April 2008, Issue no 64
http://resource.regional.net
impact@regionalnet.org

1. Funding Opportunities

2. Announcements and Upcoming Events

3. Useful Links

Institute for Human Sciences - Robert Bosch Fellowships
Application deadline: April 14, 2008


The Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) awards research fellowships for the academic year 2008/09. The program, which is generously supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation, is focused on South-Eastern Europe.

Robert Bosch Fellowships will enable junior and senior scholars to spend six months at the IWM in Vienna to pursue their research project while working in residence at the institute. The fellows will receive a stipend to cover all expenses related to the stay in Vienna (travel, apartment, health insurance, incidentals). The IWM will provide the fellows with a personal office with PC, access to internet and e-mail, in-house research and administrative facilities. Visiting Fellows will receive a stipend in the amount of 25.000 Euro for the six-month term. Junior Visiting Fellows will receive a stipend of 10.000 Euro for six months. The 6-months research term must be completed between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009.

Robert Bosch Fellows will be members of the international and multidisciplinary scholarly community at the IWM. They are invited to present and discuss their project in lectures or seminars.

The IWM is accepting applications from countries of ex-communist South-Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia.

Applications are accepted from researchers who
* are citizens or permanently reside in one of the above-mentioned countries
* or are affiliated to a university or research institution in the region
* or (independent of the applicant’s country of origin) who pursue research on South-Eastern Europe

Visiting Fellows must have obtained a Ph.D. in the humanities or social sciences and must hold a senior academic or research position, at least Associate Professor level or equivalent. Junior Visiting Fellows must currently pursue their doctoral degree or have recently obtained a Ph.D. in the humanities or social sciences.

The research project of the candidate should be related to one of the IWM’s main research fields.

The application consists of the following materials:
1. Application form
2. Concise research proposal in English (max. 4 pages)
3. CV and list of publications
For Junior Fellows only:
4. Two letters of reference from scholars familiar with the academic work of the applicant.

More information
Website: http://www.iwm.at
E-mail: fellowships@iwm.at (Subject header: Robert Bosch Fellowships)


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LSE/OSI - Visiting Fellowship Program 2008 - 2009
Application deadline: April 15, 2008


The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), with the funding from the Open Society Institute (OSI) offers four individual grants in one academic year for 2-month study visits at the London School of Economics and Political Science for middle level faculty with outstanding academic qualifications from Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia. Awards, which provide a stipend for living expenses sufficient for a single Fellow, return economy airfare and health insurance, are for academic staff employed by the universities and higher educational institutions in the aforementioned countries specialising in social sciences. They are intended to enable prospective candidates to upgrade their teaching and research skills. The candidate must demonstrate potential for excellence in research and an interest in developing high impact pol! icy outputs.

Prospective candidates:
a. Are nationals of and normally resident in one of the aforementioned countries at the time of applying for the award
b. Have held a teaching position at a university or higher educational institution in the country of residence for more than 2 years
c. Have a PhD
d. Have good record of academic publications.

The short-listed candidates will be notified within two weeks of the deadline and should be ready to attend the interview shortly afterwards. The costs of attending the interview and visa where applicable will be covered by the grant awarding body.

More information
Website: http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/2balkansfaculty.htm
E-mail: gg.see.network@lse.ac.uk


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Open Society Institute - International Higher Education Support Program, Academic Fellowship Program, 2008/09 Returning Scholars Fellowship Program
Application deadline: April 15, 2008


The Returning Scholars Fellowship Program invites applications from talented scholars who seek university positions and academic careers in their home countries after studying abroad. The program may operate in: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

The program, a part of the Academic Fellowship Program (AFP), welcomes scholars from these countries who have received (or will receive by September 2008) an internationally competitive postgraduate degree in the following fields: anthropology, area/cultural studies, gender studies, economics, history, political science, international relations, psychology, public administration, philosophy, social work, sociology, public health, human rights & public law, or journalism/media studies. The program does not support scholars in philology, the visual and performing arts, or business.

AFP fellows are placed in carefully selected university departments that are amenable to change and demonstrate a realistic and clear vision for future development. The program, which represents part of a conscious strategy to combat ‘brain drain’ helps universities in the region retain promising young scholars, who are essential to the revitalization of departments and to the sustainability of higher education reforms. The program offers financial, professional and departmental development support, as well as opportunities for further professional growth as AFP alumni. Returning Scholars and partner departments also benefit from the presence of AFP-supported International Scholars, who provide expert mentorship in such areas as professional development, curriculum development and reform, research methods, and teaching/learning methodologies specific for their discipline.

The program supports placement of Returning Scholars only in AFP partner departments. An interested scholar already associated with a department that is not supported by AFP either will be ineligible or may discuss the possibility of relocating to a qualifying department at another university. A list of current AFP partner departments can be found on our website, though the list is subject to change for the 2008/09 academic year. Potential applicants are advised to explore placement possibilities with an AFP Region Manager or Country Coordinator before applying.

Fellowships include a monthly stipend and various allowances, including departmental and professional development funds, and are renewable. Fellowships begin in August or September 2008 and last one academic year.

More information
Website: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/hesp/focus/afp
E-mail: afp@osi.hu


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Open Society Institute - International Higher Education Support Program, Academic Fellowship Program, 2008/09 International Scholars Fellowship Program
Application deadline: April 15, 2008


The International Scholars Fellowship Program selects highly qualified scholars in the social sciences and humanities to assist Academic Fellowship Program (AFP) partner departments where Returning Scholars are placed. Various numbers of Returning Scholars are supported in every AFP partner department on their own fellowship. The International Scholars advise on the overall reform agenda of the departments and share with departmental colleagues the latest developments in their discipline, collaborate on the introduction of new courses, and encourage the development of skills critical to academic work. Perhaps the greatest, and most needed, contribution of International Scholars is the expert advice they offer on curriculum development and academic planning. International Scholars share their experience with the department on a consultative basis. They work on-site with the departments during two or three s! hort and intense visits, and remain in touch with colleagues between visits.

Fellows are placed in departments that have been carefully selected as AFP partners. Partnerships are established on the basis of the departments' openness to change and advancement, and clear visions for future development. Within these departments, the AFP Returning Scholars Fellowship Program supports talented scholars who, after earning a postgraduate degree abroad, seek university positions and academic careers in their home countries. A list of current AFP partner departments can be found on our website. The list is subject to change in the 2008/09 academic year.

AFP operates in Southeastern Europe, parts of the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia. Supported fields are: anthropology, area/cultural studies, gender studies, economics, history, political science, international relations, psychology, public administration, philosophy, social work, sociology, public health, human rights & public law, and journalism/media studies. The program does not support scholars in philology, the visual and performing arts, or business.

Candidates must be well-established or senior scholars and hold an internationally-recognized PhD (or equivalent highest degree awarded in the field). AFP accepts applications for placements in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, and Ukraine.

Fellowships begin in August or September 2008 and last one academic year. Fellowships include a modest stipend, transportation, accommodation, and various other allowances, and can be renewed.

More information
Website: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/hesp/focus/afp
E-mail: afp@osi.hu


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European Commission DG Justice and Home Affairs - Daphne III Programme
Application deadline: April 22, 2008


The Daphne programme (2007-2013) aims to contribute to the protection of children, young people and women against all forms of violence and to attain a high level of health protection, well-being and social cohesion. The programme has the specific objective of contributing to the prevention of, and the fight against, all forms of violence occurring in the public or the private domain against children, young people and women, including sexual exploitation and trafficking in human beings, by taking preventive measures and by providing support and protection for victims and groups at risk.

The programme will achieve its objectives by means of transnational actions (grant funding), the Commission's own-initiated actions (contracts) or operating grants to NGOs, which will be aimed at:
- Assisting and encouraging NGOs and other organisations active in this field
- Developing and implementing targeted awareness-raising actions
- Disseminating results obtained under Daphne
- Actions contributing to positive treatment of people at risk
- Setting up and supporting multidisciplinary networks
- Expansion of the knowledge base and exchange, identification and dissemination of information and good practice
- Designing and testing awareness-raising and educational materials
- Studying phenomena related to violence and its impact
- Developing and implementing support programmes for victims and people at risk and intervention programmes for perpetrators.

Types of actions:
- Specific actions taken by the Commission, such as studies and research, opinion polls and surveys, development of indicators and methodologies, collection, development and dissemination of data and statistics, seminars, conferences and experts meetings, organisation of public campaigns and events, development and maintenance of a helpdesk service and websites, preparation and dissemination of information materials (including IT applications and training resources), establishment and facilitation of a stakeholder think-tank providing expert advice related to violence, support to other networks of national experts, and analytical, monitoring and evaluation activities
- Specific transnational projects of Community interest involving at least two Member States under the conditions set out in the annual work programmes
- Support to the activities of NGOs or other organisations, pursuing an aim of general European interest regarding the objectives mentionned above.

Beneficiary and target groups:
1. The programme shall benefit children, young people and women who are, or risk becoming, victims of violence.
2. The main target groups: families, teachers and educational staff, social workers, police and border guards, local, national and military authorities, medical and paramedical staff, judicial staff, NGOs, trade unions and religious communities.

Eligibility:
The programme is open to participation by NGOs, local public authorities and institutions (mainly universities and research institutes) from the 27 EU Member States, the EFTA/EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), the candidate countries (Croatia, Turkey, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and the Western Balkan states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro). Specific conditions must first be met before organisations from the candidate and Balkan countries can be funded.

More information
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/daphne3/funding_daphne3_en.htm
E-mail: JLS-DAPHNE@ec.europa.eu


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Global Women's Studies Doctoral Research Fellowships
Application deadline: April 25, 2008


As part of its commitment to develop feminist research on global issues and human rights, the Global Women's Studies Programme is pleased to announce two doctoral research fellowships, renewable for up to three years (2008 - 2011). Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates who wish to pursue doctoral research on the gender dimensions of one or more of the following themes: Challenging fundamentalisms, Globalisation and health crises, Rights-based development, Human rights in conflict/post-conflict contexts, Violence against women, intersectionality, identity.

The value of each scholarship is Euro 16,500 per annum for three years. In addition to pursuing their own research, scholarship holders will undertake a small amount of teaching and other tasks related to the research activities of the Global Women's Studies Programme. Please note that scholarship applicants must meet requirements for admission to doctoral study in Women's Studies. Candidates for the PhD are usually expected to hold a Master's degree in a cognate field or be able to demonstrate equivalent professional preparation to pursue doctoral level research. All applications for admission to the PhD programme in Women's Studies must be made online using the following PAC codes: PhD (Women's Studies) Full-time: GYB82, PhD (Women's Studies) Part-time: GYB83.

Applications for doctoral fellowships must be made separately through the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/arts/fellowships.html.

More information
Website: http://www.pac.ie/
http://www.nuigalway.ie/womens_studies/doctoral_research_scholarships.html
http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/arts/documents/gwsfellowtermsconditions.pdf
E-mail: niamh.reillynuigalway.ie (Dr. Niamh Reilly)


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Specific Programme 'Fundamental Rights and Citizenship' 2007 - 2013 - Call for proposals 2007
Application deadline: May 5, 2008


The general objectives of the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme are the following:
a. To promote the development of a European society based on respect for fundamental rights as recognised in Article 6(2) of the Treaty on European Union, including rights derived from citizenship of the Union
b. To strengthen civil society and to encourage an open, transparent and regular dialogue with it in respect of fundamental rights
c. To fight against racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism and to promote a better interfaith and intercultural understanding and improved tolerance throughout the European Union
d. To improve the contacts, exchange of information and networking between legal, judicial and administrative authorities and the legal professions, including by way of support to judicial training, with the aim of better mutual understanding among such authorities and professionals.

The priority areas for 2007 will be the following:

I. Protection of the rights of the child
• Supporting projects on awareness raising campaigns, surveys concerning good practice in Member States and the ways to reproduce them elsewhere, analysis of particular problems and their possible solutions (poverty, street children, non-accompanied minors, etc.).

II. Active participation in the democratic life of the Union
The Commission wishes to promote information and civic education initiatives on the active participation in the 2009 European parliamentary elections by Union citizens. This activity aims at:
• Promoting the development of participatory democracy; supporting civic and voter education and public awareness raising projects
• Increasing civil society support for electoral processes at all levels of the political system
• Supporting activities aimed at encouraging and supporting grass-roots initiatives of ordinary citizens for the promotion of their own right to participate to the Union political life.
Projects carried out by associations of Union citizens who are not nationals of their Member State of residence are prioritized.

III. Combating racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism
• Supporting actions aimed at fighting traditional and new stereotypes whose persistence or diffusion are at the roots of racist attitudes, speech, discriminatory action and violent incidents
• Encouraging initiatives aiming at fostering the divulgation at large of the unsoundness of such stereotypes, as well as those aimed at fostering mutual understanding between majority and minority populations.
Projects prepared by diverse teams that present projects aimed at developing crosscommunity approaches will be prioritised.

IV. Data protection and privacy rights
• Supporting actions (from NGOs, national authorities, etc.) aiming at informing the public about data protection and safeguarding of security and the promotion of their right through awareness-raising activities will be supported.

Who can apply?
Project proposals may be submitted by non-governmental organisations, institutions and public or private organisations, universities, research institutes, national, regional and local authorities, international organisations and other not-for-profit organisations established in one of the Member States of the European Union or in one of the countries participating pursuant to Article 5(1) of the Decision establishing the Programme.

Apart from organisations from the 27 Member States of the EU, the Specific Programme Fundamental Rights and Citizenship' is also open to participation of organisations from acceding countries, the candidate countries and the Western Balkan countries included in the stabilisation and association process, but specific conditions for these countries must first be met before they can be funded.

Proposals must involve a partnership of at least two eligible organisations from two different EU Member States or at least one Member State and one other State which may either be an acceding country or a candidate country.

In 2007 the indicative budget available for specific projects is EUR 5.505.000. The Commission’s contribution towards a single project cannot be less than EUR 75,000 nor greater than EUR 500,000. The Community’s financial contribution may not exceed 80 per cent of the total direct eligible costs of the project. Each applicant will therefore have to secure complementary funding from other sources to cover the balance of the project costs. A minimum of 20 per cent of the total eligible costs must therefore be provided as a cash contribution, either from the applicant organisation and/or partners, or from another donor source. This complementary funding must be secured at the time of the application. Contributions in kind shall not count as actual project expenditure and shall not constitute eligible costs.

More information
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/rights/doc/ag_call_2007_en.pdf
E-mail: JLS-FRC-PROGRAMME@ec.europa.eu


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European Commission DG Education and Culture - MEDIA (2007 - 2013) - Training
Application deadline: May 13, 2008


This is a training programme for professionals in the European audio-visual programme industry. It intends to help people in the audio-visual industry to adapt to the European and international dimension of the market by promoting continuous vocational training and the use of new technologies.

The operational objectives of the MEDIA Training are:
1. Strengthen the skills of European audiovisual professionals in order to improve the quality and potential of European audiovisual works. The programme will support action in the following areas:
- Training in new audiovisual technologies - develop the professionals' capacity to use digital technologies, in particular in their work fields.
- Training in economic, financial and commercial management - to develop the professionals' ability to grasp and integrate the European dimension into their work by improving expertise
- Training in script-writing techniques - to enable experienced scriptwriters to improve their capacities to develop techniques based on traditional and interactive methods of writing.

2. Improve the European dimension of audiovisual training activities: encourage exchanges and cooperation, in supporting the networking between existing training institutions and partners of the professional sector and the training activities for trainers.

Priority for this call (EACEA/03/08): Exchanges and cooperation between Higher education institutions, training organisations and partners in the professional sector. This should contribute to the networking and mobility of students and trainers in Europe and facilitate the integration of students in the professional sector. The cooperation of the European training professionals will take the form of pan-European consortia. Each consortium will put in place an associated work plan. This work plan shall focus on audiovisual skills needs that are not sufficiently met within Europe.

The maximum Community funding is 50% of project costs.

Eligible Target Groups:
- Students from film schools or from any other Higher education institutions where skills / competences applying to the audiovisual sector are taught (for instance: business schools in case of future producers)
- Trainers from film schools or from any other Higher education institutions where skills / competences applying to the audiovisual sector are taught

How to apply:
- The programme is open to film and television schools, universities, specialist vocational training establishments, private companies from the industry and organisations/professional associations specialising in the audiovisual sector; Applications from individuals are not accepted.
- Eligible applicant consortium: applicants must take the form of pan-European consortia, which must be composed of at least 3 organisations, including minimum 2 Higher education institutions, and coming from at least 3 countries participating in the MEDIA Programme.

Countries eligible to apply: 27 EU Member States, EEA and EFTA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and Croatia (depending on co-opeation agreements).

More information
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/training/forms/docs/2008/guidelines_03_2008_en.pdf
E-mail: EACEA-P8@ec.europa.eu


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European Commission DG Education and Culture - Erasmus Mundus
Application deadline: May 15, 2008


Erasmus Mundus is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education. It promotes the European Union as a centre of excellence in learning around the world. The programme supports European top quality Masters Courses and enhances the visibility and attractiveness of European higher education in third countries. It also provides EU-funded scholarships for third-country nationals participating in these Masters Courses, as well as scholarships for EU-nationals studying in third countries.

The proposed duration of the programme is five years, 2004-2008 with a budget of EUR 230 million. The planned budget for 2008/2009 is EUR 88,9 million.

ACTION 4 - Enhancing attractiveness
Erasmus Mundus will support measures aimed at enhancing the attractiveness of and the interest in European higher education. It will support activities that will improve the profile, the visibility and the accessibility of European higher education. Equally, it will support issues crucial to the internationalisation of higher education, such as the mutual recognition of qualifications with third countries.
Participation is open to institutions from all over the world.

The programme will also offer teaching or research scholarships in Europe for in-coming third-country academics and for a certain number of outgoing EU scholars.

The countries eligible to participate are: the 27 EU Member States; the candidate countries for the accession to the EU - Croatia, Former Republic of Macedonia and Turkey; the countries of the European Free Trade Association/European Economic Area - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; all the other countries of the world -Third countries.

Eligible participants are:
- Higher education institutions
- Other public or private bodies active in the field of higher education.

More information
Website: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/static/en/mundus/index.htm
E-mail: EACEA-Erasmus-Mundus@ec.europa.eu


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Fondation de France - The Enlarged Europe! European Citizenship and Sustainable Development – Call for application
Application deadline: May 16 or September 26, 2008


The European Union, with the ten countries which became members in 2004 and the two which joined in 2007, is now made up of twenty-seven countries. But is an institutionally enlarged Europe experienced as such by the citizens of the Union? We have a long way to go before a sense of common citizenship and shared culture is present in Europe alongside previous older identities. To promote associative organisations and show that European citizenship is a reality, the Fondation de France has given its support to a hundred and thirty projects over the last five years. These projects have been run by civil society organizations in France and their counterparts in ten new member-states. They apply to all fields of public interest and the Fondation de France has taken care to ensure balanced participation.

This year, the foundation will give its support to initiatives relating to sustainable development, projects of common interest to civil society in Europe. Moving forwards means working at the same time on the three cornerstones of sustainable development –issues of social justice, economic efficiency and quality of the environment– whilst exercising strict respect for principles of governance. The objective is to set up a new momentum in Europe's associative sector by supporting initiatives in sustainable development. The Fondation de France wishes to promote and reinforce joint sustainable initiatives based on mutual respect and preparedness to exchange points of view. In 2008, the foundation will support:
• Concrete projects in one –or more– partner countries
• Training, actions to raise public awareness, exchanges on good practice, organization of partnerships or creation of networks
• Actions to communicate, explain the importance of the project and sharing experiences
• Appraisals by external experts to strengthen partnerships and actions taken, and particularly when carried out by consultants from one of the partner countries (excluding France).

The Fondation de France will consider projects submitted by French partners. Non-profit organizations (including associations) which have already undertaken –or who wish to undertake– a joint action in the field of sustainable development with a recognized counterpart in at least one of the following ten selected countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Special attention will be given to proposals involving partners in a number of European countries or the south coast of the Mediterranean.

Projects must contribute to one of the aims of sustainable development i.e. –conservation of resources, biodiversity and the environment; social cohesion and solidarity across territories and between generations; the fight against climate change; stimulation to growth in line with responsible methods of production and consumption, etc. Important factors for their management are questions of participation, management organization, horizontal approach and joint evaluation. Special attention will be given to those projects encouraging or reinforcing European networks (including France) in the field of sustainable development.

In order to encourage applicants to develop a variety of partnerships, in particular on a local basis, the Fondation de France never finances a project in its entirety. Financing plans must detail other financial partners approached or acquired, the forecast proportion of internal financing and an estimation of voluntary work. As an indication, the amount granted annually to each project will be in a range between 10,000 and 50,000 euros. Multi-year projects will be considered.

When you have completed the grant request, in English, attach the required administrative documents and where applicable, annexes to facilitate evaluation of the project and send your dossier to the Fondation de France (Word format, maximum 4 megabytes).

More information
Website: www.fondationdefrance.org (trouver un financement – finding financing)
E-mail: solidaritesinternationales@fdf.org


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Open Society Institute - Think Tank Fund Fellowships - Call for Proposals
Application deadline: May 20, 2008


The Think Tank Fund of the Open Society Institute seeks up to ten young, talented researchers employed by one of the fund's grantees for a fellowship to spend up to three months in one of the leading think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe in order to gain practical experience.

In accordance with the Think Tank Fund's mission, this fellowship program has the following goals:
· To enhance the professional capacity of junior researchers in organizing policy processes and developing innovative and quality policy products on current issues.
· To contribute to institutional development of think tanks - sponsoring organizations by enhancing the junior employee’s skills and motivation; and by generating new ideas and broadening professional networks.
· To enrich portfolios and networks of think tanks - hosting organizations by bringing researchers with a different background and strengthening the host organizations’ mentoring capacity.

Fellows can select any TTF-supported policy center outside their country of origin as a potential host organization. Applicants should contact the organization(s) directly to develop ideas for the fellowships that can be of benefit to both parties. Every year, TTF will select up to ten young, talented researchers employed by one of TTF’s grantees and will provide them with an opportunity to spend up to three months in one of the leading think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe and gain practical experience. For a non-exhaustive list of think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe, view the TTF grantee list, or the Policy Association for an Open Society website (http://www.pasos.org/) and/or the Freedom House Think Tank Directory (http://www.freedomhouse.hu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46).

Fellows are expected to engage in ongoing policy research projects at the hosting organization under the guidance of a senior policy analyst and develop a concrete policy product. 'Policy product' refers to:
· Research study / survey (fellows are expected to define clear tangible outcomes at the end of the study/ survey)
· Drafting a policy paper / briefs / newsletters
· Organization of an event/conference (thematic/content inputs on the event organized within the fellowship term)
· Any other policy related product / activity that benefits both the visiting fellow and the hosting organization (e.g. designing and hosting policy blogs etc.)

In order to apply, applicants should submit by email the following documents in English:
Motivation/cover letter
· Letter should explain a rationale, added value, and expected outcomes of the fellowship. A brief action plan with clear benchmarks for evaluation of the proposed fellowship and a draft budget in USD to be also attached. Please see the budget template attached below.

Curriculum vitae
· Standard CV including both academic and professional background, a detailed description of the applicant’s current job description, and a list of maximum policy projects in which the applicant has recently been involved.

Support letter from a sponsor organization in the name of the executive director /or president. The letter should:
· Describe the rationale, the expected outcomes and the added value of the fellowship to the sending organization
· Be accompanied by a committal statement that the sending organization will cover the salary costs during the fellowship period
· Be printed on organizational letterhead.
'Sponsor organization' refers to the organization where the junior researcher is employed.

Support letter from a hosting organization in the name of the executive director/or president. This letter should:
· Explain the interest and benefits of the fellowship initiative to the host organizations
· Be accompanied with bios of assigned mentor(s) and job description for a visiting fellow
· Be printed on organizational letterhead
· Include a committal statement that the host organization will secure supervision from a senior policy analyst (mentor) up to 30 hours/a month; and will render necessary support to the fellow in obtaining a visa and finding accommodation. A brief mentorship plan should also be attached.
'Hosting organization' refers to the organization willing to receive and mentor the fellow for a period of up to three months.

More information
Website: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/thinktank/news/fellowships_20080318
Email: ttfapplications@osieurope.org (attn. Rukia Ushurova)


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European Commission DG Health and Consumer Protection - Public Health 2008 - 2013
Application deadline: May 23, 2008


The overall aim of the Health Programme is to finance actions which contribute to improving and protecting human health.

The general objectives of the programme are:
To improve citizens' health security:
- developing EU and Member States' capacity to respond to health threats, for example with health emergency planning and preparedness measures
- actions related to patient safety, injuries and accidents, risk assessment and community legislation on blood, tissues and cells
To promote health, including the reduction of health inequalities:
- action on health determinants - such as nutrition, alcohol, tobacco and drug consumption, as well as social and environmental determinants
- measures on the prevention of major diseases and bridging health inequalities across the EU
- increasing healthy life years and promoting healthy ageing
To generate and disseminate health information and knowledge:
- action on health indicators and ways of disseminating information to citizens
- focus on Community added-value action to exchange knowledge in areas such as gender issues, children's health or rare diseases.

Financing mechanisms: To ensure full participation in the Programme by organisations which promote a health agenda in line with the Programme objectives, a wider variety of financing mechanisms are offered. These include:
- cofinancing of projects intended to achieve a Programme objective
- tendering actions to achieve a Programme objective
- cofinancing of the operating costs of a non-governmental organisation or a specialised network
- joint financing of a public body or non-governmental organisation by the Community and one or more Member States
- joint actions with other Community programmes, which will generate coherence between this instrument and other Community programmes.

Countries eligible to participate: 27 EU Member States: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; the candidate countries -Turkey and Croatia according to the co-operation agreements.

Participation is open to a wide range of organisations, including:
- research institutes and universities
- public administrations
- non-governmental organisations
- commercial firms
Different participation rules apply, depending on the funding scheme of the initiative in question.

More information
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_programme/howtoapply/call_for_propal_en.htm
E-mail: sanco-mailbox@ec.europa.eu


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Open Society Institute - Making the Most of EU Funding for the Roma


Several years have passed since governments in Central and East Europe committed to the Decade of Roma Inclusion. Since then, it has become clear that little progress had been made toward eliminating discrimination and supporting the meaningful inclusion of Roma. Monitoring reports show that governments and other stakeholders have not cooperated either effectively or efficiently to carry out their commitments towards the Roma Decade. Moreover, major sources of funding have yet to 'trickle down' to ideal candidates.

The Open Society Institute, as a partner in the Decade of Roma Inclusion and as a leader in mobilizing and building the capacity of Roma communities, initiated a response in 2007, in the form of a complex initiative entitled 'Making the Most of EU Funds for the Roma' (Initiative).

In cooperation with its network of partners and institutions, and through this new Initiative, OSI will contribute to making central governments more responsive and effective in implementing their National Action Plans. In particular, OSI intends to maximize the use of available resources and funds by governments in the region and to help major European Structural and other European Funds 'flow' to local governments, civil society and private sector actors, who have the expertise needed to contribute the social inclusion of the Roma in all aspects of civic life.

Through several interlinked interventions, developed by an OSI-designated Task Force, the Initiative will address Roma inclusion as a social goal on its own, and also as part of broader areas such as good governance, human rights, and social justice that are conducive to wider societal development.

The Initiative not only aims to strengthen Roma inclusion as a high priority on regional and European political agendas, but also promotes Roma expertise and involvement in different phases of project development and implementation. Interventions will work across all sectors, supporting coalitions of civic and governmental actors and financial institutions, and will assist them to reach a common understanding of social inclusion and concrete, mutually-beneficial modes of cooperation.

In keeping with the vision of the Decade, the initiative will define, promote, and scale up pilot initiatives that have made measurable impacts on Roma inclusion, drawing on the lessons of both successful and failed projects of the Open Society Institute, the Roma Education Fund, the European Union, The United Nations Development Program, and others.

Domains of intervention include:
Capacity building
* Technical assistance and mentoring: project development fund to strengthen stakeholders work toward Roma integration; mentoring for Roma representatives involved in programming and monitoring EU funds
* Pre-financing and non-eligible cost funding to increase the impact of EU funded projects and to support access to or the flow of EU funding towards communities, by offering NGOs and smaller/poorer municipalities involved in Roma projects monetary assistance; and influencing EU policies in new- or -pre accession countries of South Eastern Europe.

Advocacy
* Marketing Roma inclusion a political priority in conceiving European funding projects
* Monitoring the implementation of EU funded programs in all member states of the Decade of Roma Inclusion

Through these interventions, the initiative will promote the idea that European policy making should help to mainstream Roma inclusion in development policies by combining political and financial incentives on the national and sub-national policy levels. The Initiative is coordinated by the Task Force and will complement on-going activities within the OSI network.

More information

Email: kovacsp@osi.hu (Petra Kovacs)


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Joint Master Program in European Integration and Regionalism, 2008 - 2009
Application deadline: June 15, 2008


This program is implemented in cooperation with University of Graz (Austria), University of Zagreb (Croatia), Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain), European Academy of Bolzano (Italy) and European Institute of Public Administration (Luxembourg and Barcelona).

The core topics are:
- Module I: The Enlarged European Union (1 - 12 September 2008, Graz, Austria)
- Module II: Law of the European Union (3 - 14 November 2008, Luxembourg)
- Module III: Governance, Public Administration Reform and Economics (19 - 30 January 2009, Zagreb, Croatia)
- Module IV: Regional Affairs: Policies, Structures and Management (23 March - 3 April 2009, Barcelona, Spain)
- Module V: Human Rights, Minorities and Diversity Management (15 - 26 June 2009, Bolzano, Italy)

The Program is tailored for:
- Civil servants from local, regional or national administrations who primarily work with EU law and therefore require both theoretical and practical training in EU and regional issues
- Lawyers, economists, social scientists and others in the employment of non-governmental organisations wishing to enhance inter-disciplinary skills and to specialise within different aspects of European integration, regionalism and diversity
- Journalists and teachers interested in the recent developments and advanced training in the related fields
- Graduate students wishing to acquire greater competitive personal competence beneficial for a future career in the academia or even practice-orientated professions.

The following documents are required when applying to the programme:
- Application form
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement, describing your fields of academic and professional interest and career goals. Please also indicate the reasons for wishing to participate in the Masters programme/single module and how it will contribute to your professional development.
- Copy of Degree Certificate
- Essay (in English) of not more than 2,500 words written by yourself, on one of the topics that you can find on the application form.

The registration fee for the overall Joint Masters programme is 7,500 EUR. For participants of single modules, a registration fee of 1,500 EUR per module will be charged. These fees do not include travel expenses or accommodation, which are to be covered by the participants themselves. The European Academy is able to offer partial scholarships. This means that a part of the tuition fee of 7.500 EUR is waved and the student shall cover only the remaining part. Applicants should apply for financial support directly to local foundations, international NGOs or other funding agencies. Upon request from your prospective sponsor, we will send all the information regarding the programme to the potential donor.

More information
Website: http://www.eurac.edu/meir


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CENTRAL EUROPE
Application deadline: September/October 2008 (second call)


CENTRAL EUROPE is a European Union programme that encourages cooperation among the countries of Central Europe to improve innovation, accessibility and the environment and to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of their cities and regions.

CENTRAL EUROPE invests 231 million Euro to provide funding to transnational cooperation projects involving public and private organisations from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.

The programme is financed by the European Regional Development Fund and runs from 2007 to 2013. Interested partnerships are invited to propose their projects following public calls for proposals, which will be widely publicised. CENTRAL EUROPE provides funding for cooperation projects covering four thematic areas:
Priority 1: Facilitating innovation across Central Europe
Projects under this priority will aim at improving the climate for innovation in all regions and enabling them to make better use of their innovation potential. They will create favourable framework conditions for innovation and build up capabilities for the effective transfer and application of innovation. They will also foster knowledge development and help people to obtain the qualifications they need for the knowledge-based economy.
This priority includes the following areas of intervention:
· enhancing the framework for innovation
· establishing the capacity to diffuse and apply innovation
· fostering knowledge development.

Priority 2: Improving accessibility to, and within, Central Europe
Projects under this priority will aim at improving accessibility, a precondition for economic development and a key factor for reducing disparities in the programme area. They will promote information and communication technology-based solutions, as well as non-technological alternative solutions for enhancing access. They will also foster interconnectivity and inter-modality for higher efficiency and reduced volumes of transport across the CENTRAL EUROPE cooperation area.
This priority includes the following areas of intervention:
· improving Central Europe’s interconnectivity
· developing multi-modal logistics cooperation
· promoting sustainable and safe mobility
· promoting information and communication technology, as well as alternative solutions for enhancing access.

Priority 3: Using our environment responsibly
Projects under this priority will aim at more responsible use and better preservation of Central Europe’s environment. They will manage and protect natural resources, support the use of environmentally friendly technologies and reduce the risks and impacts of natural and man-made hazards. They will also support the use of renewable energy and increase energy efficiency.
This priority includes the following areas of intervention:
· developing a high-quality environment by managing and protecting natural resources and heritage
· reducing the risks and impacts of natural and man-made hazards
· supporting renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency
· supporting environmentally friendly technologies and activities.

Priority 4: Enhancing competitiveness and attractiveness of cities and regions
Projects under this priority will aim at improving the quality of life in cities and regions and will promote sustainable urban development. They will support polycentric development to avoid disparities within urban areas that are due to social and spatial segregation, and they will address demographic and social change, as well as the protection, preservation and exploitation of cultural resources.
This priority includes the following areas of intervention:
· developing polycentric settlement structures and territorial cooperation
· addressing the territorial effects of demographic and social change
· capitalising on cultural resources, to make cities and regions more attractive.

How does it work?
CENTRAL EUROPE invites national, regional and local actors from the public and private sector to propose projects and apply for programme funds. Following these calls, the submitted project proposals will be assessed. CENTRAL EUROPE Member State representatives will select the projects that, based on the quality of the submitted documentation, promise to deliver the best results.

Project partners can be co-financed up to 85 percent, depending on their country of origin and on whether they are engaged in an economic activity or not. Partners will have to match the project budget with some of their own funds. Projects can have a total budget ranging of €1-5 million. In exceptional cases, smaller or larger projects can also be funded.

Which regions are covered?
The programme area includes regions from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Ukraine.

More information
Website: http://www.central2013.eu/


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Open Society Institute - Fellowship
Application deadline: on a rolling basis


The Fellowship will enable outstanding individuals from around the world - journalists, activists, academics, practitioners - to work on projects that inspire meaningful public debate, shape policy, and inform the thinking and activities of the Open Society Institute and the Soros foundations. OSI is open to considering a broad range of work products, including: publications (e.g. books, articles, blogs); documentary films (OSI will support efforts to use documentary film as a tool for advocacy and public education but will not contribute to a feature-length film’s production budget), online media, and other creative public education projects; and efforts to seed new campaigns, advocacy endeavors, or organizations.

The fellowship focuses on the following categories: National Security and the Open Society; Citizenship, Membership and Marginalization; Strategies and Tools for Advocacy and Citizen Engagement; Understanding Authoritarianism; Open Category.

OSI considers applicants from all parts of the world. Fellows may be resident or nonresident fellows. Resident fellows will be housed in OSI’s offices or in one of the Soros foundations, depending on whether such placement adds value to the project. Fellows may work out of multiple OSI offices during their term, or spend only some part of their fellowship in residence.

Fellows who wish to work on their project in a country in which they do not have citizenship must satisfy and comply with applicable visa requirements. OSI helps fellows obtain necessary visas and cover all associated costs.
Fellowships are awarded for one year. In some cases OSI considers requests for shorter or longer durations. Preference is given to applications for full-time fellowships, but OSI also considers applicants who can only work part-time on their projects.

OSI provides fellows with competitive financial support based on local living standards (including cost of health insurance; all fellows are required to have health insurance) and the proportion of their time they commit to the fellowship. In most cases, OSI provides fellows with communications support to help them move their work and ideas into popular debates. OSI can also help integrate fellows into its networks of individual and organizational partners and grantees. OSI may also cover additional project expenses such as travel (including airfare and hotel), visa costs, research assistance, and conference fees.

More information
Website: http://www.soros. org/initiatives/ fellowship
E-mail: OSFellows@sorosny.org


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Fourth CEU Graduate Conference in Social Sciences: ‘Global Transformations: Integration, Transition, and Development’, June 20 - 22, 2008, Budapest, Hungary
Application deadline: April 15, 2008


The aims of the conference are to encourage an interdisciplinary academic debate and to contribute to developing knowledge networks among peers in their respective fields of research. At the same time, we hope to connect different perspectives and approaches in order to produce high standard academic works. 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 papers.

Recommended themes:
- The relevance of transition experiences for the development processes
- Party politics, electoral systems and voting behavior
- Civil society, social movements, and politics of discontent
- Post-communist discourses
- Regimes in post-communist states: regime change and democratization
- Political economy of direct foreign investment
- Diversities of Central and Eastern European Capitalism
- Public sector reform, fiscal decentralization and corruption control
- Emerging changes to the quality of democracy in post-transition societies
- International relations theories
- International organizations and international policy
- New security issues in the light of the EU enlargement
- Europeanization at home and abroad
- The New EU
- Transatlantic relations: in between anti-americanism and euro-skepticism
- Trading globally and aiding locally
- Playing history - constructing futures
- Security studies - third party interventions, conflict resolution, frozen conflicts
- Illicit and Illegal processes - challenging and transforming sovereignty
- New political economy of transition/development and poverty
- Migration and minority policies
- Cultural policy and globalization: creating and reinforcing identity
- Gender perspective on global transformations
- Media and electronic communications
- Deliberating democracy
- Environment and globalization

The working language of the conference is English.

There is no registration fee for qualified participants. Food and accommodation are provided by the organizers. Applicants can apply for a partial travel grant for the cheapest means of transportation. Those intending to apply for a travel grant should write a short letter of justification (up to 300 words).

The paper applications consist of:
- Completed application form (Including the abstract - max. 250 words)
- Short CV (maximum 2 pages)
- (Optional) Applicants for travel grant: Short letter for justification (up to 300 words).

More information
Website: www.ceu.hu/polscijournal


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‘INTERcultural Dialogue in MULTIcultural Communities’ International Training, May 8 – 12, 2008, Brasov, Romania - Call for applications
Application deadline: April 15, 2008


IF YOU ARE:
A motivated youth leader, youth worker, representative of a youth organisations or just a young person (age: 18 -30; young people over 30 are also welcome) interested in Human Rights Education and Intercultural Dialogue...

IF YOU ARE FROM:
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, FYROMacedonia, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece...

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED:
* To promote INTERcultural Dialogue among young people, youth leaders, youth workers and NGO representatives
* To develop the target group's capacities (skills, know-how, (re)actions) to deal with culture, tradition and diversity
* To develop practical approaches to situations of discrimination and intolerance generated by cultural differences affecting young people...

70% of the travel costs (including visa costs) will be reimbursed, on the basis of the original plane/train/bus tickets and invoices (travel and visa costs will be reimbursed during the training). Participants are responsible for making their own health insurance arrangements. Participation Fee: 20 EURO.

More information
E-mail: igalpbach_brasov@yahoo.com


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Halki International Seminars 'Regional Flashpoints and Transatlantic Policies', June 25 – 29, 2008 - Call for Participants
Application deadline: April 18, 2008


Organized by the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) in cooperation with the Balkan Trust for Democracy in Belgrade and supported by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS).

This year's Halki International Seminars will focus on the role of the transatlantic institutions in helping local stakeholders address security challenges in the Middle East, the Black Sea and Southeastern Europe. Discussions will concentrate on assessing current transatlantic strategies and drafting future policies for the stabilization of turbulent regions and the resolution of conflicts. The seminar format, as is always the case with our annual Halki International Seminars, will be highly interactive and will include break-out working groups and roundtable discussions.

Applications are welcome from policy-makers, academics, journalists, diplomats, members of parliament and young researchers (post docs and PhD candidates) that focus on the following areas: Defining the future priorities of the transatlantic partners, The situation in Kosovo and the Western Balkans, The ‘frozen conflicts’ in the Black Sea and the Caucasus, The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and the Gulf region.

Interested applicants should send a proposal abstract (300 words), fill in the Halki Application Form and send it by e-mail. Selected papers will be presented during the seminar and will be published by ELIAMEP.

More information
Website: www.eliamep.gr
E-mail: halki@eliamep.gr


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Systemic Peacebuilding: Enhancing Coherence and Effectiveness in Policy and on-the-ground Peacebuilding, May 6 - 8, 2008, London, UK
Application deadline: April 23, 2008


A joint ministry for peace, Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and International Peace and Development Training Centre Experts Module – Specialization Training

Who is the Programme Designed For?
· Members of Parliament and Government, Diplomats, Senior Policy Makers
· Senior to middle-range staff in national and international aid and development organisations
· Members of negotiation teams, conflict party leadership, mediators
· Field staff for international and national organisations and agencies working in areas affected by violent conflict and war or in post-war/violence situations
· UN, OSCE, EU, OAS, AU, ASEAN Staff
· Staff of international and national NGOs working in the fields of development, human rights, conflict resolution, confidence and security building measures, democratisation, and social empowerment
· Policy makers
· Practitioners of conflict transformation and mediation.

The Three-Day Systemic Peacebuilding Programme will:
· Develop an integrated approach to peacebuilding and conflict transformation with tools used by the Department of Peace Operations in its Systemic Peacebuilding methodology
· Explore best practices and lessons learned in applied peacebuilding and conflict transformation together with senior staff and practitioners from around the world
· Deal with current global conflicts and crisis facing your organisation and policy makers internationally
· Improve the effectiveness and quality of your programmes and policies
· Develop effective conflict and peacebuilding strategic planning, mapping and integrated approaches skills
· Develop tools to assist your organisation/institution/agency for short, medium, and long-term engagement in peacebuilding and conflict transformation programmes.

Full Fee: £300. Multiple participants: £270/ participant.

More information:
Website: www.patrir.ro/training
E-mail: diana.basterfield@ministryforpeace.org


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Transformative Mediation: Tools for Peacemaking and Sustainable Peacebuilding, May 9 – 10, 2008, London, UK
Application deadline: April 23, 2008


A joint ministry for peace, Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and International Peace and Development Training Centre Experts Module – Specialization Training

Who is the Programme Relevant For?
· Members of Parliament and Government, Diplomats, Senior Policy Makers
· Senior to middle-range staff in national and international aid and development organisations
· Members of negotiation teams, conflict party leadership, mediators
· Field staff for international and national organisations and agencies working in areas affected by violent conflict and war or in post-war/violence situations
· UN, OSCE, EU, OAS, AU, ASEAN Staff
· Staff of international and national NGOs working in the fields of development, human rights, conflict resolution, confidence and security building measures, democratization, and social empowerment
· Policy makers
· Practitioners of conflict transformation and mediation.

The Two-Day Transformative Mediation Programme will:
· Introduce an Integrated Framework and Applied Methodology for Transformative Mediation
· Assist in the development of more effective and practical applied mediation skills
· Address the links and gaps between Track 1 , Track 1.5, Track 2, and Track 3 Peacemaking
· Deal with concrete experiences of applying mediation in practice addressing current conflicts/crises
· Tackle shortcomings in national and international interventions in conflicts
· Propose methods for improving practice and addressing conceptual and practical gaps in current mediation and peacemaking practice

Full Fee: £200. Multiple participants: £180/ participant.

More information:
Website: www.patrir.ro/training
E-mail: diana.basterfield@ministryforpeace.org


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Online journal Re-public - Gendering Border Crossings - Call for papers
Application deadline: April 30, 2008


Most of the debate on sexual migration has been fashioned by the discourse of trafficking. Largely dominated by gendered representations of feminine victims and male victimizers, this discourse has come to complement the perception of migration as a dangerous and threatening form of border crossing associated with illegality and criminality.

Beyond the moralizing politics of trafficking, where humanitarianism is happily wed with policing, however, border crossings linked to the sexual industry or/and sexual relations continue to take place and have in fact flourished opening up spaces of transnational and transgender flux. From sexual tourism to transnational love affairs, from forced prostitution to migrations for employment in the sex industry, the range of gendered crossings seems to present multiple challenges to the ethnocentric and gendered bias of contemporary politics. This special issue aims to explore the dynamics and potentialities of gendering border crossings. Potential papers may include the following:
1. Analyzing and problematizing forms of exclusion and inclusion produced through border crossings
2. Exploring representations of sexual desire and identity in border crossings
3. Identifying challenges to gendered and ethnocentric notions of the political
4. Critically assessing gendered and racist biases that often underpin anti-trafficking policies and the protection of the victims of trafficking.
5. Conceptualizing the political character of sexual border crossings beyond the trafficking discourse
6. Exploring alternative practices and migrant identities that emanate from the sexing of borders.

Essays should be approximately 1.500 words long. Please submit contributions in electronic format.

More information
Website: http://www.re-public.gr/en
E-mail: kambouri@re-public.gr


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‘Social and Spiritual Aspects of Material Culture’ Conference, September 18 – 20, 2008, Ohrid, Macedonia - Call for papers and participation
Application deadline: April 31, 2008


The Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje is organizing a Conference in honour of the late professor, colleague and friend Gjorgi Zdravev, PhD. The Conference refers to different aspects of material culture, a field to which prof. Zdravev dedicated all his professional life. Besides the main topic 'Social and spiritual aspects of material culture', that points out the organic relation between these different cultural spheres, the potential participants are offered few sub-topics:
1. 'Creation' of the material world: anthropological aspects of technology and production
2. Social, spiritual and aesthetic life of objects
3. Ethnological and Anthropological aspects of Macedonian textile folk work
4. Cultural policy and material heritage.

We invite all colleagues from the country and abroad, that work in the areas of ethnology, anthropology and the closely related disciplines, and that show interest in some of the above mentioned topics, to apply for participation at the Conference, sending the title of their paper, along with an abstract (not longer than 1,000 characters). The final versions of the articles that will be accepted and thus presented at the Conference should not exceed 29,000 characters. Oral presentations at the Conference should not exceed 20 minutes. We hope that after the Conference we would be able to publish the papers in a Collection, including all participants.

The organizer covers food and accommodation costs. There is no registration fee. Travel costs should be covered by the institutions in which participants are employed or by the participants themselves. Official languages are English and Macedonian.

The application letter, including your name, profession and current position
and title, the topic of the article and an abstract, should be sent by e-mail.

More information
Website: www.iea.pmf.ukim.edu.mk
E-mail: ilina@iunona.pmf.ukim.edu.mk (Ilina Jakimovska, Secretary of the Conference)


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EGEA Moldova - Youth Study Camp in Tourism, May 1 - 5, 2008, Lozova, Moldova


Activities proposed: National Contest of Young specialists in Tourism; Seminar and workshops in: Ecotourism, Rural Tourism, Agrotourism, Ethno-cultural Tourism, Religious Tourism, Ecology and village development, Rural Geography; Round Table: Perspective and promotion of Tourism in Moldova; Official meetings with specialists and authorities; Study excursions and research of the region.

Who can participate: any EGEA entity, any organization involved in geography, tourism, socio-cultural or natural studies. Any person interested in the development of tourism, specialists and enthusiasts. Number of places: around 70

Practical arrangements:
Accommodation: in tents, you need to bring your own tent and sleeping bag.
Food: prepared on the place by participants.
Visas to enter Moldova are required only for the following European countries: Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey, Israel. We can send official invitation letters if required. Citizens of any other European countries, USA, Canada or Japan need only a valid Passport.

You can subscribe with a team of 5 members for the Contest or individually as a participant. To subscribe please send the following data by e-mail: name and surname; date and place of birth; address, citizenship; phone number, e-mail, www, skype; entity, organization, university, field of studies; date of arrival and departure; if you participate in the contest of tourism; if you can make a presentation on the subject.

More information
Website: www.egea.eu/entity/moldova
E-mail: egeamoldovatourism@yahoo.com
egea_moldova@yahoo.com


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Black Sea Youth Forum Summit, June 18 – 20, 2008, Istanbul, Turkey - Call for papers
Application deadline: May 5, 2008


A Summit organized by ARI Movement with partnership OL! Azerbaijan Youth Movement – Azerbaijan, YERITAC – Armenia, US-Ukraine Foundation – Ukraine, Liberty Institute – Georgia.

ARI Movement announces a call for papers for the Black Sea Youth Forum Summit. The goal of the conference is to create a platform to discuss political developments in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Therefore, students who are citizens of these 5 countries ranging from undergraduate to PH.D are welcome to submit their papers. Our aim is to bring scholars, NGO activists, media representatives and especially students from these countries together and discuss developments that were undertaken in the last decade.

Black Sea Youth Forum will be organized in Istanbul and will last for three days. During the first two days, the papers will be presented and discussions will be made on each topic in a facilitated workshop. In the last session the participants will write a declaration to be announced to public during the last day of the Summit. Accepted papers will be made available to all summit participants. In addition, we expect that every summit participant is willing to act as formal discussant for their summit papers.

Possible essay topics will be:
- The effect on the youth of transition from the Soviet era
- Europeanization of politics in respective states - What has it meant for the youth
- Democratization experiences and obstacles, in respective states
- NGOs and their activities towards creating open societies.

The basic eligibility criteria will be:
Age: Between 20-35
Language: English
Academic background: At least a university degree
Country: To be a citizen of one of the 5 Program countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine)

Please submit essays of 3000-4000 words and add to the essays name, surname of the author, contact information, academic program (if applicable), university or research institution.

Accommodation and travel costs of the participants will be covered.

More information
Website: http://www.yeritac-am.org/index_files/projects.htm
E-mail: blackseasummit@ari.org.tr
gizem@ari.org.tr (Mrs.Gizem Onay Collet)


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Second Congress of the Youth from Eastern Europe - Intercultural Dialogue and Peace, May 7 - 11, 2008, Prespa Lake, Macedonia


The activities will include debates (‘Peace and peace movement challenges for youth’; ‘Job, economic opportunities and Youth in Eastern Europe’; ‘The world free of violence’), intercultural activities, case studies from NGOs - sharing networks and good practices, workshops (‘Climate change, polution and youth’; ‘Dialogue between the civilisations, the values universelles, live together and Youth’; ‘The role of young people in the front of EU’; ‘The new illnesses of youth’).

More information
Website: www.detstvo.org.mk
www.cojep.com
E-mail: ndokovska@gmail.com (Natasha Dokovska, Journalists for children and women rights and protection of environment)
celilnantua@hotmail.com (Celil Yilmaz, COJEP International Geneva)


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Institute for Democracy and Mediation - Regional Summer School, September 8 – 19, 2008, Albania - Call for applications
Application deadline: May 15, 2008


Organized by IDM Center for Security Studies in cooperation with United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Programme of Correspondence Instruction in Peacekeeping Operations - UNITAR POCI.

Graduate (or last year graduate) & postgraduate students, researchers, practitioners and high officials of security sector institutions from the Balkans and other European countries will be invited to attend a two-week summer school in Albania and benefit from the experience and know-how of eminent international speakers, professors and experts from US, Europe and the Balkans. The Summer School academic programme has been designed with an aim to advance security studies, research and capacities of participants in order to better understand and analyze security challenges.

The courses are designed to guide summer school participants through a smooth learning process of approximately 30 meetings in two weeks which involves both, local / regional and global aspects of contemporary developments in the security studies field. Accordingly, the Summer School approach will involve teaching methods that are designed to facilitate an effective process of continuous interactive training on security matters and that will avoid an overload in that course.

The Summer School Scientific Board will select the best papers (case studies) submitted by the participants, to be published by the Institute for Democracy and Mediation in a special edition of its quarterly review ‘Security Issues’. The top three students will present their work at Tirana Regional Workshop (December 2008) while a special award will be consigned to them by IDM.

To apply please send a complete Application form, CV and a Motivation Letter to the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM).

More information
Website: http://idmalbania.org/en/school/index.php
E-mail: css@idmalbania.org


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‘Challenges to Democratic Governance in New Democracies in CEE and the Balkans’ Conference, October 10 - 11, 2008, Budapest, Hungary
Application deadline: May 15, 2008


Organized by Center for the Study of Imperfections in Democracy (DISC) at Central European University (www.ceu.hu/disc), Freedom House Europe (www.freedomhouse.hu), and Junior Chamber International (www.jci.cc).

Although in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Balkans transitions away from authoritarian rule began more than fifteen years ago, many of the recently (re)emerged regimes still face significant challenges regarding the consolidation and quality of democracy. The current problems that must be addressed related to democratic governance may (or may not) be different than the problems that were confronted in early transition and in different world regions. Therefore there is a need for a thorough and comparative assessment of the current state of democracy in these countries, which can form a basis for future policy decisions to improve the quality of democracy. By evaluating the state of democracy in the countries of CEE and the Balkans, this conference aims to generate theoretically-founded yardsticks for the evaluation and empirical evidence of the quality of democratic governance in the region that will be used for a future Democracy Forum.

The purpose of this conference is to generate a theoretical framework for a Democracy Forum to be held in 2009 with young leaders from the 23 countries in CEE and the Balkans, organized by the Junior Chamber International, Freedom House Europe, and the Center for the Study of Imperfections in Democracy (DISC) at Central European University. Significant findings from this conference will be published as an e-book that will form the academic basis for the Democracy Forum.

The body of fresh and targeted analysis would serve as the starting point for the 2009 Democracy Forum, to be held in Budapest, Hungary. The forum’s program would be comprised of both lectures and presentations as well as training modules on a variety of topics relevant to the demographic group partaking in the forum and their interest in engaging in the political life of their countries in a more effective way as agents of positive change.

The following countries are included: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

To apply, please submit a 500 word paper proposal and 1-page CV by e-mail.

More information
Website: http://www.disc-ceu.org/events/october-conference/
E-mail: disc@ceu.hu


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‘Anti-Ottoman Wars and the Culture of Nobility in East Central Europe, 16-18th Century’ International conference, October 23 - 25, 2008, Leipzig, Germany
Application deadline: May 30, 2008


The various experiences of being a subject, a tributary state, a competing power or a simple neighbour of the Ottoman Empire made various impacts on the early modern states of East Central Europe. Despite the conflicts, which existed beyond doubt, it seems inadequate to talk about a global confrontation between Orient and Occident in this context. On the contrary - forms of cultural transfer were almost inevitable to develop. The reactions of different groups of East Central European nobility on the Ottoman expansion can be placed on a wide scale of real fear, tactic calculation, economic and social arrangements and pragmatic religious tolerance, even as far as the integration of oriental features in their own culture of representation.

The specific elements in this conflict area are researched by the interdisciplinary project ‘Ottoman Orient and East Central Europe: Comparative Studies in the Perceptions and Interactions in the Border Zones’ at Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum Geschichte und Kultur Ostmitteleuropas (GWZO) in Leipzig. The conference, organised in the framework of the project, searches the answers to the question of the ways in which the expansion of the Ottoman Empire influenced the wide domain of East Central European noblemen´s culture.

In order to suit the research focus of the GWZO project, the contributions should primarily pay attention to the lands of East Central Europe. The territories under the rule of the Habsburg monarchy, Poland-Lithuania, the Hungarian territories under Ottoman rule, Transylvania, and the countries of the Balkan were border zones, but at the same time they were also the most important stages for contacts with the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless, contributions related to regions which stood in direct or indirect contact with the Ottoman Empire and East Central Europe (France, Italy), are also welcome. These should help in making all-encompassing characteristics and cultural topoi, but also fractures inside the noblemen´s cultures of Europe transparent.

Conference languages: English and German.

Short paper abstracts (1-2 p.) should be sent via e-mail.

More information
Website: http://www.uni-leipzig.de/gwzo
E-mail: jagodzinski@rz.uni-leipzig.de (Sabine Jagodzinski)
rborn@rz.uni-leipzig.de (Robert Born)


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SEEU Review, South East European University, Tetovo, Macedonia - Call for Papers, Issue with emphasis on human rights
Application deadline: August 31, 2008


We encourage all those who are researching in the human rights in any field e.g. right to life, right to education, right to freedom of expression, media, right to property, freedom from torture, right to a fair trial etc. Also very welcome will be the papers regarding to the practical issues such as education in human rights, embedding human rights in the curriculum in all subjects. SEEU Review will accept the following types of articles for consideration: research, position papers, white papers, and reviews.

SEEU Review seeks to publish original work that demonstrates currency and relevance to the field of study. Submitted manuscripts must not be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere, and authors must assign
copyright to South East European University if the manuscript is selected for publication.

Please read the guidelines before submitting an article. Authors who have submitted papers that have not been accepted for publication in previous issues are encouraged to submit their papers again using the new guidelines. The submitted article has to be written in English language, and all authors must provide translation of the abstract in both Albanian and Macedonian languages.

More information
E-mail: review@seeu.edu.mk


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‘Freedom and Democracy: European Perceptions, European Perspectives’ International Conference, December 4 - 6, 2008, Koper, Slovenia - Call for papers
Application deadline: September 1, 2008


Organizers: Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities Koper (University of Primorska, Slovenia), Department of Politics and International Relations, School of Humanities (Swansea University, UK), Seminar für Philosophie, Philosophische fakultät I (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany). Sponsors: Thyssen-Stiftung (Germany) and Slovenian Research Agency.

Sections: political philosophy, philosophy of law, political and social ethics, political science, interdisciplinary studies.

The program committee welcomes original contributions on the following topics:
* Hermeneutics of freedom and democracy in modern Europe
* Treaties of the European Union: political and philosophical aspects
* EU institutions (courts, parliaments, executives, bureaucracies) and the understandings of freedom, responsibility and/or democracy in their respective contexts
* Eastern Europe (1989-91) and political philosophy
* Southeast Europe, Turkey and the European Union
* A European ethos and the concept of European civil society
* Social solidarity, integration and conceptions of European citizenship
* The European Union as a liberal legal order
* Freedom, justice, democracy and capitalism(s) in Europe
* Migration, borders and the new territories of multiculturalism: political, legal and social aspects
* Comparative issues (for example, the EU and the USA)
Other topics falling under the conference's remit will be considered.

Student session: graduate and postgraduate students are invited to register for the conference with a 10-minute presentation on a selected topic. Selected contributions from postgraduate students will be integrated into the senior sessions.

The conference languages: English and German.

Registration: please register by sending by e-mail your full name, contact address, institutional affiliation, academic position, e-mail and telephone, title of your presentation, abstract (no more than 150 word).

More information
Website: http://www.fhs.upr.si/
E-mail: lenart.skof@fhs.upr.si (Lenart Skof)
tomaz.grusovnik@zrs.upr.si (Tomaz Grusovnik)


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Volonteurope - 17th European Workshop on Volunteer Action ‘Take Part in Europe’, October 30 – November 2, 2008, Genoa, Italy


CSV & Volonteurope are currently involved in organising this year's 17th European Workshop on Voluntary Action, to be held between 30th October and 2nd November in Genoa, Italy.

Who should come?
Volunteers, Volunteer organisers, Project Managers, Trainers, Lecturers, Researchers, Sponsors of volunteers, Public officials, Policy makers.

What will you learn?
By participating in your choice of workshops, presentations and round-table discussions, you will share thinking and best practice. You will also have plenty of opportunity for formal and informal networking.

The Volonteurope conference brings together over 100 participants from more than 20 countries. The aim of the conference is to encourage the development of participatory democracy and share good practice on volunteer action. Our partners this year are Cesavo www.cesavo.it who will help organise some 30 workshops, roundtables and visits to volunteer projects.

Volonteurope is a European network of 1,500 agencies working in the field of social action. We have organised 16 European Workshops on Volunteer Action, annual four-day conferences at which member organisations and their partners from around the world meet to discuss their work and to consider new developments in voluntary action and citizenship.

Volonteurope is a member of the Council of Europe INGO Group and is a member of Solidar, CEDAG, the European Council for Voluntary Organisations, and AVSO, the Association for Voluntary Service Organisations.

Volonteurope's secretariat is hosted by CSV and organises projects, seminars and the annual conference.

More informaion
Website: www.csv.org.uk
http://www.volonteurope.org/
E-mail: aneagle@csv.org.uk


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Western Balkan Security Observer - Call for papers


The Western Balkans Security Observer (WBSO) is a publication emerged in the academic community of the Belgrade School of Security Studies, Serbia. The editors of Western Balkans Security Observer would like to publish the papers of researchers newly introduced to security studies, as well as articles of already affirmed authors. We therefore call upon all interested in security theory or practice, and especially regional security topics, to send their papers to the Belgrade School for Security Studies. The previous issues of the journal can be downloaded free of charge from the website.

The authors are encouraged to first send abstracts of their papers (not longer than one page) by e-mail. Please feel free to submit either articles that answer any of the topics suggested bellow or to propose a new topic. For questions concerning the appropriateness of possible submissions and book reviews, please contact the editor. The final submitted texts should not exceed 3000 words (Times New Roman style, size 12, spaced 1, 5 lines, Chicago
reference style).

Issues in 2008 will be covering the following topics:

1. Security Sector Reform (SSR) in the Western Balkans
Key issue: Is it possible to measure the success of the SSR in the region?
Topics: Assess the analytical value of the SSR concept. Evaluate impact and challenges of SSR in the Western Balkans. Post-conflict and post-authoritarian context of SSR. SSR in weak states. (Di) similarities between the SSR concepts in the South-Eastern European countries. The influences of the politics of conditionality (e.g., EU or NATO) on the SSR in the Western Balkans. How to measure the contribution of non-state actors (e.g., private security companies, civil society and para-military groups) to SSR. Security sector reform as an element of the EU politics of conditionality. How to operationalise holistic approach to security sector. Impact of regional cooperation to SSR.

2. Military neutrality in the post Cold war period
Key issue: Can Serbia be military-neutral?
Topics: The concept of military neutrality. Military neutrality during the Cold war. Military neutrality after the Cold war (with an emphasis to integrations and international organizations). Military neutrality, the EU and Common Security and Defence Policy. Neutrality, security culture and strategic identity. Economy of defence and neutrality.

3. Processes of securitization in the Western Balkans
Key issue: What are the current securitization processes in the Western Balkans?
Topics: Securitization theory and its critique. Philosophical foundations and controversies of the securitization theory. Ethics and securitization. Securitization of the Balkans and Serbia in Europe and America. Securitization of the West in Serbia. Securitization processes in the Balkans in the last decade of the 20th century. Key securitization processes since the year 2000-democratic changes in the Western Balkans. Patterns of amity and enmity in the Western Balkans. Extraordinary measures and the politics of exception. Social construction of challenges, risks and threats. State of emergency, sovereignty and security.

4. European construction of the Western Balkans
Key issues: Do the Western Balkans exist? What are the outcomes of the Western Balkans related debate?
Topics: Speech act. European discourse on the Balkans. The Balkans and the Western Balkans. Balkanization and intervention. Sovereignty and European integrations. Empire, identity and security. Balkan self-discourse. Outcomes of the European discourse in the Western Balkans. EU enlargement and Balkanophobia. The Balkans as the European subconscious. Simulation, EU and democratic reforms. ‘Otherness’ of the Balkans: Self-perspective vs. Euro-perspective. The Balkan ‘Other’ as a factor of the EU's (un) stability. The Balkans as the European political backyard: ‘black hole of Europe’ or the ‘oasis of true values’.

More information
Web: www.bsss.ccmr-bg.org
www.ccmr-bg.org
E-mail: office@ccmr-bg.org


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5th Cultural Policy Research Award 2008 - Call for applications
Application deadline: May 23, 2008


The European Cultural Foundation, the Riksbankens Jublileumsfond and the European Network of Cultural Administration and Training Centres (ENCATC) call for applications for the 5th Cultural Policy Research Award 2008.

Designed to stimulate academic and applied cultural policy research and to explore, through comparative cross-national research, issues at stake in contemporary Europe, and possibly anticipate new cultural policy orientations, the Cultural Policy Research Award (CPRA) has the ambition to contribute to the process of creating an 'infrastructure', a network of scholars who are competent in doing comparative research projects in cultural policy.

Open to young - 35 or under - academics, researchers and policymakers from all European countries, the Award was launched for the first time in 2004 and has been running as a pilot project for four years (2004-2007). Issues covered so far range from the raison d'être of a European cultural policy, creative industries in South-East Europe, comparison of trends in funding, governance and organizational structure of live classical music organizations, and issues of diversity and the commodification of culture in the cultural industries (focus on architecture, fashion and music).

Applications must be submitted through the online application form. Before applying, candidates are strongly advised to consult the website for advice on how to prepare their applications.

The winner of the CPR Award 2008, worth Euro 10,000, will be publicly announced on 16 October at the International ENCATC Annual Conference taking place in Lyon, France.

More information
Website: www.encatc.org/cpraward
E-mail: communications@encatc.org


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http://www.robert-schuman.eu/ouvrage.php?num=108


European Opinion 2008
The aim of the publication European Opinion 2008 is to bring together all vital elements necessary to understand modern Europeans; it is the ninth issue of this work of reference. Under the guidance of Dominique Reynie, the authors who come from all walks of life provide a spotlight on European opinion and behaviour:
• on all key topical subjects (European economy, energy, protectionism, companies, taxation, Europe and Globalisation, the Union for the Mediterranean, political life)
• a full analysis of European political forces via elections that took place in Europe in 2007
• the novelty in this issue is a series of ‘mini probes’ which provide the reader with a host of information on the traditions and customs in Europe.


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Funding Guide for NGOs


ECAS is a large cross-sectoral European NGO whose mission is to enable other NGOs and individuals to make their voice heard within the EU by providing advice on how to lobby, fundraise, and defend European citizenship rights. With over 17 years experience in Brussels, our multilingual and expert staff are well equipped to assist other NGO?s in gaining access to funding.

It is on this basis that we produce two funding guides on how to access funding from the world's largest donor; the EU institutions and associations. There are two volumes;

1) 2007 Guide to European Union Funding, Volume 1 - Funding within the EU
2) 2007 Guide to European Union Funding, Volume 2 - Funding outside of the EU

We believe that there is a budget for practically any project which has a genuine European dimension; the issue of attaining funding is more about having a good strategy to accessing the EU budget. Therefore our guides run through step by step on how to gain funding from the EU institutions for programmes in every policy area. It also gives advice on how to get through the rigid and bureaucratic systems, practical information on the time that you will need to invest, and the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.

Being written upon a library of resources and personal contacts it brings together information that is scattered and difficult to find without years of experience. The guides have been designed to be easy to read and understand with as little 'EU jargon terms' used as possible, making it accessible for those who know little about funding from the EU.

http://www.ecas-citizens.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=7&id=14&Itemid=145


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http://www.score-project.eu/


An EU funded project, SCORE Strengthening the Strategic Cooperation between the EU and Western Balkan Region in the field of ICT Research.

By registering, is possible to access information, such as:
* News on ICT research topics both at EU and Western Balkan level
* A calendar of the most important and ICT related Events
* Documents such as country reports, studies, national strategies, policy papers, analyses, etc.
* Information about other related ICT projects
* Useful Links listed by country and ICT, R&D topics
* ICT Collaborative Network, interactive working platform that enables the exchange of knowledge, experiences and ideas within the ICT stakeholder community in the Western Balkan Region, and fosters the creation of new international contacts by providing information on current partner searches and project ideas as well.


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http://towerfbabel.com


Babel seeks multilingual and multicultural writers, editors, bloggers and translators proficient in using web tools to continue building in over 250 languages what has been recognized since 2001 by the United Nations as one of the most important social and human sciences online periodicals. There are over 250 subdomains of towerofbabel.com ready to be configured by those who are interested in taking the language-oriented subdomains and helping to build the tower.

The construction of Babel began in January 1996 as the development of a new multilingual, multicultural online journal of arts and ideas, utilizing the new media of the web to reach out to as large and inclusive a world community as possible and celebrate human enlightenment regardless of language, cultural or social restrictions. Babel is now repositioning itself to take advantage of the advancements in web tools since its inception as well as the opportunities available in the 21st century.


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www.eurasianet.es


A permanent virtual meeting for researchers dealing with the countries in the Euroasiatic region (Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Former Soviet Republics). It gathers dozens of researchers from different fields, such as History, Political Science, Law, Economy, International Relations or Philology.


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Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), Democracy in Poland 2005 - 2007


This book is a summary of a comprehensive report published by IPA in the autumn of 2007 entitled ‘Demokracja w Polsce 2005-2007’. The report describes the changes introduced in many fields by the Law and Justice party led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski during their period in government in Poland between 2005 and 2007. The publication is part of the IPA’s project entitled ‘Poland`s Democracy Watch’.
Website: www.isp.org.pl


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Jelena Milojkovic-Djuric, Aspects of Balkan Culture


Aspects of Balkan Culture is the latest volume in the series of studies that Jelena Milojkovic-Djuric has devoted to Balkan, Russian and Serbian cultures respectively, addressing the English speaking reader, and the world at large. There is a scarcity of similar books dealing with Serbian culture documented judiciously by providing, often hard to find, archival and bibliographical sources.


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Klejda Mulaj, Politics of Ethnic Cleansing: Nation-State Building and Provision of In/Security in Twentieth-Century Balkans


The book sheds light on the causes and consequences of ethnic cleansing in twentieth-century Balkans with particular reference to the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Providing a thorough and consistent analysis of large-scale episodes of ethnic cleansing in modern Balkan history, Politics of Ethnic Cleansing fills an important gap in existing conflict and peace studies literature.


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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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