Category: News and Events

BIRN Albania Holds Roundtable on Healthcare

November 25 roundtable discussed mismanagement and corruption in the health system – and ways to improve service delivery.

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania on November 25 held a roundtable in Tirana on the healthcare sector with journalists and experts from civil society organisations.

Two dozen reporters and civil society activists discussed corruption and poor management of the healthcare system in Albania.

The roundtable was moderated by Egla Bardhi, executive director of Together for Life, a civil society watchdog group active in advancing patients rights and monitoring health expenditures.

The roundtable was held as part of the project “Promoting Accountability through Investigative Journalism,” supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

This project aims to build bridges between journalists and civil society to jointly strengthen the fight against corruption and impunity through investigative journalism.

The topics discussed in the roundtable will inform an upcoming call for investigative grants for mid-career reporters.

The call will fund three reporting grants for journalists that investigate corruption and abuse of office in the helthcare system.

 Topics discussed during the roundtable included:

– Budgeting and insufficient funding for hospitals and services.

– Trade in cytostatic drugs outside the hospital system.

– Lack of enforcement of laws and protocols for treating patients with blood disorders.

– Implementation of hospital autonomy processes and the lack of role of relevant boards.

– Financial interests and political connections behind the list of reimbursable drugs.

– Restrictions and penalties for family doctors by the FSDKSH.

– Evaluation of family doctors’ performance.

– Planning and management of human resources in the healthcare system.

– Shortage of doctors, fictitious payments and benefits, and their costs for the healthcare system.

– Practical implementation of free healthcare for children.

– The issue of children with HIV/AIDS and infections in hospital settings.

– Forensic medicine and reporting of violence against children.

– Misinformation about vaccines and its impact on the population.

BIRN Macedonia Holds the Second Training for Young Journalists

BIRN Macedonia held the second training in the 2024-2025 year-long series of investigative journalism training courses.

Thirteen young journalists participated in a three-day course from November 22 to 24 in Veles, North Macedonia.

BIRN journalists guided the participants on where and how to find story ideas, shared how big stories can be uncovered from simple checks of publicly available records, how to develop the idea into a reporting plan, where to look for data, as well as how to identify sources.

In a newsroom editorial meeting simulation, the participants divided into teams were given the opportunity to pitch stories. BIRN journalists, together with the participants, discussed the proposed topics, assessed their viability and gave advice about how the stories could be produced. As a result, five stories were selected that will be produced in the upcoming months. BIRN’s senior journalists will provide mentoring support.

During the training, the participants were shown how to look for and obtain data in a dozen open-source databases that BIRN’s journalists regularly use to research and write their stories. With the mentors’ guidance, the participants applied these database searches to their chosen topics. The participants were also given an interview simulation with various sources relevant to their stories.

The young journalists will work on their stories under senior journalists’ mentorship until February 2025, when the next training will be organized.

BIRN Kosovo Conducts Training on the Role of the Local Level in Countering Extremism and Terrorism

BIRN Kosovo organized a one-day training session with Municipality of Podujeva officials on November 22 aimed at equipping them with more knowledge on the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism and enhancing local capacities in understanding the strategy, the efforts and dealing with pressing security challenges that are posed by extremism.

This training covered aspects such as introduction to terrorism and different forms of violent extremism and continued with the strategic objectives of the Strategy. Labinot Leposhtica, Legal Office and Monitoring Coordinator at BIRN Kosovo and Member of the Working Group for National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism, highlighted the role of the local level in countering extremism and terrorism especially within the local communities and the actual need for local implementation of the strategy.

Milot Sfishta, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,  emphasized the crucial role of local authorities in meeting the objectives of the Strategy and explained in detail through a presentation an overview of the current situation returnees while highlighting the importance of the local-level on the process in general.

A total of 16 participants attended the training, out of which, five women, reflected a diverse group of municipal representatives and municipal staff members of the Municipality of Podujeve.

By the conclusion of the training, participants were left with a deeper understanding of the national strategy as well as an increased awareness of their responsibilities as public servants. This training is aimed at serving a safer and more resilient community, better prepared to face the realities of violent extremism.

The event was conducted as part of the ‘Resilient Community Programme’ established by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).

Spheres of Influence Conference Kicks Off in Samarkand

A conference about the growing geopolitical competition between three global players for influence in the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia opened on Thursday in Uzbekistan.

The two-day conference, organised by Uzbekistan’s Anhor.uz in collaboration with BIRN, n-ost from Germany and JAM News from Georgia, brings together journalists, researchers and experts from the Western Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia.

N-ost’s Jakob Mardell, the editorial coordinator of the Spheres of Influence Uncovered project, said in his opening address that by “encouraging cross-border, data-driven research”, and by empowering collaboration among local journalists, the conference and the overall project aim to shed light on the increased competition in the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia between China, Russia and the EU.

The Spheres of Influence Uncovered project, of which this conference is a part, has been going on for two years already.

In the ancient city of Samarkand, one of the focal points along the route of the historic “silk road”, experts and researchers at the conference will discuss the current state of play, the flow of money, as well as the local economic, political and cultural impact from these geopolitical trends.

Several panels aim to cover the ways in which the three competing players aim to increase their soft power.

Journalists from the seven selected countries, Georgia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Tajikistan and the host country of Uzbekistan – who have been researching FDI flows, trade and green energy projects – will present the data they collected so far, introducing it as a valuable resource to the wider community.

They will also make connections and discuss potential future collaborations in producing further data-driven journalistic stories.

Speaking on the first day, BIRN’s former Head of Programmes, Aida Ajanovic, presented the collaborative initiative, spearheaded by BIRN, to build a database of EU, Russia and Chinese investments in the seven countries which are part of the project.

Underlying the importance of a database, which would greatly help the wider understanding and future research into this topic, Ajanovic said that despite the challenges in collecting the data base, “BIRN will remain committed to building and launching it” for a wider audience.

The Spheres of Influence Uncovered project, among other things, aims to identify Russian, Chinese and EU economic activities in Eurasia, expose their consequences and downsides and inform the general public about its findings.

As part of this effort, the participating journalists will continue to produce country-based and cross-border reports.

The project is funded by Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

BIRN Albania Invites Experts to Develop Internal Procedures for Local Media

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania (BIRN Albania) and the Science for Innovation Development Centre (SCiDEV) are seeking a pool of experts to assist in the development of internal procedures for local media organisations.

This call is part of the project “Strengthening Media Freedom, Professionalism, and Journalists’ Safety in Albania”, funded by the European Union and implemented by BIRN Albania in partnership with SCiDEV and Qendra Faktoje.

The project aims to build the capacities of local media and journalists through training and mentoring, enabling them to monitor Albania’s progress on media freedom and address violations of freedom of expression, as well as issues related to journalist safety.

This year, the project has awarded grants to three local media organisations, with plans to support three more next year. An initial assessment of the vulnerabilities and needs of local media organizations has identified the need to develop key internal procedures, which will be supported by this project.

In this context, BIRN Albania and SCiDEV are seeking experts to develop internal procedures for local media organisations in the following areas:

  • Strategic planning development
  • Financial and tendering procedures
  • Administrative procedures
  • Journalist safety and cybersecurity guidelines
  • Social media communication guidelines
  • Editorial guidelines for reporting on sensitive topics and marginalized communities

Experts will be engaged from December 2024 to March 2026 and will provide consultancy within a 10-day timeframe for each procedure.

Experts may apply for more than one procedure and should specify their areas of interest in their letter of interest.

For further information regarding the requirements for this assignment, please click here.

How to Apply: Interested candidates should send the following documents by email to: [email protected]:

  • A Letter of Interest emphasizing previous experience in the area
  • Financial offer (download the form here)
  • CV
  • Contact details of two professional references

Application Deadline: December 2, 2024

BIRN Holds Workshops in Skopje on Media Resilience and AI in Western Balkans

On November 13 and 14 in Skopje, BIRN organised workshops on the wellbeing of journalists and on AI in media as part of the Western Balkans Media for Change project.

Daniel Fieller, Deputy Head of Mission at the British embassy in North Macedonia, opened the event  in Skopje on November 13, thanking the media outlets that the Western Balkans Media for Change project supports.

“You serve your societies by amplifying the voices of those unheard in the region,” he said, adding that BIRN has been his main source of information since living in the region and that it has been a privilege to work with organisations such as BIRN and Thomson.

Milka Domanovic, BIRN’s Regional Director, said she was proud that the project team has been able to adapt to different circumstances over the years and listen carefully to the needs of the people BIRN is supporting. “This project also created very stable connections between media professionals in the region,” she said.

Larisa Halilovic, Team Leader at the Western Balkans Media for Change project, emphasized that the project currently works with over 100 media professionals in the region.

After the opening, journalists joined a workshop on the wellbeing of journalists led by Emma Thomasson from The Self-Investigation Foundation.

Through interaction with each other and different exercises, they were motivated to think about workplace factors that lead to burnout, which include unfair treatment at work, unmanageable workloads, unreasonable time pressure, lack of role clarity and lack of communication and support from the manager. The workshop also covered tools for building resilience in the workplace and conflict management.

On November 14, participants heard about the main findings of the Global Index on Responsible AI in Southeastern Europe (GIRAI), a multidimensional tool measuring progress towards responsible use of AI in 138 countries and jurisdictions.

Ivana Jeremic, BIRN’s Digital Rights Programme Content Lead and GIRAI Southeast Europe Research Team Leader, explained that the Balkan region is an emerging AI governance hub with varied progress levels across different countries. “Most countries in the region lack comprehensive policies for AI safety, accuracy and reliability,” Jeremic said.

Journalists also learned about using AI in newsrooms with Damjan Dano, a Tech entrepreneur. The workshop covered AI tools and solutions that journalists can implement in their media outlets, as well as an evaluation of those tools and a discussion on AI’s limitations and the role of human oversight. The participants also discussed ethical challenges and legal and copyright issues when using AI for content creation.

Finally, at the event closure, participants heard directly about achievements from the media outlets that were supported through the project and about the change and impact achieved with BIRN and Thomson assistance and mentorship, from Armela Toska from Monitor (Albania), Amna Mehmedspahic from Radio Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Maja Ravanska from Lice v lice (North Macedonia), Rina Gurgule from Telegrafi (Kosovo), Dusan Cicmil from Vijesti (Montenegro) and Aleksandar Minic from TV Forum (Serbia).

BIRN Holds Conference on Future of Transitional Justice

Speakers in Sarajevo say vital opportunity to put subject back into public discourse created by EU accession talks must not be lost.

The future of transitional justice in Europe lies in putting victims and their needs in focus but also in strengthening the cooperation between key advocates who must use the EU accession talks of countries in the region to put transitional justice back into public discourse, a conference organised by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIRN BiH on November 15 heard.

During the conference on the future of transitional justice in Europe, which BIRN BiH organised in Sarajevo ahead of the 30th anniversary of the end of the war in Bosnia, participants discussed the problems facing all transitional justice actors in Bosnia but also in Ukraine, where war is still going on.

Yaroslav Simonov, of Ukraine’s embassy in Bosnia, said they had realized that transitional justice was a process coming after the war ends – but it was very important for its institutions to be formed already. For Ukraine, the experiences of Bosnia are important, and they should learn from them that this is a way to heal war traumas and create a healthy society, he said.

He added that Ukraine has already adopted some legal acts and initiatives, but more was needed for a comprehensive system of transitional justice, especially while war is still ongoing in the country.

Alena Lunova, of the Ukrainian ZMINA human rights centre, said they had begun to think about transitional justice already after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

For them, the biggest challenge is that a quarter of Ukraine is still occupied, as well as a public discussion on whether Ukraine really needs transitional justice or not.

“Justice comes in many forms but it must not be delayed. We hope that international experiences will help us,” Lunova added.

Dialogue with victims is essential

Bosnia’s experience in this field is one of those that has inspired Ukrainians to start dealing with transitional justice in the middle of the war – although the process of working on the Transitional Justice Strategy in Bosnia is still in its infancy, said Sanela Latic, of Bosnia’s Justice Ministry.

The process of drafting the Strategy was suspended in 2010 due to a blockade from Republika Srpska, Bosnia’s Serb-majority entity. The challenges ahead include establishing a working body with representatives of non-governmental and governmental sectors, launching a range of new activities and the risk of a new blockade.

“We emphasized that there will be as many dialogues, debates and talks as possible, in order to collect inputs from all relevant entities for designing the strategy,” Latic said, adding that the funds for relaunching the process would become operational in 2026.

Transitional justice expert Adrijana Hanusic Becirovic said Bosnia has seen many successes in the field but victims still face numerous difficulties. Conducting dialogue with victims and listening to their needs is a foundation for designing transitional justice policies, she said.

“For victims, justice is getting support of society, seeing that war criminals are not glorified, that judicially established facts are not denied and that places of mass suffering are marked,” Hanusic Becirovic explained.

Ukrainian experts said it was important to encourage cooperation with civil society organisations, as they were potential advocates of solutions that the authorities need to adopt. This is especially important when considering the situation of populations in the occupied territories.

Representatives of victims’ associations also referred to the processes of transitional justice in Bosnia, stating that trust and dialogue were crucial, but that political obstacles had to be removed and that, using the experience of Bosnia, Ukraine would have to overcome obstacles if it wanted to achieve reconciliation.

They reiterated that victims must be at the centre of that process and involved in creating solutions.

‘Dehumanization’ is becoming institutionalized

Sofija Todorovic, of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, said that dehumanization, along with denial of crimes, was one of the most dangerous processes, and was being institutionalized in Serbia at present.

War criminals and topics from the past were the basis of election campaigns and in that way, Serbian society was trained in one narrative, she noted.

Speaking about global trends in transitional justice, she stated that they did not work in favour of activists, which was why it was time for societies in the region to rely more on domestic forces. “We have to stop relying on the international community and rely on each other, learn to talk, to cooperate,” Todorovic added.

BIRN BiH director Denis Dzidic expressed concern that fighters for transitional justice had become tired, and there was an urgent need not to come to a point where the process is irretrievably lost.

He also believes that the moment when countries from the region are negotiating on EU accession is ideal for additional efforts to be made in this field.

“I don’t say it will be easy, that we will make up for the 30 years lost, but this is the moment to fight with what we have, to insist on some things and to use mechanisms,” Dzidic said, urging civil society also to use the momentum.

Agnes Picod, senior advisor for human rights at the United Nations in Bosnia, said that, in the global trends of the fight for transitional justice, she saw a big problem with disinformation but also in the fact that dialogue and engagement in that topic are neglected, especially by politicians.

“At the heart of the transitional justice process lie the perspectives of victims and survivors, and I think we need to start from that. I think there are very few politicians who listen to victims,” Picod added.

However, she pointed out that there is also hope and that numerous programmes, such as the UN’s Peacebuilding Fund, support certain segments of transitional justice; the fight for a broader human rights framework can ensure the creation of a society that wants to promote truth and justice.

The discussion was concluded by Todorovic and Dzidic, who stated that the transitional justice process must take into account all new factors, such as malign foreign influences, as well as the fact that as countries from the region negotiate on EU accession, it is an opportunity for transitional justice to become part of the public discourse again – but that this time it must not happen behind closed doors.

The conference was organised as part of the project “Strategic Review of Transitional Justice Process through the Media”, which is implemented with the support of the Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

BIRN Grantee Dragana Prica Kovacevic Wins Serbian Equality Commissioner’s Annual Media Award

Dragana Prica Kovacevic, a reporter with Radio 021 and a grantee of BIRN’s Reporting Democracy, won a Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Annual Media Award, which recognises the best articles that contribute to the fight against discrimination and the promotion of equality and tolerance.

Serbia’s Commissioner for the Protection of Equality on November 15 presented the Annual Media Award in the category of online media to Dragana Prica Kovacevic for her article, “Silenced By Scarcity: How Poverty Excludes Serbian Women From Civil Society”.

Prica Kovacevic received second prize for her reporting on the “feminisation of poverty” – a growing trend of poverty she identified that disproportionately affects women, particularly single mothers, retirees and those living in rural areas.

The article was produced as a part of BIRN’s Reporting Democracy project granting scheme, aimed at supporting journalists by commissioning stories and providing grants for in-depth features and investigations.

Serbia’s Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Annual Media Award was established nine years ago and is traditionally presented to mark International Day of Tolerance, with the aim of recognising journalism that has contributed to the fight against discrimination, the promotion of equality and tolerance, and the suppression of prejudices and stereotypes towards minority, marginalised and vulnerable groups.

Call for Applications: BIRN Kosovo Training on Property Rights and Registration

BIRN Kosovo will organise seven one-day training sessions for journalists on property rights and administrative procedures for property registration as a part of the project “Public Information and Awareness Services for Vulnerable Communities in Kosovo (PIAKOS)”, financed by the World Bank/State and Peace Building Trust Fund.

The training sessions aim to develop the capacity of journalists and local media influencers, including editors and public relations officers on the new cadastre law, trade contracts of movable and immovable property, administrative procedures for property registration and how to report on these issues.

The training sessions delivered by legal experts and editors from BIRN Kosovo will take place in seven municipalities: Prishtina, Prizren, Peja, Gjakova, Gjilan, Mitrovica and Ferizaj

This activity is part of the Public Information and Awareness Services for Vulnerable Communities in Kosovo PIAKOS project, with BIRN acting as co-implementing party. The project is financed by the World Bank/State and Peace Building Trust Fund.

Deadline for applications: 30 November, 2024

Link to apply: https://shorturl.at/3JZlp

BIRN Kosovo Trains Women Prisoners on Property Rights, Financial Management, and Grant Applications

Four-day course aimed at helping women prisoners reintegrate back into Kosovo society after release.

BIRN Kosovo held a four-day training course from November 6 to 12, 2024, at the Correctional Center in Lipjan with women prisoners.

The course aimed at preparing these 13 female prisoners for reintegration into society,focused on property law, financial management, and grant applications.

Over the four days, they were introduced to key concepts related to property ownership, financial independence, and access to grants.

The training was designed to provide practical skills that would help the women rebuild their lives and their transition back into society after release.

The training was divided into two groups, with each group attending for two consecutive days.

It began with an overview of property law, led by Labinot Leposhtica, Legal Office Coordinator at BIRN Kosovo. He explained the importance of property ownership, methods of acquiring property and the legal processes involved in registering and protecting property rights. This session provided participants with a basic understanding of how property rights can affect their financial security and independence.

The next session, led by Kreshnik Gashi, Editor-in-Chief of KALLXO.com, focused on the legal and institutional frameworks that protect property rights. Gashi discussed the role of mechanisms such as the Free Legal Aid Agency in securing property rights and outlined the steps women can take if they encounter problems with property rights.

The second day focused on financial management and practical skills for self-reliance.

Albulena Sadiku, Senior Programs Manager at BIRN Kosovo, led a session on writing project proposals. She discussed how to structure proposals, define clear objectives and outline activities for successful project outcomes. Sadiku emphasized the importance of project management skills, covering essential steps for effective project implementation and monitoring.

Later, Visar Prebreza, Managing Editor of KALLXO.com, led a session on starting a business and applying for grants. He provided guidance on identifying grant opportunities, understanding eligibility requirements and overcoming the challenges of the grant application process.

The women were encouraged to actively participate by asking questions and sharing experiences. The interactive format allowed for a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical insights that they could immediately apply to their personal situations.

By equipping participants with essential skills in property law, financial management and grant writing, the program aimed to help the women regain control of their lives and achieve long-term stability.

The goal was to give the women the tools and confidence they need to live independently and successfully reintegrate into society. By the end of the course, participants said they had gained valuable knowledge and practical skills.

The training was organized as part of the PIAKOS – Public Information and Awareness Services for Vulnerable Communities in Kosovo – project with BIRN acting as co-implementing party. The project is financed by the World Bank/State and Peacebuilding fund.