31.12.2018. – Regional Platform for advocating media freedom and safety of journalists in the Western Balkans has the honour of presenting outputs of Small Grants Programme, which took place during years 2017 and 2018 within the bigger project “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans”. Small Grants Programme supported the project “Go Digital Against Harassment”, implemented by NGO’s JaBIHEu and Media and Civil Society Development Foundation ˝Mediacentar˝.
The project “Go Digital Against Harassment”, was jointly implemented by JABiHuEU and Foundation Mediacentar Sarajevo, aimed to map the problem of online threats and abuse of journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to increase capacities of media professionals to protect themselves from online abuse. Eventually, it is created to strengthen cooperation between the media, the CSO sector and relevant institutions on the protection of journalists from online abuse, and to inform the public about the problem of online abuse and threats toward journalists. The project includes publishing a comprehensive report on online threats against journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an online manual for journalists on how to be protected and react to online threats. The project ‘’Go Digital Against Harassment’’ was based on OSCE recommendations, focusing on raising public awareness, collecting relevant data on national level, and strengthening capacities of local CSOs and journalists in taking more active part in fighting online violence against journalists.
Specific objectives of the project were to map the problem of online threats and abuse of journalists in BH, providing recommendations for further activities of key stakeholders, to increase capacities of media professionals to protect themselves from online abuse, to strengthen cooperation between media, CSO sector and relevant institutions on protection of journalists from online abuse, to inform the public on the problem of online abuse and threats toward journalists.
NGO “JaBiHEU” spreads the idea of European integration and EU values in the Western Balkans. It works on affirmation and presentation of European values in democracy and human rights. “JaBiHEU” strongly supports awareness raising on EU integration processes, development of professional and social analysis and strategies and communication of socially relevant and sensible issues.
Media and Civil Society Development Foundation ˝Mediacentar˝ (FMC) is a non-governmental, non–political and non–profitable organization whose mission is to support the development of open and professional media sphere in BiH and the SEE region through training, consultancy and research. Throughout years, the FMC has developed a set of programs for improving the overall state of journalism, media professionalism and media freedoms in B&H and the Southeast Europe (SEE), through its educational, research, and web-based programs.
Find the Online manual for journalists on how to protect and react on online threats HERE.
About Small Grants Programme
During 2017. and 2018. 15 projects were funded through the Small Grants Programme in two LOTs (4 regional and 11 national projects) in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo* and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The Small Grants Programme supported locally and regionally rooted civil society initiatives, engaging human rights activists, journalists and media, aiming to protect the freedom of expression and freedom of media.
The small grants programme was funded by IPA /EU with co-financing from the Croatian Government Office for NGOs and matching funds from grantees; it is part of a regional project Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety implemented through partnership of five regional journalists’ associations and one journalists’ union– Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (IJAS), Association of BH Journalists (BHJ), Croatian Journalists Association (CJA), Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM).
Croatian Journalists’ Association and its regional partner journalists’ associations thank all subgrantees and other participants for their interest and effort in engaging in the Small Grants Programme and for their cooperation throughout the whole application and project implementation process.
