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Author: WeBalkans

Europe House in the Universe of Children’s Imagination

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

Around fifty children learned about clean energy and screen printing at Europe House in Montenegro. The imaginary being, “lmagi”, is made of 4 elements used as clean energy sources. The children have shown us how he looks in Europe House today.

 

In partnership with the “Moj Imaginarium” drawing school, Europe House organised an art workshop, “My Imagi EcoPrint” as part of the Europe Day celebration. “I am delighted how the children solved a not-so-simple task visually. The great interest in getting to know the screen-printing process, something completely new to them, showed how much the children love to learn and discover,” said the artist Iva Ivanović, who led the workshop.

 

Children’s task was to design their own sign that would symbolise their fingerprint as a signature to planet Earth, a pledge to protect and care for it. At the workshop, children were introduced to clean energy and screen printing. As a final product, we got confirmation and a designed “pledge” that they would implement all the things they learned about.

 

Art workshop “My Imagi EcoPrint” is one of a series of events as part of the Europe Day celebration. My Imaginarium is an artbook that combines children’s imagination with renowned Montenegrin and regional illustrators. The children had the “task” of designing and drawing an imaginary being that was later “brought to life” by the young artists.

Europe Week 2023 celebrates skills and EU support in Albania

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Europe Week 2023 started in Tirana, on May 16, with the inauguration of the mosaic of the façade of the National Historical Museum, restored thanks to the EU4Culture programme. Ahead of the inauguration ceremony, a special dance performance  took place at Skanderbeg square with choreography by Enada and Gerd Vaso. The eveningcontinued with a concert.  
The journey continued to some of Albania’s most remarkable cities, where local talents have flourished with the support of the EU. Shkodra, with its rich history and artistic heritage, will be the next stop of Europe Week 2023, on 19 May, with the authentic “Xhubleta Festival”. Producers of various elements of the xhubleta will show their skills to young people. An exhibition by photographer Roland Tasho showing personalities dressed in xhubleta, a parade with this centuries-old garment and a performance of the Shkodra Ensemble with the Xhubleta dance will close the celebrations. In Cerrik (20 May), we will hold a Training Career Day at a professional high school and celebrate the International Bee Day.  
In Vlora (21 May), known for its stunning coastline, we will highlight the positive impact of EU investments in the infrastructure of the city and the skills required to be able to offer the best service possible to the many tourists visiting the region.  
The stonemason Ermal Makri, in Gjirokastra, will show to young people through a masterclass how to make art with stones and keep the ancient family tradition alive (on 22 May). The week will close with the celebrations of Europe Week 2023 in Tirana on 26 May with a digital fair and festive concert at the Polytechnic University. 

Boosting private sector finance for investments under Global Gateway and Economic and Investment Plans

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The, European Union (EU), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and emerging-market asset manager ILX Management are partnering to boost private-sector finance in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Western Balkans, Türkiye, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia.

 

The partnership is expected to facilitate co-financing by Dutch and other European pension funds of up to €300 million over the next three years. The investments will bolster the finance available for sustainable development, particularly in climate-smart solutions, digital transformation and financial inclusion for projects that would otherwise not have benefited from private-sector participation. They will be supported by EU guarantees through the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) Guarantee Programme. The EFSD+ guarantee structure will enable ILX to co-invest with the EBRD with the same risk-return profile.

 

The EBRD is working to enhance its partnerships with private institutional investors in its countries of operation, to support its goal of doubling private co-financing by 2025. This partnership is an important part of that process.Developing greener, more inclusive and more digital economies lies at the heart of the Bank’s work in all the regions where it operates.

 

Mobilising private sector capital is also central to the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy, which aims todeliver large-scale investments of €300 billion in sustainable and high-quality projects by 2027. This strategy will support partner countries in their green and digital transition, as well as in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This partnership will provide ILX with a broader range of highly impactful investment opportunities in EBRD countries of operation that directly contribute to the SDGs in emerging markets. ILX is currently managing ILX Fund I, which investson behalf of leading Dutch pension-fund managers, including APG Asset Management. Other Dutch and European pension-fund participants are expected to join future ILX funds.

Commissioner Várhelyi in Bosnia and Herzegovina for High-Level Political Forum

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Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, will be in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, today, on 17 May. He will co-chair the first EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina High-Level Political Forum together with Borjana Krišto, the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  
The Forum, further attended by representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Heads of Clubs, the Prime Ministers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, the Prime Ministers of ten Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Mayor of Brcko District, will discuss EU reforms efforts on the path to the European Union following the European Council’s decision to grant candidate status to the country.  
In its October 2022 recommendation for candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Commission stated that it stands ready to continue supporting the efforts of Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path by further engaging in policy dialogue and by setting up a high-level political forum to monitor the implementation of the steps outlined in the recommendation and report on further progress on the ground.  
The Commission will report again in the 2023 enlargement package, expected in autumn, on the state of implementation of the 14 key priorities set out in the Commission Opinion on the EU membership application of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

#IDecide Awareness Campaign Raises Awareness on Local Elections in Albania

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During the recent Albanian local elections, #YEAs in Albania upheld the tradition of the #IDecide Awareness Campaign, aimed at promoting active participation in local elections. The campaign successfully reached four cities: Korça, Rrëshen, Selenica, and Bulqiza, where they engaged with young people to educate them about their political rights, emphasize the significance of taking part in electoral processes, and empower them to report any instances of electoral misconduct.

 

To conclude the campaign, a Final Conference was held. The conference focused on discussing the campaign’s findings and recommendations, analyzing voting trends during the elections, and highlighting the impact of corruption on voter turnout in democracies.

Border management: EU signs status agreement with Montenegro

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Today, the European Union and Montenegro have signed an upgraded agreement on operational cooperation in border management with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). The agreement was signed by Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer representing the Swedish Presidency to the Council, on behalf of the European Union, and by Interior Minister Filip Adžić, on behalf of Montenegro.

 

The signature of this agreement is a tangible deliverable on the EU Action Plan on the Western Balkans, presented by the Commission in December 2022. Strengthened operational cooperation between Western Balkans partners and Frontex will contribute to addressing irregular migration and further enhance security at the EU’s external borders.

 

Frontex already deploys around 500 officers in the region, including through joint operations at the Union’s external borders with Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia, as well as via the previous status agreement with Montenegro, which entered into force on 1 July 2020. Two ongoing joint operations are conducted under the previous status agreement with Montenegro, and will continue under this new agreement.

 

The new agreement will allow Frontex to support Montenegro through the deployment of personnel to its borders with its neighbouring Western Balkans partners, in addition to the country’s border with the European Union (as it was the case under the previous agreement).

Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi in Bulgaria to participate in the “EU meets the Balkans” Forum

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Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi, will be in Sofia on Tuesday 16 May to participate in the “EU meets the Balkans Forum” which will gather EU leaders, foreign ministers, policymakers, NGO representatives, and youth to discuss the European integration of the Western Balkans as well as the next steps towards enhanced regional cooperation. This year’s Forum is framed in the context of the 50th anniversary of the first enlargement of the EU but also in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as 14 months has passed since the beginning of the war.

 

Commissioner Várhelyi will address the conference on common challenges faced by the EU and the region.

 

In the margins of the Forum, Commissioner Várhelyi will hold bilateral talks with Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria, leaders of GERB and Change Continues (CC) / Democratic Bulgaria and Danijela Djurovic, President of the Parliament of Montenegro.

 

The Commissioner’s speech at the Forum as well as videos and pictures of the mission will be available on EbS.

EDUINO: How North Macedonia’s Largest Digital Education Library was Born

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From Short-Term Solution to National Resource: The Journey of EDUINO in Digital Education

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools closed and remote learning became necessary, it became clear that North Macedonia was ill-equipped to handle the transition from traditional education to digital remote learning. There were insufficient digital resources to support this and teachers were generally unprepared for digital education. As in other parts of the region, the authorities were struggling to cope with the challenge and required assistance.

The non-governmental organization SmartUp – Social Innovation Lab, with the financial and technical support from UNICEF, Bureau for Development of Education (BDE), and the key educational institutions in the country, had been working for the past four years to support innovation and co-creation within the education sector. They had already trained a solid group of collaborators and developed some initial platforms, which they could rapidly restructure to address these challenges. They accepted the challenge and began creating what is now known as the largest digital education library in North Macedonia.

“We expected to receive maybe 100 or 200 video lessons at the beginning. However, in the first two or three days, we had over 600 video lessons submitted by the teachers across the country. It was thrilling.”

Aleksander Lazovski, co-founder of SmartUp, has revealed that the organisation with support from BDE advisors immediately launched a call for teachers to submit short video lessons for the EDUINO platform, after they took on the task of providing digital resources to support remote learning in North Macedonia. “We expected to receive maybe 100 or 200 video lessons at the beginning. However, in the first two or three days, we had over 600 video lessons submitted by the teachers across the country. It was thrilling,” said Aleksandar.

This initial success led the founders to see the potential for EDUINO as a long-term national solution for digital education in North Macedonia. The platform shifted towards this goal after the crisis period, becoming what the founders call a “Collective portal for digital educational solutions.” The platform is built on the idea of co-creation and community action, offering resources for teachers, parents, and learners in pre-primary, primary, and secondary education.

EDUINO now includes three main sections: EDUINO Teaching and Learning, EDUINO – Early Childhood Development (ECD) and EDUINO Laboratory. EDUINO Teaching and Learning houses a video lessons library, tutorials on 21st digital skills for educators, digital games, and learning resources. EDUINO ECD offers play-based activities and professional development opportunities. Lastly, EDUINO Laboratory is a 2D virtual science lab that offers experiential learning about scientific concepts and climate change.

“These EU funded webinar series have directly supported the professional development of at least 5000 educators in North Macedonia.”

About the project

EDUINO, North Macedonia’s platform for digital learning, fostered a community of practice and successfully crowdsourced a large amount of educational content from teachers and educators around the country within weeks of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project has achieved considerable success in terms of numbers and outcomes. Some notable achievements include the creation of over 4500 video lessons, which have received around seven million views, as well as the development of approximately 800 play-based activities aimed at helping children aged 3-10 learn complex educational concepts while improving their socioemotional skills. The project has also attracted over 25,000 registered members of the EDUINO community.

The European Union has recognized the impact and potential of EDUINO and through UNICEF has supported the project by becoming a partner. The EU has funded the EDUINO Webinar series, which provides interactive events for participants to follow 60-90 minute lectures on innovative and advanced topics in the field of education through examples of good practices and advice from practitioners or experts. According to Aleksandar, the EDUINO Webinar series has been a huge success, with a total of 42 webinars conducted so far and an average of 1800 participants per event. “These EU funded webinar series have directly supported the professional development of at least 5000 educators in North Macedonia,” he adds.

The webinars are designed to provide teachers with opportunity for continuing professional development. They’re also connected to a system that helps teachers advance in their careers in the country. This means that teachers have the chance to become mentors and advisors and make a positive impact on the quality of education in their school. Today, the EDUINO Webinar series is one of the most recognized online resources for acquiring skills in the field of education and, according to statistics from SmartUp, the most viewed online webinars in the country.

 

Empowering People with Disabilities in Montenegro

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From Medical to Rights-Based Assessments: A New Era for Disability Evaluation in Montenegro.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 10% of the global population has some form of disability. This statistic is also reflected in Montenegro, where data from the 2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings conducted by Monstat indicates that 11% of the Montenegrin population, equivalent to 68,064 individuals, face challenges in their daily activities due to long-term illness, disability, or age. These individuals encounter difficulties in carrying out essential daily tasks or participating in various activities. It was during this census that data on the existence of such difficulties in performing activities of daily living were collected for the first time.

The process of assessing and determining disabilities is an official procedure necessary to establish eligibility for services, products, or benefits. It serves as the gateway through which individuals seeking disability-related support, whether provided publicly or privately, must pass. In Montenegro, the system of disability assessment and determination has been characterized by complexity, decentralization, lack of coordination, and reliance on an outdated medical model. To address this issue, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is collaborating with Montenegrin authorities and receiving support from the European Union to bring about positive change in this area.

“I enjoy working with machines. We create boxes, baskets, and magnets. We cut and assemble them. It’s a pleasant environment to work in; I feel right at home.”

Ismar Ramović, a diligent and cheerful worker from Tuzi, is someone every employer would want to have on their team, as described by Nebojša Milikić, his employer. After completing his education, Ismar waited patiently for almost three years before finding employment. Today, he is one of ten individuals with disabilities working for the company, where he specializes in crafting souvenirs. “I enjoy working with machines. We create boxes, baskets, and magnets. We cut and assemble them. It’s a pleasant environment to work in; I feel right at home,” shares Ismar.

To secure his right to work, Ismar had to navigate through lengthy and intricate procedures, similar to others with disabilities. Apart from the medical assessment, Ismar also had to face two additional disability assessment commissions. “Meeting those commissions makes me anxious. I worry because I’m unsure if they will approve my allowance,” he expresses.

With support from the “Reform of the National Disability Assessment System” project, funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Montenegrin Government and NGOs, a centralized assessment process is being established to evaluate disabilities and the needs of all individuals with disabilities. This reform aims to simplify procedures and eliminate over 30 different commissions.

The primary objective of this reform is to facilitate the exercise of rights for people with disabilities in a more fair manner. The medical model will be replaced by a disability assessment model based on human rights. As a result, over 50,000 individuals with disabilities in Montenegro will experience greater ease in exercising their rights, with significantly reduced administrative procedures.

“I wish I could complete everything, all administrative procedures, in one place without having to wait. I’m not fond of crowds and waiting.”

About the project

The specific objective of the EU funded “Reform of the National Disability Assessment System” project is the reform of the national Disability Assessment and Determination System. The reform will enable persons with disabilities to enjoy fair treatment, easier and equal access to all social security entitlements and better social inclusion prospects. With this the project is aiming to achieve the following results:  Development and adoption of new standardized, unified, national functionalities/abilities-based criteria for disability and Institutional rightsizing reorganization – by downsizing of current 26 Commissions (with about 120 remunerated expert associates) to one unique Commission.

“I wish I could complete everything, all administrative procedures, in one place without having to wait. I’m not fond of crowds and waiting,” expresses Ismar. In Montenegro, individuals with intellectual disabilities often face a lack of understanding, support, and acceptance from society. However, Ismar’s experience is different. “I socialize with my colleagues at work, and we often go for coffee together. Sometimes we even play football or basketball,” he adds.

According to his employer, Nebojša, Ismar has made remarkable progress and has become an integral part of the team. “Through his work and accomplishments, he contributes not only to himself and our company but also to society as a whole. The contribution of the remaining 15 employees cannot outweigh the contributions made by Ismar and other individuals with disabilities who work here,” states Nebojša.

The government provides benefits to employers who hire individuals with disabilities, including salary subsidies and funds for workplace adaptations. “It is crucial to tailor tasks according to their abilities, and success is guaranteed. I encourage all employers to follow my example and employ people with disabilities. I am confident they won’t regret it,” encourages Nebojša.

Calls Opens for EU Investigative Journalism Award 2023

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The EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2023 is now accepting submissions. Once again, the prestigious award celebrates the best investigative stories published in the previous calendar year and open to journalists from the Western Balkans and Türkiye.  
This year, as well as national awards, the EU Award is introducing a regional award for the best stories from the entire region based on clearly defined criteria. This new category is an exciting development that will encourage journalists to think beyond national borders and tackle issues that affect the entire region.  
The annual award fund for each of the countries is 10,000 euros and the prize fund for regional awards is also 10,000 euros. The three best stories of the year are awarded, and the amount for national and regional prizes is 5,000 euros (first place), 3,000 (second), and 2,000 (third).  
Stories that can be nominated should contribute to freedom of expression, the rule of law and transparency. They should cover a variety of topics affecting national and regional economies, challenges to countries’ EU integration processes and issues such as organised crime, corruption, the rise of extremism, various forms of foreign influence, human rights violations, including those in the digital sphere, as well as other topics with which the public would not otherwise be familiar.  
Entries can be nominated for the national or regional award, or for both, and this possibility is offered through the application form itself. Additionally, one candidate may apply to the competition with several stories.  
The winners from the national awards in the Western Balkan region and Türkiye automatically become candidates for the regional EU award for investigative journalism, if their application form so states. The jury for both the national and the regional awards consists of local and international media experts, editors, members of academia and journalists with merits.