YIHR awards five Non-Governmental Organizations in Kosovo with Grants

For the fifth year in a row, Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Kosovo has continued awarding Non – Governmental Organizations from Kosovo with Grants, within the Small Grants Program. This is the first round for the year 2011 and there will be two more rounds in the upcoming months. This Program is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

Awarded organizations in the first round are:

1. CIVITA is a recently established NGO that works on promoting efficient and representative public policies that are made according to citizens’ interests. Civita is dedicated to having good governance that is based in democratic principles, responsible and accountable institutions and for law-making with active citizens’ participation. The project supported by YIHR is aiming to initiate discussion on electoral reform at the local level and in drafting and publishing an analysis on electoral reform as an alternative for amending electoral legislation.

2. International Progressive Education (IPE) is an educational non-profit organization established in 2009. IPE was formed by local and international educators and social activists dedicated to providing unique educational opportunities for Kosovar youth, promoting social activism among the youth of Kosovo, and advancing scholarly understanding of education in Kosovo. The project supported by YIHR aims to provide instruction and support in the development of critical and creative thinking among high school students, and to provide an opportunity for youth interethnic interaction and appreciation of peer critical and creative presentations.

3. Committee for the protection of Women and human rights was formed in 1999 in Fushë Kosova, and represents one of the first minority NGO’s in Kosovo. Aim of this organization was to gather predominantly women and young girls with the overall goal to enable an equal access of women into Kosovo reality, with the accent into minority. The aim of the project supported by YIHR is informing youth in villages of Fushë Kosova municipality for the rights which belong to them and participation on decisions making and improving the continuous cooperation of youth in Fushë Kosova municipality with institutions on local level through incorporation of youth into the work of dwelling councils, committee for communities and security in Kosovo Polje municipality.

4. The Research Institute on State-building in Kosovo (RISK) is an independent think tank devoted to promote and improve the quality of the debate and analysis on the ongoing process of state-building in Kosovo and wider. RISK believes in the principles of freedom, free society and responsibility and it generates its inspiration based on these principles. The project supported by YIHR aims to address the current relative absence of trust and interaction between the Kosovo Serb community and the Government of Kosovo. In other words, to influence positively Kosovo Government policies, towards Kosovo Serbs in general, and, towards Youth of Kosovo Serb community, in particular.

5. Scardus is non-profit organization established in summer of 2010, by people from Western Balkans (Kosovo, Serbia, Albania and Macedonia) dedicated to development of sport, culture, healthy human relations and nature protection. The aim of project supported by YIHR is to engage and involve youth from different communities in Kosovo, especially from Strpce municipality to take part in social and sports activities.