Foundation and Belgium National Lottery and OSCE Mission in Kosovo, OSCE Mission to Serbia and USAID in Macedonia.

BIRN at the screening of Justice in Action documentary

The British Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina premiered Fiona Lloyd-Davies’ award-documentary Justice in Action, on Monday in Sarajevo.

The film features a group of six young students from Mulberry School for Girls in London who embarked on a journey to explore the turbulent history of BiH, the site of Europe’s worst genocide since the Second World War.
 
“I needed to prepare for victims of rape, victims of genocide, people who have lost their families, and I need to be able to deal with that emotionally,” stated Fatima, one of the girl students.
 
Their journey took them to Sarajevo and Srebrenica where they had an opportunity to see the sites of mass atrocities and speak to about what justice really means to those who want it most.
 
“When we talk about justice for victims or justice for survivors they are talking about what I call reckoning”, said Ed Vulliamy, a British-based reporter during the war in Bosnia, recalling an interview with the girls.
 
In The Hague they attended the trial to Radovan Karadzic, charged for genocide, and spoke to his defence counsel as well as the chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz, and the former BIRN BiH director and ICTY spokesperson Nerma Jelacic.
 
Justice in Action won Best International Documentary at the People’s Film Festival in New York.
 
Fiona Lloyd-Davies first went to BiH at the height of the war in July 1992. She continued to work there during and after the war for the BBC, Channel 4 and Al Jazeera English.

BIRN featured in new Bosnia war crimes book

BIRN’s work in the field of war crimes prosecutions and transitional justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina features several times in a new book by Sarajevo-based law professor and human rights activist Goran Simic.

The book, entitled War Crime Trials in BiH, is about the issues faced by people living in a post-conflict society.

“People in post-conflict societies are at a crossroads wondering how to overcome a past filled with war victims, torture, and criminals,” Simic writes in the book.

The author deals with reconciliation and forgiveness from different religious, political and psychological aspects, stating that hundreds if not thousands of war criminals are still walking freely among their victims who at the same time are trying to build normal lives.

Simic defines transitional justice concepts and gives a historical background to the war crimes committed in the 1990s. He also reflects on the work done so far by the institutions dealing with war crimes in the country, and concludes by identifying the issues that are standing in the way of peaceful coexistence.

The book is available in Bosnian via: www.knjiga.ba/sudenja-za-ratne-zlocine-u-bosni-i-hercegovini-k8839.html

The author’s website address is: www.goransimic.ba.

BIRN Assesses Serbian Government’s First Year

BIRN Serbia has published a report about the government’s progress in fulfilling election promises in four key areas – economy, health, education and the fight against corruption. 

For the past year, BIRN Serbia has been monitoring government policies in the four areas which citizens singled out as the most important to their personal and social well-being.

The monitoring results showed that the government had made limited progress in fulfilling election promises made and that implementation was even slower dynamics politicians planned.

According to BIRN’s report, the least progress was made in the field of education. The most important legislative activity was related to the adoption of the Education Development Strategy in Serbia to 2020, although no action plan was adopted for its implementation.

In the health area, the government should seriously work on establishing  anti-corruption measures, transparency in public procurement, the availability of health protection by clearly defining the status of private practices, and infrastructure improvement.

In this field, campaign promises were partly fulfilled by expanding the number of patients who are eligible for health insurance at the expense of the state and by implementing some measures of population policy. The long-awaited law on the protection of patients’ rights was also adopted.

The Anti-Corruption Strategy is the most important document which was adopted by the government and parliament in the field of the fight against graft, and contains key recommendations for the prevention of corruption and the strengthening of independent control institutions.

Even though the privatisation audit showed government’s determination to fight corruption, work should continue to strengthen institutional mechanisms in order to minimise corruption, which is seen as systemic.

In the economic field, which is the top priority for the public, there was very little progress, even though most of the legislative initiatives in the past year were launched in this area. The government was unable to find an adequate solution to the economic crisis, unemployment is still high and it is necessary to consolidate public finances in order to reduce the budget deficit and public debt.

The report is part of the BIRN Serbia ‘Monitoring Policies of the Government of Serbia’ project, which was conducted under the auspices of the British Embassy in Belgrade.

More information is available at http://www.skockajtebudzet.rs/rs/clanak/godinu-dana-vlade-ne-ispunjenost-obecanja

BIRN Summer School Scholarships Open Until August 5

Balkan-based journalists can apply for scholarships at the BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2013 until August 5.

This year’s BIRN Summer School will be held at Bled Lake in Slovenia from August 25-31.

All those interested should apply online by following this link:  http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/birn-summer-school/birn-summer-school-2013-enrolment.

Experienced journalists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia can apply for full scholarships that will cover full-board accommodation, a travel fee up to 100 euros and BIRN’s published textbook  “Digging Deeper: A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans”.

Application for international participants is open until August 20.

BIRN Summer School of Investigative Reporting 2013 is organized in cooperation with the Media Program South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and with support of King Baudouin Foundation and Belgium National Lottery and OSCE Mission in Kosovo, OSCE Mission to Serbia and USAID Macedonia.

Belgrade Insight Supports Malaysian Charity Bazaar

BIRN Ltd’s newspaper, Belgrade Insight, was a media partner for the Malaysian embassy’s charity bazaar which raised funds for maternity wards in a couple of Serbia’s health centres.

Malaysian embassy’s charity bazaar, held on May 25 in Belgrade, raised 360,000 dinars for the improvement of maternity wards at the Aleksinac and Knazevac health centres. Belgrade Insight, BIRN’s English-language newspaper, was the media partner of the embassy for the occasion.

More than 3,000 people attended the bazaar, including numerous diplomats, representatives of Serbian and international companies and local celebrities.

At the bazaar, visitors had the chance to enjoy traditional Malaysian cuisine and a cultural programme, as well as to buy Serbian and Malaysian handicrafts.

Belgrade Insight, on sale since May 2008, is published fortnightly by BIRN.

The newspaper covers all aspects of life in Belgrade – from politics to business, culture to sport and lifestyle to current affairs.

A must-read for all foreign residents of Belgrade, domestic decision-makers and anyone else who simply needs to know what’s happening in the Serbian capital, Belgrade Insight enjoys the respect of its readership and a level of credibility that is unparalleled in Belgrade’s print media sector.

In addition to detailed analysis and coverage of political, economic and business affairs, Belgrade Insight provides its readers with everything that expatriates, short-term visitors and local residents need to know in order to enjoy this great city.

BIRN Publishes Belgrade Travel Guide

BIRN has completed the first edition of its new book, Belgrade Insight City Guide, which will go on sale on August 1.

Belgrade Insight City Guide offers all the information that a visitor to the city could need, in a pocket format that’s easy to carry around. The book comes with a free pull-out map of Belgrade and a free VIP SIM card.

The book contains a range of fascinating stories about Belgrade’s history, legends and most famous inhabitants. Along with suggestions for Belgrade must-sees, including a list of top tourist attractions no visitor should miss, the guide also highlights hidden attractions not featured in any other guide.

In Belgrade Insight City Guide, visitors will find listings on museums, monuments, parks, churches, synagogues and mosques along with info on entrance fees, opening hours, useful facts and guided tours.

The guide provides practical information that will ease visitors’ stay in the city. There is information on accommodation, restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, shopping venues, theatres, cinemas and sports facilities, all accompanied by detailed directories.

There is also information on visas and customs procedures, health and security, money and banking and Belgrade transport options, accompanied by a full map of the city’s public transport system, information for disabled travellers and customs and rules that visitors should be aware of while in Belgrade.

The book will be available from August 1 at the Tourist Organisation of Belgrade premises at Knez Mihailova Street 5, the Central Train Station, Nikola Tesla Airport and Belgrade Port on Karadjordjeva Street.

RAE Community Establishes a Radio Station in Gjakova

The Roma Ashkali and Egyptian, RAE, community in Kosovo has a new radio station, with the establishment of Prosperiteti in Gjakova.

BIRN Kosovo played a role in the establishment of Prosperiteti, which will be streamed online, by organising meetings and trainings.

Lendrit Qeli, who runs Prosperiteti and attended BIRN’s training, said the station will benefit the community greatly.

“There will be topics to raise the community awareness in the municipality and at the same time we will do promotions that until now did not have the opportunity to get promoted through other mediums,” Qeli said.

Prosperiteti received donations from the Gjakova municipality and the Italian organisations IPSIA and CELIM MILAN.

Protecting journalists’ sources

The protection of the journalists’ sources is largely weak in Kosovo. To further discuss this issue the “Rubikon” TV programme invited representatives from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Vetevendosje, media outlets and BIRN. The representative of BIRN was Flutura Kusari.

Considering the difficulties that journalists face because of the absence of the law of protecting the sources of information, BIRN together with ARTICLE 19, a London-based human rights organization, drafted a law that will serve as a protection for these sources.

The draft law was sent to the parliament and BIRN publically asked MPs to adopt the law since it is crucial for freedom of speech and expression.

Kosovo’s transparency problem

Kosovo’s public institutions are largely failing to implement the 2010 law on Access to Public Documents, BIRN Kosovo concluded in a report released June 29.

Report, titled “The State is 30 Per Cent Accessible to Citizens,” is the culmination of a year-and-a-half of monitoring of public institutions to examine the implementation of the law.

Concluding that government institutions respond to only 30 per cent of official requests, the report found that the Prime Minister Office is the least transparent institution. 

Gresa Musliu, a BIRN Kosovo researcher, presenting the report to Kosovo’s media, noted that only 100 of 300 official requests to government institutions received positive responses. In the case of 100 requests to the prime minister’s office, fewer than 30 were responded to.

In one case, when BIRN requested access to spending reports from official trips, the Prime Minister’s office refused on the grounds that the reports could reveal diets, and thus expose confidential health information. As a result, BIRN Kosovo has sued the Prime Minister’s office.

Musliu singled out the Agency for Protection of Personal Data, whose opinion was used to justify the Prime Minister’s Office decision not to disclose the trip reports, as contributing to a lack of government transparency.

“This agency presents risk for transparency, because since the establishment it is allegedly finding reasons to justify the lack of transparence of the legal institutions,” Musliu said.

The least transparent institutions include: the municipality of Prishtina, Kosovo Cadastral Agency, Prosecutorial Council and Judicial Council of Kosovo. While, among the transparent institutions are: Business Registration Agency in Kosovo, the Office of the General Auditor, and the Anti-Corruption Agency.

This report contains an exact template for writing official requests and also specific examples of requests sent by BIRN to the public institutions. Moreover, it provides recommendations for the public institutions and the citizens who want to have access to public documents.

 

Please see the full report here: PDF