MINELRES: King Baudouin Foundation: Update about our activities in the Balkans

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Original sender: King Baudouin Foundation <kbs-frb@kbs-frb.be>


European Fund for the Balkans

Gallup Balkan Monitor Roadshow

Two panel discussions were held in March as part of the Gallup Balkan
Monitor Roadshow. Bosnia and Herzegovina hosted the 4th in the series of
events at the Alumni Association of the Center for Postgraduate Studies
(ACIPS) in Sarajevo on March 13. March 23 saw the presentation of the
results for Montenegro by Gallup Director Robert Manchin in the
Podgorica Press Center. 
>> More information: http://www.balkan-monitor.eu/  

 
Young Western Balkans civil servants visit Brussels 

As part of the Fund�s fellowship programme for young officials from the
Western Balkans �Supporting excellence and leadership in governance�, a
group of young civil servants visited various EU institutions in
Brussels between 18-20 May, after an introductory seminar in cooperation
with the University of Potsdam. Their trip also included meetings with
representatives from the EPC, the European Stability Initiative, the
King Baudouin Foundation, the Regional Cooperation Council�s Liaison
Office, the Czech EU Presidency and the Permanent Representation of
Sweden to the EU. 
>> More information: http://balkanfund.org/index.php/News/Latest/Young-civil-
servants-visited-Brussels.html  

Further information on the European Fund for the Balkans can be found
at: 
info@balkanfund.org (in Belgrade) or on the EFB website
<http://www.balkanfund.org/>. 
 

Student Mobility 

Scholarships database for students from Western Balkans
 
According to a 2008 survey among university students in the Western
Balkans, commissioned by the King Baudouin Foundation, hindrances to
their studying abroad include lengthy and complex procedures but also a
lack of information. In response to this, the King Baudouin Foundation
has developed a 3-year information programme to increase awareness of
opportunities for studying abroad. As part of the programme, a first
draft of a database of over 300 scholarships from public and private
organizations was presented at an EU Conference on Scholarships for
Western Balkan students on May 12, organized by the Czech EU presidency
and the European Commission in cooperation with the KBF. The database
will be available on a website to be launched in autumn 2009. 
>> More information: http://www.kbs-frb.be/pressitem.aspx?
id=247370&LangType=1033 

 
United World College 

A new Belgian student in the United World College of Mostar as from
September 2009 
The United World College (UWC) of Mostar is the 12th UWC. Housed in an
existing school whose students originate from all national groups in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and further afield, the UWC-students study for
the International Baccalaureate. They are selected by a national
committee on merit and awarded a full scholarship to cover all aspects
of their 2 years of study. The Belgian UWC National Committee enjoys the
support of the King Baudouin Foundation. In September this year, Thomas
Van Vynckt who is 16 � a French-speaking student from Ixelles � will
attend the college and join Sebastiaan Debrouwere, from Ghent, who will
be starting his second year in Mostar. 
>> More information: http://www.kbs-frb.be/call.aspx?id=209844&LangType=1033 
 

Minority Rights in Practice in South-East Europe (MRP)

Guide to political participation of ethnic minorities published

NGO Common Values from Macedonia and the KBF have jointly published �A
guide to minorities and political participation in South-East Europe�.
Building on contributions made upon a regional workshop held in 2008,
the guide aims to promote common understanding of the concept of
political participation and presents practical ways for its effective
application in multi-ethnic communities. 
>> More information: http://www.kbs-frb.be/publication.aspx?
id=247160&LangType=1033  

 
MRP partners contribute to EC progress reports

On 8 June, KBF partners of the Minority Rights in Practice project
participated for the third time in informal consultation meetings with
the European Commission as part of the preparation of its 2009
enlargement package. Such meetings aim to consult the civil society in
view to the drafting of the annual progress reports on the candidate and
potential candidate countries. MRP partners also provided written
contributions focusing on the implementation of reforms and compliance
with the established conditionality in areas such as democracy, rule of
law, human and minority rights. 
>> More information: http://www.kbs-frb.be/call.aspx?id=209762&LangType=1033  

 
Small grants: Ethnobarometer workshop in Romania
 
A 2008 workshop in Istanbul concluded that although minority rights tend
to be constitutionally incorporated in most countries now, these are
rarely implemented on a daily basis at local level. A workshop to
examine this issue was held in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) on April 27, as
part of the Minorities and regional stability in South-East Europe
programme, via local case studies from the cities of Komotini (Greece),
Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Kumanovo (Macedonia) and Cluj-Napoca. 
>> More information: http://www.ethnobarometer.org/
 

Specific initiative

A conference on Islam generates significant interest

The Center for Advanced Studies hosted a conference on �The
Administration of Islamic Affairs in Secular States: the SE European
Experience� in Sarajevo, from 17-19 April. The aim was to bring together
leading researchers studying Islam and the Muslims in SE Europe for an
exchange of views on issues relating to the governance of Islam in the
region.. The idea for the conference was driven by the fact that the
administration of Islamic affairs and representation of Muslims in
secular states have become hot issues in Western European debates on the
social integration of Muslim citizens. 
>> More information: http://iseef.net/


EPC Public events

Belgrade-Pristina: Young people show the way forward

Official relations between Serbia and Kosovo remain blocked, but young
people want to resume normal relations and others have frequent informal
contacts. The governments in Belgrade and Pristina must be pressed to
move on from the �Frozen conflict� between Serbia and Kosovo. These were
some of the messages coming from speakers at an EPC Policy Dialogue
organized on 16 March with the KBF and the Compagnia di San Paolo, in
cooperation with IKV Pax Christi and South East Europe TV Exchanges. 
>> Full report: http://www.epc.eu/en/r.asp?
TYP=ER&LV=293&see=y&t=2&PG=ER/EN/detail&l=&AI=896 

 
Serbia asks EU for financial aid
 
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Delic told participants at an EPC
Breakfast Briefing, organized in cooperation with the KBF and the
Compagnia di San Paolo, that it was unjust that Serbian citizens should
bear the entire cost of a financial crisis they had not created. He said
that Serbia is taking steps to help the country, but that EU Member
States should provide support and persuade European banks to roll over
debts from Serbian companies. 
>> Full report: http://www.epc.eu/en/r.asp?
TYP=ER&LV=293&see=y&t=2&PG=ER/EN/detail&l=&AI=899  

 
Future of EU enlargement 

Speakers at an EPC Policy Dialogue, organized in cooperation with the
European Fund for the Balkans and the EXIT Festival, said that it has
clearly been a success. However, future enlargements should be carefully
managed so that citizens are made fully aware of the benefits of
enlargement, as well as the cost of not doing so. For the Western Balkan
countries, the EU perspective has created stability. A vibrant free
media together with a new generation of young people can help
involvement in change and development. 
>> Full report: http://www.epc.eu/en/r.asp?
TYP=ER&LV=293&see=y&t=2&PG=ER/EN/detail&l=&AI=912


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