January 2006, Issue no 43
http://resource.regional.net
impact@regionalnet.org

1. Funding Opportunities

2. Announcements and Upcoming Events

3. Useful Links

U.S. Embassy in Romania - Democracy Commission Small Grants Program


Program Guidlines
The purpose of the program is to assist Romanian independent, non-governmental, non-political, non-profit organizations in their efforts to promote democracy through: human rights activities, media development, civic education, legal system reform, market reforms, the development of democratic institutions, equal chances, anti-trafficking in persons, and anticorruption.

American organizations and individuals are not eligible for grants, including American/Romanian joint ventures that are funded by the American participant. Also non-eligible are projects relating to partisan political activity, charitable activity and humanitarian aid, fund-raising campaigns, commercial projects.

Grant applications are reviewed by the Democracy Commission at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, and by officers at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Proposals are evaluated according to the topic of the project, clearly formulated goals and target groups, and the ability of the applying organization to carry out the project aims.

The maximum amount per grant is $24,000. However, most grants will be for smaller amounts. Budgets should be submitted in U.S. dollars. All budget items included should be related to project activities. Democracy Commission funds may not be used for international travel, direct social services, office rent, utilities and furniture, food expenses, alcohol and entertainment. Salaries and honoraria should be in accordance to rate of pay and percentage of time spent on project-related activities.

These are one-time grants. The applicant should indicate how the organization will be sustained after the grant is finished. Project proposals must be in English.

More information
Website: http://bucharest.usembassy.gov/Embassy/Public_Diplomacy/IRC_DSGP.html
E-mail: ParaschivescuM@state.gov


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Academic Training Association - Business Skills Training Modules
Application deadline: as soon as possible


As part of ATA's PSD project, six intensive 5-day business skills training modules are organised each year in cooperation with partner institutions South East Europe. The objective of these training modules is to increase the practical business skills of (future) entrepreneurs from South East Europe. Unless otherwise stated in the course description, the modules are open to (starting) entrepreneurs, employees of (semi-) governmental economic institutions, and advanced business students from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Training is held in English. Some social activities will be organised for trainers and participants.

Each 5-day module is co-taught by an international expert together with a co-trainer from the region. International trainers participate pro bono. They receive a modest allowance of 100-150 Euro to cover part of their expenses during the training. Travel expenses are reimbursed and free accommodation is provided.

ATA is currently looking for international experts to provide the following training modules that will be organised in Podgorica and Pristina in April 2006:
Agro-Marketing
Business Plan Writing
EU Project Development
Introduction to Marketing
Introduction to Strategic Planning
Project Cycle Management.

Qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to submit a training course proposal with their registration. For more information about the application procedure, conditions of participation and practical issues, please read our Information for Trainers and Experts.

More information
Website: http://www.academictraining.org/
E-mail: ATA@academictraining.org


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Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe - National and regional training courses in Human Rights Education
Application deadline: January 31, 2006


The Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe runs a European youth programme on human rights education since the year 2000, aiming to bring human rights issues in the mainstream of youth work practice. This programme is designed to achieve wide synergies between human rights education and youth work in the Council of Europe member states and beyond.

In 2002, the Council of Europe published 'COMPASS – a manual on human rights education young people' in English. Presently, the manual is available also in Arabic, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, French, Georgian, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Russian and Slovenian. Some six other language versions are either in the process of translation or being published .

In order to make COMPASS available and accessible to users across Europe, the Directorate of Youth and Sport supports the organisation of national and regional training courses in human rights education. These courses are means to introduce trainers, facilitators, youth workers and youth leaders, as well as professionals in formal education, to work with 'COMPASS' and, consequently, mainstream human rights education in non-formal and formal education with young people. Forty-three such courses have been organised in 24 member states of the Council of Europe since 2002.

The organisation and implementation of these courses is possible only by and in close co-operation with national and regional institutions, organisations and public services interested in introducing and developing human rights education in non-formal and formal educational settings. The Council of Europe provides financial, educational and administrative support, but the ownership and organisation of the course relies on national partners.

The Council of Europe welcomes applications for further training courses in 2006 following the criteria and procedures outlined below.

Profile of the partners
The Council of Europe welcomes proposals and expressions of interest from:
Non-governmental youth organisations
Other non-governmental and governmental organisations and institutions interested in human rights education with young people.

Priority will be given to:
Projects run in co-operation with different partners
Projects in co-operation between the non-formal and formal educational fields
Projects in countries/regions, where COMPASS is available in native language
Projects in connection with launching events for COMPASS in translations.

Support provided by Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe:
Educational support and advice:
Recommend or nominate trainer(s) with specialised experience in the field to support the national team of trainers in the programme development
Assist in designing the training course to the specific situation of the organising country/countries
Make available previous experience in the country or region.

and/or
Financial support to:
Cover interpretation costs
Contribute to costs for board and lodging
Cover the travel costs of possible international participants
Cover the fees and expenses of trainers.

and/or
Institutional/educational support, such as:
Recommendation letters to potential funding organisations
Official Council of Europe representation at official parts of the training course programme
Publicity of the training course at the Council of Europe Internet sites and publications
Authorisation for the organisers to use the logos of the Council of Europe and its Human Rights Education Youth Programme for the activity
Facilitating contacts with other institutions and organisations in the country already co-operating with the Council of Europe.

It is in the interest of the applicants to specify their needs and expectations towards the Council of Europe in the application form.

Procedure for applications
Interested organisations/institutions are requested to fill in the application form, specifying the support requested from the Council of Europe and send it by e-mail or post to the European Youth Centre Budapest.

More information
Website: www.coe.int/hre
E-mail: compass@coe.int


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International Visegrad Fund - Visegrad Scholarship Programme
Application deadline: January 31, 2006


The Visegrad Scholarship Programme is a specific programme of the International Visegrad Fund created for the purpose of facilitating academic exchanges by providing financial support for citizens of V4 member states and for foreign citizens to study in the V4 member states.

The In-coming Visegrad Scholarship is a specific scholarship within Visegrad Scholarship Programme (VSP) created for the purpose of facilitating academic exchanges by providing financial support to post-graduate scholars from Belarus, Croatia, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, and since 2006 also from Moldova, who wish to have study period in one of the V4 countries. The Ukrainian Scholarship Programme is considered as part of the In-Coming Scholarships programme.

Visegrad Scholarships are provided for study/research projects specified in Visegrad Scholarship Application Form. The hosting University/Institution must be different from the sending one. The country of citizenship shall be different from the hosting country.

Period of study / research:
The length of supported period of study or research projects within Intra-Visegrad Scholarships shall be 10 months or 5 months. The level of studies supported shall be doctoral studies (Ph.D. programme) or other Post-Master studies. Successful Applicant is eligible for applying for VSP again. The length of supported period of study or research projects within In-coming Scholarships (including Ukrainian Scholarship Programme) shall be 10 months.

Visegrad Scholarship Programme shall provide scholarships for:
A) Outstanding master degree holder (or its equivalent) under 35 years age limit (not reaching 35 years by the application deadline) within the territory of the V4 Member States (Intra-Visegrad scholarship)
B) Outstanding master degree holder (or its equivalent) under 35 years age limit (not reaching 35 years by the application deadline) from non-Visegrad countries (In-coming scholarships). See the Rules for the In-coming scholarships.

Compulsory annexes to the application (Intra-Visegrad) are as follows:
A) Copy of the certified translation of the diploma proving achieved Master university degree (in case the Applicant is finishing his/her master studies, the diploma should be submitted prior to the signing of the contract by the IVF Executive Director, latest by July of respective year)
B) Letter/letters of acceptance of the hosting University/Institution
C) Working plan of the study period, approved by the subject coordinator/head of Doctoral School of the sending University or respective authority of the sending University/Institution, and accepted by the hosting University/Institution. In case of research projects - short description of the planned research project accepted by the hosting University/Institution.

Amounts for the VSP scholarships (for a 10 month period):
1. Intra-Visegrad Scholarship - 4000 EUR for a student and 3000 EUR for the hosting university (as a lump sum)
2. In-coming - 5000 EUR for student and 3.000 EUR for university (as a lump sum).

The branch orientation for academic year 2006/2007:
The Visegrad Scholarship Programmes are open to applicants from any fields of studies. However, the priority will be given to scholars with the following scope:
A) Intra-Visegrad Scholarship - Visegrad studies
B) In-coming Scholarships - Studies on Central Europe
C) Ukrainian Scholarship Programme - Enhancing the Region's Competitiveness.

More information
Website: http://www.visegradfund.org/
E-mail: scholarships@visegradfund.org


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European Youth Foundation (EYF) - Grant applications
Application deadlines: February 1, 2006 (for administrative grants of the EYF Categories C and C bis)


The European Youth Foundation (EYF) is a fund established in 1972 by the Council of Europe to provide financial support for European youth activities. It has an annual budget of approximately 3 million Euros. Since 1972, more than 300 000 young people, aged between 15 and 30 and mostly from member states, have benefited directly from EYF-supported activities. In 2004 the EYF supported some 300 projects involving more than 15 000 young people.

Activities which can be financed by the EYF:

A. International youth meetings (Category A)
The EYF may provide financial support for organising international youth meetings for youth leaders, including seminars, conferences, workshops, camps, festivals, etc.

B. Youth activities other than meetings (Category B)
Apart from meetings, the types of youth activities eligible for EYF financial support are studies, research projects and the production of information and documentation on youth issues. In this category the Foundation may support, for example:
- Specialised publications (such as training manuals)
- Newsletters or magazines produced by international youth organisations or networks
- Information campaigns
- Exhibitions and the production of audio-visual materials etc
- The development of websites or the production of CD-ROMs
- The production of posters, badges and stickers
- Research projects on youth-related issues.

In the same category, the EYF can also grant study visits enabling youth organisations and networks to make new contacts in Europe and thus extend partnerships and develop co-operation.

C. Administration of international non-governmental youth organisations and networks (Category C)
The European Youth Foundation may, on an annual basis, grant international non-governmental youth organisations or networks a contribution to cover part of the general administrative costs involved in running their activities at European level.

The Foundation may also contribute to the administrative costs of international non-governmental youth organisations and networks, during a maximum period of three years, in order to help them to establish a European structure (Category C bis).

D. Pilot projects (Category D)
Since 1 January 2000, the European Youth Foundation (EYF) is able to provide financial support to pilot projects carried out in the form of meetings between young people or activities other than meetings (documentation, research and publications). This facility has been introduced in order to enable the EYF to provide as effective a response as possible to the priority objectives of the Council of Europe's youth policy which, by their very nature, call for means of action which are not subject to excessively rigid rules, conditions and criteria.

These priority objectives are:
To help young people, particularly disadvantaged young people, deal with the challenges facing them and fulfil their own aspirations
To encourage new forms of youth participation and organisation
To make a contribution to social cohesion, including through the fight against exclusion and the prevention of phenomena affecting young people more particularly
To adapt and broaden programmes and structures in line with changes in society.

The following types of activity cannot be financed by the EYF:
- Operations of a commercial nature
- The construction, purchase or equipment of buildings
- Tourist activities
- Statutory meetings
- Activities part of a school or university programme
- Activities with only a vocational training character.

Who can apply for an EYF grant?
An international non-governmental youth organisation or network
A national or local non-governmental youth organisation or network
Non-governmental structures involved in youth work

The next deadlines for applications are:
1 February 2006 for administrative grants of the EYF (Categories C and C bis) for the year 2006.
1 April 2006 for activities to be held in co-operation with the European Youth Centres (study sessions) in the first semester of 2007; for activities under category A and B of the EYF taking place between 1 January and 30 June 2007.
There are no fixed deadlines for pilot project applications or first (ad hoc) applications to the EYF, which may be submitted at any time. However, according to the decision of the Programming Committee on Youth (the decision-making body), all ad hoc applications including pilot projects should be submitted at least three months prior to the beginning of the activity in order to allow a proper assessment.

More information
Website: http://galadriel.coe.int/fej/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/FEJ_presentation
E-mail: eyf@coe.int


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The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation - East-Central European Research Fellows, Fellowships in the Humanities 2006-2007
Application deadline: March 17, 2006


Applications are invited from Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian and Slovak scholars under the age of 45 for Post-Doctoral Fellowships of three months, tenable in the period: June 2006 - May 2007.

The Mellon Foundation provides a fixed stipend to cover return travel, accommodation and all living expenses.

No limitation is placed on the area of research within the Humanities and Social Sciences but priority will be given to those whose work falls within the scope of one of the Institute's current Research Themes:
Life Writing, Testimony and Self-Construction
Diasporas, Migrations and Identities
Institutions and Oppositions of Enlightenment
The Humanities in the Twenty-First Century University

The Institute is housed in an 18th century courtyard close to the University Library and about 20 scholars are in residence at any time. Fellows are allocated a private office in the Institute with all the usual research facilities and are expected to play a full part in the activities of the Institute. They are also encouraged to develop their contacts with colleagues within the College of Humanities and Social Science. They give at least one seminar on their current research work during their tenure.

More information
Website: http://www.iash.ed.ac.uk/mellon.fellowships.html
E-mail: iash@ed.ac.uk


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Central European University - Senior and Junior Visiting Research Fellowships
Application Deadline: May 15, 2006


The program is designed to increase exchange between scholars of the region and Central European University, and to promote original research, which can be of practical benefit to a particular country or region. The Visiting Research Fellowship Program is applicable to individuals holding a Ph.D. or equivalent, and who are affiliated with a teaching or research institution within Central and Eastern Europe (except EU member states), the former Soviet Union, or Mongolia.

The program supports two types of Research Fellows. Senior Visiting Research Fellows hold a full professorship, and are academics of established (preferably national) standing within their discipline. Junior Visiting Research Fellows are academics who have made a contribution to their discipline through publications, conference presentations, or other academic forums. Fellows are supported for a period of from one to six months, depending upon the type of research being undertaken. Both types of Fellowship cover travel costs to/from Budapest, accommodation during the period of the Fellowship, and a monthly stipend. Junior Fellows will receive $750 per month stipend, and Senior Fellows $1500 per month.

Program Requirements
Whilst at CEU, Fellows will present one Public Lecture to their host Department and the broader CEU community. Within one month of completion of the Fellowship, Fellows are required to submit to the Special Projects Office of CEU a brief paper in English, describing the results of their research activities at CEU. Within one year of completion of the Fellowship, Fellows are required to submit to the Special Projects Office a publication or an article prepared for publication in English, German, or French based on their original research at CEU. The resulting publication should state that this research is the outcome of a Visiting Research Fellowship at CEU. Fellows are required to be in residence at CEU for the duration of their Fellowship and are accommodated in CEU's Residence and Conference Center.

Application Procedure
Application Forms with Criteria for Applicants in both categories are available from the SPO Office, National Soros Foundation Offices and electronically. CEU does not accept Fellows during August or the Christmas period due to the limited availability of professors and access to research materials during vacation. Please note: those who are or who plan to be involved in projects, research, teaching, or other activities sponsored or co-sponsored by the Soros Foundation or OSI during the proposed period of the Visiting Research Fellowship are not eligible to participate in the program.

Applications are evaluated by the relevant CEU Department or Center and CEU's Special Projects Office. Therefore, we accept applications in the following discipline areas:

Within CEU Departments: Economics, Environmental Science and Policy, Gender Studies, History (Modern and Early Modern), International Relations and European Studies, Legal Studies (Business Law, Comparative Constitutional Law and Human Rights), Mathematics and Its Applications, Medieval Studies, Nationalism, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology and Social Anthropology.

Within CEU Centers (each Center offers its research areas or topics for potential Fellows): Center for Arts and Culture, Center for Environmental Policy and Law, Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, Center for Hellenic Traditions, Center for Policy Studies, Center for EU Enlargement Studies, Humanities Center and Center for Media and Communications Studies, Human Rights Center.

More information
Website: http://www.ceu.hu/sep/spo/fellowships.html
E-mail: sep@ceu.hu


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Institute for Strengthening Democracy in Bosnia - 9th Annual International Seminar Democracy and Human Rights in Multiethnic Societies, July 10 - 14 2006, Konjic, Bosnia&Herzegovina
Application deadline: as soon as possible


Institute for Strengthening Democracy in Bosnia invites you to submit papers for the 9th Annual International Seminar on 'Democracy and Human Rights in Multiethnic Societies' to be held from 10 - 14 July, 2006 in Konjic, BiH.

This call and invitation for the 2006 Seminar was delayed because of a number of issues, including financial. The continuance of this seminar was in doubt, but due to the brave and supportive participants from past years the organizers have decided to hold the 2006 Seminar hoping to secure funding starting with the 2007 Seminar from the Center for International University Cooperation and Norwegian Research Council, Oslo.

Because financial considerations were endangering the continuance of the seminar, the organizers regrettably decided that it would not be in the best interests of the seminar to offer grants to participants in 2006. Hopefully, we will be able to continue this practice in the years to come. If any funding is made available, participants from Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa will be informed as soon as possible.

It was also decided with the help of past participants that the organizers would ask for the following voluntary seminar fee: Professors 100 KM (approx. EUR 50) and Students, Unemployed, and Participants from the Region 50 KM (approx. EUR 25). It is hoped that this fee structure will allow for the seminar to become financially sustainable, a very important aspect given the rising costs of sponsoring a conference. Please bear in mind that the fee is not compulsory. We understand if your circumstances do not allow you to contribute the suggested amount. Likewise, feel free to contribute more if your circumstance allows you to do so.

Although the decision has been finalized to hold the 9th Annual International Seminar, I request that you give formal acceptance of this invitation as soon as possible, including your institutional affiliation, city, and country. Working titles are also welcome at this stage. Participants are encouraged to propose and organize workshops and panels. Any other initiatives on your part are highly appreciated. Students, women, members of minority groups, disabled persons, and senior academics are encouraged to participate in the seminar.

More information
Website: www.rokkan.uib.no/bihdemocracy


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European Finance Convention - 3rd Congress on Financing Infrastructure, Municipalities & Sub-National Governments in Central, Eastern, South Eastern European Countries, Russia, the Caucasus & the CIS, February 14 - 15, 2006, Bucharest, Romania


Addressing the needs of the municipal finance market
Dealing with a new funding environment
Looking for innovative sources of finance

More information
Website: http://www.euroconvention.com/6002-programme.htm
E-mail: enquiry@euroconvention.com


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UNITED Conference - Get Active, Be United: Youth Sharing Visions for Equality, March 24 – 29, 2006, Sofia, Bulgaria
Application deadline: January 29, 2006


Conference prepared by: Association for Unaccompanied Minor Asylum Seekers (NL), Bosporus Society Bulgaria (BG), Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BG), Legal Centre for Human Rights (EE), REFLEX, Reseau No Pasaran! (F), The Monitoring Group (GB), Society for Free minded Cultural & Political Education Blauschwung (D), UNITED for Intercultural Action.

Europe is nowadays experiencing a newly renovated rising of discrimination on all grounds. Racism, islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia are not only wide spread within society, but they are especially affecting the lives of young people. At the same time there are many young activists across the continent who could not accept this situation and took a stand against discrimination. This UNITED conference in Sofia will offer a chance to gain expertise and food for thoughts on a selection of themes, which includes minorised groups, institutional racism and the conditions of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Discussion will be stimulated by the following lectures and panel discussions by experts in the field and testimonies:
The Roma issue. A European overview, the Bulgarian context and antizyganism.
Institutional racism: the spinal cord of racial discrimination and exclusion.
The new outcasts of Europe: migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

More information
Website: www.unitedagainstracism.org
E-mail: info@unitedagainstracism.org


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Central European University - Second Graduate Conference in Social Sciences: 'The End of Transitions? Central and Eastern European Countries in Comparative Perspective', May 5 - 7, 2006, Budapest, Hungary
Application deadline: January 30, 2006 (for panel proposals)


The conference has been initiated and organized by graduate students, with the financial and logistic support of their departments at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Its general aim is to foster CEU’s role as one of the world’s leading multicultural and interdisciplinary intellectual centers. Central European University is a unique institution, providing an exceptional environment for discussion and debate on topics related to commonalties of the CEE region.

In three days, a number of regional issues and problems will be comprehensively discussed in workshops and panels. Although the topic of this Conference is not EU integration, it focuses on the CEE countries that became, will become, or have the prospect of becoming members, or have a significant cooperation within the enlarged European framework. Both case studies and comparative approaches are welcomed.

This conference will emphasize an interdisciplinary approach. Having in mind that the discourses of different social sciences present substantial particularities, even if they have the same subject or object of interest, interdisciplinary communication becomes more difficult but nevertheless remains very important. This event will represent a chance for young scholars to communicate with peers and academics outside their field of study and specific methodological approach. The aim of the conference is to provide an interdisciplinary academic debate and contribute to developing knowledge networks among peers in the field. We hope to connect the different angles and produce an academically stimulating, idiosyncratic thought provoking and inspiring conference. Thus, we expect that successful applicants will be able to model and present their own discourse in order to reach a highly diversified academic audience.

The discussion will concentrate on the following issues:
How can an interdisciplinary approach foster the quality of understanding and the complexity of social phenomena? Social sciences – towards convergence or divergence of discourses, methodologies, and paradigms? How do different social sciences approach transition events? Are methodological instruments developed in other contexts appropriate for understanding the peculiarities of this region? Societies, politics and states Political parties, electoral systems and voting behavior Post-communist discourses Public Policy and structural reforms The prospects of reform and development in post-communist countries The changes in nature and practice of power in the region New Security issue - Strengthening the Weak States of European Periphery.

We encourage graduate students and young faculty to contribute with papers and participate in the proposed workshops and panels. Each panel will include approximately 4 presentations by young scholars. Another young scholar will participate as discussant. Each panel will be led by a senior scholar or expert in the relevant field of study who will moderate the discussions. Ample time will be left for discussion. The working language will be English. All the topics stated above do not necessarily limit the scope of the conference. Therefore, proposals are invited on any aspect of the (relevant) subject. Final Deadline for Panel Proposals is 30 of January 2006.

Fee: There is no registration fee for qualified participants. Food and accommodation are provided by the organizers. Applicants can apply for a travel grant for the cheapest means of travel (up to 120 USD). Priority will be given on the basis of academic merit and financial need.

Deadlines: The registration period will start on January 15th. We will operate on a rolling basis admission. Applications will be considered as they are received. The early deadline is March 5th. Early applicants will have better chances of being selected. The final deadline is March 20th. Applicants who require visa to visit Hungary are encouraged to apply early.

More information
E-mail: P05TOA01@student.ceu.hu (Todor Arpad, Conference Coordinator)


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18th International Conference of Philosophy: ‘Values and Justice in the Global Era’, July 20 – 27, 2006, Kavala, Greece
Application deadline: January 30, 2006


Organizers: International Association for Greek Philosophy (IAGP), Greek Philosophical Society, International Center for Greek Philosophy & Culture, Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy (SAGP - USA). The Conference is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace and is directed by an International Academic Committee.

The general purpose of the Conference is to examine from a philosophical point of view the problem of values in relation to Justice our global era. More precisely, the Conference is to identify lines of inquiry pertaining to the emergence, the articulation, the transformation, and the structure of values, the kinds of values and their hierarchy with reference to the possibility of their instantiation and realization through Justice (in such domains as jurisprudence, ethics, aesthetics, and economics, etc). Understandably, the problem of values poses itself today anew within the new global framework.

Recognizing the existence of both similarities and differences among human forms of life as well as their socio-political environments, the Conference seeks to investigate axiological issues concerned with the ontological and metaphysical status of values, their permanence and change, their hierarchical or paratactic ordering, their competition for dominance, and their circulation and dissemination. In addition, questions arise with regard to the manner of appearance, importance, the character and the priority of the new values.

Particular aspects of research and discussion of the Conference topic may be the following:
1. Greek philosophical thought and its conceptions of values in relation to the contemporary situation.
2. Traditional views concerning the role of the virtues in relation to political practices and Justice.
3. Philosophy of values in the modern and contemporary world (notion and content of values, ontology and metaphysics of values, kinds of values, new values and the dialectic of values).
4. Economic values, competition and the problem of justice in the global era.
5. Theoretical conceptions of justice, old and new, within the process of globalization in our global era.
6. Axiological reconstructions and differentiations and the multiplicity of the forms of life on the global framework today. The desirability, efficacy, utility of global ethics and the features that characterize it.
7. Power, values and the common good of humanity understood as wellbeing and the relevance of Justice (nature and values, social, ethical standards and political articulation of power and Justice).

The conference is open to all philosophers, including specialists in Greek philosophy, and all researchers of contemporary philosophical thought (ethics, aesthetics, jurisprudence, environmental philosophy, axiology, political philosophy etc) to theoreticians of economy, values and communication, and to those who are experts in ecological philosophy. It is also open to creative persons in all the arts and sciences who, taking into consideration contemporary discussions of the problems raised by our age, are able to articulate consistent discourse concerning the problem of values and particularly Justice in our global era.

More information
Website: http://www.hri.org/iagp/
E-mail: kboud714@ppp.uoa.gr


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European Spring Institute 2006 - The Future of Europe: Lobbying in Brussels, April 2 – 9, 2006, Prague, Czech Republic
Application deadline: February 1, 2006


Why:
· To exchange your ideas with academics and experts on the EU policymaking
· To study the EU: today and tomorrow - gain your own experience by visiting one of the new EU member states
· To explore Prague - one of the most beautiful cultural and historical capitals in Central Europe
· To enjoy having fun together with your new friends - students of the ESI2006!

Application Procedure
· Although there are application deadlines, the students are accepted on on-going basis. In order to allow time to review carefully all student application materials by the ESI staff, the e-mail notifying of the application status to the European Spring Institute 2006 will be send to the applicants approximately within seven days after the application is received.
· Applications received by the early bird application deadline of February 1, 2006 will receive preference in admission and scholarship decisions. Note, that the final application deadline is February 15, 2006. Late applications might be considered. However, late applicants run the risk of finding the program full. All students will be informed about the admissions decision by February 15, 2006.
· Participants will be selected according to the following three criteria:
1. Educational Background (Year, Grade Point Average and Area of Study)
2. Statement of Purpose
3. Level of English (if applicable)
· Approximately 30 students will be admitted to every program of the Institute. We intend to restrict the class size, which will ensure the interactive courses and discussions. There is also an aim to create a student body which will be truly international.
· Students must be currently enrolled in a college or university. The Institute admits both undergraduate and graduate level students.
· Priority will be given to students with at least some academic background in European Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Sociology, History or Economics. Nevertheless, students of other academic backgrounds, but with strongly demonstrated interest in EU affairs will be considered on equal basis.
· Students admitted to the ESI are expected to participate fully in the program, attending all classes, lectures and social events

Program Costs
The program fee for early-bird applications: 580 EUR
The program fee for students, who submit their applications after February 1, 2006: 670 EUR
This fee will cover: Tuition including compete course reading materials, Student’s Handbook, Maps, Accommodation and two meals a day (breakfast and dinner), Fieldtrips; Cultural and Special Events. Students will have to provide their own travel costs, lunches and other personal expenses. You can find more information about eating out in Prague on Accommodation/Meals section of our web site.

Scholarships
We do encourage students to search for outside funding to cover their programs fees and/or travel expenses. Students are encouraged to explore funding opportunities available through non-government organizations and government sources, such as the Soros Foundation, their country's embassy in the Czech Republic. Local businesses, corporations and employers are often a good source for additional scholarship help. We will be happy to provide accepted students with a letter of support for potential sponsors.

More information
Website: http://www.cpvp.cz/esi/
E-mail: esi@cpvp.cz


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ECAS, EurActiv, Friends of Europe and Journalists @ Your Service - Open debate with Margot Wallström on the White Paper on Information and European Democracy, February 1, 2006, Brussels, Belgium


ECAS, EurActiv, Friends of Europe and Journalists @ Your Service, have joined forces to provide a platform for a first discussion on the launch of the Commission White Paper on information and European democracy.

The White paper has been long awaited and this will be the first opportunity to examine its contents at the start of the consultation process. Margot Wallström will both present the White Paper and after brief reactions from the panel, answer questions from the participants.

· How is the White Paper reinforcing democracy in Europe and connecting the European project to citizens?
· How is it contributing to building a European political culture?
· Is the White Paper establishing EU communication policy as a policy in its own right?
· Will the new communication strategy become a crucial tool for citizens’ empowerment, and contribute to the making of a European public sphere?

The event is expected to attract over 200 people: members of the European Parliament, Commission officials, information officers, representatives of the regions, journalists, think tanks, NGOs, media experts and academics.

More information
Website: http://www.ecas.org
E-mail: nathalie.calmejane@ecas.org or conference@ecas.org


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Citizenship, Security and Democracy, September 1 – 3, 2006, Istanbul, Turkey
Application deadline: February 1, 2006


Organizers: The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (UK) and Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (Turkey) in conjunction with The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (USA) and The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (France).

The time for an international gathering of Muslim social scientists is at present a necessity. Global political upheavals have created an insatiable demand for studies, information and analysis of Islam and Muslims. The Muslim social scientist is not only being asked to be academic, objective and dispassionate about critical issues related to the Muslim experience, faith, culture and philosophy, but is also being called upon to 'represent' a community misrepresented in monolithic terms. The inherent diversity of the Muslim experience across regional, national, ethnic, theological and social divides defies the homogenising logic of mass media, popular culture, and governmental politics.

The events of 9/11 in the US and 7/7 in the UK have created within circles of Muslim social scientists, especially in North America and Europe, an opportunity for research to explore the Muslim experience in multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary ways. We need now to create overlapping, synergistic discourse that will both examine the Muslim experience, and provide the necessary research, analysis and understanding to those who wish to enact social change. Social scientists must be acutely aware of the role they play in the future development of Muslim communities in the West and beyond. In this conference, we will begin to build a network of social scientists who understand the utility, applicability and importance of such research.

Muslim social scientists need to develop evidence-based and policy-oriented
research that delineates and represents issues of concern to Muslims in current social and foreign policies. This conference welcomes papers that are forward-looking and provide the basis for conceptual, critical and strategic thinking for the future. Turkey is an ideal location to host this conference. Sitting along the presumed 'fault-line' between 'East and West', 'Christendom and Islam' and given its unique status as the only Muslim-majority country being able to make a case for inclusion in Europe, Turkey’s internal and external struggles will provide a challenging and creative locus and a significant
historical backdrop for a conference of Muslim social scientists.

Papers are invited along the following themes:
1) Citizenship: New Paradigms and Challenges
• Challenges of plural citizenship.
• Status of minorities in multicultural societies in a transnational world.
• Transnational Muslim organisations
• Political participation of Muslims in Europe and USA
• Muslim women citizenship, empowerment, and discrimination.
• From tolerance to recognition: The processes of integration within the
integrity of collective identities.
• Faith and secularism.
• Muslim youth: Experiences, realities and challenges.
• Islamic ethics across multiple cultures in a global environment.
• European models of unity: cultural and political challenges.
• Turkey’s cultural identity and EU membership.
2) Security, Violence and Peace
• Security, Integration and Muslim minorities.
• Alternatives to violence: Dissent in civil society.
• Communities’ conflict and coexistence.
• Security and Islamophobia.
• Terrorism and extremism in Muslim societies.
• Violence : transnational and national.
• State violence and urban violence
• Islamophobia in the Muslim World?
• Intercultural and interfaith dialogue and the future of peace.
• The Muslim world and the West: New paradigms of communication based
on mutual respect and human peace.
3) Democracy, democratisation: Prospects for Civil Society
• Unity without unification in future cross-cultural society.
• Models for peace in fundamental texts of faiths and cultures.
• Muslim scholars in the West: prospects for renewal and mediation.
• Imagining a Europe with Turkey.
• Revival and reform in a fragmented Muslim world
• Europe and the Middle East: Historical and strategic issues.
• The Nation-state and its Future.
• The experience (s) of democracy in Muslim countries.
• Democracy and democratisation : Imposition or persuasion?

More information
E-mail: setavtr@gmail.com (from Turkey)
confamss@yahoo.com (from the Arab World)
conferences@amss.net (from North and South America)
csd@amssuk.com (from Europe and the Rest of the World)


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Anthropology of East Europe Review - Fall 2006 Special Issue 'Cultures of Consumerism in Postsocialist Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia'
Application deadline: February 1, 2006


Critical essays are being solicited for a collection that will examine various aspects of consumer culture in post-socialist countries and how they have been transformed in the last 15 years.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to: shopping, marketing and advertising, fast food, fashion, film, television, music, print media, branding, credit cards, consumer loans, luxury goods, malls, supermarkets, discount warehouse stores, tourism, e-commerce, technology, etc.

Essays should focus on how these things emerged or were changed during the transition away from socialism and what impacts they are having on the daily consumption practices and/or consumer preferences of citizens in the region. Papers that investigate the intersections of gender and consumerism are particularly encouraged.

Papers should be no more than 8,000 words (excluding endnotes and references) and should be sent as electronic submissions as a Microsoft Word .doc (or as an .rtf file).

More information
E-mail: kghodsee@bowdoin.edu


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United Nations Association of Serbia - International model UN - BIMUN 2006, March 30 - April 2, 2006, Belgrade, Serbia
Application deadline: February 1, 2006


BIMUN - Belgrade International Model UN 2006 is a youth conference during which the sessions of the following bodies will be simulated:
• THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL 'Terrorism and International Security: Situation in Iraq'
• GENERAL ASSEMBLY – VI Committee 'Strengthening the Role of the United Nations'
• UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 'Human Trafficking in Southeastern Europe'.

The United Nations Association is the organizer of BIMUN. The Project Team is comprised of students and postgraduates of social sciences on University of Belgrade. The host organization is the United Nations Clubs Association of Belgrade.

Students of social sciences from Southeastern European countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia and Montenegro will participate at the conference, as well as the representatives from other countries: Austria, Canada, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, USA etc. With guests from the host country and abroad, organizers, volunteers and observers, there will be around 150 participants at the Conference.

The Belgrade International Model UN, besides programmes aimed at promoting the work of the UN and educating on the principle of modeling, also connects young people from Southeastern European countries. Participants will have an opportunity to share experience and ideas on the above mentioned themes. The conference work will contribute to young people from the region learning in practice about the basic democratic principles, such as: peaceful resolution of disputes, dialogue, compromise, tolerance, multiculturalism and strengthening of cooperation.

The conference will be held entirely in English and participants will represent assigned country, different from their country of origin, in mixed teams consisting of two delegates. Delegations will be formed by the BIMUN Organizing Committee and participants are strongly encouraged to get in contact with their team mates as soon as they get the final list of teams, in order to prepare for the debate.

Criteria for selecting the participants:
Students and post-graduate students of social sciences faculties - up to 29 years of age
Application form, along with motivation letter up to 250 words
Posible MUN Experiance
Knowledge of the English language

Participation fees:
The participation fee for domestic participants (from Serbia and Montenegro) is 1.000 dinars per person.
The participation fee for SEE participants (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia and Romania) is 40€ per person.
The participation fee for all other participants (From EU and other countries) is 70€ per person.

More information
Website: www.unaserbia.org.yu
E-mail: unaserbia@ptt.yu


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VII. Bled Forum on Europe - Foresight Conference on Global, European and Regional Governance, March 3 – 4, 2006, Bled, Slovenia
Application deadline: February 6, 2006


Organisers: Bled Forum on Europe, Slovenian Research Agency, Austrian Science and Research Liaison Office Ljubljana.

Goals of the conference:
With this conference the organisers want to contribute to the further advancement of foresight research in Europe and especially also to the development of scientific capacities for foresight research (technological and socioeconomic foresight) in so called Western Balkan countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, and Albania).

Main topics of the conference will be:
Global challenges (AC UNU Millennium Project) and the role of Foresight for global governance.
European challenges (Lisbon process and beyond) and the role of Foresight for European policy making.
Governance challenges for Southeast European or Western Balkan countries and the role of Foresight for policy making in and towards this region.

The conference also aims at providing a basic inventory on who is doing what in foresight research in SEE countries. In addition, researchers from SEE countries active in foresight research shall get an opportunity to find out about 'state of the art' in foresight research, about global, and Europe-wide programmes and networks on foresight research in order to facilitate the integration of SEE foresight researchers in existing networks and programmes.
Furthermore the conference aims at giving an impetus to regional foresight studies focusing on SEE region (comparable to the IPTS Enlargement Futures-Project).

The organisers of the 'Foresight Conference on Global, European and Regional Governance - VII. Bled Forum on Europe' launch a call for grant applications for the training seminar 'Introduction to Foresight Research' for researchers from SEE Countries (Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro including Kosovo, FYR of Macedonia) and for the participation at the conference itself. The conference will be organised on March 3 - 4, 2006 and the training seminar on March 3, 2006 (morning session).

More information
Website: http://www.aso.zsi.at
E-mail: asolj-events@zsi.at


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Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights - 17th International Summer School on Human Rights, June 24 - July 1, 2006, Warsaw-Miedzeszyn, Poland
Application deadline: February 15, 2006


The School is intended for human rights activists, university teachers and representatives of the institutions from all levels of public administration dealing with human rights issues from Central, Eastern European and CIS countries. We are sorry to inform that our offer is limited in scope only to those who have not yet participated in our Summer or Winter Schools.

Our programme combines lectures and workshops on the historical and philosophical background of human rights, domestic and international systems of human rights protection as well as applicability of rights of primary importance. The lectures will be given by renown professors and experts in the field of human rights and international law.

English and Russian are the working languages of our Summer School. Ability to communicate freely in one of the above is required.

The organizers will cover international round-trip travel expenses (train or air - economy rates), accommodation in double rooms and meals, as well as insurance. Visa expenses will not be covered. The course is free of charge provided that participants attend all classes.

Application pack consists of application form, one-page curriculum vitae and reference letter from your organization/employer.

From amongst the applicants 60 will be invited to attend the Summer School. Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by 15 May 2006.

More information
Website: http://www.hfhrpol.waw.pl/en/index_pliki/17ISSHR.html
E-mail: summer@hfhrpol.waw.pl


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Balkan Case Challenge: The Balkans Facing Their Challenges, May 29 - June 2, 2006, Vienna, Austria
Application deadline: March 1, 2006


Austria will take over the six-month rotating EU Presidency during the first half of 2006. This is a unique opportunity for Austria to present its activities and achievements in the Balkans to the rest of Europe. By organizing the Balkan Case Challenge 2006 in Vienna, Austria will be able to highlight that countries of the South-eastern Europe are a part of Europe and as such can both benefit from the economic development of EU and contribute to it.

The Balkan Case Challenge is aimed at facilitating the recruitment of future employees and at giving students an opportunity to prove their skills and present themselves to potential employers. In this manner, the students will have the opportunity to identify potential employers on the one hand, while on the other hand, the companies (especially Austrian companies which focus their work in the region) will have the opportunity to recruit future staff from the region who satisfy their standards in addition to having the necessary knowledge of the current situation in their countries.

An additional aim of the project is to present the great potential of South-eastern Europe to possible investors and to 'mix' the knowledge of best SEE students and the knowledge of their colleagues studying in Austria. Moreover, experts and interested parties from Austria are going to be faced with various topics in the frame of the supporting program. To achieve this link between the higher education and the business sector in Austria/the European Union and South-eastern Europe, the BCC in Vienna will consist of two parts:
(1) The Case Study Competition (3 days)
(2) The Job Fair 'Meet the High Potentials from the Balkans' (1 day)

Who is eligible?
Due to the fact that the BCC 2006 will have a focus on the cooperation between Austria and SEE, for the first time Austrian participants – not only on the student level but also on the level of the judges and organizers – will play an important role alongside with the participants from SEE.

The BCC candidates, who need to be excellent students at the verge at their studies in the field of economics, law, political science (and related disciplines) or technical sciences, must fulfil one of the following two criteria:
Students are enrolled at a university of one of the following countries: (1) B&H, SCG, Kosovo UNMIK, (2) Albania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, (3) Austria.
Students are enrolled at an Austrian university and have one of the following citizenships: (1) B&H, SCG, Kosovo UNMIK (2) Albania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia (3) Austria.

We are looking for intelligent achievers with the drive to succeed in a team-oriented environment. We are seeking people who have excellent communication skills, are perceptive and resourceful, highly personable and outgoing. Equally important, we are looking for students with insight, an adventurous spirit and a desire for continuous creative growth and improvement. Those who stand out from the crowd will find the Balkan Case Challenge a great place to put theory into action.

Participants should have a solid understanding of business, law or political science and strategic issues, a passion for critical thinking, well-developed interpersonal skills and a creative streak matched only by a capacity for disciplined analysis. In addition, we prize certain personal qualities: the ability to define and solve a problem, strong analytic skills, initiative, creativity, effective teamwork, a zeal for quality work and outstanding communication skills.

More information
Website: http://www.bcchallenge.org


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®enska infoteka - The 10th international seminar 'Women and Politics', May 18 - 21, 2006, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Application deadline: March 1, 2006


The Seminar is organized in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung – Regional Office Sarajevo and Inter University Centre Dubrovnikby. The topic of this year seminar is: 'Women and Politics – Ten Years After'.

The period between 1996 and 2006 in Eastern Europe has been a turbulent time and a period of big political, economic, cultural changes. In 1996, the war in former Yugoslavia just ended; meanwhile, many of the countries from the former communist block have become members of the European Union, so the problems of globalisation came into focus like never before. Democracy was and still is the most common word and civil society was something like a regional catchphrase.
The question is whether the social dynamics related to women’s problems within the general idea of human rights have been equal to those related to the societies in general. Or, in other words: to what extent have the social and political positions of women changed, and how far has the impact of their political activism reached?

During the period of the last 10 years, ®enska infoteka has been organizing the annual seminars 'Women and Politics', each year trying to focus on a particular important political question related to women, but which is at the same time a general political question of the period, to which we all relate as human beings. Doing so, many questions have been raised, like problems of history, politics, sexuality, art and culture, and others. Each time, this was an effort to bring certain issues again into public discussion and to try to put these problems back onto the social agenda in general.

This year, the jubilee will be used as the basis for summarizing these efforts, to see if some ideas and social phenomena which we discussed several years back can stand critical analysis today. The goal of such an approach is to find out what is happening with the development of women’s issues. Is it perhaps the case that all that was on the agenda (in the world of the women’s/feminist movement) remained marginalized and unrecognised, or did some changes happen? If changes did happen, what was the kind of these changes? Has this been the time of deterioration of the status of women, or improvement, or stagnation?
During last 10 years, the seminar brought up in discussion topics such as: militarization, sexuality, political theory, art, history, feminist movement, Third World feminism.

We invite you to think and write about these processes in feminist movement, politics and thinking in the last ten years. The papers can focus either on regional and global levels, or on the national. We expect participants of the seminar to prepare a research paper on the topic: women in politics and changes in gender social positions / roles.

Please, send abstracts (cca 200 words) of your research papers until March 1st, 2006, when the board of directors of the seminar will make a selection of the papers most appropriate for this year’s topic. The seminar is mostly, but not exclusively, orientated toward women feminist researches and activists from non-Western countries.

More information
Website: http://www.zinfo.hr/engleski/index-eng.htm
E-mail: zinfo@zamir.net


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Centre for Gender Studies, European Humanities University-International - Conference in Gender Studies 'Capitalism and/or Patriarchy?', June 22 - 24, 2006, Vilnius, Lithuania
Application deadline: March 1, 2006


Centre for Gender Studies, European Humanities University-International is pleased to announce call for papers for the 'Capitalism and/or Patriarchy?' gender studies conference. The Centre has concentrated on research into post-Soviet gender issues since 1997 and has offered a master’s degree in gender studies since 2000. After EHU in Minsk had been forced to terminate its operation in in the summer of 2004, it resumed its programs in as a university-in-exile with the support of American and European foundations and governments and the European Commission for Democracy and Human Rights. Currently the MA program in Gender Studies remains the only one in NIS offering a graduate degree in Gender.

The demise of state socialism, some scholars maintain, resulted in the reconfiguration of gender relations and the rise of a systemic privilege of men over women in countries in transition. Other theorists argue that the most important event of the late 20th century was the disintegration of the Soviet Union and intensive nation building in new independent states. Still others are focused on economic inequality and class stratification as the formative processes of post-communism.

Some theories interpret the emergence of post-Soviet 'masculine privilege' as patriarchal renaissance. According to another point of view, men and women are equally marginalized by capitalism: it is class, not gender, that matters. There is also a tradition of rethinking capitalism as just a form (or a reincarnation) of patriarchy.

Conference organizers are hoping for an interdisciplinary academic debate of the interception of (post-Soviet) capitalism and patriarchy within the following topical areas.
1. Gender and post-Soviet social stratification
Class and gender stratification in post-Soviet societies. The new rich and the new poor. Unpaid women’s work and global capitalism. Men at the margins of 'new economy'. Market and the welfare state.
2. Gender and post-Soviet nations
The ultimate connection between constructions of and ideas about gender relations and post-Soviet nation-building. The fraternity of the nation and construction of patriotic manhood. Gender and citizenship. Nationalism and motherhood. Women, the invention of tradition, and cultural reproduction of the nation. Sexuality, demography, and nationalism. Global religions, gender and nation-building.
3. Gender and social movements/collective actions
Gender and the problem of a political subject. Whom do women in political parties and decision- making bodies represent? 'Women’s issues' as a political issue. Women’s movement and the reasons for its weakness: structural or cultural? Is a common ideology for postcommunist women’s groups possible?
Rethinking gender in postcommunism by post-Soviet and Western scholars.
4. Capitalism, lifestyles and cultural practices
Anthropological dimension of transition. Transformation of daily life: class and gender differences in lifestyles. Post-Soviet consumption practices. Sexuality as a commodity. Gender, mass media and popular culture.

Conference languages are the regional lingua franca of Russian and English.

Proposals for individual papers or complete panels and contact information, brief CV and paper description of up to 250 words can be sent by e-mail. The acceptance notification will be sent by April 10, 2006.

More information
Website: www.gender-ehu.org
http://ehu-international.org
E-mail: gender@ehu-international.org
e.gapova@worldnet.att.net (Elena Gapova)


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Association for the Study of Nationalities and Forum for Ethnic Relations - Globalization, Nationalism and Ethnic Conflicts in The Balkans and Its Regional Context, September 28 – 30, 2006, Belgrade, Serbia/SCG
Application deadline: March 15, 2006


FER is one of the most important non-government networks of prominent scientists specializing in the fields of national questions, ethnic relations and minority protection. This Conference will be held under the distinguished patronage of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights of Serbia and Montenegro. Participants from all over the world, especially experts on South-East European and Balkan affairs are expected to take part. Please note that this Conference is complementary to the 11th ASN Annual World Convention, which will take place at Columbia University, New York, on 23-25 March 2006 (www.nationalities.org).

The Conference will have a dual focus on both general topics related to the study of nationalism and more specifically on Southeastern Europe. The priority topics of the Conference will be:
· Theoretical and methodological framework for the research and understanding of globalization, nationalism and ethnic conflict
· The development of national identity and the challenges of globalization
· Origins, elements and forms of ethno-nationalism at the end of 20th and the beginning of 21st century
· Anatomy and genesis of ethnic conflicts: national, regional and global aspects
· Political, religious and national extremism, violence and terrorism
· Globalization, ethnic conflicts and organized crime, with special emphasis on illegal migration
· Conflict prevention and dealing with consequences of conflict
· Lessons learned from EU and UN peace missions
· Human rights and democracy at preventing, resolving and dealing with the consequences of conflict, including supporting measures facilitating peaceful conciliation of group interests
· Support and assistance to the victims of violation of human rights during the conflicts
· Promotion and protection of minority rights
· Measures to combat racism and xenophobia, and to protect minorities and indigenous peoples
· Lessons learnt from the state-building experience in former Yugoslavia
· Post-conflict multiethnic states in the Balkans
· Nationalism and the challenge of democratization; Is post-communism still a relevant category for the study of nationalism?

The Conference is inviting submissions of recent documentaries or feature films and available in video (VHS or DVD) format. The videos selected for the convention will be screened during regular panel slots and will be followed by a discussion moderated by academic experts.

Registration fees are:
1. Scholars / non ASN members – 70 $
2. Students – 35 $
3. ASN members – 50 $

Funding
Fellowship Grants
Competition for 40 fellowship grants will be available. Fellowship grants include travel, accommodation (room and board) and Conference fee.

Terms of competition:
Young researchers from the following countries will be eligible to apply: Bosnia and Herzegovina (five grants), Croatia (four grants), Macedonia (five grants), Albania (five grants), Bulgaria (five grants), Romania (three grants), Serbia (five grants), Montenegro (three grants), and Kosovo (five grants).
Candidates should prepare and submit the papers to the Academic Advisory Board not later than March 31st 2006. Preference will be given to young candidates (35 years of age and younger).

More information
Website: http://www.fer.org.yu/eng/index-eng.htm
E-mail: ferbgd@eunet.yu (Slobodan Bo¹kovic, Forum for Ethnic relations)


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Stolac 2006: International Summer Camp, Summer School and Conference, July 23 - August 16, 2006, Sarajevo, Mostar, Stolac and Boston
Application deadline: March 30, 2006


This summer, Stolac will be the site of three related and greatly significant international projects devoted to increasing understanding and cooperation between communities in Bosnia and worldwide. Given its antiquity, its heritage of pluralism and coexistence as well as the more recent destruction of that heritage, Stolac has been chosen as the site where we shall model new forms of inter-communal, inter-religious and inter-ethnic collaboration. It is the firm belief of the organizers that only through developing new models of overcoming existing social and religious dichotomies and absolutisms can we reestablish social trust and coexistence in today’s world.

International Summer Camp 'Youth and Heritage' (Cuprija 2006), July 23 - August 9, 2006, Stolac
Quite appropriately, the cornerstone of this summer’s projects will be the International Summer Camp/Youth and Heritage, Cuprija 2006. This project will bring together close to 100 youth from all over the world to work together restoring religious edifices destroyed in the 1992 - 1995 war. This project is organized and overseen by the Letzebuerger Gudien a Scouten (the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Luxembourg) together with International Forum Bosnia. Together with a number of local, Stolac and Mostar based organizations they will host this gathering of young people. The youth will live together in a 'tent city' and work on the restoration of Cuprija Mosque in Stolac, the Vakufska kuca (endowment house) in Brade and the support wall of the Orthodox Church in Poljuba. Their time will be divided into work, study, recreation as well as educational trips in the surrounding areas. By gathering together young men and women of different religious traditions (or of no such tradition), sharing work and life for three weeks, contributing to the construction to sacred spaces and artifacts of beauty – we hope to model new possibilities of what it means to live together in a shared social space where, what is sacred to one, is respected by all. In doing so we will model new approaches to pluralism, tolerance and respect for differences and the ability to achieve mutual respect and common purpose, while affirming the differences between groups, religions and individuals.

The Fourth International Summer School on Religion and Public Life, July 30 - August 16, 2006, Stolac, Mostar and Boston
In collaboration with the Youth and Heritage project, Stolac will also be hosting the first half of the fourth International Summer School on Religion and Public Life (ISSRPL). The ISSRPL which has met now in Bosnia, Croatia, and Israel and will be completing its 2006 meetings in Newton Mass (USA) at the campuses of the Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School. The ISSRPL is a unique, global initiative. It combines pluralistic perspectives on religious thought with social scientific research on tolerance, civil society and an open, dialogic, approach to pedagogic practice. Its goal is to transform both the theoretical models and concrete practices through which religious orientations and secular models of politics and society engage one another. Its guiding principle is that in order to build relations of tolerance and understanding between groups and to shape a civil society, the perceived barrier between secular, modern and more traditional religious values must be broken down. Political orientations and social practices must be developed that will draw on both religious traditions and the insights of secular modernity in new and creative ways. The ISSRPL provides a crucial laboratory where we not only see the other and see the other see us, but, perhaps most importantly learn to see ourselves view the other. Through this ongoing challenge and critique of our own deepest beliefs, fears and prejudices we gain new understandings and new capacities that are then translated into practice upon our return from the school.

The 2006 ISSRPL fellows will join the Youth and Heritage project as participant observers. They will spend 11 days with this group; participating in both the physical work of reconstruction as well as the learning periods and recreational activities of the group. On August 11th, the ISSRPL fellows will return to Boston to reflect on the experiences of the work camp through the lens provided by the American experience of religion and civil society.

International Conference 'Unity and Plurality in Europe: Religion and Public Life', August 9th and 10th 2006, Mostar
The third project taking place this summer will be an International Conference on Unity and Plurality in Europe: Religion and Public Life. The aim of the conference will be to reflect productively on what is now more than seven years of work by an international network of scholars and religious leaders who have been struggling to redefine the nexus of sacred traditions and modernist cultures in various parts of the world. Located in many different countries (including USA, France, Germany, Bosnia, Croatia, Turkey, Israel) this network has, in educational initiatives (on both university and secondary school levels), books, conferences, summer workshops and political activities, attempted to reconceptualize both the theory and practice of religion in the public square. Aware of the strong proclivities for the misuse of sacred traditions and religious identifications in the service of ethno-nationalist and ethno-religious ideologies and agendas the groups seeks to contribute to an understanding and engagement with religious phenomena that will contribute to a culture and practice of peace and pluralism, of abiding with difference and eschewing those absolutist claims which are so often the fuel of fundamentalist movements and policies. Completing seven years of different forms of intervention, in different countries it is time to take stock of what we have been accomplished and set the agenda for the next seven years.

More information
Website: www.ifbosna.org.ba
E-mail: if_bosna@bih.net.ba
issrpl2006@hebrewcollege.edu


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Art Institute, Vytautas Magnus University - Art and Politics: Case-studies from Eastern Europe, October 26 - 27, 2006, Kaunas, Lithuania
Application deadline: April 20, 2006


Political art, art as a tool of power and a hostage of authority - these questions are hard to escape when researching Eastern European culture. The 20th century turned this region into a laboratory of social engineering and political experiments where boundaries of artistic practices have been tested too. Here one can easily find the most radical examples of cultural production that flirts between art and politics, the magic and failure of avant-garde utopia, the sharpest conflicts between ethics and aesthetics. Thus contexts of art practices as well as political contents of artistic strategies (rather than pure stylistic qualities and artistic values) are under consideration in recent studies of Eastern Europe art history.

An objective of the conference is to bring together different case studies on art and politics in order to analyse a complex relationship between artistic and political regimes as well as political meanings of art in Soviet and Post-Soviet conditions. Participants are invited to consider the following topics:
* Subversions of political art in non-democratic state
* Cultural policy and culture as resistance
* In search of panacea: resistance, transgression, appropriation
* Critique of representation and creating of new myths
* Aesthetical norms and/or national style
* Self identities [autobiography, body, individual mythologies] in the sidelines of regime
* Ideological art and artistic ideologies.

Participants are requested to submit their papers in the form of case studies using a particular artifact, event or phenomena as a ground for research of a broader problem focused on the varied intersections of art and politics. Presentations will be limited to 20 minutes. A publication of conference proceedings is also planned.

Abstracts (250-300 words) accompanied with short CV should be sent to the address below. Accepted papers will be notified by May 2, 2006.

More information
E-mail: Linara_Dovydaityte@fc.vdu.lt
Jurate_Tutlyte@fc.vdu.lt


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Social Capital Foundation - 'The Development of Social Fragility: A Society at Risk?' Seminar, June 16 - 18, 2006, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Application deadline: May 15, 2006


Scope and Issues
This cycle is a line of seminars dedicated to contemporary societal developments likely to increase social fragility and harm social cohesiveness. Three major areas will be particularly accented: economic instability and precariousness, ethnic and cultural contradictions, interpersonal and mental health problems. It will develop the TISR Model (http://www.socialcapital-foundation.org/editorial_information/tisr_model.htm). The objective is to shed light on the possibly destructive effects of these developments, to discern the interactions between these three fields, and to draft innovative social policy
responses. The cycle may also raise the appearance or comeback of important societal risks the understanding of which involves a sociopolitical analysis, such as large public health issues, failures of the food chain, geopolitical risks, and democracy issues in Western countries.

Public addressed
All those who want to understand the world they live in. The academic content of our meetings is excellent but the language used is clear and the conclusions are operational.

Application
Participation is competitive. The final programme will be taylor-made on the basis of the best submissions selected according to our quality standards and criteria. Potential speakers should present a 1 to 2 pages abstract (no full papers). Submissions should be made by using the presentation template downloadable from the site. Abstracts should be sent by e-mail.

More information
Website: http://www.socialcapital-foundation.org/conferences/synopsis.htm
E-mail: conferences@socialcapital-foundation.org


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http://www.kosovakosovo.com
Albanian-Serb Information Exchange Forum


Three project partners - the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe (CDRSEE) in Thessaloniki, the Beta Media Center in Belgrade and KosovaLive agency in Pristina have jointly established an internet based, interactive news resource called, The Albanian-Serb Information Forum. The Forum is locally owned and uses three languages: Albanian, English and Serbian. The actions of the project consist of creating an Internet Forum, providing a news service in three languages, conducting opinion polls, and convening two conferences for journalists. Re-establishing direct information exchange channels between Albanians and Serbs is crucial in the year 2005 and www.kosovakosovo.com will do just that.

Objectives
The overarching and long-term objective of this project is to broaden and strengthen the common ground between Serb and Albanian media and journalists as well as the respective societies at large. The idea is to help enhance a robust peace process between the two communities which will in one other shape or form inevitably take place in the immediate future. A public support for it could be enhanced through the power of the media.

The specific project objectives are:
To facilitate and improve dialogue between Albanian and Serb journalists and media and their readers.
To combat stereotypes that Serbs and Albanians have of each other by providing informed and reliable news.

The above objectives would be achieved through the following time-bound project aims:
To re-establish direct information channels between Albanians and Serbs.
To improve the quality and accuracy of the news in the Albanian and Serb communities in the region and in the diaspora.
To increase the availability to the public of good quality news on the other community.
To increase the communication and contacts between Albanian and Serb journalists.
To de-polarise the extreme views that Serbs and Albanians have of each other through conducting and publishing an opinion poll.


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Youth For a Better World, Inc. - Romanian Youth World Network


Youth For a Better World invites all interested persons (young Romanians from all over the world, organisations and media partners) to join this project. The first activity will be to create the 'Generation To Come' portal (initiator Viorel Maier). It addresses youngsters (15 - 25 years), Romanians and friends of Romania. The communication language will be Romanian (and English).

The portal will include:
* Information on youth and youth organisations
* News, culture, folklore, traditions, history, geography of Romaniei, etc.
* Forum.


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www.europa.eu.int/comm/roma
European Commission’s website on the Roma


This site aims to provide information on the EU’s activities in support of the Roma, Gypsy and Traveller community across Europe.

It is aimed at anyone interested in Roma affairs, from individuals to non-governmental organisations and government bodies.

Users can access a range of information on the different policies, programmes and initiatives of the EU to promote social inclusion and combat discrimination against Roma.


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www.migrationonline.cz
Migration Online


The Migration Online is a specialised website and network focusing on migration issues in Central and Eastern Europe. It is based on a cooperation of an international network of analysts and organisations. Its aim is to promote dialogue and international comparisons in the field of migration.

We are looking for contributions to our internet site www.migrationonline.cz in the form of studies (maximum 4,000 words), fresh excerpts from the field, reports, essays, interviews (with migrants or experts) and information about interesting projects of NGOs or other organisations to the themes 'Refugees in CEE' and 'Gender and migration in CEE'.

Language: English or Czech
Deadline: 28 February, 2006

1) Refugees in Central and Eastern Europe. Contributions may address but are not limited to: characteristics, motives and strategies of the refugees; the role of networks in the process of escape; the influence of smuggling on the influx of refugees; the role of different actors in the asylum procedure; patterns of integration and the roles of different actors; refugees and identity; attitudes towards refugees and their influence on the asylum policy.

Coordinator of this topic for web publication: Radka Klvanova, Masaryk University, Brno, email: radka.klvanova@gmail.com

2) Gender and migration in Central and Eastern Europe. Various migration studies demonstrate that motivations as well as routes of migrants are gender specific, their integration into host societies is shaped by varying mechanisms and their socially constructed gender identities undergo significant changes as a reaction to migration experiences. Contributions should focus on the gendered character of migration taking into account intesections with other categories of difference such as ethnicity, class or age and nationality.

Coordinator of this topic for web publication: Alice Szczepanikova, University of Warwick, UK, email: alice.szczepanikova@gmail.com


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Euroregional Center for Democracy

Semenic Nr. 10
300035, Timisoara
Romania

Tel: + 4 0256 221 471
Fax: + 4 0256 436 633

http://www.regionalnet.org

Editor:
Camelia Cocioba

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