Project Objective:
Within the framework of this program, Syri i Vizionit worked in two main thematic areas: Child Protection and Child Rights Governance (CRG).
In the area of Child Protection, the project aimed to influence the creation of a legal and institutional framework that protects children and prohibits violence and corporal punishment in all environments. It also sought to strengthen the professional capacities of institutions mandated to protect children, ensuring they provide timely and professional services.
In the area of Child Rights Governance, the program worked with children from the Respect Our Rights (RoR) monitoring group and the Children’s Assemblies (CA), empowering their roles in policy-making and participation in decision-making processes at both local and national levels.
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Beneficiaries:
The beneficiaries are all children in Kosovo, regardless of their ethnic, religious, racial, gender, or disability background. Other beneficiaries include institutions at the local and national levels mandated for child protection and child rights governance, Children’s Assemblies, schools, parents, teachers, and civil society organizations (CSOs) working with children.
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Project Implementation:
Syri i Vizionit worked in two main fields — Child Protection and Child Rights Governance.
Under Child Protection, the organization operated in five municipalities (in 10 schools across Peja, Gjakova, Prizren, Klina, and Gjilan) to contribute to developing the legal infrastructure that protects children and prohibits violence. The project worked closely with local and national institutions to promote the Law on Child Protection and support them in developing Administrative Instructions, particularly the one that prohibits corporal punishment against children.
Syri i Vizionit also organized trainings on positive discipline in everyday parenting, providing parents with alternative, non-violent approaches to child-rearing. The program further strengthened the capacities of child protection mechanisms and institutions to ensure professional service delivery, and it fostered social dialogue among schools, Centers for Social Work (CSWs), and child/family protection services.
In the field of Child Rights Governance, the project worked with child-led groups such as the national monitoring group Respect Our Rights (RoR) and Municipal Children’s Assemblies (CA), as well as with child rights coordinators in seven municipalities — Peja, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Klina, Prishtina, and Mitrovica.
The project also promoted institutional transparency through direct meetings and workshops involving children and local authorities.
During the reporting period, Syri i Vizionit focused on addressing findings from the Young Voices Report through the work of the RoR group and Children’s Assemblies.
Special attention was given to environmental education and climate change, raising children’s awareness on these issues and engaging them in advocacy campaigns directed toward institutions, emphasizing the need for practical policies for environmental protection and climate action.
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Objectives and Results:
•Local institutions function effectively in identifying cases of violence; teachers and parents have enhanced capacities in positive discipline to improve child protection inside and outside schools.
•Child-friendly reporting mechanisms for violence in schools are recognized and used as reliable and functional tools for child protection.
•Around 400 parents trained in Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP) approaches.
•Social Work Centers (CSWs) staff strengthened their capacities to identify and manage cases of violence, offering better-quality services for children.
•Initiated social dialogue among schools, parents, CSWs, and the Police for identifying children with antisocial behavior and supporting their reintegration into schools and families, while developing school council work plans.
•Campaigns and advocacy conducted to strengthen local and national formal and informal systems for child protection, as defined by the Law on Child Protection.
•Children and communities are aware and sensitized about the importance of prevention and timely response to violence cases, in line with institutional mandates.
•Enhanced advocacy and lobbying capacities of child-led groups to increase institutional accountability.
•Child-led monitoring groups strengthened to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes.
•Child-led monitoring structures empowered to address child rights issues through advocacy with the Ombudsperson Institution (IOK).
•Municipal Children’s Assemblies (CAs) recognized and included in their respective municipal work related to child rights.
•Children actively participate in decision-making processes, demanding effective monitoring and accountability from mandated institutions.
•The RoR group influences decision-makers to enhance children’s participation.
•Child-led groups raise public awareness on child rights through campaigns and initiatives.

Activities:
•Five (5) study visits between schools to exchange experiences and learn about functional child protection mechanisms developed during the project.
•Implementation of school steering council work plans for preventing and referring cases of violence and initiating social dialogue.
•Drafting a municipal regulation on the administration of complaint boxes in another municipality.
•Developing an informational brochure on complaint boxes and a municipal handbook for managing these boxes in primary and secondary schools.
•Presentation of a baseline analysis report on existing violence reporting mechanisms.
•Professional support for the Commission responsible for opening complaint boxes.
•Accreditation of a teacher training module on prevention and identification of various forms of violence.
•Conducting teacher trainings on violence prevention and identification.
•Implementation of recommendations from the 2020 Baseline Study on violence reporting mechanisms in schools.
•Establishing model child-friendly classrooms through the Cluster Approach.
•Expanding the Code of Conduct across all participating schools.
•Parent trainings on positive discipline.
•Trainings for CSW staff members.
•Monitoring the implementation of the three-year plan (developed in 2017) for child and family protection from abuse.
•Information sessions for teachers and parents on sexual education and reproductive health.
•Supporting action plans to initiate social dialogue between schools and CSWs.
•Awareness campaign on the Law on Child Protection, focusing on the prohibition of corporal punishment.
•Monitoring implementation of the Law on Child Protection and supporting the drafting of administrative instructions.
•Participation in regional and international meetings and seminars.
•Identification of new RoR members.
•Two-day workshop to strengthen RoR’s internal functionality.
•Regular RoR meetings to coordinate advocacy actions and ad hoc initiatives.
•Reflection meeting on the progress of actions developed during the RoR seminar.
•Syri i Vizionit supported the finalization and implementation of the joint annual activity plan between RoR and the Ombudsperson Institution.
•Support for Children’s Assembly (CA) work plans and monitoring the implementation of municipal regulations for CAs.
•Stakeholder meetings at local and national levels for developing and initiating a guide for Children’s Assemblies.
•Regular meetings with CAs.
•Representation of the RoR group in various institutional initiatives.
•Support for implementation of the RoR annual work plan.
•Direct participation of children in municipal budget hearings, with media coverage at local and national levels.
•Engagement of RoR volunteers as mentors for Children’s Assemblies’ activities.
•Monitoring of the National Strategy for Children’s Rights and organizing a seminar on the strategy.
•Organization and support of meetings and initiatives between RoR and youth groups.
•Raising public awareness on the importance of environmental protection and climate change.
•Commemoration of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child Day and International Children’s Day — child-led groups organized activities marking these two important dates directly related to child rights.
•Support for online campaigns led by child-led groups through their official online platforms.

Duration: 42 months (May 2019 – October 2022)
Location: Peja
Implementing Organizations: Syri i Vizionit and Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (KFOS)
Budget: €112,912.00
Donor: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Karl Kübel Stiftung für Kind und Familie (KKS)

Project Goal:
The aim of the project is to contribute to the reduction of poverty and the empowerment of human rights of the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities in Kosovo, with a particular focus on returnees. This will be achieved by improving access to education, the labor market, healthcare, and social services as an important step toward their social participation and economic integration. The project is a continuation of previous initiatives implemented in the municipalities of Rahovec, Istog, and Gjakova, which have shown significant results in improving the position of these communities in society.

Beneficiaries:
The beneficiaries of this project are families from the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities — including children, youth, the elderly, and returnees — who, in cooperation with local institutions and the organization Syri i Vizionit, will enhance their participation in education, healthcare, socio-economic services, and the labor market.
Project Implementation:
In Peja Municipality, the project will be implemented in the “7 Shtatori” neighborhood — one of the most populated areas by these communities — as well as in the village of Vitomirica, in the schools “Xhemajl Kada” and “7 Shtatori,” where supplementary classes will be held. Direct work will be carried out with community families, focusing on their current situation, future prospects, rights in society, social integration, children’s right to education, their right to healthcare, socio-economic rights, integration into the labor market, and the provision of psycho-social counseling for families in need.
Special attention will be given to families expected to return from European Union member states.

Expected Results:
•	Through the support of the employment consultant within the project, job seekers from the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities in the implementation areas will improve their employability by gaining specific labor market skills through soft-skills training, employment counseling, business planning, and self-employment opportunities. Regular contact with the Regional Employment Office and the Vocational Training Center will ensure that communities receive updated information about available opportunities.
•	Provision of psycho-social support for patients and families from the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities in the project areas, through a psychologist who will organize and coordinate psychological service activities in accordance with professional service delivery standards.
•	Delivery of supplementary education in two learning centers within the schools “Xhemajl Kada” and “7 Shtatori,” targeting students from the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities, without excluding the majority community. Each center will engage two tutors or assistant teachers, who will assist with homework and conduct intercultural, awareness-raising, and educational activities.
•	Organization of advocacy activities/campaigns in neighborhoods inhabited by Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities, addressing issues such as road infrastructure, access to drinking water, regular health check-ups, social services, and obtaining personal documents.
•	Provision of counseling and support for returned families to help them regulate their personal documentation.

Project Title: Alliance for Active Citizenship and Accountable Municipalities

Duration: 12 months (January – December 2020)
Location: Peja, Klinë, Istog, Junik, Deçan, Gjakova, Rahovec, Prizren, Prishtina, Suhareka, Lipjan, Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Obiliq, Fushë Kosovë, Graçanica, Kllokot, Ranillug
Implementing Organizations: Syri i Vizionit, “Ec Ma Ndryshe”, CSD, and Democracy Plus
Budget: €143,016.39
Donor: Olof Palme International - SIDA

Project Goal: The aim of the project network is to encourage and engage citizens to participate in decision-making processes. Civic engagement is expected to contribute to improving citizens’ quality of life, enhancing institutional transparency toward citizens, and increasing the participation of formal and informal groups, women, and other marginalized groups in politics, decision-making, the economy, urban planning, and other areas essential for improving community life.
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Beneficiaries:
The main target groups of the project include local councils, residents of neighborhoods across the nineteen (19) municipalities covered by the project, women’s groups, civil society organizations, informal groups, municipalities, and citizens interested in becoming active for the benefit of their communities.
Local and central institutions — including municipal administrations and the Ministry of Local Government Administration — are also key stakeholders.

Project Implementation: Throughout 2020, the partner organizations, in addition to their individual activities, planned joint initiatives to foster civic engagement and increase citizen participation in decision-making. These joint activities allow beneficiary groups from partner organizations to exchange experiences and methods for strengthening citizen involvement.
The experience of Syri i Vizionit in establishing formal local councils, EC’s expertise in urban planning, CSD’s facilitation of dialogue between civil society and local government, and Democracy Plus’s development of digital reporting and accountability tools form the foundation of this strategic alliance for greater civic participation and more accountable municipalities.
Strengthening the capacities of civil society organizations, individuals, and informal groups will help ensure sustainability in changing entrenched institutional practices. The network believes that true democratic development can only occur if change begins at the local level and expands to the national level.
The organizations will work together to support and advocate for the drafting of a unified regulation on the organization and structuring of local councils, which will be offered to the municipalities in which they operate. These joint activities will form the foundation for project development in the following years and serve to further strengthen the strategic alliance among partner organizations.

Achievements:
Joint Achievements:
•	Advocacy and support for drafting the Regulation on the Organization and Structuring of Local Councils, and exchange of experiences between municipalities and project partners.
•	Workshop with 19 municipal representatives to present the unified regulation on organizing and structuring local councils, following its drafting by the Ministry of Local Government Administration and a civil society working group.
•	Experience exchange visit with the Municipality of Peja on the topic “Challenges in Establishing and Operationalizing Local Councils.” Representatives from all 19 project municipalities participated, learning from Peja’s and other municipalities’ experiences in establishing and strengthening local councils.
•	Joint Conference: At the end of the year, the partner organizations hosted a joint conference with representatives from the 19 municipalities, ministries, donors, project beneficiaries, and civil society. The conference focused on discussing opportunities and challenges related to the new regulation and ways to “Incorporate Local Priorities into Decision-Making.”
•	Increased number of citizen complaints submitted through the platform ndreqe.com, alongside its promotion.
•	Participation of partner organizations — Syri i Vizionit, EC Ma Ndryshe, and CSD — in mediation workshops for Citizen Forums, where they shared experiences and best practices.

Activities:
•	Advocacy campaign/meetings for the establishment of a Citizen Assistance Office in the Municipality of Klinë.
•	Training local councils on monitoring public contracts.
•	Drafting and adapting a unified regulation across municipalities for organizing and structuring local councils.
•	Website: www.aktivizohu.org – an information, advocacy, and experience-sharing platform for citizen initiatives across Kosovo.
•	Creation of a functional mechanism for working with Community Forum representatives in Graçanica, Kllokot, Ranillug, Partesh, and Novo Brdo municipalities.
•	Capacity-building program for Community Forums and strengthening communication mechanisms between Community Forums – CSOs – Municipalities.
•	Workshops for developing Community Action Plans.
•	Establishment of Citizen Forums in five new communities and transitional meetings for previous forums.
•	Maintenance and expansion of the Online Forum Portal.
•	Five public discussions with municipal officials.
•	Monitoring municipal accountability and performance evaluation.
•	Three seminars with local mediators and regional coordinators for community mobilization.
•	Five civic education trainings for targeted communities.
•	Local actions/public performances.
•	Establishment of political dialogue with new municipalities.
•	Internship/Youth Activation Program in neighborhoods and schools.
•	Research on national planning legislation.
•	Public discussion events on national planning legislation.
•	Maintenance of the online platform and publication of information on civic engagement.
•	Media campaign for neighborhood activation.
•	Final Conference.

Title of the project: Transparent and Accountable Municipalities.
Project duration: September 1 – December 25, 2020
Project implementation locations: Pejë, Istog, Klinë, Gjakovë, Deçan.
Implementing organization(s): Syri i Vizionit
Budget: 14,895 euros
Donor: Resilience Fund / Global Initiative

Project goal: The project aims to build the capacities of representatives of civil society organizations and media to be able to identify and report corruption and organized crime in public procurement.
The organization will ensure that trainers are the best in the field and that the training is interactive so that participants remain active throughout the training. After completing the five-day training, participants will have the opportunity to practically monitor municipal contracts. During the five-day training, the trainer will engage participants from their municipalities to select a contract to monitor. The contract type will be chosen together with the trainer.

Beneficiaries:
To achieve this, 20 members of civil society and local media from the Pejë and Gjakovë regions will be invited to the training. Participants will be trained in public procurement, money laundering, and organized crime: municipal budgeting process, procurement planning, monitoring the procurement process, contract management, money laundering, and the involvement of politicians in illegal businesses.

Project implementation: After the training, the organization will appoint mentors who will mentor the participants to monitor contracts, which will be monitored from the start of the tender, the call, application, and contract award. Participants will be divided into groups, and each group member will have specific tasks to complete. After a set time by the mentor, participants will gather and discuss their findings. These findings will be compiled into a report shared with municipal representatives and the media.
During this period, participants will gain knowledge regarding public procurement and reporting mechanisms. They will have the chance to learn by practically monitoring the contract awarded by municipal institutions.
Economic crime, especially corruption by public officials, has affected and continues to affect increased investment from the private sector, country development, and citizens’ welfare. A study conducted by UNODC on private businesses shows that businesses pay bribes continuously throughout the year. Payments are mostly in cash, but also in food and drinks to public officials to gain favors. Organized crime in Kosovo, according to studies, involves fuel trafficking, tobacco, money laundering, human trafficking, drugs, etc. Legal businesses usually find it very difficult to compete with money laundering businesses in the same sector, and this affects development and investment growth.
The project will impact the increase in the number of watchdogs from civil society and media at local level to identify and report possible corruption cases and any possible connections of municipal officials with organized crimes, reducing organized crime, lowering citizens’ perception of corruption levels from officials, and increasing trust in institutions. This will also increase trust among businesses, resulting in new investments and increased competition in quality and price during public tender competitions. This will also impact investment growth and citizens’ welfare.

Activities and Results: Activities will be conducted in three phases. The first phase is preparation, including administrative work, informing, and meetings with CSO representatives and media in the municipalities of Pejë, Istog, Klinë, Deçan, Junik, Rahovec, and Gjakovë to inform them about opportunities to be part of the project. The second phase is organizing the trainings, and the third phase is mentoring and reporting.
•	More than 25 meetings have been held with CSO representatives and media in the Pejë and Gjakovë regions.
Meetings: During the first month of project implementation, the organization will meet with local media representatives (radio, TV, news portals) and non-governmental organizations in these municipalities – Pejë, Klinë, Deçan, Junik, Istog, Rahovec, and Gjakovë. The purpose of the meetings will be to inform them about the project and provide the opportunity to delegate a staff member to be part of the project. The project staff will be obligated to organize the training. They will contact participants, keep regular contact to inform about training details, identify the training venue, accommodation, and transportation for participants, prepare and send invitations and agenda to participants. They will also prepare contracts and offers with companies, identify trainers, and sign contracts with them.
External experts/trainers will be obligated to prepare the agenda, training materials, deliver the training, and prepare the training report.
Also, during the first month of project implementation, preparatory and administrative project tasks will be carried out.
•	20 representatives from media and CSOs have been trained and gained knowledge about monitoring public procurement to identify potential corruption in public tenders.
Trainer selection: During the first month of project implementation, a trainer will be selected to conduct training on public procurement monitoring. At least three offers will be requested from different trainers, and the trainer with the best offer will be selected.
There will be 20 training participants, with possibly two trainers and two members of the organizing staff. The organization’s staff will be responsible for ensuring the training runs smoothly. The budget will cover 24 persons, including costs for the trainer and organizing staff who will be part of the training.
Training organization: Syri i Vizionit will hold five (5) one-day trainings with CSOs and media, where 20 representatives of non-governmental organizations and media will be trained on procurement: municipal budgeting process, procurement planning, process monitoring, contract management, money laundering, and involvement of politicians in illegal businesses. Syri i Vizionit will organize the training outside of their usual working space. A hotel will be chosen to provide accommodation and training space. It will need to meet conditions for prevention of COVID-19 spread. The organization will also pay attention and comply with all Ministry recommendations regarding participant safety and COVID-19 prevention.

Title of the project: SEED Step III Kosovo – Support of Educational and Employment Development
Duration: 36 months (January - December 2022)
Location: Kosovo, Serbia
Implementing organization(s): Syri i Vizionit (for the project in Kosovo) in partnership with Volkshilfe Solidarität
Donor: ADA – Austrian Development Cooperation
Budget: 303,000 euros

Project goal: To contribute to the strategic development of the labor market, a contribution to poverty reduction and gender equality in these countries, encouraging sustainable partnerships for the creation of an active labor market framework at the local level and access to formal employment, supporting youth and women for employment, facilitating interaction between the public and private sectors, promoting employment or self-employment under fair working conditions, and raising awareness for gender equality.

Beneficiaries: This program benefits students, especially females, in economic high schools – tourism direction in the Dukagjin region, but the project includes all actors in tourism in this region. The community in the municipalities of Pejë, Prizren, and Gjakovë also benefits through improvement in employment in tourism, enterprises, and businesses.
Project implementation: The three-year program in Kosovo is implemented by Syri i Vizionit and focuses on promoting sustainable partnerships that drive the creation of an active labor market framework at the local level and access to formal employment. Special attention is given to youth and women through: employment support, facilitation between the public and private sectors, strengthening partner organizations, expertise and knowledge transfer, promoting employment or self-employment under fair working conditions, and raising awareness for gender equality.

Expected results:
•	Empowerment of local employment councils in the municipalities of Pejë, Gjakovë, and Prizren, focusing on implementing the “Regional Strategies for Developing Employable Human Resources 2020 - 2025” and the Action Plans for implementation of the strategies, supporting initiatives proposed by the councils.
•	Development of a plan to connect profiles (Agribusiness, Hospitality Tourism, and Food Technology) for the economic high school “Ali Hadri” in Pejë, where these three profiles will cooperate and coordinate activities so the school begins producing products enabling students to complete internships within the school.
•	Development and accreditation of two new and innovative curricula in hospitality and tourism management, aligned with business needs and trends in the professions of hospitality and tourism.
•	Creation of career centers within the “Ali Hadri” school in Pejë, “Kadri Kusari” in Gjakovë, and “Ymer Prizreni” in Prizren, engaging a person in these centers to contribute to improving cooperation between the school and businesses, completing students’ professional internships in businesses, promoting the school to new generations, parents, and businesses, and creating tracking mechanisms for students after completing vocational school.
•	Creation of three kitchen cabinets in the schools “Ali Hadri” Pejë, “Kadri Kusari” Gjakovë, and “Ymer Prizreni” Prizren, where students will carry out professional internships for kitchen and hotel services within the school.
•	Support for schools in organizing fairs in vocational economic schools in Pejë, Gjakovë, and Prizren for participation of ninth-grade students, who will be informed about the profiles offered by the economic schools and the businesses where they may be employed after finishing high school.
•	Undertaking awareness campaigns through social networks to raise community awareness, especially among females, about the opportunities offered by vocational economic schools in hospitality and tourism profiles.
•	Support for schools “Ali Hadri” Pejë, “Kadri Kusari” Gjakovë, and “Ymer Prizreni” Prizren to contribute and participate in meetings of the European network of hospitality and tourism schools and connecting these schools with schools from Europe.
•	Supporting municipalities in cooperation and exchange of experiences among municipalities at the national and regional level.
•	Opening calls for grants to support initiatives emerging from the local employment councils in Pejë, Gjakovë, and Prizren.

Title of the Project: Improving Access to Justice at the Municipal Level
Duration: 6 months (November 2020 - May 2021)
Locations: Pejë, Prishtinë, Prizren, Gjilan, Gjakovë, and Mitrovicë
Implementing Organization(s): Syri i Vizionit
Donor: Youth Initiative for Human Rights - Kosovo (YIHR KS)
Budget: 7,000.00 US dollars

Project Goal: Improve access to justice at the local level by activating and including youth and grassroots organizations as promoters of the rule of law and democracy. The project aims to create cooperation between YIHR and five (5) grassroots organizations to expand the project's impact in various regions and strengthen the role of local grassroots NGOs.
Beneficiaries: This program benefits primary and secondary school students, specifically those studying law, especially those in vocational schools and students aiming to study law in the future, as well as civil society organizations working with youth and municipal basic courts.

Project Implementation: The six-month program will be implemented in six municipalities of Kosovo - Prishtinë, Pejë, Prizren, Gjakovë, Gjilan, and Ferizaj. In the Pejë region, it is implemented by the organization “Syri i Vizionit”.
Expected Results:
•	Strengthening the professional capacities of future young lawyers through the Constitutional and Administrative Clinic at the University of Prishtinë and internship programs within municipal administrations.
•	Improving the legal knowledge of youth to prepare them to apply their profession in practice.
•	Increasing the efficiency, transparency, accountability, and professionalism of legal services within municipal administrations through professional support.
•	Strengthening the capacities of grassroots organizations in promoting and demanding the rule of law and democracy at the local level.

Activities:
•	Street Action: Partner organizations will organize one (1) street action within their municipalities to mark December 9 - International Anti-Corruption Day. The action will take place in the main city square and deliver a strong message from youth to all citizens. The activity aims to increase critical thinking among citizens, raise awareness of the harms caused by corruption in our society, and inform them about existing mechanisms for reporting corruption.
•	Youth Talk: A discussion with youth will be organized to talk about youth engagement in the justice system and local decision-making processes, and to initiate debate between youth and local administration actors. The partner organization will invite a guest speaker from the local public administration and engage a moderator to lead the discussion and write an editorial to be posted on the YIHR KS website and implementing organizations’ websites.
•	Essay Competition: A competition will be organized in the target region to encourage critical thinking among youth, stimulate creativity, and express their views on justice issues. The main essay topic will be set closely with YIHR KS and partner organizations. Youth aged 16-25 will have the opportunity to compete for three prizes, with other contestants receiving participation certificates.
•	Assembly Session Simulations: The organization will hold three simulations of assembly sessions in three smaller municipalities within the region. In total, 3 simulations with 25 participants each will be organized. Prior to the simulation, a one-day training will be held where participants learn about the assembly, procedural rules, decision-making, and other important aspects of the decision-making process. A professional trainer will be engaged to train students on these topics, and the assembly chairperson will be invited to share her experience. During the training, students will be given a case to discuss and decide on in the main session. On the second day, the assembly simulation will take place in the assembly hall and will be monitored by the assembly chairperson.