Civil society organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Kosovo*, Montenegro and Serbia that focus on the protection and promotion of human rights, in partnership with journalists, their associations, networks, media organizations and journalists’ trade unions are invited to apply for the financial support from the small grants programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans”.
The objective of the small grants programme is to amplify advocacy efforts undertaken by local, national and regional civil society actors in collaboration with journalists and media organizations and to set topics of media freedom and journalists’ safety on mainstream agenda in the Western Balkans region – more specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Kosovo*, Montenegro and Serbia. Hence, the small grants programme will support locally and regionally rooted civil society initiatives, engaging human rights activists, journalists and media, aiming to protect the freedom of expression and freedom of media. The main goal is to explore the most pressing issues – either violations of journalists’ rights, or pressures to activists in a more comprehensive manner.
CSOs registered in EU member states (including Croatia and Slovenia), or in IPA countries not included in this Call (Albania and Turkey) cannot apply in the role of applicants or co-applicants (partners). However they can act as associates or providers of specific services within the project. Actions must take place in the following five countries of the Western Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. Exceptionally, some actions can take place out of the designated countries, yet within either EU member states or in Albania or Turkey if they contribute to the goals of the project.
The Call has two priorities: (1) to support projects which effectively tackle problems and obstacles faced by journalists who are under various forms of pressure and (2) to support projects which focus on pressures on human rights activists whose freedom of speech is jeopardized.
The total value of the small grants programme is 267 000 EUR, to be disbursed to 15 grantees – 5 larger regional projects and 10 smaller national projects. The time frame for the implementation of the supported projects is October 1, 2017 – August 31, 2018.
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