Category: News and Events

‘Does Anyone Have a Plan?’ Premieres in Pristina, Kosovo

More than 200 people attended the Pristina premiere of the BIRN documentary Does Anyone Have a Plan? on February 10 in Kino ABC.

Guests included Kosovo’s Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi, representatives from the US, Swiss, Swedish and Finnish government offices in Kosovo, a range of local politicians and a large contingent from the media and civil society sectors.

The film was introduced by Tim Judah, the well-known British Balkan analyst and regular contributor to BIRN’s Balkan Insight publication, and Jeta Xharra, BIRN Kosovo director and a producer of this documentary.

Ivana Enzler, local representative of the Swiss foreign ministry, which supported this project, invited the audience to ‘open your eyes and ears and enjoy the challenge,’ as they watched the film.

The documentary, which delved into many issues still painful for Kosovar Albanians, was in fact received very well by its Pristina audience, which seemed to enjoy it thoroughly.

Agim Zatriqi, director of the national broadcaster, RTK, found the film very informative.
‘It’s like medicine. All medicines are bitter, but they are healthy,’ he said.

‘It was very interesting to see the comparison with other parts of former Yugoslavia, not just Kosovo,’ said Margaret Sejdiaj from the Swedish office.

Lea Nimani, a marketing consultant for IPKO, a local internet company, also considered the documentary very informative, and a real eye-opener.

UNMIK official Nicholas Guinard praised the documentary, welcoming ‘at last a very frank film, which hides no aspect.’ He believed if would ‘feed the debate in a very constructive manner.’

‘The movie’s timing is just perfect, coming out exactly as the talks intensify,’ said Muhamet Hajrullahu, a KTV journalist, finding it particularly useful in demonstrating ‘how diametrically opposite the opinions of Serbs and Albanians are.’

Alex Anderson, from the International Crisis Group, had seen the film before, and was therefore more interested in observing viewers’ responses to it.

‘The audience was good humored,’ he found.

The film was aired at 22:00 the same evening on RTK, Kosovo’s public service broadcaster.

BIRN Reviewed in Bulgarian Magazines

Bulgaria’s most popular lifestyle magazine, Zhenata dnes, (Woman Today),
features in its February edition the female members of BIRN.

The article,
entitled "7 Women Of Importance," presents BIRN, which happens
to be a
predominantly female team, tells of its successes in the Balkans and praises
BIRN’s latest documentary, Does Anyone Have a Plan?

BIRN’s website was also reviewed in two Bulgarian magazines – HighFlights
and the Inflight magazine of the national carrier Bulgaria Air.

The two
editions prized www.birn.eu.com as "the best site to inform yourself
on
important developments on the Balkans."

Does Anyone have a plan gets Sofia premiere

BIRN’s documentary on Kosovo’s final status Does Anyone Has a Plan? was presented on January 27 at The Red House for Culture and Debates in Sofia.

Director Lode Desmet, BIRN Editor in Chief Gordana Igric and BIRN Kosovo Director joined BIRN Bulgaria director Albena Shkodrova to present the film and discuss it with the audience.

A 25-minute excerpt of the film was then broadcast on 5 February by the largest Bulgarian TV channel bTV.

BIRN BiH Launches Guidebook to Local War Crimes Court & Court Reporter’s Association

More than 70 representatives of the Court of BiH, the media and local governmental and non-governmental organizations attended the promotion in Sarajevo’s Art Gallery, which was sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, KAS.

The guidebook was produced by BIRN BiH as part of its 2005 Justice Project during which more than 30 journalists and 200 NGOs were trained and prepared to follow the work of the local War Crimes Chamber.

So far the only text on the new court, it has been given out to media and NGOs throughout the country and the region. It will soon be accessible on-line on BIRN’s website.

At the same event, BIRN and KAS, together with local journalists announced the formation of a Court Reporter’s Association, CRA. Under the guidance of BIRN and in partnership with KAS, CRA will in 2006 keep working to improve the relationship between the media and court.

BIRN BiH also presented its activities for 2006, which include creating a specialised news agency to follow trials at the Court of BiH, a series of conferences on justice and reconciliation throughout BiH, and engagement of the country’s considerable diaspora in the justice process.

For more information on BIRN BiH’s Justice projects, please contact Nerma Jelacic.

BIRN Documentary gets own Website

To respond to the phenomenal interest shown in BIRN’s latest film, Does Anyone Have a Plan?, a new area has been added to the Network’s website.

The documentary on the regional context for Kosovo’s status talks, first screened on January 9, has provoked a lively debate at its cinema screenings.

To make the most of the opportunities it brings for open dialogue on this highly-charged issue, BIRN is publishing the full body of material it researched in making the film – an invaluable resource for media, researchers and others.

Visitors to BIRN’s site will soon find full transcripts of all interviews in several languages, a range of video clips, the film’s trailer, information on how the film was made, and reactions from viewers. A discussion forum will be added, as well as information on TV broadcasts, festival entries and buying and showing the film.

The documentary was made with a grant from the Swiss foreign ministry.

For more information on this project, contact BIRN Regional Network Director, Anna McTaggart.

BIRN Regional Network Board to Meet

The members of BIRN’s regional board are to meet in Sarajevo from February 18 to 23.

At this, its first official meeting since BIRN was fully launched last autumn as an independent organisation, the Regional Network Director Anna McTaggart will report on activities to date and issues for 2006.

The Board will also instruct the Director on the further strengthening of inter-organisational relations between the seven members of the BIRN Network.

For more information on the BIRN Network, please contact BIRN Regional Network Director Anna McTaggart.

Montenegro training course in Podgorica II

Nine Montenegrin journalists from a number of media outlets around the country took part in a primary level journalism course organised by BIRN Serbia and Montenegro at the PR Centre in Podgorica between February 24-28.

The course, the first step in the establishment of a network of BIRN journalists in Montenegro, was launched at a press conference attended by several TV and radio stations, along with Dragana Nikolic Solomon, BIRN Serbia and Montenegro director, Gordana Igric, BIRN development director, Dragana Obradovic Zarkovic, BIRN project co-ordinator, Marcus Tanner, BIRN Balkan editor and trainer, and BIRN guest Tim Judah.

The participants were: Petar Komnenic, Monitor magazine; Nedjeljko Rudovic, Vijesti; Sead Sadikovic, freelance journalist; Tufik Softic, editor of Radio Berane; Zeljko Madzgalj, editor of Polje; Samir Adrovic, bureau chief of Vijesti in Ulcinj; Izedina Adzovic, Radio Tuzi; Nikola Doncic, Monitor correspondent in Kotor; and Marijana Camovic, correspondent of Vijesti in Tuzi. Bojana Stanisic of Dan was unable to attend, but is to take part in future training programmes.

Judah opened the course with a lecture on reporting from war zones as a freelance journalist. He spoke of his own such experiences in the Balkans, Iraq and Uganda, giving practical tips on how to cover conflicts.

Nikolic-Solomon followed with a short introduction to BIRN and its editing and commissioning processes. She explained why it is essential for BIRN to adhere to international journalistic standards and why they are helpful, especially for Balkan journalists.

Igric spoke about international libel laws, which all local journalists need to be acquainted with if they hope to published in international and local editions of BIRN. She also instructed course participants on how to write news analysis, emphasising the need to ensure balance and make clear distinctions between fact and opinion.

Tanner concentrated on feature writing, focusing on article structure and commonly-made mistakes. He also provided examples of striking feature writing.

Gertraud Illermeir, Belgrade correspondent of Die Presse, gave valuable insights into the role of the foreign correspondent.

Following the theoretical part of the course, Tanner, Nikolic-Solomon and Igric took part in one-to-one training and commissioned stories from participants, which will feature in a special Montenegro package due to be published by BIRN at the end of March.

The second part of the course is scheduled to take place in Budva, following the vote on Montenegrin independence slated for May 21.

Petar Komnenic,who attended the course, said, “I liked the course because it was informative and practical. I was especially impressed by Tim Judah’s lecture. I hope that I will be able to cooperate with BIRN in the future.”