Full Coverage: South East Europe

28.02.2006 In 2005, the Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with Save the Children UK program in Montenegro and Professor Radoje Korac, PhD, Law Faculty, department for family law, formed a working group to develop a draft Law on the protection from violence in the family.

28.02.2006 The leadership of the Kosova Art Gallery (GAK) as a continuity of its requirement for the right over the building of former hotel “Union” which is located in the downtown of Kosova’s capital, yesterday (Monday) has placed a four meters cloth transparent with the text of the Regulation No.2003/13 - On the Transformation of the Right of Use to Socially Owned Immovable Property.

28.02.2006 Last thursday, 23 February, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Croatian Business Council for Sustainable Development organized, under the “Croatian Responsible Business Agenda 2006” initiative, a presentation of GRI guidelines reporting on socially responsible business and their translation into Croatian.

28.02.2006 The Council for Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms – CDHRF, says that the Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian IDP’s, which remain in camps in Northern Kosovo since the end of teh war in Kosovo in 1999, live in extremely difficult conditions, exposed to the high risks to their health presented by high lead presence in their blood. This is nothing new and at the same time known to everyone. But, so far nothing serious has been undertaken to rectify their issue”.

27.02.2006 The e-Riders project is designed to strengthen the capacities of the civil organizations in Macedonia to present their messages, promote citizens participation in public affairs, make coalitions and serve their communities better.

27.02.2006 The first SOS Phone-Line for Roma Women Victims of Violence in Serbia was opened in Nis. The SOS Phone is open to women and children from other ethnic communities, while the volunteers can communicate in Romani and Serbian languages.

27.02.2006 The Centre for Modern Skills, in cooperation with the Belgrade Centre for Political Excellence and the Provincial Secretariat of Labour, Employment and Gender Equality, will organize the conference Towards Gender Equality Law – Serbia’s European Perspectives. The Conference is scheduled to take place in Belgrade, 16 March 2006.

24.02.2006 They are running factories and non-profits, leading campaigns and demonstrations, and standing up to government oppression around the world. They are mothers, widows, journalists, Nobel Prize winners, peacemakers...they are just like you and me.

24.02.2006 The Foundation for Development of Information Technology – Youth Information Centre from Skopje, with the support from the e-Macedonia Foundation, started the new project, “Information-Communication Step Towards Global Standards”, aimed to reduce the information gap between Macedonia and the developed world.

24.02.2006 The subject of piracy has gained on prominence with the start, twenty days or so ago, of the first phase of screening of the legislation that regulates the protection of intellectual property and copyrights in Croatia, under the negotiations for Croatian membership into the European Union.

24.02.2006 According to information available from International Organization for Migrations, the number of victims of trafficking in human beings is reaching alarming levels, while the results from prosecution of such cases are dissappointing. Since 1999, approximately 800 victims of human trafficking found refuge with the IOM B&H. In addition to being saved from their slavery, the victims need legal protection, says Regina Boucault, Head of IOM Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

24.02.2006 The Children's Human Rights Centre of Albania – CRCA, a major child-rights organisation in the country, issued today its latest report on the situation of child labour and street children. This is the very first in-depth research-report published by a national organisation in Albania, on the situation of the rights of child labourers and street children in Albania. The research is funded by Palme Center and SIDA Sweden, as part of the programme 'The Rights of the Child a Democratic Right'.

24.02.2006 The publication Roms on Integration: Analyses and Recommendations, published by ECMI – European Centre for Minority Issues presents the initial findings on the needs of Roma population in Macedonia. The research was conducted the Roma Expert Group working under the ECMI, with financial support by SIDA.

23.02.2006 The MediaCentre Sarajevo invites all authors and researchers to submit for publication research papers on the topic of Gender Stereotypes in Media: Presentation of Women in Print Media in SEE. Deadline for submission, 1 March 2006.

23.02.2006 The Women Centre from Debar organized round-table discussion “Gender Aspects of Decentralized Government” yesterday, at the facilities of Gazi Baba Municipal Building. The discussion was organized under the auspices of the “Strengthening the Women Core” project, with financial support by Kviina Til Kviina, Gazi Baba Municipality and the Council of Europe.

23.02.2006 The Peace Institute, Institute for Contemporary Social and Political Studies, Ljubljana, together with the Slovenian Communication Association, Ljubljana, and Masaryk University, Brno will hold an international conference (Ljubljana, 13-14 October 2006) to discuss how new media development has influenced the terrain for alternative media use in its relation to citizens' empowerment.

23.02.2006 The Civil Society Forum apologized publicly yesterday for the allegations made about SMART and other organizations mentioned in the text “Certain Aspects of Work of National Foundation for Development of Civil Society”, published two weeks ago. The public apology was signed by all members of the CSF, with the exception of the Serb Democratic Forum.

23.02.2006 The Mileva Maric-Einstein Women’s Studies and Research Center started a survey on gender equality principle in the mother tongue textbooks for elementary schools in Serbia.

23.02.2006 Albanian Ministry of Education announced the constitution of the National Learning Committee, an advisory body in matters of operation and organization of national learning, led by Emil Llamani from the Polytechnic University.

22.02.2006 Last week, upon prior agreement by the Ministries of Health and Economy, the asbestos factory “Salonit” in Vranjac received approval for continued production of asbestos products. The approval was granted in spite of the fact that asbestos and related compounds was official included in the list of toxic materials maintained by the Ministry of Health.