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Author: WeBalkans

Better communication of projects on art, culture and public space

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in Stories.

An EU-funded project supports an NGO from Kosovo to upgrade their social media capacities.

Foundation 17 is a non-governmental organisation from Kosovo initiated by activists Nita Zeqiri and Ajete Kerqeli. Their cooperation initially started as a collaboration for creating visual and intellectual artistic work that explores psychological and social perspective through video-experimental art. They had ideas and motivation, but although these two elements were important, they were not enough: the activists needed support in terms of more collaborators, funds and – most importantly – working and exhibition space. As they were aware that these problems were faced by most artists in Kosovo, they decided to start an initiative that would help not only themselves, but also the Kosovan cultural scene in general.

As they were beginners in this business and it was difficult to get funds from donors, they decided to rent and refurbish a space with the funds from their own savings, and launched a project space which is open also to other artists and organisations.

“Foundation 17 seeks to foster positive change in society by empowering communities through cultural activism.”

Liri Hashani joined Foundation 17 three months after the launch of Project Space 17, initially as a project space assistant later promoted to be social media and outreach coordinator. She explains that the organisation was built on the personal experience of the founders and the need to restore the function of alternative public spaces. In addition, they believed that art and culture are means that can be used to initiate important social change. As Liri summarises it, “Foundation 17 seeks to foster positive change in society by empowering communities through cultural activism”.

Since their launch in 2018, the organisation has implemented a number of projects by bringing together new ideas from people of different backgrounds and professions, by uniting art, touching on different social issues and trying to engage young people in different forms.

One of their programmes is Metamorphosis, which aims to bring arts and culture into dialogue in order to discuss the importance of using public space. By reviving and revitalising abandoned buildings even if for a single day, the goal is to document the collective memory of a past that is rarely talked about, and to address the use of public space for the benefit of the community. So far, they have intervened in four abandoned spaces where they had direct artistic interventions but also produced publications that present and analyse the connection between buildings, monuments and public awareness.

Another programme is Galeria 17 where they have rented and revitalised an old car mechanic workshop, turning it into a permanent art exhibition space through a crowdfunding campaign with the support of the artistic community. With a distinct focus on social issues, artists and curators in Galeria 17 experiment with concepts, ideas and space.

“The EU support was very helpful, because it enabled me to improve my skills but also enabled me to see another perspective on how social media should be coordinated. “

About the project 

EU TACSO is a regional project, funded by the European Union, that improves the capacity and role of civil society organisations (CSOs). The project assists CSOs to take an active part in democratic processes in the region, and stimulates an enabling environment for civil society and pluralistic media development.

The project works in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. The EU TACSO project is a part of the Civil Society Facility EU mechanism that provides support to CSOs in those countries that are not yet part of the EU. CSOs play an important role for the EU as key actors in supporting their countries’ accession process.

However, the organisation has also had support from international donors in implementing their programmes and upgrading their management and administration capacities. One of the projects that supported them was the EU’s Technical Assistance to Civil Society Organisations in the Western Balkans and Turkey (EU TACSO). Liri explains that they had had regular communication activities, however, they were still working to upgrade their social media strategy, and this was her first job as a social media coordinator. EU TACSO supported Liri with training which was followed up by one-to-one coaching. “The EU support was very helpful, because it enabled me to improve my skills but also enabled me to see another perspective on how social media should be coordinated,” says Liri.

Ambassador Giaufret submits the EC report to the Speaker of the National Assembly in Serbia

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On 18 October, Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret submitted the European Commission’s annual report to the Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia, Vladimir Orlić, and thanked him for the opportunity to discuss the recommendations of the report.  
Ambassador Giaufret noted that the report highlighted the need for Serbia to align progressively with EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, and also reiterated specifically the parts of the report on the rule of law. Russian aggression in Ukraine has put enlargement at the centre of political attention and this is the time to come together and accelerate the pace of reform. The report highlighted that further work and political commitment were needed to continue and deepen reforms and address shortcomings. These were particularly mentiond in the key areas of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organised crime, media freedom, freedom of assembly and the domestic handling of war crimes.  
The Ambassador stressed that the report gives credit to improvements of the electoral framework through implementation of the measures identified during the inter-party dialogue and some of the ODIHR recommendations.

EU Cooperation Day 2022 celebrated in Berane

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EU Cooperation Day 2022 was celebrated in Berane where representatives of the Ministry of European Affairs, the Delegation of the European Union in Montenegro, and the Municipality of Berane visited EU project sites around the city. First, they visited the wastewater treatment plant, the largest infrastructure project in Berane, financed by the European Union with €8 million.

 

“We had the opportunity to see how the plant works and demonstrate that we can be an example of good practice for other municipalities in the surrounding area with this project,” said the Mayor of Berane, Vuko Todorović.

 

Representatives of the Ministry and the EU Delegation also visited the Cultural Centre, where the heating system was reconstructed and the institution’s energy efficiency improved. The EU project enabled the heating system to function even during the winter months, which had not been the case before. The reconstruction was carried out as part of the CO-CLEAN project, financed through the Interreg IPA cross-border cooperation programme Italy – Albania – Montenegro 2014-2020.

 

The EU Cooperation Day ended with a free concert by the KIC pop choir at the Cultural Centre.

Screening of Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth cluster kicks off as part of negotiations process with Albania and North Macedonia

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On 17 October, the European Commission further advanced the screening process with Albania and North Macedonia. Screening is the first step in the accession negotiation process, and the screening process is structured along six thematic clusters. These clusters encompass the relevant acquis chapters along broad themes related to good governance, the internal market, economic competitiveness and connectivity.

 

Experts from the European Commission, Albania and North Macedonia have begun examining EU laws and policies under Cluster 3 on Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth. This cluster encompasses digital transformation and media, science and research, and enterprise and industrial policy, as well as social policy and employment, and education and culture. Chapters include the customs union, economic and monetary policy, and taxation.

 

The analytical examination of the body of EU laws (acquis), the so-called screening, enables candidate countries to familiarise themselves with the EU laws and standards and the obligations they entail. It also allows examination of the countries’ levels of preparedness and plans for further alignment, and thus offers preliminary indications of the issues most likely to come up in the negotiations.

EU and Western Balkans mobile operators to work together on steps to start roaming charge reduction

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European Union and Western Balkans mobile operators met on 19 October to discuss a roadmap for lowering the roaming charges between the EU and our region, at a meeting organised by the European Commission. EU Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, and  Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Majlinda Bregu addressed the meeting participants and it was agreed to continue the work on the steps that should lead to the start of the reduction of data roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans soon. The ultimate goal is that by 2027 there will be a reduction of roaming prices to close to national level.    
The RCC, European Commission and mobile operators from the EU and the Western Balkans have met several times during 2021 and 2022, ensuring the sustainability and consistency of this process, addressing needs and challenges together. The RCC is committed to maintaining a more structured consultation process with the EU and Western Balkans mobile operators through the Advisory and Coordination Group that is set to be launched soon. 

EU4Youth Days in Brussels with YEA participation

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The EU4Youth Days activities organised on 11 and 13 October in Brussels brought together youth workers and practitioners, policy-makers and researchers from the Eastern Partnership region, the Western Balkans and Turkey, and the Southern Neighbourhood. Led by the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), this event provided an opportunity to take part in discussions about youth participation and dialogue, youth employment and entrepreneurship, green transition and digitalisation.  
Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) from the Western Balkans also participated in the activities. YEAs had an opportunity to take part in the campaign video marking the European Year of Youth and were selected to attend the EU4Youth event. From the start of the event, WeBalkans, along with EU Neighbours East and South representatives, participated in an Instagram takeover with @eu_near where they provided the audience with an inside view on the event and interviews with some of the speakers.  
The first day included the EU4Youth Days conference which focused on strengthening youth capacities to develop their own resilience. Young European Ambassadors Šerif Salihović and Suhel Ahmeti were involved in the discussions and asked questions of the speakers throughout the day.  
The next day, Hadžera Selimović and Stjuart Islamaj held a session within the knowledge sharing event where they presented the YEA network and talked about what it means to be a YEA, how they contribute and how the network has grown over time.

Nominations open for Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award

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The Mayor of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, announced the opening of nominations for the 2022 Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award for local champions of freedom and solidarity and the fight against intolerance, oppression and xenophobia. She was speaking today, at the general assembly of International Cities of Refuge Network.  
The award is to city leaders, civic leaders, or organisations working in partnership with local and regional authorities, who build bridges and tear down walls, with a clear sense of responsibility for future generations and who does not shy from any urgent battle for human rights and civil liberties, locally, nationally or internationally.  
​​​​​​​​​​Paweł Adamowicz was the long-serving Mayor of the City of Gdańsk when he was murdered in January 2019 whilst carrying out his public duties. His murder was preceded by an upsurge of hate speech directed against him. The establishment of this Award is also recognition of everyone who works with courage and integrity against intolerance, radicalisation, hate speech, oppression and xenophobia, and who works to promote equal opportunities, social integration and fundamental rights.  
It is a partnership between the City of Gdańsk, the European Committee of the Regions, which Mr Adamowicz was a member of, and the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), which the City of Gdańskjoined under the mayorship of Mr Adamowicz.