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Fellowship Winner Published First Book

Maja Hrgovic, winner of the 1st Fellowship for jounalistic exellence prize for 2009, has recently published her first book, complilation of fiction stories.

The winner is the one who least cares (stories)

The winner is the one who least cares – is one of  the rules in a world situated in the heart of a city far away from the shinny city centers, a city where unusual heroes live; those who drink away their beer mugs at pubs alongside the railroad, in quarters which are destroyed overnight and become large shopping areas.

The compilation of stories are a powerful combination of poetics, selfishness, humor and cynicism – the true measurements of interpersonal relations (love, wandering, of all our gains and losses) which never leave a sour after-taste.

Maja Hrgovic from Zagreb, Croatia, currently works for daily newspaper Novi list as a journalist in the culture section. In 2009 Maja was awarded with the first prize at the end of the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence annual programme for the article “Families Pay the Price as Women Go West” – focusing on socioeconomic migrations. As journalist she has several years’ experience of covering gender issues and she is one of the leading bloggers in Croatia. Her stories, among others, have been published in multi-author compilations such as “Ekranpriče 04” and “Da sam Šejn” as well as in many Balkan journalistic magazines at a national and regional level, and she has been recognized in the Anthology “Best Croatian stories of 2007”.

Life in Kosovo Discusses War Veterans

This Thursday, the TV show Life in Kosovo discusses war veterans of Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA.

Does the KLA enjoy respect for their contribution to the war? Do we have a clear state strategy on how we
should treat people who contributed in the war?

How does Kosovo’s handling of war veterans compare to other countries? Is the government using the KLA’s war in order to cover their mistakes and deficiencies? How does a fighter feel today? How much attention is paid to the aesthetic and cultural message from sites which are representing the most important part of our history? How does the proposal for the memorial complex of the Jashari family in Prekaz look?

To discuss the position of war veterans from the KLA and the cultural importance of the memorial facilities,
the following guests joined Jeta Xharra in the studio:

Ylber Selmani, war invalid  
Shqipe Mehmeti-Selimi, former KLA fighter  
Faik Fazliu, Prime Minister’s advisor
Përparim Rama, architect

The journalist Jeta Abazi talks about the treatment of war veterans by our society.

In the section Justice in Kosovo, the researcher Besiana Gashi shows that despite the many investments,
the Information System of Managing Cases, SIML, doesn’t function in Kosovo’s courts.

Journalist Fatos Halili looks at the national debating tour “Prishtina Open 2010” for students,held on February 27 and 28 and organised by non-governmental organisations in Kosovo.

The show ends with the satirical section Lamje.

 

 

Life in Kosovo debates the process of appointing judges and prosecutors

Life in Kosovo broadcasts a debate on the process of appointing and reappointing judges and prosecutors in the judicial system of Kosovo.

What are the reasons of dragging this process for two years? Has there been political influence in this process? Are judges and prosecutors disappointed? How much time is needed in order to have a functional judicial system? Do judges and prosecutors deserve to retake the ethics exam which they failed the first time?

To discuss these and related judicial issues, the following panellists join Edona Musa in the studio:   

Fejzullah Hasani, Head of the Supreme Court of Kosovo
Lirie Osmani, Head of the Judicial Council of Kosovo
Ismet Kabashi, Chief Prosecutor
Kapllan Baruti, Head of the Mitrovica District Court
Dastid Pallaska, Attorney

During the course of the show, BIRN will broadcast an interview with the leader of Vetëvendosje,Self-Determination movement, Albin Kurti, in his offices.

As part of the Justice in Kosovo section, the researcher Florent Spahija talks about the lack of efficiency in solving court cases.

The journalist Muhamet Hajrullahu talks about the dysfunctional Public Finance Commission, and in the section Week’s Highlight, the journalist Jeta Abazi talks about an insurance company which has fulfilled its promise and paid for the damages to an injured person.      

At the end of the show, highlights from second anniversary of Kosovo’s independence will be shown, followed by the satirical section Lamjet.

 

Life in Kosovo is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television, RTK and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. It is broadcast every Thursday, starting at 20:20.

 

2010 Programme Promotion in full swing

We are pressing ahead with Fellowship promotional campaigns while queries and applications continue to arrive from countries covered by the scope of the programme.

In order to attract quality candidates and keep up the high standards set during previous years, fellowship team has focused its efforts in notifying all the major media organizations and media outlets in the region. Information on the Fellowship has been published by media and web platforms and disseminated via mailing lists, organizations and professional forums throughout the Balkans, while the Fellowship programme 2010 web page has received around 5,000 visitors.

This year, the programme promotion has been expanded to Social Networks and Media Marketing such as Facebook & LinkedIn, important tools for keeping people informed and up to date on the latest news and happenings.

Within the framework of this year’s topic “Taboo” we are hoping to open debate and offer fresh insights on issues about which there is little serious discussion in the media in South East Europe.

As we continue to proactively promote this year’s programme, we are also ready to reach out to new applicants and potential fellows, in view of the announcement of new fellows in March 2010.

Life in Kosovo interviews US ambassador Christopher Dell

This Thursday, Life in Kosovo broadcasts an exclusive interview with the American ambassador to Kosovo, Christopher Dell, on the achievements of, and challenges to, Kosovo since its declaration of independence.

BIRN will also broadcast an exclusive interview with the head of the Kosovo Anticorruption Agency, Hasan Preteni, on fighting corruption

and the corruption cases which have not been processed since independence.

In the Justice in Kosovo section, BIRN researcher Petrit Kryeziu speaks about the judge who stepped down after being appointed to the Supreme Court of Kosovo.

In the Week’s Highlight report, Petrit Çollaku looks at the recent successes of Kosovo Police.

 

Life in Kosovo is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television, RTK and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. It is broadcast every Thursday, starting at 20:20.

First fellowship alumni meeting to be held in 2010

On the occasion of the annual meeting held on Monday, February 8th, in Vienna, future development of the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence was agreed between three partners

It was decided that as of this year, the fellowship book will not be published, but the emphasis will be on strengthening the web site, its promotion and additional features, as well as on the republishing of fellows’ articles published as a result of the programme. The quality of articles published in the 2009 publication “Identity: The Search for Belonging in a Changing Europe” was especially recognized on the regional media market, republished by some of the most prominent media, representing a trend we would like to follow in the years to come.

In addition, initial steps for the first fellowship alumni meeting were agreed. This meeting of all participants in the programme since its establishment, followed by the realization of their alumni journalistic projects, should take place in 2010 in one of countries covered by the scope of the programme.

This meeting was also the opportunity to make an overview of achievements of the Balkan Fellowship For Journalistic Excellence during the previous three years of its existence. Its continuous progress is confirmed by the external evaluation conducted by the media expert Wolfgang Wähner-Schmidt.

The evaluation showed that the number of applications has more than doubled since its establishment in 2007, and that the professional qualification of fellows has improved substantially over the years.

Feedback from many fellows suggests that the fellowship has helped them to advance their professional careers. Several fellows even said their promotion was a direct result of the fellowship programme, which is a tremendous success. Overall, the programme produced an impressive collection of well-researched and well-written stories, relevant both to the Southeast European region and EU-Europe. The 30 stories produced from 2007 to 2009 were published almost 1000 times in total, including national, regional and international print and online media.

This success of the programme has placed high expectations on the new intake of fellows, which is expected to be announced in March 2010. The call for applications is now open to all interested journalists from the Balkans.

Job Vacancy: International Programme Development Coordinator

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network is looking for a Development Coordinator to manage our relationships with our stakeholders in NGOs, governments, foundations and other grant giving bodies.

Basic Function of Position:

The Development Coordinator is responsible for the management of ongoing grants and programmes of the region-wide BIRN organisation, preparing grant proposals and reports and liaising with donors and stakeholders. They will be actively involved in seeking out new funding opportunities for BIRN’s extensive programme of donor funded activities. For more information on BIRN please visit www.birn.eu.com and www.balkaninsight.com before applying.

The ideal candidate will have:

  • High level of proficiency in English, both written and spoken.
  • Experience of project management in the NGO and not-for-profit sectors.
  • Experience of managing grants for international donors, narrative and financial reporting.
  • Experience developing programmes and concepts for international charitable donors and funding bodies.
  • Experience developing programmes and concepts for trans-national organisations such as the UN, EU, and national governments’ aid or foreign policy ministries.
  • The ability to work within a multi-cultural team.

Interested candidates should submit their c.v. in English to: [email protected] by 19:00 on February   22nd  2010.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

BIRN is an equal opportunities employer.

BIRN network publishes a `Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans`

At the beginning of 2010 BIRN network published Digging Deeper – A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans, written in cooperation with Sheila Coronel, Director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and professor of professional practice at Columbia University, New York.

The idea for this handbook came from a desire to put on paper the valuable experience of BIRN, a regional network of journalists and trainers, and other colleagues from the region in their pursuit of investigative stories.

Digging Deeper showcases interesting investigative stories and individual journalistic successes and provides an overview of investigative techniques, the various databases available in the region and tips for the practitioners. It takes readers through this demanding discipline methodically, from a definition of what investigative journalism is and what is not, through the investigative process itself and the set of techniques for following people and paper trails, interviewing and checking the legal implications of journalistic work, and putting the article together.

Gordana Igric, BIRN regional director and editor of the handbook says – “To serve the public interest, an investigative journalist must also serve their own – by building their skills and knowledge, expanding their list of sources and enriching their reporting styles and techniques.”

BIRN is preparing translations of the handbook into Serbian, and translation into Albanian will follow shortly thereafter. The book will be distributed widely throughout the region, and will serve as a key tool for BIRN’s development of an investigative journalism summer school curriculum.

Production and publishing of ‘Digging Deeper – A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans’ was financially supported by the Open Society Institute and the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

Life in Kosovo investigates insurance companies in Kosovo

This Thursday’s Life in Kosovo show includes a field research report on how insurance companies operate.

How are these companies regulated in Kosovo? Is there a law on insurance? Do companies meet their obligations towards injured parties? What do the representatives of these companies and the affected parties have to say?

The report is prepared by BIRN journalist Jeta Abazi, who looks at these

and other matters concerning the insurance business.

In the Justice in Kosovo section, BIRN researcher Argzon Muçaj reveals a

report on the safety of judges and prosecutors in Kosovo courts.

The Week’s Highlight report from BIRN journalist Edona Musa features

Armend Agolli, the only neurosurgeon in Kosovo, who left Sweden to work

in Kosovo.

The satirical section Lamjet will close the show, reflecting on the events that

marked the week.

 

Life in Kosovo is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television, RTK and the

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. It is broadcast every Thursday,

starting at 20:20.

Decentralisation of Serbia Conference

Organised by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and Centre for Regionalism, a two-day conference was held on the subject of “Decentralisation of Serbia  – situation, requirements and obstacles”. The conference was held in the Great Hall of the Novi Sad City Assembly, on February 25 and 26, 2010.

The conference was held in the Great Hall of the Novi Sad City Assembly, on February 25 and 26, 2010. The topics covered by the conference were: Regional policy of the European Union, Usage of pre-accession funds, Vojvodina’s experiences so-far in using pre-accession funds , Statistical and functional decentralisation of Serbia

Through reviewing of the current situation in Serbia and the need for its decentralisation, the conference noted resistance and obstacles emerging on that path. The discussion that ensued after introductory speeches by panellists helped a good deal in eliminating dilemmas existing in the public about the process of decentralisation itself. The gathering emphasised correlation between the process of decentralisation and possibility of using European funds, especially those intended for equal regional development and cross-border cooperation.

Opening the conference, state secretary for regional development Dejan Jovanovic emphasised the significance of Serbia’s decentralisation and explained that the basic purpose of that process is investment into poorly developed regions of Serbia. After that, opinions of other panellists ensued. Head of the political department of the British embassy Cathy Cottrell said that: “Regionalisation is groundwork of the European integration processes.”

At the opening, other speakers were Aleksandar Jovanovic – speaker of the Novi Sad City Assembly, Gordana Igric, director of BIRN, and Aleksandar Popov, director of the Centre for Regionalism, who pointed out the fact that only a fifth of Serbia’s citizens believes that decentralisation is necessary, assessing that it is the consequence of wrong perception by citizens that decentralisation leads to separatism.

About the current processes of decentralisation, which are always a hot issue in countries of the European Union, spoke Dr Franz Schausberger, president of the Board of Directors of the Institute of the Regions of Europe, Salzburg/Austria, and Antonella Valmorbida, director of the Association of Local Democracy Agencies, ALDA Italia and other speakers.

The conference gathered around 130 participants from Serbia, Austria, Italy. Participants of the conference were representatives of local self-governments: Nis, Kragujevac, Prijepolje, Bor, Medvedja, Presevo, Novi Sad, Kovin and others.

The conference’s realisation was supported by the British Embassy in the Republic of Serbia.