Start of the implementation of projects funded by the Small Grants Programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans”

Croatian Journalist Association (CJA), in its capacity of the contracting authority for this small grants programme, is pleased to announce the start of the implementation of projects funded by the Call of Proposals for the Small Grants Programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans”.

The Small Grants Programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans” is funding 15 projects in two LOTs (4 regional and 11 national projects) in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo* and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The objective of this small grants programme is to amplify advocacy efforts undertaken by local, national and regional civil society actors in collaboration with journalists and media organizations and to set topics of media freedom and journalists’ safety on mainstream agenda in the SEE region – more specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Kosovo*, Montenegro and Serbia. Hence, the small grants programme will support 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 is funded by IPA /EU with co-financing from the Croatian Government Office for NGOs and makes 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 applicants for their interest and effort in engaging in this Call for Proposals and for their cooperation throughout the whole application process, in addition to wishing a fruitful and smooth implementation of awarded projects.

If you want to read more about the projects funded through this Call, click on the links to their respective websites:

Lead applicant	Project name
Beta Media Centar	SUP-PRO-MEDIA: Support to Advocating and Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans
Media Research Centre	Forming of non-profitable local community media “OPEN TV”
Novapedia	Regional Platform for Boosting Changes Towards Free Media Societies in the Western Balkans  [link N/A]
NIIT Society Innovation Center	Invisible Violence: Stories from the Newsroom
JaBiHEU	Go Digital Against Harassment
Novi Sad School of Journalism	Mission Defence: Using Activism and Legal Possibilities to Resist the Pressures on the Media
Civic Initiatives	Media Freedom Matrix- On-line Monitoring Tool
Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation	U pravu si!- Guide Through Journalist Labour and Trade Union Rights
Centar za istraživačko novinarstvo- Fondacija CINS	Follow the Media Money
NGO 35mm	Untold Stories: Journalists Endangered!
Democracy Plus	Supporting Media Freedom and Freedom of Speech Through Increased Watchdog Monitoring Media Related Matters
Center for Democratic Development Europolis	Media Content and Media Financing as a Reflection of Public Interest in Local Communities [link N/A]
Youth Educational Forum	Human Rights Through Social Movements
CIVIL- Center for Freedom	From Understanding to Protection- Project for Understanding and Protection of Freedom of Expression and Media Freedoms in the Republic of Macedonia
Post-conflict Research Center	Real Voice of Journalism