July 2007, Issue no 58
http://resource.regional.net
impact@regionalnet.org

1. Funding Opportunities

2. Announcements and Upcoming Events

3. Useful Links

Council of Europe and the European Roma Rights Centre - 11th Study Session for Persons Involved in Providing Legal Assistance to Roma and Traveller Communities, September 24 – 26, 2007, Strasbourg, France
Application deadline: July 20, 2007


These study sessions aim at providing participants with practical examples on how to use the Council of Europe Human Rights Conventions when lodging applications in favour of Roma and Travellers.

The sessions involve:
- Training and lectures on relevant Articles and on the procedure of the European Convention on Human Rights
- Practical information on how to submit an application to the European Court of Human Rights
- A moot court exercise
- Lectures and practical information on the Revised European Social Charter collective complaints procedure
- Information about access to relevant Council of Europe documents and databases.

The study sessions are animated by Council of Europe staff, including lawyers from the European Court of Human Rights, ERRC lawyers, and experienced external experts.

Participants should be practising lawyers involved in defending Roma and Travellers in any of the Council of Europe member state.

The working language will be English and the Council of Europe will cover travelling and subsistence costs.

Applications consist of a letter of motivation and a CV, both in English.

More information
Website: http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/romatravellers/lawyers/
E-mail: nelly.tasnadi@coe.int (Nelly Tasnadi, Migrations and Roma Department)


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Launch of Two National Calls for Remaining Funds for Pilot Projects
Application deadline: July 21 (for Slovakia), July 31 (for Slovenia)


As not all financial means for pilot projects from Slovenia and Slovakia have been used within the latest call for proposals two small calls are launched to make access for pilot projects to the remaining funds.

Invited are NGOs from Slovenia and Slovakia together with Austrian NGOs. The lead agency has to come from the NMS. It is open for initiatives in the field of development awareness/education and development cooperation. Projects can start at the earliest mid of September and the maximal duration is until the end of August 2008. The administration of the minicalls until the appraisal is managed by the platforms of Slovenia and Slovakia.

Total available grants for Slovenia - 30.600 Euro for Development Awareness and 45.000 Euro for Development Cooperation.
Total available grants for Slovakia - 15.000 Euro for Development Awareness and 45.000 Euro for Development Cooperation.

More information
Website: http://www.eu-platform.at/english/start.asp?b=872
E-mail: for Slovenia: info@sloga-platform.org (Marjan Huc)
for Slovakia: office@mvro.sk (Zuzana Kratka)


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The Regional Programme on Human Rights for Participants from Eastern Europe, Balkans and Central Asia
Application deadline: July 29, 2007


The objective of the programme is to provide participants with in-depth knowledge of international and regional systems for the promotion and protection of human rights, regional and international monitoring mechanisms and national implementation procedures in the field of human rights. The programme will also provide an opportunity for participants to exchange ideas and experiences from their national contexts. Through the programme, participants will gain knowledge in the area of human rights which can be utilized in the participants’ own line of work.

The programme will accept 25 participants and is primarily designed for mid-level and senior officials in public service (e.g. in government, the judiciary and central police and prison authorities) as well as representatives (e.g. lecturers and researchers) from academic institutions and non-governmental organisations dealing with human rights issues.

During Phase I of the programme (October 8 - November 2, 2007) participants will be requested to formulate, in writing, an individual assignment identifying challenges in implementing international human rights standards focusing on a particular issue or area of relevance to their respective institution or organisation.

The issue or area of focus in the individual assignment should concern one of the following topics: Minority Rights, Rights of vulnerable groups (persons with disabilities, migrants, IDPs), HR of women, Independence of judiciary, National application of ECHR. Applicants must submit a draft of their individual assignment when applying to the programme.

Candidates from the following countries are invited to apply: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Serbia (including Kosovo), Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Applications from other states than those mentioned above, will NOT be considered.

There is a specific application form that must be used when applying. You can download it from this site, or apply directly using the electronic application form (Sending only your CV will NOT be regarded as an application). Application forms can be sent to the Raoul Wallenberg Institute either by fax, email or regular mail. When using the electronic application form, the confirmation page (automatically generated when sending the electronic application form) must be sent in to the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in order for the application to be completed.

More information
Website: http://www.rwi.lu.se/news/tempact/osshumr07.shtml
http://www.rwiapplications.se/37EU/


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Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities - Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity Progress
Application deadline: July 30, 2007


Establishment of 3-year partnerships with EU-level networks active in the field of combating social exclusion and discrimination, promoting gender equality and promoting the integration of disabled people and representing roma people

Participating countries under the PROGRESS programme are: the EU-27 Member States; the EFTA/EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein); the candidate countries associated to the EU (Turkey, Croatia and FYROM/Macedonia), as well as to the western Balkan countries included in the stabilisation and association process Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Serbia and Montenegro; Kosovo).

Applicants must choose one of these areas:
• Area 1: European level networks active in the field of combating poverty and social exclusion
• Area 2: European level networks active in the field of combating discrimination
• Area 3: European level networks active in promoting gender equality
• Area 4: European level networks active in promoting the integration of disabled people in society
• Area 5: European level networks active in representing Roma people.

The indicative maximum amounts of Community funding made available for the period 2008 – 2010 are as follows:
Area 1: European level networks active in the field of combating poverty and social exclusion
21.000.000 Euro - The Commission intends to co-finance around ten organisations under this Area
Area 2: European level networks active in the field of combating discrimination
10.050.000 Euro - The Commission intends to co-finance at least one organisation per ground of discrimination
Area 3: European level networks active in promoting gender equality
4.200.000 Euro - The Commission intends to co-finance two or three organisations under this Area
Area 4: European level networks active in promoting the integration of disabled people in society
2.600.000 Euro - The Commission intends to fund around seven European-level organisations
Area 5: European level networks active in representing Roma people and combating their social exclusion
600.000 Euro - The Commission intends to fund one organisation under this Area.

As a general rule, Community support under the PROGRESS Programme will be limited to 80% of the total eligible costs.

More information
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/calls/2007/vp_2007_013/call_en.pdf


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The Presidency Fund, Fourth Call for Proposals
Application deadline: July 31, 2007


The Presidency Fund has an operating capital of 1 Million Euro contributed by the Irish and Dutch Governments for a three-year life of the Fund. Within this time frame, it is expected that Five Calls for Proposals will be issued between October 2005 and October 2008.

In the present call for proposals, the grant to Implementing NGOs of Aid from the Presidency Fund will not exceed 45,000 Euro for an implementation period of one year. Budgets should be relevant to the economic standard in the country of implementation.

The Presidency Fund came into operation to stimulate the capacity of civil society in the Ten New Member States (NMS) to engage effectively in dialogue over the EU Development Policy. The Presidency Fund will consider proposals in response to its Calls from NGOs in the 10 New Member States that joined the EU in 2004. These include: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The Presidency Fund has been established to realise the following objectives:
• To strengthen the EU Development Co-operation and the International Development Agenda by developing capacities of NMS NGOs to engage in actions toward this end.
• To create a deeper understanding within civil society in the NMS on issues related to EU Development Co-operation by facilitating interactions between civil society actors from developing countries (Global South) and those in the NMS.
• To create opportunities for NMS NGOs to exercise greater influence while engaging in the EU Development Policy Debate by strengthening or establishing National Networks and Coalitions between NGOs within NMS countries where these do not exist or are inadequate.
• To promote fair representation of the NMS NGOs and their access to EU institutions by facilitating their participation in Europe-wide networks.

The objectives of the Fund will be realised through a series of comprehensive activities. A few examples of the activities that fall within the scope of the Presidency Fund are:
• Policy Exchanges
• Advocacy
• Roundtables
• Education and Training
• Internship Programmes
• Exchange Programmes
• Programme Visits.

All NGOs fulfilling the following pre-conditions are welcome to respond to Calls for Proposals:
• Be a publicly recognised, legal non-profit making entity under the relevant national law where such laws exist. The organisation in all cases will have to establish that it operates on the basis of a set of written statutes.
• Located in Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
• Have a clearly defined Mission focused on international development co-operation, humanitarian assistance, justice and/or the advancement of human rights.
• Be non-partisan with a decision-making mechanism independent from government.
• Have an identifiable constituency:
o A group of individuals who it seeks to influence in order to affect change (advocacy and lobbying)
o A group of individuals who directly/ indirectly benefit from their activity.
• Have an identifiable track record in relation to the activities proposed. Therefore the organisation must establish that they have successfully implemented programmes and projects.

More information
Website: www.presidencyfund.org
E-mail: ssaldanha@presidencyfund.org


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European Commission - Support to the Roma and Marginalised Groups in the Western Balkans
Application deadline: August 3, 2007


The overall objective is to ensure social inclusion, protection and return-related activities to Roma community and marginalised groups.

The specific objective is to create conditions for these persons to improve their lives by:
· Acquiring access to social security, public services, and development and employment opportunities
· Fostering the promotion of poverty reduction and respect for human rights
· Providing assistance both in the provision of integration solutions and legal assistance.

The priority issues are:
o To provide Roma and marginalised groups with the necessary means for accessing employment opportunities, social welfare, schools and citizens rights
o To remove the obstacles which prevent Roma people and marginalised groups to get access to basic rights and protection
o To inform the Roma population and marginalised groups about the benefits of the registration and the recognition of their rights by the national authorities
o The Programme should demonstrate a regional dimension and a harmonised approach in the activities to be undertaken in all the targeted countries.

Actions must take place at least in 3 of the following countries/entity: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244), Montenegro, Serbia.

The planned duration of an action may not exceed 18 months.

Types of action
The following list is not exhaustive and appropriate activities that are not mentioned below will also be considered for support. Examples of activities are:
- Awareness campaigns among the Roma community and marginalised groups about the benefits of the rights and obligations related to the issue of civil registration, particularly in the settlements
- Awareness campaign towards governmental institutions, notably at the municipal level, about the right to be registered (birth certificate, resident certificate)
- Provision of guidelines about the procedures to follow according to the respective regulation in each country
- Measures to facilitate contacts between the Roma population and municipal registry offices
- Provision of legal assistance and accompanying measures to obtain administrative documents
- Follow-up of the registration requests to the national authorities
- Some activities related to housing could be included as appropriate in the main programme dedicated to civil registration.

The following types of action are ineligible:
· Actions concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences, congresses
· Actions concerned only or mainly with individual scholarships for studies or training courses.

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is 1,000,000 Euro. A grant may not be for less than 65% of the total eligible costs of the action. In addition, no grant may exceed 80% of the total eligible costs of the action.

More information
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/roma/rfund/ren_en.htm
E-mail: ELARG-CFP-ROMA-2007@ec.europa.eu


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The Netherlands Embassy - Matra - KAP Local Funds for Romania
Application deadline: August 3, 2007


On a bilateral level, the Netherlands Government is ranking high amongst those actively supporting Romania's aspirations for integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures. To underscore this, the Netherlands has decided to make several assistance instruments available to Romanians and Dutch people who like to join hands in common, mutually beneficial undertakings.

Social Transformation Programme (Matra)
The Programme for Social Transformation of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been set up to support the process of social transformation in Central and Eastern Europe. It focuses on activities that contribute to the further development of an open, pluriform and democratic society, securely embedded in the rule of law.

Matra Small Embassy Projects Programme (KAP)
The Small Embassy Projects Programme has been set up recognizing that a wide range of small-scale efforts, undertaken by all sorts of individuals and groups, is also needed to create a pluriform civil society, in which many people actively participate.

The Embassy is organising a new round of call for Matra-KAP project proposals.

Matra/KAP is a demand-driven programme and therefore only supports target group initiatives. To be eligible for a Matra/KAP grant, projects must promote the process of transformation into a pluralist, democratic society by helping to create a stronger, more diverse civil society. This process of transformation can take place in the following 12 areas:
legislation & law; public administration, public order and police; information & media; human rights/minorities; environment/NGOs; environmental authorities; labour & social policy; culture; welfare; health care; housing; education.

What are the requirements?
1. applications must be relevant to Matra objectives
2. the duration of a Matra/KAP project may not exceed twelve months
3. the application must relate to one or more of the 12 Matra themes mentioned above
4. the project should be a local initiative
5. eligibility for funding is limited to local costs
6. the target group should be clearly defined and actively involved in implementing the project
7. the target group should bear part of the burden of the project (financial or in kind)
8. maximum amount to be committed is 15,000 Euro.

More information
Website: http://www.netherlandsemb.ro/


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Europa Nostra/ European Commission DG Education and Culture - EU Prize for Cultural Heritage
Application deadline: August 15, 2007


The purpose of the annual prize is to give public recognition to exemplary initiatives and to skills of deserving individuals and/ or organisations in the field of preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage (architecture and its related movable heritage, archaeology, cultural landscapes).

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage was launched in 2002 by the European Commission as part of the implementation of the Culture 2000 Programme. Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Heritage, has been selected as the organisation responsible for the running of this programme.

The aims are:
- To promote high standards of conservation practice
- To stimulate the exchange of knowledge and experience throughout Europe
- To encourage further efforts through the power of example.
It will achieve this by giving public recognition to outstanding initiatives and best practices by either individuals or organisations, which contribute to the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage in Europe.

The prize will be awarded to each of the following categories:
Category 1: Conservation
Outstanding achievements in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage in the following areas:
- Single buildings or groups of buildings in rural or urban setting
- Industrial and engineering structures and sites
- Cultural landscapes: historic parks and gardens, larger areas of designed landscape, or areas of cultural, environmental ad/or agricultural significance.
- Archaeological sites, including underwater archaeology
- Works of art and collections: collections of artistic and historic significance or old works of art.

Category 2: Research
Outstanding research which leads to tangible effects in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage in Europe in any of the above-mentioned Category 1 areas.

Category 3: Dedicated service by individuals or organisations
Open to individuals or organisations whose contributions over a long period of time demonstrate excellence in the protection, conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage (relating to the above-mentioned Category 1 areas) in Europe. The contribution should be of a standard which would be considered outstanding in the European context.

Category 4: Education, training and awareness-raising
Outstanding initiatives related to heritage education, training schemes in cultural heritage conservation, and programmes for raising awareness on cultural heritage.

All winning entries will receive a certificate indicating their level of Award: Prize, Medal or Diploma. Subject to the confirmation of the continuation of Europa Nostra's partnership with the European Commission, the most outstanding achievements may also be awarded a monetary Prize of ?10.000 in each category in addition to Awards. The prize may be awarded to either a European individual (e.g. conservation/ restoration specialist in scientific, technical or craftsmanship terms) or a group that may involve conservation/ restoration specialists, owners, public authorities or non-governmental organisations.

Entries may be submitted from the European Union States, acceding and candidate countries, members of the European Economic area. All other European countries may apply for a Medal or Diploma but will not be eligible for the monetary prize.

More information
Website: http://www.europanostra.org/lang_en/index.html
http://www.europanostra.org/downloads/awards_2008/call_conditions.pdf
E-mail: ao@europanostra.org


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South East European Research Centre - 2 Scholarships for Doctoral Students ‘Smoking Prevention in the Balkans’
Application deadline: August 20, 2007


The South East European Research Centre (SEERC), a Research Centre of the University of Sheffield (UK) and CITY Liberal Studies (GR) accepts applications from candidates in Balkan countries other than Greece, with a preference for Romania and Bulgaria for doctoral study on a Full-time basis. The doctoral candidates will be funded by CANCER Research UK to conduct research on the topic ‘Smoking Prevention in the Balkans’. The base of the candidates will be SEERC (Thessaloniki) but a large part of the field work will be conducted in the students’ home countries.

The duration is 3 years and it requires full time commitment on the part of the PhD student, which means that one would have to be physically present at SEERC premises in Thessaloniki. Part of the PhD programme involves the Research Training Programme (RTP) modules, where the PhD student undertakes modules for training in research methods.

The scholarship is available for three years and covers tuition fees for the doctoral programme as well as living and traveling expenses (costs for trips to the students’ home countries for field research purposes) at 3720 British pounds per annum.

The Candidates’ Profile
- Two highly motivated PhD candidates, from Balkan countries other than Greece with a preference from Romania and Bulgaria are required to work on a Fulltime basis, on this international project funded by Cancer Research UK. Candidates should have a background in Psychology or in a related discipline. The postholders will join a team of researchers and will be responsible for running research activities related to the psychosocial motives for smoking, tobacco policies, and advertising, within the geographical area of Greece and South East European countries.
- The normal minimum entry requirement for a PhD, subject to confirmation, is an honours degree (first or upper second class) and an MPhil or a taught masters degree including training in research and execution of a research project. Relevant academic and work experience, previous experience or training in research methods will be considered. Special consideration will be given to applicants with relevant research experience that may compensate for lack of formal qualifications.
- Experience in the field of smoking, other addictions, or similar health-related areas would be an advantage.
- The successful applicant will be a self-starter with a high level of commitment, able to work independently as well as contribute to the wider activities of the research team, and able to make an independent and original contribution to knowledge.
- English Language Requirements: IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) 6.5 to 7.0 with at least 6 in written component (for courses where a higher standard of English is required) or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) 575/232 to 600/250.

The topic: Smoking prevention in the Balkans. The proposed study is a continuation of a project completed by SEERC Doctoral Student Lambros Lazuras, sponsored by Cancer Research UK, and is closely related to the International Tobacco Control (ITC) projects. Through retaining one postdoctoral researcher and recruiting and training two further PhD students, SEERC will build capacity by putting together a (multinational) research team able to provide the in-house expertise to help organise the main ITC longitudinal survey, coordinate with survey agencies, arrange and check translations of the survey instrument, etc.

An aim of the FCTC is to impact on environmental factors through restrictions on tobacco advertising, availability (especially to the young) and smoking in workplaces and in public. The International Tobacco Control (ITC) Project aims to evaluate the impact of such policy changes. We are involved in collaborative discussions with other members of the ITC team regarding the possibility of extending the main ITC survey methodology to the Balkans, in addition to other European countries.

Submission of a proposal
Following this call for proposals, PhD candidates need to download the application frorm from the SEERC website and fill it in, following the instructions, and then send 1 copy to SEERC and 1 copy to The University of Sheffield. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. All applicants have to ensure that supporting documentation is included in the application. Finally, in the application form there should be attached a Research Proposal and an updated CV of the candidate. The Research Proposal should be typed, the length should be about 1,500 – 2,000 words (6 to 8 pages) and contain the following:
- Title of the proposed thesis (please use ‘Smoking Prevention in the Balkans’).
- Proposed mode of work (Please write ‘Full-time’) Background to research topic.
- Specific problem(s) to be examined Methods of research proposal, plan and timetable of work.
- Any other information in support of your proposal.
The proposal should include correct citations to the literature and a brief bibliography.

More information
Website: http://www.seerc.org/doctoral_scholarships_call_29_06_07.html
E-mail: phd_admissions@seerc.org


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Soros Foundation Romania - ‘Analysis of the Political and Institutional System in Romania’ Competition
Application deadline: August 30, 2007


The foundation offers mini-grants to graduates of academic, post-academic and research scholarships who want to get involved in the public policy making process.

Eligibility:
- Candidates must be graduates of courses abroad (academic, Master, PhD programs)
- The project may be proposed by individuals or by groups
- The program will fund proposals that include analysis and recommendations and a simulation of the impact to the Romanian society.

More information
Website: http://www.soros.ro
E-mail: mstefanescu@soros.ro (Mihaela Stefanescu, Project coordinator)


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European Parliament Ombudsman - Traineeships
Application deadline: August 31, 2007


he European Ombudsman offers a limited number of traineeships which are intended to enable the trainees to add to the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their studies by giving them practical experience.

The traineeships are normally for a duration of four months and can be extended up to a maximum of 11 months.

Trainees are required to work under the direct supervision of a Legal Officer. They normally must undertake either investigation of complaints or the carrying out of research relevant to the work of the Ombudsman or both.

The level of financial support for trainees in receipt of external support will be determined on an individual basis. Scholarships are available to trainees who do not have other means of financial support for a period of three months. The value of scholarships is 25% of the basic salary of staff on grade A*6 step 1, including a household allowance, where appropriate.

Trainees are selected on an individual basis. The applicant should normally:
- Be a national from an EU Member State
- Have a university degree in law, and be at an advanced stage of professional training or research in Community law
- Be able to work in at least two of the official languages of the European Communities. Knowledge of French and English, which are the working languages of the European Ombudsman's Office, is required.

More information
Website: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ombudsman/default.htm
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ombudsman/trainee/en/rules.htm
E-mail: euro-ombudsman@europarl.eu.int


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Council of the European Union/ Secretariat-General - Traineeship
Application deadline: September 1, 2007


Each year the General Secretariat of the Council offers some 70 traineeships lasting 5 months on average. There are three types of traineeships: paid, unpaid and traineeships reserved for national officials.

Paid traineeships
A trainee will be attached to one or more departments of the General secretariat of the Council for the duration of five months.

Selection Criteria:
- Nationals of one of the Member States of the European Union
- Candidates have completed by the deadline for the lodging of the applications at least the first cycle of a course of university studies validated by a certificate
- National officials are not eligible for this programme
- Applicants have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the EU and satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages. In practice, a knowledge of at least French or English is necessary
- Applicants who have not already undergone an in-service training in another European institution.

Priority will be given to applicants on the basis of the results obtained during their studies. Preference shall be given to applicants:
- Who have completed or started a course on European integration
- Who hold posts in the private or public sector dealing with activities of the EU.

The grant awarded is currently fixed at EUR 900 per month.

Unpaid traineeships
Unpaid traineeships are offered to students who are required to complete a compulsory training period as part of their studies. The traineeships can be from 1 to 5 months, depending on the requirements of the educational establishment.

Selection Criteria:
- Any national of the EU Member States or a State that is a candidate for accession
- Who is a third, fourth or fifth-year student (or equivalent) of a higher-education establishment or university which requires such a period of training to be undertaken as part of the course of study or for access to a profession, or who is required to do research for a thesis or doctorate
- Applicants have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the EU and satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages. In practice, a knowledge of at least French or English is necessary
- Applicants who have not already undergone an in-service training in another European institution.

Traineeships with officials
This programme is intended for officials for ministries, government or regional agencies and the diplomatic corps of the EU Member States or a State that is a candidate for accession. The traineeships run for a period from 3 to 6 months.
'National officials' trainees are staff employed by national administrations and paid by them.

Selection Criteria:
- Any national of the EU Member States or a State that is a candidate for accession
- Have a university degree or at least three years' professional experience in duties corresponding to a university education
- Applicants have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the EU and satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages. In practice, a knowledge of at least French or English is necessary.

More information
Website: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=321〈=en&mode=g
E-mail: stages@consilium.europa.eu


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European Commission DG EAC - Administrative In-service Traineeships
Application deadline: September 1, 2007


The Commission organises twice a year in-service training periods lasting between three and five months for young university graduates. This does not exclude those who - in the framework of lifelong learning - have recently obtianed a university diploma and are at the beginning of a new professional career. The training periods start on 1 March and 1 October each year.

The purpose of in-service training is in particular:
- To provide them with practical knowledge of the working of Commission departments
- To enable them to acquire personal experience by means of the contacts made in the course of their everyday work
- To enable them to further and put into practice the knowledge they have acquired during their studies and in particular in their specific areas of competence.

Trainees are in principle selected amongst nationals of the Member States of the European Communities and of the candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy. However a limited number of nationals of non-member countries may be accepted.

In order to apply you must:
- Have completed the first cycle of a higher education course (university education) and obtained a full degree or its equivalent by closing date for applications
- Not have completed a traineeship in another European Union institution or body
- Have a very good knowledge of English or French or German
- If you are a National of an EU Member State, have a very good knowledge of a second Community language.

A training grant may be awarded to the trainee. The grant is currently EUR 950 per month. Disabled trainees may receive a supplement to their grant.

More information
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/stages/index_en.htm
E-mail: eac-stages@cec.eu.int


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Educational Society of Malopolska (MTO) - Academy for Young Social Entrepreneurs (AYSE) - International Project for Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 1 – 16, 2007 (first part), Nowy Sacz, Poland
Application deadline: October 12, 2007


The Academy for Young Social Entrepreneurs is established by MTO to introduce young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the profession of social entrepreneur and to support those, who already have a vision of how to creatively solve their local communities’ problems. At the same time it will promote this profession and create an open space for cooperation and mutual inspiration among ASHOKA fellows (www.ashoka.org) and other social entrepreneurs.

This is a down-to-earth, very practical training for a group of 24 youth (aged 18-25) to develop innovative approaches to problem solving and equip participants with team-building, capacity building and fundraising skills. A great treasure and capacity can be found in the experience and spirit of existing social entrepreneurs. This will be shared with the trainees during stationary workshops, internships and e-mail monitoring. Students will receive certificates of participation and awards for outstanding achievements.

Timeline:
December 1, 2007 Arrival and orientation in Nowy Sacz
December 2 - 8, 2007 Training - 7 days in Nowy Sacz
December 9, 2007 Travel to internship locations
December 10 - 14, 2007 Internship - 5 days in Poland
December 15 - 16, 2007 Wrap-up and evaluation - 2 days in Nowy Sacz
December 2007 - March 2008 Mentoring on-line, implementation and final training in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The first part of the program will take place at a training center in Nowy Sacz, Poland. This town is located 100 km south-east of Krakow and is the site of Alicja Derkowska’s (ASHOKA Fellow) Educational Society of Malopolska - MTO that has a tradition of training teachers and NGO leaders from Poland and other CEE countries since 1991.

Participant eligibility
· Enthusiastic individuals aware of the current problems in their local communities and having an interest and vision (even if vague) of how to solve them
· Aged 18-25
· Higher education (currently, completed or planned)
· Working knowledge of English
· Recommendation
· Current, valid passport number (Applications without this information will NOT be accepted).

Program:
The training program is broken into four steps: initial stationary training; internship with an ASHOKA Fellow; homework (e.g. launching an NGO or working with an existing one) with the e-mail assistance of a mentor; final stationary training, wrap-up and evaluation.

We never lecture. All the workshops will be run using interactive, innovative, stimulating methods that encourage participation and group cooperation (posters, brain-storming, carousel brain-storming, concentric circles, discussion, debate, role-playing, etc.). We will use everyday feedback to adjust our plan to students’ needs and expectations.

All expenses related to the program (transportation, room, board and materials) in 2007 will be covered by a grant. The main sponsor is the East-East Program of Soros Foundations in Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Places are limited. Applications will only be accepted by email and are due by October 12, 2007. Qualifying candidates will be invited for interviews beginning on October 17, 2007. Interviews will be conducted by Human Rights Office, partner organization from BiH. Finalists will be notified of acceptance by October 31, 2007.

More information
Website: www.mto.org.pl
E-mail: ayse_bih_2007@hotmail.com


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Development of Lifelong Learning for the Pre-university Staff, Romania
Application deadline: October 15, 2007


The program aims to improve the access and participation to education, to ensure the quality of the educational process and institutional management, to develop the teaching-learning process, to ensure a better correlation between the educational offer the the needs of the community, to diminish school abandon and stabilize the work force.

Grants will be allocated for projects that aim to enhance the quality of lifelong learning programs for teachers and managers of highschools from rural areas.

Target groups: non-profit or profit organisations, public or non-public institutions, educational institutions.

Total budget: 800.000 Euro.

More information
E-mail: educatie-2006@mdlpl.ro


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Open Society Institute - New Response Projects
Application deadline: continuous


Recent political developments in Central Europe demonstrate that populism and anti-democratic values continue to thrive in some new EU member states. An increasing number of governments show little interest in independent oversight of government activities, protection of minority rights, media independence and the rule of law. Public discourse in some of the new EU member states has taken a particularly negative turn with attacks against vulnerable groups and minority communities as well as against NGOs promoting tolerance and accountability. Debates within EU member states on issues such as immigration and security exacerbate negative discourse at the local level. Civil society in the region seems ill-prepared to counter these illiberal tendencies systematically and consistently.

Most think tank leaders agree that more should be done, and that liberal democratic values are at the core of their missions. However, given the current funding environment, tackling these types of issues is increasingly difficult. The Think Tank Fund response is to establish a competitive project fund that will support established policy centers in the region to confront issues the Fund believes critical to open society.

By funding Open Society New Response Projects, the Think Tank Fund aims to support independent policy centers in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia to promote policy research and alternatives on political and social issues critical to effective and accountable democratic governance in their own countries. Open Society New Response Projects should reflect the core values of the applicant organization as well as tackle key social and political policy areas.

Open Society New Response Projects will provide think tanks in the region with the opportunity to:
• Sustain their work on sensitive and unpopular social and political issues, particularly work that seeks to improve the position of disadvantaged and marginalized groups
• Promote transparent and effective democratic processes in their countries and to counteract illiberal tendencies
• Advance systems for monitoring the performance of governmental institutions in ensuring tolerance and public accountability.

The issues to be addressed should be important in the policy context of the applicant’s country and linked with the promotion of open society values. Applicants should have already undertaken similar research and policy work for a number of years. They should clearly demonstrate that the proposed research is in line with their missions. Funding requests can be related to new initiatives or to ongoing activities that require funding. Similar to its guidelines for core funding, the Think Tank Fund will avoid providing support for single-issue think tanks and funding for individual projects that fall within the mandates of other OSI programs.

In line with the aim of the Think Tank Fund of fostering inclusive policy change, Open Society New Response Projects should increase public participation in policy discussions, influence public policy discourse and help to shape the policy agenda. Projects should aim to address the full policy cycle and reach out to relevant stakeholders. Priority will be given to research and policymaking that directly respond to threats to liberal democratic governance and promotes open society values.

Prior to sending a full proposal, applicants should submit a brief concept paper of no more than 2-3 pages. The Think Tank Fund will use this paper to determine whether projects meet its current funding priorities and guidelines. The concept paper should include:
• Brief description of the project and the issue(s) it addresses
• Overview of the planned activities and methodology to be utilized
• Short description of the applicant organization and its mission
• Estimated overall budget and timeframe for the project.

Based on a review of the concept paper, grant applicants may be invited to submit a full application. A full proposal should provide a description of the Open Society New Response Project and background information on the context and rationale for the project. In addition, the proposal should provide a detailed activity plan that highlights the expected outcomes of the project and benchmarks for assessing the project’s impact. Finally, the proposal should discuss how the project fits within the organization’s broader project portfolio and its overall agenda. The narrative part of the proposal should not exceed 10-15 pages. Other relevant information, such as an organizational history, a full institutional budget, and examples of previous policy products, should be appended. Applicant organizations should also provide a detailed project budget and implementation plan. The requested grant should constitute no more than 20 percent of the group’s total annual b! udget. Priority will be given to projects that can demonstrate co-funding. Grants will not exceed $75,000 per year and can be up to three years in length.

Applicants should submit a concept paper by email to the Human Rights and Governance Grants Program. The OSI Policy Advisory Board will take the final funding decisions, and grants will be awarded on a matching-funds basis. There are no deadlines for the submission of proposals, but interested organizations are recommended to contact the Program for more information prior to submitting a full proposal. Once a complete application has been received, it typically takes about three months to complete the application review process and deliver a decision.

More information
Website: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/hrggp/focus_areas/think/guidelines#bottom
E-mail: Uhrggp_policy@osi.huU (Goran Buldioski)


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Open Society Institute - Core and Institutional Support to Policy Centers
Application deadline: continuous


The Think Tank Fund of OSI's Human Rights and Governance Grants Program (HRGGP) requests proposals from public policy centers working in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine to promote inclusive policy change. ‘Inclusive policy change’ refers to a policymaking process that is open, transparent, and responsive to the public interest. HRGGP aims to support think tanks that help strengthen democratic processes in their countries by identifying and analyzing policy options, consulting with the government to advance their recommendations, involving stakeholders outside government circles in policy debates, and making their findings widely available to the public. Thus, while potential grantees should engage with public authorities, the Think Tank Fund also seeks to fund organizations that galvanize public support for and debate about the issues on w! hich they are working.

The Think Tank Fund’s strategy is not to support specific issues or themes but to encourage an approach to public policy work that promotes inclusive policy change using a combination of the following methods. Think tanks must undertake thorough research and develop thematic expertise in order to inform public debate responsibly and to position themselves as credible partners for the government and other actors. Recognizing that different issues will necessitate varying means of engagement with the government—sometimes even requiring an adversarial approach—organizations should be able to influence the government in both defining priorities and developing policy options. Applied research and engagement with the government are insufficient on their own, however, to create inclusive policy change in democratic societies.

To foster sustained impact, organizations must engage stakeholders from across the spectrum, involving other civil society actors and the media in the policy debate as well as the relevant governmental actors. Meaningful public advocacy, therefore, is an essential ingredient in the policy development process. Finally, in order to ensure that the policy development process does not end with declarations but changes practice, some degree of monitoring is required. All too often policy change exists only on paper. By generating public demand and monitoring governmental implementation, organizations not only promote policy options but also advocate policy change. The Think Tank Fund understands that the extent to which organizations employ each of these tools will vary, depending upon the national political context, the capacities of the individual organizations, and the issues being addressed.

The Think Tank provides institutional and core support to public policy centers in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine that have a diverse project portfolio focusing primarily upon core political and social issues. The Think Tank Fund will not fund single- issue think tanks or provide project-based support. Proposals to establish new think tanks will not be considered.

Prior to sending a full proposal, applicants should send a brief concept paper of no more than 2-3 pages. The Think Tank Fund will use this paper to determine whether projects meet the Fund’s current funding priorities and guidelines. The concept paper should include:
• A brief description of goals and planned activities for the grant period, the methodology to be utilized and overall strategy
• Information about the applicant organization, including plans for institutional and programmatic development in the grant period
• Estimated overall budget, purpose, and timeframe for the requested core and institutional funding.

Once the Fund has reviewed concept papers, grant seekers may be invited to submit a full application. The narrative part of the proposal should not exceed 10-15 pages. Other relevant information should be appended. While there are no application forms, the Think Tank Fund expects all proposals to outline the thematic priorities of the organization, indicating how and why these issues were selected and the context in which the activities of the applicant take place, and provide a clear description of the methods to be utilized in implementing the programs. Proposals should also provide an overview of the applicant organization, describing the history, governance, management structure, and their strategy for the coming years. Applicants should identify not only broad goals, but also specific benchmarks to measure their success in promoting inclusive policy change and their capacity to perform in a competitive environment. Finally, the Think Tank Fund requests a full organizati! onal budget, detailing funds requested from HRGGP as well as funding received from other Soros foundations network entities and any other donors. Proposals and budgets should ideally cover a 2-3 year period.

Applicants should submit a concept paper by email to the Human Rights and Governance Grants Program. The Program accepts proposals on an ongoing basis. The OSI Policy Advisory Board will make the funding decisions, and grants will be awarded on a matching-funds basis. There are no deadlines for the submission of proposals, but interested organization are recommended to contact the Program for more information prior to submitting a full proposal. While the Program does not preset funding ceilings, it expects applicant organizations to demonstrate funding from other donors. Once a complete application has been received, it typically takes about three months to complete the application review process and deliver a decision.

More information
Website: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/hrggp/focus_areas/think/guidelines#bottom
E-mail: Uhrggp_policy@osi.huU (Goran Buldioski)


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‘All different - All Equal: Young People Breaking the Barriers of Abilism in Education and Employment’ International Youth Seminar, August 25 – 31, 2007, Bulgaria
Application deadline: July 15, 2007


The project is initiated by young people with disabilities and will be run by and for young people with disabilities. It aims at organizing a 5 days training course on abilism in education and employment, within which 30 young abilism activists and youth with disabilities from the CEI countries will meet in order to discuss, analyse and develop, implement and multiply assistance tools and associative strategies for equality, participation, inclusive employment and education.

Objectives:
- To identify and review specific problems and discriminatory practices that disabled youth face in education and employment
- To campaign against public attitudes leading to abilism
- To strive for adequate public policy and service provision
- To promote Human Rights, Independence, Dignity and Equality
- To encourage participation and address social barriers to increase the educational and employment opportunities for CEI young people with disabilities
- To enable participants in the youth seminar to understand and explore the concepts of Human Rights Education, participation and social inclusion as tools to combat abilism and achieve inclusive employment and education
- To help participants in building their self-confidence and improve competences in addressing disability concerns to the public
- To build partnerships and motivate participants to take concrete action against discrimination on local, regional, national and international levels
- To multiply these tools and strategies in local communities and educational institutions, NGOs and in the workplace.

Participants should be:
- Primarily young people who work with people with disabilities aged from 18 to 30 who are actively working/volunteering in organizations on issues of disability; activists involved in youth work on disability issues.
- Hard hearing young people.
- Youth interested in raising awareness about disability problems and concerns of youth with disabilities in Europe.
- Eager to improve social inclusion of disabled young people and their participation in the society.
- Motivated to multiply skills and knowledge obtained to develop projects on inclusive education and employment in their organisations/communities after the course.
We would love to have some professionals that work with youth with disabilities and also the young people with disabilities to be represented.

The participant selection process will be based on the above criteria, the application form and recommendation letter from the sending organization/ community, considering gender and geographical balance.

Due to budget limitations we can not offer a well-accommodated space for the needs of motoric-disabled (wheel-chair) youth. We can accept hard hearing people (translation to sign language provided), youth with visual impairments, with a care-giver (but please consider we stay in beautiful but old hostel in
a mountain terrain), slight motoric problems that can handle stairs and other light disabilities that are not disturbed by the low physical accessibility of the hostel. This experience we have proves once again how much work we need to do for advocating and lobbing for disabled-friendly youth hostels around SEE and Europe in general.

List of eligible counties: Austria, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Check Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine.

Please find below our update concerning financial information of the seminar:
Board and Lodging: 100% covered by the organizers. National transport in BG: 100% covered by the organizers. International Travel: for EU countries: 70% covered by the organizers, for non-EU countries: 100% covered by the organizers. Participation Fees: EU countries: 30 Euro, non-EU countries: 20 Euro.

More information
E-mail: rccd_Smolian@abv.bg


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Higher Education Support Program of Open Society Institute Budapest and the Centre for Research, Art and Civic Engagement ‘The City’, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Regional Challenge Seminar for Excellence in Teaching 2007 - 2009
Application deadline: July 20, 2007


The collaborative interdisciplinary international project entitled ‘Cultures of Memory and Emancipatory Politics: Re-visioning the Past and Communality in the Yugoslav and Post-Yugoslav Spaces’ will be carried out by a team of prominent scholars from various disciplines and will involve junior
university-based academics primarily from the former Yugoslav region. The aim is to support and advance their teaching and research abilities and professional development through a collaborative international effort that offers a host of opportunities for young scholars/ academics.

Working languages of the seminar are both English and South Slavic languages (Bosnian/ Serbian/ Croatian, Macedonian, Slovenian). The duration of the project is currently planned for two years starting in Autumn 2007. During this period, we aim to conduct and accomplish a number of tasks pertaining to teaching and research advancement in the areas of concern, and conduct two autumn and two spring sessions to take place in the Former Yugoslav region. The first joint session is tentatively planned for late September 2007 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The project has a rhizome-like structure both in terms of its lines of research and the organization of participants. Brining together researchers working at the cross-roads of cultural and literary theory, political theory, sociology and anthropology, the first core session addresses common concerns and later divides into distinct interdisciplinary, yet connected, research pathways. These will undertake research towards themes like: the revision of cultural memory in the former Yugoslav region, the recasting of past and communality in post-Yugoslav space and potentials for emancipatory politics, and so forth. Both core sessions (total of two) as well as specific pathways (and their specific sessions and other activities) will ensure a concrete, flexible, and deliverable manner of devising, developing, and testing teaching and research methodologies that can be applied in junior faculty's research projects and teaching. The rhizome-like organization of the participants ensur! es their greater mobility and mutual exchange, encourages their independence and creativity, and sets in motion potential team-work both in teaching and researching after the completion of the project.

The project is aimed at young faculty primarily from former Yugoslav universities who are interested in developing their research and teaching skills in a challenging and collegial context. The applicants must be at an early stage of their teaching academic career, with a strong MA degree and publishing record, and preferably holding a PhD degree or enrolled in a doctoral programme. We welcome applications from all disciplinary backgrounds in social sciences and humanities (political theory, sociology, anthropology, law, gender, cultural and literary studies, and so forth).

It is essential that participants be committed to working as a group for an extended period of time. Each participant must have a very good command of English language in order to be able to engage with literature at an advanced level, strong interest in scholarship related to the theme of the seminar, as well as a developed interest in advancing the teaching and research process at their institutions and more widely.

Completed application form: a supporting statement (no longer than 500 words) in English outlining your needs and expectations from this Challenge Seminar as well as the way in which you will aim to contribute to it; your academic CV with a select list of publications; a sample of your published research/ work in progress (no longer than 2,000 words).

More information
Website: http://www.reset.centargrad.com/
E-mail: reset@centargrad.com


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Moscow School of Human Rights - VII International Summer School on Human Rights, August 6 - 17, 2007, Moscow, Russia
Application deadline: July 30, 2007


More information
Website: http://www.mshr-ngo.ru/ss2007 (in Russian)
E-mail: mshr@mshr-ngo.ru


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Center for Contemporary Art KSA:K, Chisinau - Found Footage Workshop, September 9 – 25, 2007, Chisinau, Republica Moldova
Application deadline: August 1, 2007


Project partners: D Media Association, Romania (http://www.dmedia.ro), Baza - Belgrade Art Initiatives, Serbia (http://www.baza.org.yu), NBK Video Forum, Germany (http://www.nbk.org/video-f.html).

Participants: 15 persons will be selected from Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia.

The Found Footage Workshop is an in-depth exploration of the use of archival material, the aesthetics of appropriation, sampling and detournement, and the transfer of cinematic language to digital forms. The workshop will consist in theoretical presentations, film screenings, and assisted hands-on workshops
(selection of archival sources, analogue-digital transfers, montage). Each participant will produce a film based on the re-use of archival sources. The workshop will provide an opportunity for cross-cultural exchange between artists and students from Moldova, regional artists from Balkan countries, and the international guests who have been invited to prepare the workshop.

The workshop aims to facilitate a critical engagement by artists toward the current condition of post-soviet (former USSR) or post-socialist societies. We are especially interested in investigations that use film aesthetics and digital technologies to explore and comment upon the ‘transition (gaps, ruptures, or continuities) between the dismantling of socialism and the current neo-liberal system, although artists can also propose ideas that depart from this focus. Each participant will develop a film scenario, select and choose appropriate archive sources corresponding to the idea, and edit a short digital film (5 to 10 minutes in length). The basic principle underlying the concept and production of the film should be the re-use or re-contextualization of archival sources, including propaganda films and archives from the socialist period (KSA:K has an available collection of these), fragments of new films, home movies or private archives, television and internet.

Skills gained by taking the workshop: Selecting and digitizing analogue materials (16 - 8 MM film, VHS), filming with professional cameras, editing with AVID, postproduction techniques. Films will be finished on mini DV and exported to DVD. Please note that some prior experience in video production (camerawork, montage) is required.

Selected participants will receive reimbursement for travel costs (train or bus), their accommodations and meals will be covered by the organizer for the duration of the workshop. There is no participation fee.

Applicants should be nationals or residents of Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, or Slovenia. We are looking for inspired proposals by visual artists, filmmakers and video activists that envision an intersection (dialogue, clash or complementarity) between past histories and present realities. Interested artists will prepare a proposal package containing the following documents: a CV (1-3 pages), a short statement about the particular interest in this workshop (150 words), a film synopsis (500-600 words), a production plan or timeline, and a tentative list/description of archival sources to be used. If these archival sources are difficult to find and specific to the region, artists are encouraged to bring them along. The application documents should be sent as a single file (.doc, .rtf or .pdf) by email. If applicants would like to submit samples of previous works, the package can be sent by post to the followin! g address, but the electronic documents should also be sent separately by email.

More information
Website: http://www.art.md
E-mail: suhebator@gmail.com, ksak.info@mail.md (Stefan Rusu, FFW project curator)


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Institute for Research and Consultations, Universum University in Prishtina – Universum Journal First Volume
Application deadline: August 1, 2007


The Institute for Research and Consultations of the Universum University in Prishtina, Kosovo, invites, professors, scholars, professionals, policymakers, decision makers, researchers and students to submit papers, essays and book reviews for the first Volume of the Universum Journal to be published in September 2007.

The Universum Journal is a periodical scientific publication with an interdisciplinary nature and a bilingual structure- Albanian and English, focused mainly, but not only, in public policy. The Universum Journal will be published under the supervision of the Institute for Research and Consultations of the Universum University and its Publishing Board.

All contributions are required to comply with our publication rules as in following:
Contribution size: from 2500 - 10.000 words including footnotes (N/A for book reviews)
Line space: 1.5
Font type: Times New Roman
Text size: 12 pt
Abstract: about 200 - 250 words
Brief CV of the author: up to 50 words.
Language: Albanian and English (contributions may be submitted in both languages).
All contributions are expected to be written in accordance with Chicago Manual of Style, fifteenth edition, the humanities style rules. For more information please visit the Chicago Manual Style website at:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

The publication of contributions will be decided by the Publishing Board of the Universum Journal. All the authors of contributions accepted for publication, depending by the size of their contributions will be entitled to receive a symbolic honorarium from 50 - 100 Euros and a free copy of the journal.

The focus for the first Volume will be mainly on the following topics:
1. The Economic Transition of South East European Countries
2. The Challenges of European Integration for Western Balkans
3. The European Perspective of Kosovo
4. Foreign Direct Investments in Western Balkans
5. Building Democracy in Multi-ethnic Societies
6. The Regional Integration in Western Balkans
7. The International Law vs. the Domestic Law.
Few other topics may be also considered to be published in the first Volume or in other coming volumes.

More information
E-mail: vice.rector@universum-ks.org (Mr. Jordan DACI General Director)


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14th Mediterranean Ethnological Summer Symposium/School, August 25 – 30, 2007, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Application deadline: August 6, 2007


The Mediterranean Ethnological Summer Symposium was established 14 years ago with an aim to provide a place of encounter for scholars and students of anthropology as well as neighboring disciplines. MESS is a combined symposium and Summer school with five working days and an excursion. Every morning a topic is introduced by two or three invited lecturers who specialize in the selected field. The afternoon workshops in various forms are dedicated to active student participation. Students have the opportunity to discuss the introduced topics and their own current research in the stimulating atmosphere.

Lectures, workshops and additional activities such as film screenings shall take place at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology. The working language is English. Certificates of participation will be awarded at the end of the course.

Undergraduate (preferably in their final years), MA, and PhD students in social/cultural anthropology, ethnology, sociology, history, etc. are kindly invited to take part at the 14th MESS. The number of students applying to participate is limited to 20.

School fee: 10 EUR per day / 40 EUR for the whole week. Please note: all payments are due on arrival. Food, travel and accommodation costs are to be covered by the participants. Accommodation info may be provided upon request.

More information
Website: www.mess.si
E-mail alenka.bartulovic@gmail.com


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Polis Journal – Call for papers
Application deadline: August 15, 2007


Polis an academic journal published by the Political Science Department of the European University of Tirana (UET), Albania, would like to invite post-graduate students, researchers and academics in general to submit papers for its fourth issue. The journal is published in Albanian and comes out three times a year. It focuses on issues directly or indirectly related to democratization in general and Albanian democratization in particular. The three previous issues of Polis have focused on political representation, Albanian Euro scepticism, and informality in Albania, respectively. The papers published in the second issue of Polis can be accessed on line from the UET website.

The fourth issue of Polis will have as its central theme ‘The Role of the International Community in Albanian Democratization’. In this issue we aim to explore different aspects of the intervention of the international community in the process of democratization in Albania, including but not limited to, building democratic institutions, monitoring electoral process, funding civil society organizations and anti-corruption campaigns. Therefore, we would like to invite submissions that explore these aspects from a critical perspective. However, we are open to submissions that focus on the role of international community in democratization process in other countries that might be relevant to the Albanian case as well.

The papers can be submitted in Albanian or English. If selected for publication they will be translated from English to Albanian by the Polis staff.

More information
Wevsite: www.universitetieuropian.com
E-mail: bkajsi@essex.ac.uk
kajsiu@yahoo.com


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Deniz Feneri Poverty Research Center - International Symposium on Poverty, February 1 - 3, 2008, Istanbul, Turkey
Application deadline: August 20, 2007


Poverty is a widespread and global phenomenon, which has pervasive effects on global and local communities. Different social scientific disciplines, vary from sociology to economics, political science to social work, emphasize on the different aspects of the problem, and thus contribute the existing literature on poverty and its causes, pervasiveness and effects in 21st century. Furthermore, there is a profusion of supranational actors, usually lying beyond the state, to tackle poverty. UNDP, World-Bank and local or global civil society organizations work in the field of poverty alleviation and offer a variety of services and solutions to the problem of poverty alongside the nation-states. In this respect, it is crucial to bring civil, public, academic and supranational actors together to discuss different aspects of the problem of poverty and thus to establish global and local platforms to fight against p! overty.

Symposium Topics: Poverty - Between Society and Economy, Poverty and Public Policy, Poverty and Supranational Institutions, Philantrophy, Poverty and Civil Society Organizations, Globalization and Poverty, Sustainability, Natural Resources and Poverty, Poverty Alleviation, Strategies and Alternatives,
Knowledge, Governance and Poverty.

Participants/ speakers should submit their abstracts (not more than 250 words) via e-mail. Papers can be submitted in English or in Turkish. In Turkish papers, an English abstract, which is not more than 250 words, should be added.

The languages of the symposium are English and Turkish.

The transportation and accommodation will be provided on the basis of availabilities.

More information
Website: http://www.deyam.org/sempozyum/en/default.asp
E-mail: sempozyum@deyam.org


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‘Visual Construction of Culture’ International Symposium, October 26 – 27, 2007, Zagreb, Croatia
Application deadline: August 20, 2007


The Croatian Writers' Society, the theory, culture and visual arts journal Tvrda, and the Zagreb Centre for Visual Studies are organizing an international interdisciplinary symposium entitled Visual Construction of Culture, to be held at the Mimara Museum in Zagreb, Croatia on 26 - 27 October 2007.

Over the past ten-odd years, the interest for the establishment of Visual Culture/ Visual Studies as a new interdisciplinary field of scientific study has surpassed the boundaries of contemporary visual arts. As W. J. T. Mitchell, one of the leading theoreticians of visuality and the image in the media age puts it, the new way in which images are created in the digital age requires a paradigm shift. This visual, pictorial and cultural turn marks the liberation of the image from the dominant paradigms in language philosophy and from the prevalent iconology interpretations in art history. Today, the picture is understood as a medium of communication and as a contextual field of autoreferential denotation. It is no longer a ‘holy’ picture or a picture of High Art, but a multiplied and networked world of visuality which demands its own new grammar, syntax, semiotics and hermeneutics.

Culture can no longer be explained by social identity theories. Visual culture is constructed autonomously and in the media age it is a prerequisite for the cognition of reality and its various interpretations. The Symposium will therefore focus especially on the need for a new approach to the concepts of picture, visuality and media in our time. How do pictures function in the culturally pluralistic and ideologically hybrid postmodern societies? Why can the new picture only be understood in its (cultural policy-, society- and ideology-related) context?

You are invited to participate in the Symposium and contribute to the articulation of Visual Culture as a new scientific discipline dealing with the visual in the media age in Croatia and its wider European environment. During the two working days, discussions will focus on the possibilities of co-operation between the fields of art history, semiotics, philosophy, sociology, cultural and visual studies in the research of the:
· Concept and phenomenon of the picture in the age of the iconic turn
· Mediological aspects of contemporary visual communication (e.g. the impact of new media art, as well as the mass media abolition of the borders dividing ‘high’ from ‘low’ art, popular from elite art production)
· Representation of visual cultural identities (of pictures—icons—ideologies).

Presentations by symposium participants, divided into three subject areas, will be limited to 20 minutes each, followed by a discussion. Working languages are Croatian and English.

More information
Website: http://www.c-v-s.hr/en/events/vcc.html
E-mail: visual.studies@post.t-com.hr


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‘Business and Globalization’ International Scientific Conference, October 19 - 20, 2007, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia
Application deadline: September 1, 2007


Nowadays, the importance of national borders is being relativised due to the process of globalization that expands the space wherein the business activities are being developed. The environment and circumstances intended to attain these activities are being considerably altered by the new technology, deregulation and information as new paradigms of the global economy growth. The global upward dynamics establishes a new matrix of relations within the business community and implicitly defines the necessity to transform business concepts, strategies and principles.

Bearing in mind the context and denotation of these changes, the Faculty of Economics in Prilep attempts to provide its own contribution throughout the organization of the Conference titled ‘Business and Globalization’ aimed at clarifying some new aspects and dimensions of the complex reality where the businesses are being created and effectuated.

Within the Conference debate, the following major topics will be covered:
1. Information society, business and globalization
2. The institutional environment and international business
3. New business strategies and globalization.

In order to affect high quality of kefp2007 Proceedings of Abstracts the authors are requested to go after the specified instructions. Each abstract has to be written in English, using 11 points Times New Roman font and not to exceed 300 words. The abstract should, also, include the following points of information: title of the manuscript, author's name and affiliation (institution, address and e-mail).

More information
Website: http://eccfp.edu.mk/kefp2007/
E-mail: kefp2007@eccfp.edu.mk


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Research Center on Identity and Migration Issues - ‘Migration and Identity in the European Union’ International Conference, November 8 - 9, 2007, Oradea, Romania
Application deadline: September 14, 2007


Organizer: Research Center on Identity and Migration Issues, Faculty of Political Science and Communication, University of Oradea, Romania

The aim of this international conference is to bring together scholars/ specialists involved on the research of migration and to consolidate the partnerships established with researchers from Romania and abroad and also to open future directions for cooperation and to identify new research opportunities.

This call is an invitation for papers related to the following topics:
1. Labor migration within the European Union-realities, policies, expectations
2. Migration and participation: civic attitudes, economical and socio-political rights of migrants
3. National Identity and European Identity.

Official language: English.

Fees: There is no participation fee for the conference but the travel and accommodation costs are to be covered by the participants.

Proposals (including a paper title and a 250-300 words abstract of the proposed paper) should be submitted by email as MS Word attachment. The papers presented at the conference will be published in the Journal of Migration and Identity Studies (see www.jims.e-migration.ro).

More information
Website: www.e-migration.ro
http://www.e-migration.ro/Conferences/Conference%20Call%20for%20Papers%20-%20November%202007.pdf
E-mail: contact@e-migration.ro


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CEU Political Science Journal - Call for Papers Vol. 3, No. 1, February 2008 ‘Political Parties and Electoral Systems’
Application deadline: October 1, 2007


CEU Political Science Journal is a peer review publication established at the beginning of 2006 within the academic community of Central European University, Budapest. It is primarily targeted to promote the work of graduate students and young scholars with a special interest in the CEE space, welcoming also valuable contributions outside this focus.

The Journal accepts now submissions for volume 3, Issue 1, on the topic of Political Parties and Electoral Systems.

Among the analyzed aspects should be the following: Is there a difference in the role and the functions of parties in old and new democracies? Do political parties have an influence at European level? What are the causes for the low level of trust in political parties in CEE states? Is there an appropriate electoral system for promoting certain types of parties? Is there a future for extremist and ethnic parties in Europe? Is there a relationship between party organizations and electoral systems? What are the factors that influence the changes in electoral systems?

The Journal contains a special Work in Progress section designed to present research still under finalization and PhD research proposals. Moreover, the section of book reviews approaches the relevant books in Political Science and related fields.

More information
Website: www.ceu.hu/polscijournal
E-mail: ceu_polsci@yahoo.com


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http://www.seep.ceu.hu/balkans/


Balkan Academic News (BAN) is an electronic email group encompassing over 1300 scholars, activists, government officials, students and others dealing with or interested in the Balkans. BAN is intended to serve as a network for the exchange of academic information on the Balkans. It distributes calls for papers, conference announcements, book reviews, queries and encourages academic discussion on the region.

Balkan Academic News is part of the Consortium of Minority Resources (COMIR) and affiliated with Southeast European Politics (SEEP).


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http://www.infoeuropa.ro/


European Union in Romania


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Europe’s World Journal


The independent policy journal Europe’s World was launched on 4 October 2005 by some 50 leading European think tanks. Published three times yearly, it is the only pan-European publication that offers policymakers and opinion-formers across Europe a platform for presenting ideas and forging consensus on key issues. It also reflects the diversity of national policy debates in EU states, with particular attention being paid to newcomer and candidate countries.


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European Commission


http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm


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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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