Full Coverage: South East Europe

31.10.2006 The activists of MJAFT Movement in Lexha protested, on Sunday, October 29, the problematic environmental situation this town. They have taken photos of places covered up with garbage scattered all over the town and they have invited the locals to sign a petition, as they were watching the 120 photos displayed, addressed to the local authorities in which they urged them to change this situation.

31.10.2006 The Referendum on the New Constitution of Serbia succeeded, reports CeSID on the basis of its exit poll conducted on a representative sample of 600 ballot stations. 51.6% of all registered voters voted for the New Constitution. In absolute numbers, that is 108,000 votes more than the required threshold.

31.10.2006 The Government of Croatia announced last weekend that all employees receiving salaries from the State Budget will have to pass, over the coming two or three years, the ECDL Programme (European Computer Driving Licence). ECDL is internationally recognized computer literacy standard, designed under the “Leonardo da Vinci” Programme, implemented by the European Commission.

30.10.2006 “Unija” Coordination Body of Associations of Downsized Workers whose legal status remains unsolved, demands from the Government and the Parliament to solve the status of former workers who lost their jobs as redundant or downsized workers, or when their companies went bankrupt.

30.10.2006 VESTA Association from Tuzla started the realization of its Respect Equality (Reintegration, Education, Promotion, Strengthening, Moving towards Equality) project.

27.10.2006 Zeleni Neretve, Konjic-based civic association for the preservation of Neretva river, recently sent an open letter to all people connected with the river to get involved protecting it from the intended construction of hydro-electric power-plants in its upper valley.

27.10.2006 Marijana Pajvancic, professor of Constitutional Law at Novi Sad University, said last night, at the “Boycott, Of Course!” debate held at the Museum of Vojvodina, that the referendum process won’t be controlled properly, having in mind that the Referendum Commission members come solely from the ranks of political parties that support the New Constitution.

26.10.2006 Albania participated in the global STAND UP! campaign to reach a new Guinness world record for the largest number of people standing up at the same time in the fight against poverty.

26.10.2006 The Ministry of Environmental Protection, Spatial Planning and Construction (MZOPU) released the draft-Rulebook on Management of Waste Oils. This is another of planned rulebooks designed to raise the levels of environmental protection, secure the implementation of legislation on waste management and European directives.

26.10.2006 The Regional Environmental Centre for CEE (REC), with the support by the Swedish Agency for International Development (SIDA), Announces the start of the first round of the Call for Proposals for funding of projects of environmental organizations on the subject of urban environment and sustainability in the region of Western Balkans.

26.10.2006 The Intiative for Boycott of the Referendum on the New Constitution, started by Vojvodina based non-governmental organizations, demanded from the state authorities to start ex officio investigation on the incident in Tuesdays’ rally in Belgrade, accompanied with insults on a whole nation, the NGO and political party activists who support the boycott of the coming Referendum.

26.10.2006 Several major national Albanian children rights organisations promoted, on October 24, 2006, the establishment of a new Coalition against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children in Albania. The Coalition which will be known under the acronym ACTSEC has been accepted as an associate group of ECPAT International.

26.10.2006 Currently in 2006, Kosovars are generally less satisfied with the provision of public services than they were in 2003 according to data in a newly published report by Index Kosova, within a UNDP project Kosovo Mosaic.

25.10.2006 The 4th Annual Assembly of the Federation of NGOs in Serbia(FeNS) was held in Belgrade, October 21-22, with participation of over 150 representatives of member-organizations.

25.10.2006 The Montenegrin T-Com announced that it will secure free ADSL internet for all elementary and secondary schools in Montenegro for the next five years. The company sees this as a contribution to the process of increasing computer literacy among the population of Montenegro.

25.10.2006 The 7th Peace Unlimited Festival, organized by CIVIL NGO from Skopje, starts this evening, Wednesday, November 25, 2006, at the Youth Cultural Centre in Skopje.

25.10.2006 “The Key is in Your Hands”, a documentary film for the education of the Roma was announced the greatest achievement in television journalism by the UN System in Macedonia, under the framework of the International Week of Fight against Poverty.

25.10.2006 The Media Development Centre is the only specialized non-governmental organization in Macedonia working on issues of media legislation and policy. We talked to Roberto Belicanec, MDC Executive Director, about the situation in Macedonian civil sector, its relationship with the media and attacks on the organization.

24.10.2006 MJAFT Movement organized a roundtable discussion on October 19, with participation of deans and rectors of public universities, to discuss the problematic issues that universities are recently facing, one of which is the issue of the draft Law on Education.

24.10.2006 Under the framework of the “Be Part of the Solution, Not the Problem” National Campaign, series of educational and cultural events will be held in Skopje, under the motto “Attention! Prejudice Overdose”. The National Campaign aims to introduce the general public about the problem for reduction of damages and stigmatization and discrimination of drug-abusers and their families.