Projects of 2012
In 2012 Syri i Vizioni has continued its projects and commitments by expanding the network of partners and donors, the number of beneficiaries from the projects being implemented, but also playing the role as an important actor of civic life in the region and beyond. During the year, a part of the projects started from the previous years were completed and new projects were started that are ongoing while also maintaining the partnerships developed over the years. Ten people were engaged in various projects during the year, while there were 15 long-term projects, not counting short activities and campaigns. The community in various localities in Kosovo has benefited from these projects, with a concentration in the western region of Kosovo, but also in other regions. Projects have been developed with community groups in different areas, including rural areas, groups that were previously ignored or unsupported, but also in organized groups, but that did not previously have the support that our organization has now offered them.
From the projects carried out this year, several major projects previously started from previous years have been continued. This includes the organization’s very important partnerships with Solidar Suisse (formerly SLA) from Switzerland and the Olaf Palme International Center from Sweden. With Swiss partners, continuity has been maintained with two projects that include the project of supporting social dialogue in the health sector and support for the strengthening of vocational secondary education in the Municipality of Peja. Meanwhile, with the Swedish partners, the phase of drafting action strategies for minority communities in the municipalities has been completed and a new phase of the project has begun that supports active citizenship and the strengthening of the civic engagement mechanism.
Started in 2011, during this year the Care international project with young peace leaders, the monitoring of the implementation of the Law on nature with NDI, the urban mobility project – Mobkos and the education of young voters within the coalition were continued. Democracy in action”. The two mini-projects within the “Dukagjini and Rugova valley access action program” project, which the Municipality of Peja has from the European Commission in the Rugova Gorge, have also been completed: the project on community work in the area of the path for walking to the Canal and for putting bus traffic for the needs of tourism in Rugovo. Precisely in order to maintain the continuity of this project, SiV has supported the staff of this project in the creation as a non-governmental organization and the opening of the Visitor Center, while it has been part of community activities in relation to the Law on Bjeshke and Nemuna.
With the support of the international organization Save the Children, two projects have been implemented in the field of children’s rights, for protection from violence, trafficking, etc. With Culture for all, three street festivals with the culture of the communities were held, in the centers of the cities of Prizren, Gjakovë and Pejë, while with Saferworld an awareness campaign about the danger from weapons. With the YIHR program is the promotion of dialogue on human rights and democracy, topics that have been addressed in a new cooperation project supported by the British Embassy in Belgrade.
A part of the activity that has been done during the year has been focused on supporting initiatives of citizens, informal groups and those in the process of establishment, which has been developed through the Office for open support and counseling within the organization. The young volunteers of the organization are involved in the research of residential facilities for the needs of digitization of addresses and naming of streets.
In terms of the internal development of the organization’s capacities during the year, it was completed in the professionalization of the framework with the participation in trainings and skills in which the organization’s staff and volunteer activists were engaged.
Dialogue in Health - KOSANA
Project Title: Dialogue in Health - KOSANA
Duration: 12 months (January 2012 – December 2012)
Country: Kosovo
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision in partnership with Solidar Suisse
Budget: €14,400
Donor: Solidar Suisse
The purpose of the project: This project aims to improve the health and social security of the population of Kosovo through the support of the health insurance scheme that includes all citizens and the promotion of fair health care working conditions.
Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries of this program are individuals, doctors and civil society organizations that aim to support the improvement of working conditions for health workers and the quality of health care services.
Project realization: During 2012, Solidar Suisse started the dialogue program in health, in which the Eye of Vision in partnership with Solidar Suisse had the responsibility within this program of organizing the competition of projects open to individuals and civil society organizations, monitoring of the realization of projects by the beneficiaries of calls as well as the organization of conferences. During this period, SiV has accepted applications from individuals and organizations that have applied in the open call for projects, and has also contacted the five-member jury that has evolved the initiatives of individuals and organizations. The jury has evaluated 4 initiatives to be supported by individuals as well as a project of civil society organizations. The initiatives have been supported by the program, also SiV had the responsibility of monitoring the implementation of the initiatives. SiV has organized informative meetings with all individuals and organizations that have applied, as well as organizing the meeting to announce the results by the jury.
Activities and Results:
• Opening the call for applications from individuals and organizations
• Acceptance of 12 applications from individuals and organizations
• Selection of the jury for evaluating the initiatives of individuals as well as five members for evaluating the projects of organizations
• Support of 6 initiatives of individuals and two projects of civil society organizations
• Organization of two informative meetings with the applicants as well as the announcement of the results
Social dialogue in the dairy sector
Project title: Social dialogue in the dairy sector
Duration: 12 months (January 2012 – December 2012)
Country: Kosovo
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision in partnership with Solidar Suisse
Budget: €6,970
Donor: Solidar Suisse
Project purpose: This project aims to empower producers and processors in the milk sector: their officials during milk sampling, project administration, transparency and neutrality during milk sampling by the Association of Milk Producers and Processors .
Beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries are associations of milk processors and producers, administration and project officers who are directly involved in the realization of the project, farmers and consumers of dairy products.
Realization of the project: In this project, the Association of Milk Producers and Processors, SiV during 2012 had the responsibility of providing assistance to the project workers in processing the database of farmers, providing statistics as well as monitoring the project officers in the field while receiving samples. Throughout this period of one year, SiV has gone to the field with the project officers to see the problems they face during the collection of samples and at the same time has received the opinions of farmers about the challenges they face, their opinion about obtaining samples and results for milk samples.
Activities and Results:
• Regulating the list of farmers and processing the database
• Monitoring of project officers
• Realization of 100 questionnaires with farmers from all over the territory of Kosovo
• Reporting of research results
Youth and Work in the Western Balkans
Project Title: Youth and Work in the Western Balkans
Duration: 12 months (January 2012 – December 2012)
Country: Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision in partnership with Solidar Suisse
Budget: €61,567
Donor: Solidar Suisse
The purpose of the project: This project aims to strengthen the union youth sections and youth organizations as a preparation and contribution to the social dialogue. Also the awareness of citizens, politics and economic decision-makers about social dialogue, workers' rights and unemployment among young people.
Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries are the members of the six youth organizations, who are particularly committed to youth and employment issues (unemployment, rights at work, etc.). The last beneficiaries will be the employees (young people), who benefit from the activities and campaigns and from the strengthened trade unions, as well as from the awareness of the opinion and political decision-making forces on the topics of social dialogue.
Project realization: 2012 is the fourth year since the opening of the international call for projects organized by Solidar Suisse and SiV, and the fourth year that it supports youth organizations that have won the international call for projects. Even during this year, six projects were supported, all projects within the organization had to do with youth and the possibility of providing or improving any service offered to youth. The responsibility of SiV during the year 2012 was the financial monitoring, administration and organization of the regional conference in which the organizations presented the achievements of the projects that they carried out during the previous year.
Activities and Results:
• Acceptance of six projects from youth organizations
• Writing and concluding contracts with six organizations, two from Kosovo, BiH and Serbia
• Acceptance of narrative and financial reports from all six organizations
• Organization of the regional conference
Make the changes that the youth want to see
Project Title: Make the changes that the youth want to see
Duration: 5 months (November 2012 – March 2013)
Place: Peja - Bor
Implementing organization(s): Syri i Vizioni in partnership with "CDA Bor", Bor
Budget: €9,111.76
Donor: British Embassy in Belgrade
The purpose of the project: This project aims to create conditions for cooperation, recognition and reconciliation between young people from Kosovo and Serbia, improving cooperation between civil society organizations in these two countries.
Beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries are 6 volunteers from Kosovo and Serbia who participated in the program for the exchange of volunteers between Kosovo and Serbia, youth and society in a broad sense.
Realization of the project: During the initial phase of the project, the partner organizations SiV and CDA Bor have opened a call to apply for the volunteer exchange program. In this call, six volunteers were selected, three from Kosovo and three from Serbia. The three volunteers from Serbia spent two months in the offices of the SiV organization, while the three volunteers from Kosovo stayed two months at CDA Bor. During their stay, they participated in the activities of the organizations, but at the same time they were informed about the situation of young people in the cities of Bor and Peja. In addition, during this time, the volunteers had the task of jointly planning joint activities that would take place in the two cities, for which they have chosen to create a photo exhibition in the city of Bor and in the city of Peja.
Activities and Results:
• Selection of three volunteers from Kosovo to participate in the volunteer exchange program in the city of Borit
• Accommodation of three volunteers from Serbia in the city of Peja
• Carrying out visits to the cities of Kosovo to acquaint the volunteers with the state of life of young people in Kosovo, carrying out visits to cultural and touristic places
• Carrying out research with young people in the cities of Peja and Gorazhdevci
• Distribution of project promotional materials to young people (t-shirts, flyers, etc.) to promote the volunteer exchange program
• Realization of the photo exhibition at the "Peja" Youth Center
Educating young voters
Project Title: Education of young voters
Duration: 2 months (1 October – 30 November 2012)
Place: Pejë, Klinë, Istog, Deçan, Junik and Gjakovë
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision
Budget: €6,000 (through Democracy in Action)
Donor: IFES, USAID
The purpose of the project: The general purpose of the project is to educate young voters, sensitize them regarding their participation in the first elections to be held in Kosovo.
Beneficiaries: The project benefited young people aged 18-19 in over 200 graduating classes in high schools of six municipalities in the region of Peja who received the right information on the right to vote that they acquired as soon as they turned 18.
Implementation of the project: The project was implemented in all secondary schools of the eight municipalities of the region of Peja. Ten trainers have been engaged who, according to the planned program, in each class of high school graduates, have held a one-hour lecture on the importance of elections, participation in elections, their role as young voters and the importance of going to the polls. Also, during the project, students were encouraged to participate in the competition with essay papers related to this topic for the competition that was held at the level of Kosovo.
Activities and Results:
• Engagement of ten coaches regarding the importance of elections
• Training related to participation in elections
• Holding about 200 lectures in graduate classes
• Holding the competition for the most beautiful essay related to the elections and the right to vote in Kosovo
Campaign against gun shootings "Time for Action"
Project Title: Campaign against gun shooting "Time for Action"
Duration: 1 month (November 2012)
Place: Peja
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision
Budget: €1,000
Donor: Forum for Civic Initiatives and SaferWorld
The purpose of the project: Sensitization of citizens about the dangers and consequences of the use of weapons, awareness of institutions for efficient implementation of the Criminal Code of Kosovo and the Law on Weapons
Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries of this project were all the citizens of the municipalities of Pejë, Istog and Deçan, as well as the Kosovo Police, the courts, the prosecutor's office, civil society and the various businesses that operate in these municipalities.
Realization of the project: In the framework of this project, a campaign was carried out where many volunteers were engaged and distributed brochures, posters, conducted a survey with passers-by in different parts of the city to make citizens aware of the consequences and danger that is threatened by shooting with weapons or carrying weapons without a permit. Also, as part of this campaign, a TV spot was prepared with the aim of raising awareness against shooting at parties and parties. A public debate was also held with all security actors, where the security situation in general and on criminal offenses from the use of weapons, the achievements of all actors in the prevention of shooting with weapons and illegal possession of weapons were analyzed.
Activities and Results:
• Holding media conferences and publishing statistics by perpetrators of armed crimes
• Reduction of the number of shootings based on the statistics of the Kosovo Police and the courts
• Broad participation of citizens and institutions in debates and other campaign activities
• Successful implementation of the "Time for Action" campaign against shootings
• Increasing the number of interventions and confiscations of weapons by the Kosovo Police
• Deriving a statistical analysis from the public perception research that was carried out with citizens
• Raising the awareness of citizens and other actors about the existence of the law on weapons and the Criminal Code of Kosovo.
Promotion of dialogue, human rights and democracy
Project Title: Promotion of dialogue, human rights and democracy
Duration: 4 months (May 2012 – September 2012)
Place: Pejë, Istog and Klinë
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision
Budget: $3,200
Donor: Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) - Kosovo
The goal of the project: Supporting sustainable peace among young people of different communities and empowering these young people to promote their rights and democracy in Kosovo
Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries of this project have been young people from different communities (Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Roma, Egyptians and Ashkali), especially those from rural areas in the municipalities: Pejë, Klinë and Istog. Municipal institutions, namely the Directorate for Culture, Youth and Sports in the three municipalities, have also been beneficiaries.
Realization of the project: The youngest people in the rural areas who participated in the football tournament, where they accompanied each other, and cultural activities were developed in which each community showed its culture and tradition. Afterwards, these young people visited the Directorate for Youth Culture and Sports of the three municipalities, where they were informed more about their work. Also, visits to religious facilities have been conducted, so that young people can get to know each other's religion more closely, so that prejudices will disappear through the knowledge of each other's culture. Two radio shows were also produced, the topics of which were peace building, human rights and the development of democracy.
Activities and Results:
• Holding the multiethnic football tournament and cultural event
• Increasing cooperation among young people through sports and cultural activities
• Increasing the cooperation of young people with local institutions responsible for the directorates for culture, youth and sports in the municipalities
• Raising the awareness of young people of all communities about each other's culture, religion and tradition
• Organization of visits to religious cults
• Strengthening the active role of young people in the promotion of their rights and participation in decision-making processes
Mismatch (II)
Project Title: Mismatch
Duration: 10 months (March 1 - December 31, 2012)
Place: Peja
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision
Budget: €15,000
Donor: Solidar Suisse
The purpose of the project: The general purpose of the project was to adapt the secondary vocational schools in the city of Peja to the needs of the labor market, to increase the level of education and to create competent cadres in the professions that are necessary for the labor market.
Beneficiaries: The six vocational high schools of Peja have benefited from the project, whose programs and capacities have been presented to primary school students. Beneficiaries are 1,500 ninth-grade students from all primary schools in Peja, who have been given appropriate and timely information for their registration in secondary schools in Peja. the two test classes of the Economic High School of Peja have also benefited, who have followed professional practice in several institutions and businesses of the municipality of Peja, while over 30 businesses have benefited from joint activities with schools such as participation in the fair.
Realization of the project: The project was realized in cooperation with the secondary vocational schools of Peja, with which guides and leaflets were prepared to be distributed to students in the primary schools of Peja, in order to increase interest in these schools. the most important activity was holding a fair with high schools and businesses from the Municipality of Peja, to present the opportunities and professions offered by the schools.
Informative guides were distributed to the students of 30 primary schools, career counseling was held in ten schools. For the students of the two classes, agreements of understanding signed with our mediation between the School of Economics and eight subjects from Peja have been provided, which has enabled them to hold the professional practice in one month.
Activities and Results:
• Creation of the coordinating group composed of schools, businesses and institutions
• Drafting of a guide for the secondary vocational schools of Peja, the directions and opportunities they offer
• Drafting leaflets for each of the secondary vocational schools
• Distribution of informative guides on vocational secondary education in Peja in ninth grades in 30 schools of the municipality with 1500 students
• Career counseling for ninth graders in 10 elementary schools
• Holding the career fair
• A television debate and two advertising spots in the local media
• Signing of agreements with eight entities in Peja to provide practical professional opportunities for administration students in SHME
• Preparation and broadcast of a television report related to secondary vocational schools and the problems of professional practice
Promotion of different cultures of communities through street festival
Project Title: Promotion of different cultures of communities through street festival
Duration: 5 months (March 2012 – July 2012)
Place: Peja, Gjakova, Prizren
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision
Budget: €4,000
Donor: Culture for all
The purpose of the project: The project aimed to promote the cultural heritage of the communities through street performances (street festivals).
Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries of the project are at least ten informal groups of young people with about 70 members from different communities living in the region of Peja, who have been supported to present themselves to the public in three large cities and who will have cooperation also with the departments of culture in their municipalities. Beneficiaries are also the cultural institutions as they have been offered more cultural activity in their cities.
Project realization: Festivals were held in the squares of Peja, Gjakova and Prizren, where 10 informal groups with over 70 young people displayed their cultural heritage in dancing, acting, singing, painting and handicrafts. The performances were attended by citizens who were familiar with these cultural values of the communities, while good collaborations were established between the groups with the municipalities of Pejë, Prizren, Klinë, Istog, Deçan and Gjakovë.
Activities and Results:
• 10 different cultural groups with different communities have been identified in the municipalities of Pejë, Klinë, Istog, Deçan and Gjakovë.
• Non-formal groups have been notified of the project and have expressed their willingness to be part of street festivals.
• Non-formal groups with different communities have been trained and advised to present their culture and traditions to the citizens as best as possible. These groups have been technically assisted to present themselves in the best possible way to the citizens.
• Municipal officials for culture, youth and sports have been informed of the project, and have supported the project by helping to free public spaces in the city centers of Prizren, Gjakovë and Pejë free of charge for the holding of the street festival.
• The citizens of Prizren, Gjakova and Peja have been informed about the dates when the festival will be held and its purpose, through posters.
• Media conferences were organized to inform all citizens of the holding of the festival in their cities. Local media have followed the street festivals in the three cities: Prizren, Gjakovë and Pejë.
• The successful organization of three street festivals in the cities of Prizren, Gjakovë and Pejë, where 10 groups from different communities with different cultures and traditions were presented to the citizens of these municipalities.
Active Citizenship Kosova
Project Title: Active Citizenship Kosovo
Duration: 12 months (January 2012 – December 2012)
Place: Pejë, Klinë, Istog, Deçan, Rahovec
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision
Budget: €57,961.93
Donor: Olof Palme International Center
The purpose of the project: The project aims at a general engagement of all citizens of Kosovo, to be part of the decision-making processes, focusing on the region of Peja and Prizren.
Beneficiaries: Village representatives of 5 local communities of Pejë, Istog, Klinë, Deçan and Rahovec municipalities, representatives of civil society organizations of Pejë and Prizren region, as well as all citizens of Kosovo.
Realization of the project:
The "Active Citizenship" project is focused on five local communities (Rugova, Vrella, Xërxë, Isniq and Grabanicë) in five municipalities of the region of Pejë, Istog, Rahovec, Deçan and Klinë. These local community councils and civil society organizations have been supported to empower themselves to be the bearers of responsibilities to carry out the activities themselves on behalf of the community of the communities they represent. For this, professional trainings have been held in various fields, such as Advocacy, Writing project proposals and Raising funds.
As another mechanism to help the councils of local communities, civil society and other interest groups, the Assistance and Advisory Office has been opened in Peja, which has continuously helped the heads of local communities in writing requests, complaints or project ideas to submitted on time to the institutions. Also, this office has provided continuous assistance and consultations to civil society organizations in the preparation of financial reports, writing projects, and has also helped many non-formal groups, with the forms of how an NGO should be registered, helping them in the preparation of necessary documentation, etc.
Also, another advocacy tool that has served to distribute information to citizens has been the opening of the website www.aktivizohu.org, through which a lot of information has been shared on how to develop an active citizenry, and the most important issues have been published. which the citizens of different municipalities of Kosovo face
Activities and Results:
• Creation of 5 councils of territorial communities in Pejë and Prizren regions
• Realization of trainings for the councils of territorial communities
• Realization of trainings with civil society organizations of the region of Peja and Prizren
• Creation of a website for citizens
• Providing advice to many citizens about the way of evocation and their rights to receive services from the institutions
• The distribution of numerous information on citizens' initiatives that have served as good experiences for citizens of other countries of Kosovo and beyond
• Addressing all citizens' requests to the relevant institutions and their support
• Mobilizing citizens and raising their voice for participation in decision-making processes
• Functioning of the liaison and advisory office within the project
• Direct support for citizens through the provision of information and communication opportunities through the web site.
Protection from violence
Project Title: Protection from violence
Duration: 7 months (June 2012 – December 2012)
Place: Peja, Gjakova
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision
Budget: €16,410
Donor: Save the Children
Project goal: Prevention and response to violence against children and strengthening of children's capacities.
Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries of this project are four schools with about 4,000 students in these schools in the region of Peja and Gjakova. Direct beneficiaries are also the teachers and their parents, as well as the municipal directorates of education in the two municipalities.
Realization of the project: In this project, students from four schools were worked on to raise their capacities and the mechanisms for the protection of their rights. A code of conduct has been drawn up and it has been placed in the school corridors in the form of a large banner in the schools: League of Prizren and Ramiz Sadiku in Pejë, Emin Duraku and Mustafa Bakia in Gjakovë. The libraries of these four schools have also been enriched with different school titles in an amount of about 1000 books.
Activities and Results:
• Analysis of the situation in the schools of the municipalities of Peja and Gjakova on the mechanisms and protection of children from violence.
• The reality of continuous meetings with school councils
• Realization of joint trainings of school councils involving students, teachers and parents
• Realization of lectures and marking of the international day of children's rights
• Direct aid to schools by helping to strengthen school libraries
• Drafting of the code of conduct in the four schools
Child Trafficking Response Program
Project Title: Child Trafficking Response Program
Duration: 5 months (November 2012 – March 2013)
Place: Peja, Gjakova
Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision
Budget: €16,585.20
Donor: Save the Children
The purpose of the project: Increasing the level of awareness among the community and among children in schools in the field of prevention, control and combating human and child trafficking, raising issues through cooperation with all actors for the protection of children in order to achieve change at the institutional level
Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries of the project are the primary school "Ramiz Sadiku" in Peja and the primary school "Zekeria Rexha" in the city of Gjakova, with the key target group being school principals, teachers and 40 students from both schools. But the beneficiaries are also governmental and non-governmental institutions that address the protection of children's rights, which will be included during the investigation of the situation in the municipalities by the group of local experts from the municipalities of Pejë and Gjakovë.
Implementation of the project: The project was implemented in two municipalities, that of Peja and Gjakova. Eye of Vision in cooperation with Save the Children and other institutions have selected these two primary schools, in which together with the school principals, 40 children between the ages of 11 and 15 (from 20 in one school) have been selected, in which they are including students from the Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali communities.
With several informative meetings, the ToT training organization selected 14 students (7 from one school) who attend training for trainers in seven different human rights topics. After the completion of these trainings, the students themselves will hold trainings to their peers on the topics they have been trained on.
The project also contains two activities according to the children's own wishes, the first on the international day for children's rights on November 20, 2012 and another according to the children's own wishes.
Activities and Results:
• Informative meetings with school leaders in Peja and Gjakova and with student groups and the selection of beneficiary students
• Joint activity with 40 students on the international day of children's rights.
• Seven ToT trainings on the topics of children's rights, prevention of human trafficking, etc
• Formation of the research group of local experts in the municipality of Peja and Gjakova.
• Research and publication of the situation report in the municipalities of Pejë and Gjakovë.
• Three trainings for school students by the students themselves.
• Organizing a one-day activity with a group of 40 students, based on the students' own requests and ideas.
