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Projects of 2009

In 2009, the organization realized the largest number of projects. This year, work was done on 15 long-term projects, but also on many other projects in partnership, several campaigns and actions were carried out with voluntary work, and work was done on strengthening existing partnerships and supporting other organizations in order to strengthen them. Syri i Vizoni is already part of all civil society organizations in Kosovo and plays an important role in its organization. Thus, during the year, in these network partnerships, three broad activities took place that engaged a number of thousands of participants in Kosovo: Democracy in action, the coalition for KOMRA and the ad-hoc coalition of civil society against the increase in the electricity tariff.

In the framework of the “Democracy in Action” coalition created for the 2007 elections, as well as for the 2009 local elections, SiV has monitored the campaign and the elections in five municipalities of the Peja region.

As part of the ad-hoc coalition of civil society against the increase in the electricity tariff, the NGO Syri i Vizioni together with 5 other NGOs (FOL 08, KCIC, KDI, INPO and CBM) during the months of January and February 2009 have collected 10,529 signatures in Kosovo (in the region of Peja SiV has collected over 2000 signatures). The petition has been submitted to the Parliament of Kosovo, the president and other institutions. The petition had a great echo in the opinion and influenced the Electricity Regulatory Authority not to take as a basis all the requests that had come from KEK, among which the main one was the one for the price of electricity in Kosovo to the extent of 30 percent .

During this year Syri i Zozoni within the initiative for COMRA (initiative to create a mandate for a regional commission on the truth in the countries of the former Yugoslavia) has had commitments in several directions at the local level, but also at the Kosovo and regional level. At the local level, in the region of Peja, consultations with civil society were organized, in which about 20 organizations from the region of Peja joined the initiative. At the Kosovo level, the NGO Eye of Vision is a partner along with about 10 other organizations of this initiative. In the framework of the regional partnership, Syri i Vizioni has participated in several activities held outside Kosovo with the aim of establishing the regional commission. The cooperation project with OneWorld from 2008 continued this year for only two more months with the portal, and then continued with a journalism course. This course was attended by 12 young people from Peja who learned a basic journalism course, reporting in print and electronic media and preparing web pages. As a result of the course, the students themselves have opened an informative portal called Pinfop in three languages, in which articles on youth and various topics are published.

During this year, several debates on security in Raushiq were held with FIQ’s partners. A debate on transparency was also held with FIQ in Peja, and another televised debate on the findings of citizens’ complaints.

Within the MOBKOS project, 15 volunteers have conducted a one-week research on traffic in the municipality of Peja that will serve the municipality for better urban planning.

Traffic research in the city of Peja
Project title: Traffic research in the city of Peja

Duration: 2 months (May 2009 – June 2009)

Place: Peja

Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision

Budget: €1500

Donor: Within the framework of the Mobkos project

The purpose of the project: The purpose of this project was to research the traffic in the city of Peja, engaging a group of volunteers in the most frequented nodes of the city, counting the circulation of cars, pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles in traffic.

Beneficiaries: The beneficiary of this project was the directorate for urban planning in the municipality of Peja, where through the experts engaged by the project, video scenarios were developed for the problems that exist in the traffic of Peja, and recommendations for interventions were given.

Realization of the project: The project was realized by a group of volunteers from our organization, who were located in different points of the city of Peja, at certain times, thus analyzing the intervals at which time the traffic is busy and brings problems. With this, all traffic participants have been analyzed, including all categories, as well as the behaviors of traffic participants have been analyzed. The data is then processed through a software to see which are the busiest areas where traffic is blocked in the city of Peja.

Activities and Results:

• Creation for the first time of a database with data on road capacity, traffic loads and in the city of Peja.

• Data on traffic participants at a given time, the number of vehicles and citizens participating in traffic at a given time.

• Making recommendations for solving traffic problems after computer analysis of data.

• The municipality of Peja is informed about the behavior of traffic participants, and has the opportunity to organize awareness campaigns/campaigns.

Increasing public oversight of the rule of law in Kosovo
Project Title: Increasing public oversight of the rule of law in Kosovo

Duration: 12 months (November 2009 – September 2010)

Country: Kosovo (SiV covers the municipality of Peja)

Implementing organization(s): Syri i Vizioni in partnership with FIQ

Total budget: $76,858, ($6,016 for Peja)

Donor: National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD)

The purpose of the project: This project aims to increase public oversight in the field of the rule of law. The project will design and support the Kosovo Action Plan for European Partnership (EPP) in the field of law enforcement, offer suggestions for drafting and implementation of this plan and strengthen the capacities of six local NGOs to monitor the implementation of the law at the local level. Focusing on the rule of law sector, the project builds the capacity of civil society where the citizens of Kosovo need it most to assist them in their rights to free, equal and beneficial access to the justice system , regardless of nationality, gender, disability or political views; this project will also help Kosovo's media to have an active and informative role in monitoring the fulfillment of human rights in the rule of law sector.

Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries of the project are the citizens of Kosovo, security in a sense in the four sectors: human trafficking, migration, police, and court. Beneficiaries are also the institutions that deal with security, including the six municipalities where the project is implemented (Gjilani, Ferizaji, Mitrovica, Gjakova, Prizren and Peja), the associations that deal with this issue and civil society in general.

Project implementation: The project will analyze government policies in the area of ​​rule of law namely: human trafficking, migration, police, and court. During the implementation of the project, the implementation of these policies will be evaluated at the level of the regions of Kosovo. With this, the fulfillment of PVPE activities will be assessed. The findings will be reported to the Commission for European Integration and the European Commission. Meanwhile, the partners will publish their findings in the local media and local institutions that are relevant to the issue in question. Thus, parliament's oversight of the government will increase and civil society will be more involved in the policy-making process. During the implementation of the project, courts, police, media, etc. will be monitored

Activities and Results:

• The municipal assembly is informed about the implementation of the law and their activity increases, the work of the municipal government is exposed

• Findings reporting: fulfillment of project activities

• Evaluation of the implementation of policies in selected municipalities of Kosovo

• The work of the police is studied and evaluated with the tasks that emerge from the PVPE

Youth and Social Dialogue
Project Title: Youth and Social Dialogue

Duration: 24 months (January 2009 to December 2011)

Country: Kosovo

Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision in partnership with Swiss Labor Assistance - SLA

Budget: €8,000 during 2009

Donor: Swiss Development Agency – SDC, Swiss Labor Assistance

The aim of the project: Strengthening the youth sectors of trade unions and youth organizations as a preparation and as a contribution to the social dialogue, by means of a competition for projects, conferences and further education.

Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries are the initiative members of youth organizations and the youth sectors of trade unions, 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 as well as from the strengthened trade unions and from the awareness of the opinion and political decision-making forces on the topics of social dialogue.

Realization of the project: In order to achieve the goals and results, SLA and SIV have organized an international competition for project proposals with youth organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo. At the same time, the competition creates the framework of the program, within which various activities are planned. At the beginning, the international competition was opened and the organizations were invited to compete with a draft idea project, from which only those that will contribute to the dimensioning of the preconditions for a social dialogue in the region will be accepted. The assigned topics are: Social Security, Social Dialogue, Youth Employment, Labor Markets, Rights at Work, Implementation of Collective Labor Agreements, Poverty Reduction, Fair Globalization, Child Labor, Informal Employment, Equal Treatment and Non discrimination against women, the handicapped, minorities and internally displaced persons, emigration for employment as well as safety and health at work. About 40 project ideas from the three countries were received, from which five project ideas from each country were selected. In the second phase, the 15 selected organizations prepared project proposals that they submitted to SLA and SIV and they were presented to the participants at a conference in Pristina, and each was both a presenter and a jury. From this conference, two projects were chosen from each country to be supported, a total of six. Their projects will be implemented during 2010, while SLA and SIV will do the monitoring.

Activities and Results:

• About 30 trade unionists and young activists from the project region have been trained in project management;

• About 15 selected organizations participated in an international competition for "Youth and Social Dialogue" projects, and submitted a project proposal based on the established standards;

• In each country of the project region, two projects will be implemented by youth organizations;

• About 30 young trade union activists will be trained in the seminars with their own selected relevant trade union topics, which experiences they will convey to the trade unions;

• About 30 young trade union activists will benefit at international conferences from the experiences of neighboring countries, and identify the consumers of a common legislative standard based on the economy of Southeast Europe.

• Social partners (Trade unions, employers' associations, public authority) from each country of the project region recognize the common demands of young people in relation to employment topics.

"Rural perspective" -Dialogue in the dairy sector
Project title: "Rural perspective" -Dialogue in the dairy sector

Duration: 12 months (01 January 2009 – 31 December 2009)

Country: Kosovo

Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision in partnership with Swiss Labor Assistance - SLA

Budget: €51,000

Donor: Swiss Development Agency – SDC, Swiss Labor Assistance

The goal of the project: Activation and institutionalization of the dialogue in the dairy sector, strengthening the organizations of interest groups and establishing industrial relations between them. With the improvement of the negotiation skills of dairy farmers and a suitable debut platform, the dialogue between important representatives in the dairy sector will be institutionalized and lead to increased production in the dairy sector. The project aims to have an impact on raising the income of dairy farmers and improving the living conditions of families in rural areas.

Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries of the project are the representatives of organizations and important actors of the dairy sector, in particular the representatives and members of the Association of Kosovo Milk Producers and the Association of Kosovo Milk Processors. The indirect beneficiaries are the families of farmers who live in rural areas and are engaged in milk production.

Realization of the project: The project for raising the dialogue between the actors of the milk dialogue includes the organization of a conference in which all the actors are better acquainted with the existing problems faced by this sector. Its conclusions serve the Producers' Association and the Processors' Association in carrying out advocacy campaigns and detailing their requests to the Institutions. Associations were offered workshops to familiarize themselves with the CEFTE agreement as well as research on the dairy sector in Kosovo to improve their knowledge of what this agreement offers. Associations have been helped with their advocacy campaigns in holding press conferences, meetings with institutions, which has led to the Government's promises to accept some of the associations' requests. In the face of the various problems in this sector, the development of the strategy for this sector has also begun, in the first workshop a SWOT analysis of the entire sector was made and after that during 2010 it will continue with other meetings to come to a complete and real strategy for the improvement of this sector. The project also had another component, that of monitoring the farmer associations that won the business plan competition last year.

Activities and Results:

• Raising the dialogue between actors of the milk sector as well as getting to know the problems faced by each actor of this sector

• Conclusions from the conference on the problems of this sector from all actors

• Research of the dairy sector in Kosovo and comparison of this sector with neighboring countries

• Raising the capacities of representatives of milk producers and processors in negotiation

• Existence of SWOT analysis of the dairy sector

• Creation of the strategy of this sector including all relevant actors

Help in the implementation of MOBKOS I
Project Title: Assistance in the implementation of MOBKOS I

Duration: 4 months (September 2009 – March 2010)

Place: Kosovo, Municipality of Peja

Implementing organization(s): "Syri i Vizioni", MOBKOS program, Municipality of Peja

Budget: €14,135

Donor: Flemish Government (Belgium) in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and Post-Telecommunications and support of the Municipality of Peja

The purpose of the project: This project aims to increase the awareness of citizens and institutions in relation to urban planning

Beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries are the municipalities and the Ministry that collect the information they need related to spatial planning, and receive the suggestions and ideas of experts related to urban mobility; organizations and activists dealing with the environment and urbanism; and finally the citizens of Peja through the promotion of the campaign for the use of bicycles in order to ease urban traffic.

Implementation of the project: The project is implemented in two lines. The first: holding a campaign for the promotion of urban cycling in Peja, which will be carried out by distributing advertising materials for the promotion of urban cycling and holding a parade in the city of Peja with the participation of hundreds of cyclists on the streets of Peja and issuing recommendations for Kosovar institutions on how to achieve better conditions for urban cycling. The second: building a mobility program in Kosovo that will be done through a network of experts, a website, seminars with experts and a research conference on urban mobility.

Activities and Results:

• Realization of a set of promotional photos for urban cycling

• Visual campaign materials: posters, leaflets, promoting the use of bicycles

• Holding a parade of cyclists on the streets of Peja with the participation of schools, the police, the municipality, non-governmental organizations, the cycling club, etc.

• A website for urban mobility in Kosovo in cooperation with the ministry, experts, municipalities, civil society, for the collection and distribution in one place of information on 8 modules of urban mobility

• A conference and several seminars with experts and institutions for the creation of a joint action platform in all of Kosovo related to urban mobility

• Creation of a network of external experts to support the entire urban mobility project in Kosovo

Conflict prevention in Kosovo
Project Title: Conflict Prevention in Kosovo

Duration: April 1, 2009 - September 30, 2011

Country: Kosovo, (Peja, Klina, Istog, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Kamenica, Viti and Novobërde)

Implementing organization(s): CARE Internationale Kosova and ProPeace Platform (Eye of Vision within ProPeace covers the municipalities of Pejë, Klinë and Istog)

Budget: €930,000 (realized by Propeace)

Donor: European Commission

Project Goal: Promoting sustainable peace by encouraging greater civil society leadership and political participation among Kosovo's youth

Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries of this project will be the groups of young people in the 8 municipalities with multi-ethnic population in which the project is developed. These young people and NGOs will be part of the project and will work together in creating the early warning system. The municipalities also benefit from the project because they are provided with continuous information about the situation on the ground.

Realization of the project: A Kosovar Group for Conflict Prevention (GKPK) will be formed which will promote actions and advocacy among young people for building peace and resolving and preventing conflicts. An online early warning system will also be developed that will contain information related to key events in Kosovo, so that potential conflicts can be assessed. The project establishes joint conflict prevention mechanisms between civil society organizations and government institutions at the central level as well as at the level of eight municipalities. The project supports dialogue and cooperation between civil society and government structures at the central and municipal levels. The project will also design strategies for the prevention of possible inter-ethnic conflicts between communities living in Kosovo. The project promotes approaches that involve young people in peace building activities, which can be carried throughout Kosovo by leading at least eight short-term activities in different fields.

Activities and Results:

• The Kosovo Conflict Prevention Group has been operational since December 2009

• An early warning system supporting peace building efforts has been operational since December 2009

• Mechanisms for joint prevention of conflicts established between civil society and government actors at the national level and in the eight selected municipalities

• At least 8 meaningful youth-led activities in the fields of conflict prevention and security that encourage social action, advocacy and participation in policy making

Promotion of accountability and efficiency of democratic institutions in Kosovo.
Project Title: - Promotion of accountability and efficiency of democratic institutions in Kosovo.

Duration: (October 2008-September 2009)

Place: Peja

Implementing organization: Eye of Vision

Budget: $5,241

Donor: FIQ-NED

The purpose of the project: The project aims to promote the accountability and efficiency of democratic institutions in Kosovo and strengthen the capacity of oversight by civil society. It also measures the accountability and efficiency of the country's institutions, thus recording the experiences of citizens with local institutions, so that these experiences and results are shared with the general public and the institutions themselves.

Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries of this project are all the citizens of Peja, as they will have the opportunity to exercise their civil rights towards local institutions by demanding accountability from public services.

Realization of the project: During these months, the project manager has conducted daily interviews with citizens, as well as organized meetings with focus groups, one meeting every two months. Meanwhile, every month a meeting was held with the mayor of the municipality, where citizens' complaints against various institutions and public services were presented, drawn up in a document. Likewise, from time to time such reports with citizen complaints have been published in various electronic and written media, as well as more official meetings have been held of those institutions where citizen complaints have been greater. Two debates were held and a publication with the findings of a year's work was drawn up.

Activities and Results:

• More accountability of institutions towards citizens

• More room for citizen proactivity and public pressure

• More space for discussion about the daily problems of Kosovo's citizens and more opportunities for faster institutional response to complaints, requests and various violations of citizens' rights.

• Drafting and distribution of a publication with the findings that emerged during the project

BRIDGE (Bridging Rights Initiatives in support to Democracy, Good Governance and Equity)
Project Title: BRIDGE (Bridging Rights Initiatives in support to Democracy, Good Governance and Equity)

Duration: 24 months (January 2009 – December 2010)

Place: Klinë, Istog, Pejë, Deçan, Gjakovë

Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision

Budget: €98,957

Donor: European Commission

The purpose of the project: The project aims to promote the marginalized groups of society, empowering them through strengthening the organizations that represent them and increasing their participation in decision-making. The project deals with the empowerment of civil society through the creation of joint councils in municipalities, which promote campaigns for the promotion of human rights and democratic values.

Beneficiaries: Within this project direct beneficiaries are more than 50 different non-formal organizations and groups that operate in the region of Peja, including four sectors: women, children, people with special needs and minority communities. Also within this project we have beneficiaries from the local institutions of these municipalities, including officials of the human rights departments from the five municipalities of the region of Peja.

Realization of the project: The project is focused on the creation of municipal councils, where special councils for women's NGOs, children, people with special needs and communities have been created in all municipalities. Then the project is focused on strengthening the capacities of these categories by including non-formal organizations and groups which have undergone various trainings for the empowerment of these non-formal organizations and groups. The project also aims to strengthen local institutions, namely human rights departments. As a project concept, it also includes advocacy programs with local institutions, as well as supporting councils with small grants.

Activities and Results:

• NGOs, informal groups and community representatives, including women and youth groups, have the capacity to promote and advocate for human rights and the integration of the most marginalized groups.

• Communities have the capacity to design, plan and implement advocacy initiatives that promote human rights and democratic values.

• Local municipal authorities promote inclusion and participation

• Exchange of experience and good practices of councils created in different municipalities

• Four project proposals created jointly by the councils have been presented to donors (ATRC and the American Embassy)

• NGOs and informal groups, community leaders including women and youth groups have the capacity to promote and advocate for human rights and the integration of marginalized groups.

• Up to 10 initiatives of the councils for different areas have been financially supported (up to two thousand euros), including the sectors of women, children, special needs and communities

"Democracy in Action" – Elections 2009
Project Title: "Democracy in Action" – 2009 Elections

Duration: 3 months (September-December 2009)

Country: Region of Peja (Peja, Klinë, Istog, Deçan and Junik)

Implementing organization(s): "Eye of Vision" within the coalition "Democracy in Action"

Budget: it was realized through KDI

Donor: USAID, ISC, NDI, German Embassy, ​​Swiss Embassy, ​​BTD, Olof Palme,

The purpose of the project: "Democracy in Action" was established with the purpose of monitoring the parliamentary and local elections organized in November 2007, as well as with the purpose of raising the awareness of citizens to participate in the elections. In addition to "Eye of the Vision" part of the "Democracy in Action - Elections 2009" coalition are 10 organizations: 1. Construction of the Mitrovica Community (CBM); 2. Communication for Social Development (CSD); 3. Center for Civil Society Development (CCSD); 4. Developing Together (DT); 5. Forum for Democratic Initiatives (FID); 6. Initiative for Progress (INPO); 7. Kosovo Center for International Cooperation (KKBN); 8. Democratic Institute of Kosovo (KDI); 9. Association "Mother Teresa"; 10. Kosovo Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED);

Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries are the entire population of Kosovo. In particular, a number of people who have been involved in the process as monthly and daily monitors have benefited from training on the electoral process and system in Kosovo. In addition, all voters in general, and in particular the undecided, have benefited from voter education campaigns. Realization of the project: The activities include the overall monitoring of the election process: the monitoring of the one-month campaign of the parties, the day of the elections, the voting and the counting of the votes on the day of the elections and during the run-off and the publication of the early results in 5 municipalities of the region of Peja.

Activities and Results:

• Monitoring of over 100 election activities during the campaign period;

• Holding press conferences with reports on problems and irregularities encountered during monitoring,

• Monitoring of election day, voting and vote counting; runoff and repeat voting (Prizren, etc.)

• Announcement of the preliminary result a few hours after the closing of the boxes • Engagement of 5 long-term observers (LTO) for a period of two and a half months;

• Engagement of over 300 short-term observers (STO) on election day;

• Organization and holding of over 50 trainings for STO for a period of 10 days;

Empowerment of the Municipal Council for Community Security, through the inclusion of civil society
Project Title: Empowerment of the Municipal Council for Community Security, through the inclusion of civil society

Duration: (April 2009- June 2010)

Place: Peja

Implementing organization: Eye of Vision

Budget: $10,000

Donor: East West Management Institute (EWMI)

The purpose of the project: This project aims to help in the functioning of the Council for Security in the Community (CCSB) in the municipality of Peja, mainly through the active involvement of civil society in the council.

Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries of this project are the Municipal Assembly, civil society, community representatives and all citizens, as this council helps increase security in the municipality of Peja.

Realization of the project: During these months, a person from our organization monitors the work of this council, holds regular meetings with various civil society organizations to gather information and to influence the work agenda of the KKSB. The meetings are weekly with civil society organizations that together select the persons who will be part of the work of the Security Council. Also, regular meetings are held with the Mayor of the Municipality as the head of the KKSB. During the project, trainings are provided for the members of the KKSB for the drafting of the annual work plan and the compilation of project proposals to apply to donors. The first phase of the project was completed in September 2009, while the second phase began in November 2009 and will end in June 2010.

Activities and Results:

• Involvement of civil society members in the municipal council for community safety;

• Greater cooperation between local institutions, civil society and communities;

• Drafting of the work plan of the institutions in cooperation with the civil society for the improvement of security;

• Approval of the work plan by the Mayor of the municipality;

• Harmonization of joint operational activities of institutions and civil society in the safety of all citizens.

Compilation of the action strategy for the Serbian community 2010-2013 in the municipality of Istog and support of mini projects in Peja
Project Title: Compilation of the action strategy for the Serbian community 2010-2013 in the municipality of Istog and support of mini projects in Peja

Duration: 1 year (January – December 2009)

Place: Istog

Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision

Budget: €21,497

Donor: The Olof Palme Center

The purpose of the project: This project aims to empower and support the Serbian community in the municipality of Istog by developing a three-year action plan for the community in this municipality, which will be drawn up based on the needs expressed by the community itself. This document as an action plan is offered to the municipality, donors and the community. In the other part, the project supports 4 initiatives from the strategy drawn up in Peja in 2008.

Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries of the project in the first place are the Serbian community in the municipality of Istog and Peja. The municipality of Istog and the Serbian community have benefited from an action plan for the next three years. Community focus groups in 8 localities of the municipality and municipal officials have benefited from training and skills to present the needs of the community as best as possible. In Peja, the beneficiaries are the women of Gorazhdec, NGO "Briga", the youth and pensioners of the village, while the residents of Bellopja and Levosha have also benefited.

Realization of the project: The project was realized in two lines simultaneously. For the community in the municipality of Istog, after dozens of meetings with the community in separate groups in each locality and in the joint group with the participation of the authorities of the Municipality of Istog, the strategy of action in this community for the three-year period has been drawn up. In the municipality of Peja, from the similar strategy drawn up last year, four community projects have been implemented this year. For the youth of the village of Gorazhdec, the locker room of the sports field was honored, for the women, the equipment of the hairdressing salon was helped, in Bellopojë, shutters were provided for the windows of the culture center, while the cemetery was surrounded in the village of Lëvoshë.

Activities and Results:

• Compilation of a municipal guide for priorities of the Serbian community based on its real needs.

• Creation of a detailed three-year action plan for the Municipality of Istog on the Serbian community living in seven different locations in the municipality of Istog.

• Creation of a strategic development base as a comprehensive ready document to respond to any donor including the municipality as responsible for concrete interventions in favor of the community in focus.

• Intervention with mini grants, empowering the focus group of young people in Gorazhdevc of the Municipality of Peja with the mini project for the repair of a part of the changing room of the stadium.

• Construction and installation of security shutters on the windows of the Bellopoje Cultural Center that provides security for office equipment that is at the service of the community

• Support for the mini project of the fence of the Levoshë village cemetery.

• Support for the mini project for the empowerment of the Women's Association and the equipping of a hairdressing salon with basic tools in this village.

Construction of the inter-institutional action plan for the community: Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian
Project Title: Construction of the inter-institutional action plan for the community: Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian

Duration: 5 months (August 2009 – December 2009)

Place: Istog - Peja

Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision

Budget: €17,127

Donor: KFOS - SOROS

The purpose of the project: The purpose of this project is to empower and mobilize the communities: Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali as a way to ensure a long-term action plan, this municipal inter-institutional plan based on the provisions of the strategy of the Government of Kosovo for the inclusion of communities: Roma, Egyptian and Shkali and the action strategy for the RAE community drawn up a year ago by "Eye of the vision". By doing so, the project supports the integration of Roma, Egyptians and Ashkali in general

Beneficiaries: In the framework of this project, the direct beneficiaries are the different groups of communities, the youth councils of the communities: Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali of Peja and Klinë municipalities. More than 70 beneficiaries of language and computer courses in the municipalities of Pejë and Istog, municipal officials and community organizations have been part of this program.

Realization of the project: The project is focused on strengthening the groups and councils of the communities: Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali of the two municipalities, namely the project is concentrated in the neighborhood "7 September" of the Municipality of Peja, and in the village of Dubrava of the Municipality of Istog, where numerous trainings, meetings and courses have been carried out to help strengthen and activate groups and community centers.

Activities and Results:

• Strengthening of action councils, NGOs and informal groups, awareness of the community to be active.

• Inventory of Community Centers in the neighborhood "7 September" and Dubravë.

• Increasing the capacities of existing councils and NGOs to be more effective in the realization of advocacy areas and in the management of other activities

• Organization of three trainings in three areas: Leadership and Good Governance, NGO Management and Financial Management. Community representatives from the villages and neighborhoods of Istog and Peja, as well as representatives of the Municipality, have attended these three trainings.

• Realization of four courses: German, English and computers in Dubrava and the computer course in the neighborhood "7 September", where more than 70 beneficiaries of these courses from the Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali communities participated.

The strategy of the Kosovar government for the inclusion of communities: Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian in practice at the local level through the active participation of citizens
Project Title: The Kosovo government's strategy for community inclusion: Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian in practice at the local level through the active participation of citizens

Duration: 12 months (January 2009 – December 2009)

Place: Klin - Istog

Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision

Budget: €32,214

Donor: Olof Palme Center

The purpose of the project: This project aims to empower and mobilize the RAE community in order to ensure that the provisions contained in the 2007 Strategy of the Government of Kosovo for the inclusion of the RAE community are put into practice at the municipal level.

Beneficiaries: In this project there are two types of beneficiaries, beneficiaries from the drafting of the strategy for the municipality of Klina as well as beneficiaries who have been beneficiaries of the small grants in the municipality of Istog and Pejë. The representatives of the communities of the neighborhoods and villages of the Pejë, Klinë and Istog municipalities were involved, as well as the focus groups that were formed a year earlier in the Pejë and Istog municipalities, as well as the focus groups that were formed during this year in the municipality of Klina. Municipal officials from the Office of Communities as well as from the return office have also been direct beneficiaries. Beneficiaries were also different groups and different organizations of the communities which have also won different grandes during this year.

Realization of the project: The project is focused on the compilation of the action strategy for the communities: Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali in the municipality of Klina. Moreover, the project is also focused on empowering the communities by holding various meetings and trainings in order to increase the capacities of the communities: Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali in the three municipalities. In the framework of this project, numerous meetings were held until the final drafting of the strategy for the municipality of Klina. At the same time, the project has also continued with the support of various groups and community organizations (created from last year's project for the drafting of strategies in Pejë and Istog) with small grants which have been implemented by these groups and organizations during this year in these two municipalities.

Activities and Results:

• Drafting of the Action Strategy for the communities: Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali in the municipality of Klina.

• Existence of information on advantages, strengths, weaknesses and risks elaborated by the community itself during focus group facilitations, information which will help in writing the action plan for the participation of the REA community.

• Better knowledge of the municipality with the existing problems of the REA community in their particular settlements.

• Organization of three trainings in three areas: Advocacy/lobbying, Strategic planning and Design of project proposals for steering committees where representatives of communities from villages and neighborhoods of the municipality of Klina participated as well as representatives of the municipality.

• Creating better cooperation between focus groups for joint actions

• Small grant support for focus groups and community organizations in Istog and Peja

Return and reintegration in Kosovo (RRK II)
Project name: Return and reintegration in Kosovo (RRK II)

Duration: 24 months (September 2009 – September 2011)

Place: Klinë, Ferizaj, Kastriot and Rahovec municipalities

Implementing organization: Eye of Vision in partnership with DRC (project bearer)

Budget: €48,600

Donor: Liaison Office of the European Commission and the Ministry for Return and Communities through the Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

The purpose of the project: This project aims to support the reintegration of minority communities in the municipalities of Klinë, Ferizaj, Kastriot and Rahovec, the mobilization of other local institutions and society in support of the reintegration, stabilization of the community as well as the support of the sustainable return of the displaced and social and economic reintegration activities through the increased engagement of municipal authorities. As an important part of the project is the social economic reintegration of returnees, which will be led by Local Action Groups-GVL

Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries of this project include at least 160 families from internally displaced minority communities or refugees in Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, who are informed and assisted through social and economic reintegration activities to return to Kosovo in the municipalities of Klina Ferizaj, Kastriot and Rahovec as well as the receiving community and the relevant municipal authorities which are responsible for the return and reintegration of the families.

Project implementation: This project has a capacity development program that incorporates training, workshops and on-the-job counseling for the relevant municipal authorities. In the respective municipalities during the project, advocacy initiatives are organized, which aim to increase awareness among minorities and familiarize them with the rights and municipal services that are available to them. The project envisages the establishment and facilitation of the work of Local Action Groups-GVL, which will be supported and assisted in the process of selecting beneficiaries in each of the four municipalities. There will also be facilitation of GVL meetings to supervise the implementation of socio-economic measures, local labor market research, and identification, selection, implementation and supervision of projects for inter-ethnic development and social activities to support reintegration after return.

Activities and Results:

• Formation of Local Action Groups (LAGs) in the four municipalities of Klinë, Ferizaj, Kastriot and Rahovec

• Formation of the Local Action Sub-group (NGLV);

• Assisting and organizing GVL meetings with displaced persons and the receiving community to identify problems.

• Assistance and facilitation of GVL for the identification, selection, implementation and supervision of projects for economic development and social activities after return.

"The influence of local interest groups in decision-making at the central level"
Project Title: "The influence of local interest groups on decision-making at the central level"

Duration: July 2009 – May 2011

Country: Kosovo, municipalities Pejë, Deçan, Klinë, Istog

Implementing organization(s): Eye of Vision

Budget: $61,846

Donor: ISC-USAID

The purpose of the project: The purpose of the project is to enable the influence of local interest groups (municipalities, civil society, community) in decision-making at the central level during the drafting of laws. The project aims to create a mechanism for laws that have been approved or will be approved at the central level; to start with an initiative from the interest groups coming from the local level and to influence the local level in the entire territory of Kosovo (specifically the Law on Forests has been selected); to create a mechanism for transferring the recommendations of interest groups for those laws to the central level.

Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries of this project are the municipalities of Pejë, Klinë, Deçan and Istog, 23 MPs from these municipalities, organizations that deal with the environment and, in a broader sense, the whole community.

Realization of the project: The project was developed in three lines simultaneously. The first: through joint meetings every two months in the advisory group, continuous contacts between the local level and the legislature have been maintained: 18 out of 22 deputies from the region, four municipalities, civil society and the community have coordinated the work and presentation of local interests at the level cent. Second: on behalf of local interest groups, influence was exerted on the parliament/parliamentary commission for agriculture and forestry for the drafting of a new law on forests. The third: an office was opened in the facility of the Municipality of Peja and maintained contacts between deputies and citizens.

Activities and Results:

• Organization of meetings for the clarification of legislation with MPs, the Consortium for the Empowerment of Civil Society for Advocacy in the Assembly of Kosovo, the Municipal Assembly, NGOs, etc.

• Organization of joint meetings between MPs and local interest groups to define action priorities

• Follow-up and treatment of the priority topic that has emerged (amendment and drafting of the new Law on Forests)

• Transferring the recommendations made by the working groups to the deputies

• Realization of public debates, two open debates and three televised debates

• Opening and maintaining an office to facilitate communication between MPs and interest groups in the region

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