Call for NGO projects in Bulgaria

On 1 July, Bulgaria became the eleventh country to launch a fund for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with support from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The fund will be managed by the the Foundation for Local Government Reform in partnership with the Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation

The NGO Fund in Bulgaria is part of the implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism. The goal of the NGO Fund in Bulgaria is to strengthen civil society in the country by supporting projects under the priority areas described below. The main objective of the EEA Financial Mechanism is to support economic and social development of Bulgaria as a member of the European Economic Area in line with the national priorities and the agreements with the EU.

Under the present call, applicants can apply for funding for projects within the following priority areas:

• Protection of the environment and promotion of sustainable development;
• Provision and development of social services, such as in health and childcare;
• Development of civil society and protection of human rights.

All Bulgarian NGOs functioning on a not for profit basis are eligible applicants, and projects that involve partners from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are encouraged.

Deadline for submission is: 15th October 2008

Find further information (including link to FAQs) at: http://www.eeagrants.org/
Download the call guidelines from: http://www.eeagrants.org/downloads/Open_calls_for_proposals/Bulgaria/BG_NGO_Fund_General_Call_for_Proposals-EN_final.pdf

Source: CONCORD EU Monitoring Newletter 25 July 2008

Quality of Aid in Poland: promoting good practices and Tanzanian expertise

Representatives of Polish NGOs working in developing countries met to discuss the ways to implement good practices contributing to good governance and enhancing participation and ownership of local societies.

The meeting was co organised by the AidWatch working group of the Polish NGO platform Grupa Zagranica and the Institute of Global Responsibility.

The main topics discussed at the meeting, were good governance, participation in the public space and access to information.

The discussion was preceded by the presentation of a report of the three Tanzania think-tanks Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team (LEAT), Agenda for Environment and Responsible Development and Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) based on the research and methodology used in the framework of the The Access Initiative (TAI).

The report contains several recommendations in relation to good governance and democratic transition in Tanzania such as:

• transparent procedures to ensure accountability of the right to information
• manual about rights to information and promoting civil rights
• good documentation of the consultancy processes
• increase in the participation in consultancy process
• transparent procedures in dissemination of the information about sustainable development

The report is one of the outcomes of the project „The Access Initiative: Good Environmental Governance - a Prerequisite of Sustainable Development” that is run by the Hungarian organisation EMLA – Environmental Management and Law Association. The project is implemented in 5 new member states of the EU and presents the voice of the NGOs from the global South.

Several conclusions and proposals to improve Polish Aid were drawn during the meeting that include both recommendations towards the NGDOs and the strategy for Polish Official Development Assistance. The proposals focus on improving the consultations and ownership with local communities, procedures of needs assessment of the projects of the NGDOs and better research based on the local expertise. The representatives of the NGOs proposed to elaborate the strategies for Polish Aid in the recipients countries, especially in the priority countries as Tanzania, which could contribute to improve of the impact of aid in long-term.

The project TAI and Development is funded by the Presidency Fund.

Information provided by Kordian Kochanowicz, Institute of Global Responsibility (IGO), http://www.igo.org.pl/english.php

Estonian NGOs joining efforts in „Global school" Internet portal

This summer a new internet portal maailmakool.ee (globalschool.ee) was opened in Estonia. The portal brings together various Development Education (DE) materials in Estonian language which are targeted to schools, teachers and students. From the portal you can find background materials on different global issues as well as a variety of methodological materials: exercises, games, simulations and debates. Throung the webpage teachers can also find out information on upcoming events and trainings; take part in international campaigns or find partner schools in developing countries; as well as order films, exhibitions or voluntary speakers to their school.

„We felt that as we are working with the same issues and target group it is best that we join efforts and support each other", says Johanna Helin, coordinator of „Watch and Change" project by Jaan Tõnisson Institute, which is one of the main initiators of the joint portal. „Many times EU projects start their own portals which die out as the funding for the project stops. Making this together and with a wider scope and mandate than that of just one project, makes the portal more sustainable", she adds. Other EU-funded DE projects behind the portal are „Solidarity school" by Humana Estonia and „Estelle – sustainable consumerism" project by the Estonian Green Movement. Making of the portal has been supported by the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute.

Themes covered in the portal include North-South relations, fair trade, MDGs, women and development, sustainable and ethical consumerism, refugees and asylum seekers, migration and many other global issues. New themes and materials are added as soon as they are produced.

Find more information on the portal at http://www.maailmakool.ee/ or contact Johanna Helin, „Watch and Change" project coordinator, Jaan Tõnisson Institute, johanna@jti.ee

Information provided by Johanna Helin, Jaan Tõnisson Institute

European Parliament adopts resolution on Enlargement

The European Parliament adopted a report on 10 July on the EU’s enlargement policy, written by MEP Elmar Brok (EPP-ED, Germany). The report encourages the EU to create something between the current Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and full EU membership.

MEPs see this happening to some extent with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) to the South and the ideas for an Eastern partnership that were suggested by Poland and Sweden and have been approved by the Council. During the discussion in the plenary however, Commissioner Rehn, the enlargement commissioner, rejected this idea as it risked creating doubts among those countries that are already on the path to accession.

The report calls for a balance within the EU’s enlargement strategy, reflecting Europe’s interests, political developments around the EU and its absorption capacities. It also underlines the importance of citizens’ support for enlargement, suggesting that any future enlargement be supported by a coordinated communication policy that tells citizens about the ‘political, economic, social and cultural benefits of enlargement’.

Full text of the report: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A6-2008-0266&language=EN&mode=XML

Information provided by Rebecca Steel, TRIALOG

KARAT: Call for the submission of photographs for competition

The KARAT Coalition together with its partners has the pleasure to announce a call for the submission of photographs addressing the socio-economic situation of women from Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

The deadline for submission of photographs is October 15, 2008. The competition will lead to a series of exhibitions in various EU cities (Brussels, Warsaw, Berlin and Bratislava).

The competition is part of a large regional, development education project co-funded by the European Commission called “Through Their Eyes, Through Ours: Raising the public’s awareness about development problems faced by women from developing countries in the EU Eastern Neighbourhood, Balkans and Central Asia”. The project is implemented by KARAT Coalition in partnership with GenderMediaCaucasus Journalists' Association (Georgia), Permaculture and Peacebuilding Center Ppc Shtip (Macedonia), Slovak Centre for Communication and Development (Slovakia), Women in Development Europe - WIDE (Belgium) and WOMNET (Germany).

Find more details about the theme, the selection process and formal requirements on: http://www.karat.org/index.php?pageId=278

For more information about the competition or the project under which the exhibition is held (Through Their Eyes, Through Ours), please write to marta.gontarska@karat.org.pl

Download the latest summer issue of KARAT News from: http://www.karat.org/

Information provided by Marta Gontarska, KARAT Coalition

Tips and Tricks: "How to access European Community development co-operation funds"

The German Foundation for World Population (DSW) launched the 7th European edition of "Tips and Tricks", a manual on "How to access European Community development co-operation funds".

It is available to NGOs worldwide. The publication provides you with comprehensive information on how to draw on EC resources, available for Civil Society Organizations. Tips and Tricks "European Edition" reflects changes in the EC’s external aid and provides an overview of new programmes, selection criteria, application procedures and contact information.

Besides the European edition, you can also download the Ethiopian, Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan versions of Tips & Tricks, focusing on the respective local funding environments.

Please click here to access Tips and Tricks (free download):
http://www.weltbevoelkerung.de/en/offices/brussels/Tips_and_Tricks.php

Visit the website of the German Foundation for World Population (DSW): http://www.dsw-brussels.org/

Information provided by Mirja Leibnitz, EuroNGOs Coordinator

EC Application Training in Romania

In the end of May, Cypriot, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Romanian and Slovak NGOs received an invitation letter from the EC to present their full applications as lead agencies within the thematic programme "Non state actors and Local Authorities" and thus have been invited to participate in the second stage of the Call for Proposals 2007 (following their successful concept notes in the first stage).

In this context, the Romanian platform FOND hosted the TRIALOG training on "how to write a full project proposal" in June, with participants from Cyprus and Romania.

After studying the guidelines of the Call, the group worked during 2 days in 40°C hot Bukarest – without aircondition facilities - and elaborated the different project proposals, logframes and the budgets, which have then been submitted to the EC before the deadline of July 15.

The EC announced that the evaluation of the full applications will be completed by mid October 2008 and results will become available then. Once again, TRIALOG keeps fingers cross for all projects presented with participation of new member states NGOs.

We would be grateful if you share the result of your application with us, please email to TRIALOG Capacity Building officer Petra Kreinecker: p.kreinecker@trialog.or.at.

Information provided by Petra Kreinecker, TRIALOG

Enlargement, Pre-Accession and Neighbourhood (EPAN) Working Group

CONCORD’s working group on enlargement, pre-accession and neighbourhood issues, also known as EPAN, has launched a process that should enable the group to make a well-informed contribution to a mid-term review of the EU’s neighbourhood partnership instrument, which is due to take place next year.

Members of the working group are disseminating a questionnaire among their partners in the neighbouring countries of Egypt and Ukraine to gather views and experiences of the European Union’s Neighbourhood policy (ENP) and the accompanying partnership instrument (ENPI).

It is hoped that these experiences will allow the group to analyse the information gathered and assess where improvements could be made in the future. The information will be gathered over the next couple of months, and a preliminary analysis will be available by the time of the working group’s next meeting in October.

Copies of the questionnaire and more information about the case studies can be requested from Rebecca Steel: trialog@concordeurope.org

For more information on EPAN, please visit: http://www.trialog.or.at/start.asp?ID=107

Information provided by Rebecca Steel, TRIALOG

Which mobility between neighbours? Quelle Mobilité entre Voisins?

This conference, organised by the Greens in the European Parliament, looked at the European Neighbourhood and asked what kind of mobility was being encouraged for citizens of those countries in and out of the EU. It took place on the first day of the French Presidency, which has the neighbourhood as a central focus of its term leading Europe.

MEPs and academics discussed the politically sensitive issues of migration, security and human rights with each other and a member of the European Commission, although the Council and Presidency representatives who were invited did not attend the conference. The group tackled the issue with relation to the eastern neighbourhood first, before turning to the Mediterranean countries, which are in the spotlight because of the French push for the Union for the Mediterranean.

The free movement of people is one of the fundamental freedoms of the EU, and the EC representative reassured the group that it would continue to be important, not just for EU citizens, but for citizens of the neighbourhood as well. Security is an area of concern when discussing migration issues, but all speakers agreed that these should not be seen as trade offs and need to be improved together.

A fuller report of the event is available from Rebecca Steel: trialog@concordeurope.org
Information and contacts: http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/default/dok/239/239777.which_mobility_between_neighbours@en.htm

Information provided by Rebecca Steel, TRIALOG

Joint Committee Meeting on the EU and Development Policy

The European Parliament hosted a joint Development Committee meeting on 26 June, for members of the European Parliament and their counterparts from national parliaments. The committee focused on the EU’s development policy in general during the first part of the meeting; moving to discussions around the role parliaments can play in the Aid Effectiveness agenda in the context of policy coherence for development (PCD); and finally coming to the situation for new member states (NMS) in terms of EU development cooperation.

Speakers such as Commissioner Louis Michel and CONCORD director Olivier Consolo addressed the group, and a lively discussion was held on all topics covered by the agenda.

Concerning the new member states, MEP Danutė Budreikaitė presented the findings of her report on the topic, and underlined the lack of donor experience in these countries. She talked about their relative advantage when it comes to experience and shared history with the Western Balkans. Budreikaitė spoke about the lack of traditional links to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and highlighted the focus on good governance and human rights, rather than the general poverty reduction focus the rest of the EU seems to favour. When talking about the particular challenges NMS face, Budreikaitė mentioned the lack of centralised structures dealing with development cooperation; the NGOs that lack resources; the awareness raising that is needed among the general public and the weak coordination between different actors in the field.

MEP Filip Kaczmarek added to what Budreikaitė had said, by saying that the path the NMS are following is not always compatible with that of the rest of the EU where development cooperation is concerned. He underlined the problems linked to coordination, citing an example from Poland where Tanzania was chosen as a priority country one year, only for the Polish Embassy there to be closed the following year. One problem regarding the public, in his mind is the recognition of humanitarian aid compared to the incomprehension of development aid. Kaczmarek finished by saying that even in the NMS, development issues are hot topics, as they are linked to so many other burning issues like migration, human rights and the current food crisis.

A fuller report of the event is available from Rebecca Steel: trialog@concordeurope.org
EP press release: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/028-32509-176-06-26-903-20080623IPR32504-24-06-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm

Information provided by Rebecca Steel, TRIALOG

Aug.31 - Sept.1, 2008: Bled Strategic Forum 2008 - Climate Change and Energy

The Centre for European Perspective in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia is organising the third Bled Strategic Forum annual conference entitled "Energy and Climate Change: Si.nergy for the Future", which will be held in Bled, Slovenia from 31 August to 1 September 2008.

The Conference will address soaring oil and gas prices, public concern over our dependence on imports of energy resources and the mounting evidence of global warming. The event will bring together high-level government representatives, politicians, EU officials, private sector leaders and representatives from think tanks and the non-governmental sector to examine possible synergy between energy security and care for the environment.

Last year, more than 400 prominent guests from 52 countries and 6 international organisations attended the Bled Strategic Forum and Bled will this year once again be in the international limelight with international political, economic, academic and civil society representatives engaging in a dialogue on the challenges of today.

The Bled Strategic Forum 2008 will be opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dimitrij Rupel, who will be accompanied in the introductory leaders' panel, "Strategic Challenges of Climate Change and Energy Security", by Prime Minister Janez Janša, alongside other heads of state and government. Participation has already been confirmed by Latvian Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, and the former Austrian Federal Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel. Many other distinguished guests are expected to take part in the conference as well.

The organisers kindly invite you to attend the conference. The deadline for applications to participate at the conference and to obtain accreditations for media representatives is 20 August. Since the preparation procedure for the conference is in progress, you are invited to consult regularly http://www.bledstrategicforum.org/, which contains the updated information regarding the conference, including the programme and logistic details. For more information contact Ms Tina Ferle (e-mail: tina.ferle@cep.si).

Information provided by Tina Ferle, Centre for European Perspective

Aug.-Sept. 2008: International Peace and Development Trainings; Great Britain/Romania

The International Peace and Development Training Center (IPDCT) together with the Peace Action Training and Research Institute of Romania (PATRIR) are announcing the schedule of Training Programmes for August and September 2008:

• Systemic Peacebuilding: London, August 26th – 28th, 2008
• Transformative Mediation: London, August 29th – 30th, 2008
• Advanced Mediation and Peacebuilding: Cluj-Napoca, Romania, September 15th – 19th, 2008
• Designing Peacebuilding Programmes, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, September 22nd-26th, 2008

The deadline for applications for the first two courses is August 15, 2008, for the courses in Romania between August 4 and August 31, depending on visa needs.

For more details, please visit http://www.patrir.ro/training
For additional information please write to training@patrir.ro

Information provided by Zsuzsanna Kacso, IPDTC, zsuzsa@patrir.ro

Sept. 29-30, 2008: "Connecting the EU and Neighbouring countries", Zadar/Croatia

Following-up to the EU Neighbourhood Conference in April in Ljubljana (see April TIS) which resulted in the adoption of the Ljubljana declaration (http://www.ecas-citizens.eu/content/view/76/173/1/4/), The European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) and the National Foundation for Civil Society Development (NFCSD) from Croatia are organising a conference on"Civil Society connecting the EU and neighbouring countries: 3 collaboration spaces for civil society development beyond EU borders". It will take place in Zadar, Croatia, between 29 and 30 September 2008.

The collaboration spaces will be organised around the following themes:
1. The Ljubljana declaration and beyond
2. Agenda for common problems and solutions for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from the EU Neighbourhood
3. Enhanced donor coordination for sustainable civil society development

The deadline for registration is 18 August 2008.

Find further information, the draft programme and registration form at:
http://www.ecas-citizens.eu/content/view/76/173/1/5/

Information provided by Elena Tegovska, ECAS, and Olivier Consolo, CONCORD.

Sept. 2008 - March 2009: International Civilian Peace Keeping/Peace Building Training Program

The Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) announces training opportunities within the International Civilian Peace Keeping and Peace Building Training Program (IPT). IPT is a practically-oriented training program for experts of various professional background who work (or intend to work) as civilians in conflict regions – be it for international organizations like the UN or OSCE, or for governmental or non-governmental organizations. Participants come from all continents, as do trainers who are experts in their field with their own working experience in crisis regions.

Upcoming courses are:
Core Course: 28 September - 11 October 2008; Application Deadline: 1 August 2008
Women in Armed Conflict: 12 October - 24 October 2008; Application Deadline: 1 August 2008
Core Course: 1-14 March 2009; Application Deadline: 6 December 2008
Project Management: 15-27 March 2009; Application Deadline: 6 December 2008

Scholarships are available for applicants from non-OECD states.
For more information please visit: http://www.aspr.ac.at/ipt.htm
For further details please contact Silvia Polster, ASPR, ipt@aspr.ac.at

Information provided by Michael Lidauer, Austrian Study Centre for Peace & Conflict Resolution