NEWS ARCHIVE

From Daily VIJESI - Podgorica

NGO "Enfants" organized exams in primary school in Berane for displaced Roma and Egyptians
EXAMS FOR ROMA AND EGYPTIANS

January 2005. ROZAJE/BERANE - NGO "Enfants" that is active in Northern Montenegro organized exams for young Roma and Egyptians that are not integrated in regular school system in primary school in Berane. According to the "Enfants" president Smail Pepic, knowledge of youngsters was verified by the commission comprised of teachers of the "Vukasin Radunovic" primary school. 22 children passed one of the grades of primary school, while 9 of them completed 8-year elementary education, which makes them the second generation of Roma and Egyptian pupils that completed primary school in town.
Mr. Pepic added that "Enfants" will make efforts to help children which will complete primary school by the June 2005 and have wish to continue education, to enroll in some of the secondary schools in Berane. NGO "Enfants" projects are supported by the Norwegian People's Aid, Montenegrin Pedagogic Centre and the Government of Montenegro.

Group "Hajde da...": The animated movie "It is so unfair".

December 2004. One of the NPA's partners, Group "Hajde da..." has a pleasure to inform you that promotion of the animated movie "It is so unfair" took place in O3ONE galery, on Decembar, 15th, 2004. Serial "It is so unfair" has five episodes. It referes on important aspects of school life, such as predjudices discrimination and violence, but also tolerance and cooperation. We trully hope that soon you will have the oportunity to see it on television. Marko Pejovic and Stanislava Vuckovic.
GRUPA "HAJDE DA..." Resavska 21 11000 Beograd tel. +381 (0)11 3230 474 tel-fax. +381 (0)11 3343 820 www.hajdeda.org.yu

December 2004. Delegation of FIDH (International Human Rights Organization) based in Paris, represented by Dr. Joël Hubrecht and Dr. Boris Najman visited Kraljevo in period of 20 into 21 December. Visit has been organized by the Forum NGOs – Kraljevo, which is member of Lingua and Centre for Antiwar Action – Belgrade. Mission of FIDH delegation was introduction with health protection system, social and economic situation and problems in Serbia, also as a preparing of an official report for the UN Commission for a health, social and culture. During visit delegation has visited several local institutions, such as Public Health protection Centre “Studenica”, Centre for Social Work and Institute for a Health Protection. Delegation has also visited three collective centres where are settled a refuges from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and IDPs from Kosovo. During that visit the members of delegation has noticed very hard and bad situation of beneficiaries of this centres. In LINGUA Centre, Lingua Project Coordinators have introduced delegation with activities of Lingua NGO that are sponsored by the Norwegian People's Aid in Kraljevo and its surroundings.

December 2004. TRAINING OF TRAINERS FOR THE CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING VIRTUAL ENTERPRISES was realized during studies stay in Celje, Slovenia, in December within implementation of the Employment Promotion Project realised by Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy of Serbian Government in four pilot municipalities in Serbia (Kraljevo, Nis, Pancevo and Lazarevac). Training for creating and implementing Virtual enterprises in the next four months will attend representatives of the local management from the pilot municipalities, representatives of the National Agency for Employment and two representatives of NGO LINGUA , NPA’s local implementing partner from Kraljevo.

Association of independent media (ANEM) launched from 15 November a new informative service National News. The service is designed to provide relevant information of national importance to the radio stations on daily basis, from 10 am until 4 pm. During the week, the service broadcasts two-minute bulletins of the most important national news on every hour, and two-minute news bulletins every two hours during the weekend. The news cover all events and issues in the fields of politics, culture, economy, sports, health etc. National News are produced by the team of young but experienced journalists, together with the team of editors and numerous correspondents from Serbia. Full text...

November 24-28 - Media and Corruption is the topic of the seminar for professional journalists held in Belgrade's Center for Professionalization of Media (CPM). This is the first in the series of five seminars under the common title "Media and Conflict", sponsored by the Norwegian People's Aid.

The participants come from the country's leading newspapers and news agencies. The lecturers are renowned local experts of different profiles: attorneys, judges and media experts.

The next seminar from the same cycle, dedicated to professional and ethical standards of reporting in the situation of ethnic conflict, will take place in December this year. The remaining three seminars will deal with media in the situation of a conflict of political parties and interests, media in the media market, media and the judiciary.

The participants' training kits will include copies of "Ethics of Journalism", a textbook whose publication was sponsored by the NPA.

November 2004 - After successfully completing the six-month course, ten students of Montenegro Media Institute (MMI) School of Journalism 2004 were awarded diplomas. Full text...

DON'T TAX READING
The Association of Private Media (APM) appealed to the Serbian Government to revise the tax policy towards the print media and news agencies with regard to the enforcement of the Law on Value Added Tax, announced for January 1, 2005. The APM stated that the Government should envisage the possibility to exempt print media from VAT. According to the tax regulation, print media would be subjected to VAT in the amount of 8 percent.

WITHDRAW OF CANDIDATES FOR BROADCAST COUNCIL
The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists (NUNS), the Independent Association of Vojvodina Journalists (NDNV), the Association of Serbian Composers and the Association of Serbian Dramatic Artists, on October 19, 2004, decided to withdraw their nominations for members of the Broadcast Council and take no further part in coordinating the lists of candidates nominated jointly by public broadcasters, media associations, journalism associations and associations of film and dramatic artists and composers. Full text...

09.11.2004 NPA's cooperating partner UNEM has established a team of lawyers, that will be providing contiuing legal support free of charge to media and journalists. The support will be given both in court and by providing juditial advice to specific media or journalists. A strategic choice of defence cases will be made. UNEM has provided initial funding with 10000EUR. See UNEM's press release for details (in Serbian).

08.11.2004 NPA attended Stability Pact Media Task Force co-ordination meeting in Amsterdam

Delegation from the Norwegian Ministry for Foreign Affairs headed by the Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Traavik visited NPA’s project site in Kraljevo

03.11.2004 a delegation consisting of Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Kim Traavik, Jan Braathu, State Undersecretary for Western Balkans, Anne Lene Sandsten from the MFA European Section and Dagfrid Hjorthol, MFA Desk Officer, together with H.E. the Ambassador of Norway in Serbia and Montenegro Mr. Hans Ola Urstad visited one of the NPA’a project sites in Kraljevo.
Fred Rasmussen, NPA Regional Representative for South East Europe and Zarko Komatina, NPA’s Programme Coordinator gave an introductory briefing. At the Community Centre that is run by the NPA’s local partner NGO LINGUA, the Head of LINGUA, Radovan Milicevic, informed the guests of the Centre’s activities for IDPs and refugees.

After the presentation of the projects implemented in the LINGUA Centre, Mr. Traavik expressed his satisfaction with the work of NPA and its local partner in Kraljevo and showed full understanding of the position of the IDPs and refugees, the beneficiaries of the Center. At the end of the visit Deputy Foreign Minister had a brief press conference in Lingua Center for local media, in which he reiterated his strong belief that Serbia belongs to Europe.

02.11.2004 LAW ON FREE ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACCEPTED
The Serbian Parliament adopted the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance. The Law was adopted with the support of 147 out of 231 deputies from the ranks of Democratic Party (DS), Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and G17 Plus. The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) refused to vote after their amendments were not accepted.

22.10.2004 Norwegian Ambassador to Bosnia officially opened the Mine Detection Dog Centre in Bosnia. Located in Sarajevo, the centre trains dogs to clear landmines in all the countries where Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) has a mine detection dog programme.

From left: Fred Rasmussen, Regional Representative SEE,
Henrik Ofstad, Ambassador in Bosnia,
Eva Bjoreng, Secretary General NPA and
Embassy Advisor Jon Hanssen
Photo: Ellen Heggestad, NPA

19.10.2004 A new concept of monitoring has been developed for NPA Mine Action programme. Norwegian People's Aid Monitoring Team has started their work on-field in Bosnia and Herzegovina during week 44.

04.10. 2004 a contract was signed between NPA SEE and Regional Center of Civic Action LINGUA for the project activities in Kraljevo area. Lingua will until May 2005 implement eight activities that are targeting IDP and refugee population from the Collective Canters in and around Kraljevo. Activities that will include about 3000 IDPs and refugees are: Micro-crediting, Volunteer’s Center (“A Friend in Need”), Social Cooperative, Women’s Workshop, Cooperation with the Local Self-Governance, Info Center, Medical advisory and the Kindergarten. NPA is donating 134.844.00 € for the implementation of the above mentioned activities.

01.10.2004 New donations a contract signed with International Trust Fund in Ljubljana for 600 000 USD for the clearance of Dragalic, Western Slavonia. German FFO will provide funding for the technical survey operation in Brcko. (194 000 Euro).

27.09.2004 New donations a contract has been signed with Swiss DFA, which will provide funding of two manual clearance teams working in Sarajevo Canton (200 000 CHF).

03.05.2004 Union of Women's Organizations of the Republic of Macedonia NPA in cooperation with local partner organization, Union of Women's Organizations of the Republic of Macedonia, will organize Second Annual Regional Women Can Do It Conference in Skopje on May 26-27. The conference will gather women activists, politicians and organizers of the Women Can Do It programme in Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Aim of the conference is to exchange the experiences and develop future strategy.

26.04.2004 During 2002 and 2003, NPA has supported our partner in Kraljevo, Lingua, with total EUR 21,000 to the benefit of micro credits for IDPs, refugees and local population, both men and women. Currently, 119 beneficiaries in programme and credit portfolio has increased to 67,600. Since its inception, the total number of beneficiaries is 702. Repayment rate is at 95,8%. The programme is expected to continue in 2004.

24.02.2004 New donation of Government of Norway The Government of Norway has again contributed EUR 3.670.000 towards the support of demining activities undertaken by Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia in 2004. Part of the donation will also be earmarked for rehabilitation of mine victims from the region of South East Europe. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Jan Braathu, Deputy Director General at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.