Timespan: 25/09/2007 – 05/2009
Donor: Region Puglia (Italy) and Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina
Applicant: Local Democracy Agency Mostar (LDA Mostar)
Partners: Mostar City Council and Administration of City of Mostar
Objective: The goal of the project is establishing the urban resource centre which supports and strengthens the process of democratization and capacity building for local authorities and civil society in the city of Mostar as well as supporting the transition towards more efficient, transparent and democratic local government institutions. Project aims at supporting a fully developed and steady democratic society with a direct participation of citizens in decision-making processes, with civil society, local political representatives and local government servants fully benefiting from the participation in the process of EU integration.
Specific Objectives:
The project envisages the creation of a thematic info desk that will be available to citizens regarding following topics: active citizens, democratic principles and the EU entry process. The info desk will house books, newsletters, conventions and internet connection option, as well as a human rights expert who will provide information on civil rights, employee rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, rights of persons with special needs, etc.
2007
Through media campaign, the citizens of Mostar will be informed about the info desk, for what purposes they can use the services of info desk (suggestions, information, tips, etc.)
LDA Mostar will organize listening and understanding sessions, conferences, student work groups, and educational children’s games. More specifically, RCD will be an urban venue for dialogue, education on the rights of different social groups, as well as discussions on the future of Mostar. The Info Desk will be free of charge and available for research purposes by the University as well as students and post-graduates. As part of this, free Wi-Fi will be provided in RCD
As part of the project, a series of trainings, round-tables discussion and seminars will be organized and two thematic radio shows will be broadcast twice a month. On the 25th of September 2007. The convention on RCD was signed with the Italian Region of Puglia. The activities of the RCD as a part of LDA Mostar will be implemented in close cooperation with City of Mostar and Mostar City Council.
2008
Activities of the RCD
LDA Mostar, in cooperation with the City of Mostar, initiated the establishment of RCD. The project is funded by the Puglia Region within its Law on Decentralised Cooperation and the Open Society Fund of BiH. RCD within Local Democracy Agency Mostar includes a non-mobile and mobile part.
Activities of the non-mobile part of RCD:
– Free legal aid on human rights is opened
The Center for Free Legal Aid on Human Rights entitled “Small Room for Democracy” is located within LDA Mostar headquarters. The LDA’s human rights expert is available to citizens every Thursday from 12:00-15:00. A media campaign has been launched to inform more citizens of Mostar on the work of the Center for Free Legal Aid. The media involved in the campaign were: RTM, HTV, HTV Oscar C, Youth Radio X, Radio Mostar, Radio Station Mostar, as well as a numerous of web portals, which published information about The Center on several occasions. Posters and flyers were distributed throughout the city, and as part of a radio broadcasted by the RCD in collaboration with Youth Radio X, listeners were informed on daily work of The Center.
– Youth Info Desk is established
Youth Info Desk was established as a part of the RCD Project, at the headquarters of LDA Mostar. As part of the Info Desk, youngsters can use written materials and books owned by LDA Mostar, as well as using Internet for their research on academic or extracurricular activities.
– RCD publications
In order to promote the concept of knowledge on human rights protection and democratic principles, the following publications have been issued:
– A Quick Guide To Human Rights For Citizens
– Democratization: A Quick Guide For Citizens
These publications were provided to citizens and city officials so that they could acquire practical tools to disseminate their knowledge on rights and obligations in a democratic society.
Activities of the mobile part of RCD:
– Radio shows
Throughout 2008, the RCD, in cooperation with Youth Radio X, has realized broadcasts with different contents and guests, aiming to increase the awareness of citizens about the work of the Local Democracy Agency Mostar (projects, activities), to increase the transparency of the city institutions. and to advance democratic processes in Mostar. Each of the shows covered a different theme and had different guests. Some of the topics were: Work of Student Councils of Mostar’s Secondary Schools, Volunteerism, Inclusion, European Projects Implemented in Mostar with special reference to the “Pearl.EU” Project, Citizen Participation in the Decision-Making Process, The Position of Minorities in the City of Mostar, Municipal Elections of 2008, as well as promoting the work of NGOs that are partners with LDA Mostar. As part of all radio broadcasts, citizens whose human rights are endangered, are invited to visit The Center for Free Legal Aid on Human Rights launched by the LDA Mostar as part of the RCD Project.
– TV program
In 2008, RCD started broadcasting monthly TV shows, in cooperation with two TV companies: RTV Mostar and HTV Oskar C. The objective of these TV shows is similar to the objective of radio shows: social inclusion, protection on human rights and the process of democratization. The RCD TV show is broadcast in a popular programming term, simultaneously in the programs of two partner TV companies.
– Trainings, workshops and roundtables
On January 30th, a workshop was held in the City Meeting Hall on the topic: “Volunteerism and European Civilian Service”. The workshop was attended by 25 people: representatives of the City of Mostar, representatives of non-governmental organizations (SCV Ipsia, Sluh, Sunce, Los Rosales, Žene BiH, NDC), kindergartens, and Student Councils from various High Schools in Mostarr.
The aim of the workshop is to inform representatives of Student Councils, student organizations, non-governmental organizations and representatives of local authorities on volunteerism and the European Voluntary Service (EVS), to explain possible ways of involvement in volunteering locally and internationally. Also, through the experiences of international volunteers, we wanted to highlight the benefits of volunteerism.
Training was held at the premises of the Nansen Dialogue Center on February 14-15th. The training was attended by (15 persons) representatives of the Government and Ministries of the Herzegovina- Neretva Canton, the Mostar City Council, the City Administration of Mostar and NGOs.
The objective of the training is to show to the participants the importance of the planning process as well as the importance of citizen participation in the decision-making process.
The first day of training was based on action and strategic plans and how they were to be created.
The second day we worked on specific models of citizen inclusion such as: public debate or meeting, town hall meeting or meeting with City Council, citizen opinion / attitude research, focus groups, “ad hoc” and advisory committees / working groups, regular entities and commissions, usage of technology (Internet), community associations /board, local office, open door (accessibility), public information, educational programs and public reporting, media relations.
On February 18, 2008, at the Blue Salon of the Hotel Ero, a workshop on “Identity and Multiculturalism / The Canadian Context” was held. The workshop was organized in cooperation with „Partnership for Tomorrow“ program of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and a Canadian researcher who led the seminar. The workshop was organized for representatives of student organizations (University of Mostar and University Džemal Bijedić Mostar), Councils of High School Students from Mostar (16 persons). The aim of the workshop is to highlight on identity and multiculturalism / the Canadian context, and draw a parallel between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada, those two different systems, both of multicultural society.
On March 27, 2008, a Round Table was organized: “Inclusion – A New Approach to Disability” at the White Salon of the Hotel Ero in Mostar. Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Pedagogical Institute, City of Mostar, OSCE, NGOs and the heads of kindergartens and elementary schools took part in the round table discussion. The aim of this event was to primarily analyze the problems of all stakeholders involved in this field, as well as to develop analysis on needs. Based on the presentations of the participants, it was concluded that schools and kindergartens employees working with children, are in lack of additional education. It has been suggested that the Resource Center should organize several trainings, in cooperation with the mobile team, for the staff of the above mentioned institutions. The record from this roundtable were distributed to all participants and subsequently forwarded to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.
On April 3, 2008, on the premises of the Center for Culture Mostar, a round table was held. Representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Administration and Local Self-Government of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton , Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton , Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Environmental Protection of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, representatives of the province of Brindisi, the municipalities of Ravenna, Trieste, Bari, Sisak, Osijek, the City of Mostar and the Association for Entrepreneurship and Business LINK (30 persons). Representative of Ravenna presented the way the EU Affairs Office was created in the municipality itself, which was assessed as very useful and applicable in our country, since we do not yet have such a department, both in the city and in the canton. The roundtable discussed the problems encountered by local authorities in the implementation of projects, as well as ways to overcome them. Through the exchange of experience and good practices, representatives of local authorities gained new experiences on specific issues, and through the presentation of a representative from Ravenna they found out a detailed way to set up an office dealing with EU affairs.
On April 24, 2008, on the premises of the Nansen Dialogue Center Mostar, a workshop was held. The workshop discussed about:
– Human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with particular reference to youth rights
– Youth in the education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina
– Participation of youngsters in the local community, with special reference to the City of Mostar.
The target group of this workshop was representatives of the High Schools Student Councils from Mostar. Student council’s representatives who attended the workshop gained new knowledge about human rights, youngsters in educational system in Bosnia and Herzegovina and youth participation in the community.
In the premises of the Center for Culture in Mostar on May 19, 2008, the opening ceremony of the RCD was organized. About 70 guests, representatives of the Region of Venice, the Ministries of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, City of Mostar, heads of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, NGOs, as well as other partners of the Local Democracy Agency Mostar (LDA). The attendees were addressed by LDA’s Mostar delegate Ms. Jlenia Destito, City Council Chairman Mr. Murat Coric, on behalf of Venice Region and its European Affairs Office Ms. Rita Zanutel and RCD Project Manager Mr. Igor Kajgana. LDA Mostar presented its activities report for 2007, brochure on democratization and human rights. After presentations, a cocktail party was held for all guests. The opening was supported by the following media: TVMO, HTV, FTV, Dnevni List, Fena, Bljesak.info and Studio 7.
On May 20, 2008, as part of the RCD Project, the Local Democracy Agency of Mostar organized a roundtable discussion within the Center for Culture. The round table was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Health and Labor and Social Welfare of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports ot the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, representatives of the City of Mostar, representatives of the Center for Social Welfare, OSCE representatives, UNHCR representatives, NDC representatives, Center “Los Rosales”representatives, Roma Association “Neretva”representatives and Polish Association “Mieszko I” representatives. The roundtable presented research conducted in the region of Venice concerning the Roma population that exists in that particular region. It was discussed on the problems and difficulties encountered by the Mostar’s minorities groups. Everyone agreed that the survey conducted in Venice was easily applicable to Mostar because the problems are same in both countries. The problems are concerning creating a database on the Roma population, providing help in housing, health care and employment.
On July 22, 2008, the first meeting of RCD’s Board of Directors as a part of the Local Democracy Agency (LDA) Mostar was held in the Meeting Hall of the City of Mostar.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of Puglia region (Ducret Reana and Fausto Savoia), representatives of the City of Mostar (Sanela Kameric and Jasna Velagic), as well as representatives of the LDA Mostar. Following the introductory remarks, the activities implemented by RCD as well as its financial report within period of last six months, were presented by LDA’s delegate Jlenie Destito.
We also presented a part of the research conducted by LDA Mostar and the need for trainings to be implemented in the period from September 2008 to March 2009, as well as the methodology used by LDA Mostar. Representatives of the Puglia Region and the City of Mostar rated the activities implemented in the past period as positive, as well as the work methodology used by the LDA Mostar.
10th – Training Needs Assessment Based on Public Opinion Research: A Public Opinion Survey
The draft on public opinion survey was prepared by the team of the RCD of the Local Democracy Agency (LDA) Mostar. The main objective of the draft is to analyze and determine the most effective direction in order to obtain complete and reliable data that will be used by LDA Mostar during the implementation of the RCD Project.
Sample definition
Using individual questionnaires, interviews were conducted directly with representatives of the City’s Administration and the Mostar’s City Council, as well as with representatives of the Cantonal Ministries and NGOs. In total, 90 representatives of the above institutions were interviewed.
Implementation of public opinion survey and elaboration of collected data
The survey was undertaken in August 2008. Of all interviewees, 53% were women and 47% were men. Regarding the gender, age and nationality of the interviewees, significant deviations in attitude were observed during the data analysis. It can be observed that people believe that NGOs can contribute to improving living conditions in the City of Mostar, although they are still not familiar with their work. The results of this survey helped LDA Mostar to more accurately review and improve its planned activities.
This Training was held by RCD from 8th to 9th of September 2008, organised for employees of the Government of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. On the first day, the training topics were IPA funds, support for transition and institution building, and cross-border cooperation, while on the second day participants could learn more about the project proposal development, project life cycle and how to fill in the application form. The training was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Education, Science of Culture and Sports, the Federal Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Transport and Communications , the Ministry of Construction, and representatives of the Government of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.
Training aims to increase the knowledge of staff in the cantonal ministries about pre-admission EU funds, so that they can adequately respond to the challenges they face during the transition of our institutions on the European path. Participants in the training, demonstrated great interest and took an active part in the discussions, presenting high quality ideas that can be translated into projects and potentially bring improvements.
On September 12, 2008, a training was held by RCD, organised for journalists and media outlets owners from Mostar. The training was attended by representatives of the following media: HTV Mostar, HRHB and „Good Vibration Radio“. The aim of the training is to inform media outlets on pre-admission EU funds for BiH, support for transition and institution building, and cross-border co-operation, as well as to identify funds intended for media outlets. At the training it was concluded that more should be done to inform the citizens on this topic, and to launch some informative – educational contents for citizens. The training was accompanied by the following media companies: HTV Mostar, Fena, HRHB, and the web portal Bljesak.info.
On September 22 and 23, 2008, a training session was held in the Meeting Hall of the Department of Social Affairs of the City of Mostar. The training was organized for representatives of the Administration of the City of Mostar. On the first day, the training topics were IPA funds, support for transition and institution building, and cross-border cooperation, while on the second day participants could learn more about the project proposal development, project life cycle and how to fill in the application form. The training was attended by representatives of the following departments and their services in the City of Mostar: Department for Organization, Legal Affairs and General Administration, Department for Finance and Real Estate, Department for Social Affairs, Department for Urban Planning and Construction, Department for Economy, Public Utilities and Inspection. The aim of the training was to improve the knowledge of staff in the Administration of the City of Mostar about pre-admission EU funds, so that they can adequately respond to the challenges they face during the transition of our institutions on the European path. The participants in the training demonstrated great interest and took an active part in the discussions, presenting high quality ideas that can be translated into projects and potentially bring improvements.
On September 25 and 26, 2008, RCD organized a two-day training for representatives of NGOs from Mostar. On the first day, the training topics were IPA funds, support for transition and institution building, and cross-border cooperation, while on the second day participants could learn more about the project proposal development, project life cycle, and how to fill out an application form for EU projects. The training was attended by representatives of the following NGOs from Mostar: Association of Educators for Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, HVIDRA Mostar Association, Novi Val, OAZ EKO Association, Sun Association and „Neretva“ Roma Association. As this was the last in a series of trainings organized on this topic, it is evident that NGO representatives have more knowledge and capacity than civil service representatives.
RCD of LDA Mostar in cooperation with the independent production company “Studio 7” started shooting a documentary on the topics: Social Inclusion, The Position of Minorities in the City of Mostar, Communication of City’s of Mostar representatives and Citizens and a promotional film about the LDA Mostar. The mentioned topics are related to specific activities that LDA Mostar undertakes in order to improve the position of marginalized social groups, as well as to support the process of democratization in the City of Mostar. RCD will broadcast four documentaries in cooperation with two TV companies (HTV Oscar C and RTV Mostar) by the end of 2008.
As part of the RCD project, LDA Mostar has launched a pilot activity on multicultural coexistence and democratic values aimed towards children of Mostar. This activity consists of a two-month workshop trying to highlighting the importance of mutual respect and fraternity for children, drawing inspiration from the Italian fairy tale „European Teddy Bear or toy shop ”. The fairy tale was written by Gianfranco Draghi in the 1950s with the aim of preventing the risk of further world conflict after the tragedy of World War II. Even today, this story is used in several Italian schools to cover topics of tolerance and intercultural dialogue. The preparatory part of LDA Mostar in 2008 consisted of two study visits to Ravenna (Italy) where the City Administration promoted many projects in the local school system using the fairy tale as a starting point and a tool for initiating pedagogical routes involving the Italian and foreign children attending the same schools. The fairy tale is translated from Italian into local language and printed for local schools and kindergartens. The workshops were realized in kindergarten “House of stone” and in IV Primary School in Mostar.
2009
LDA Mostar, in cooperation with the City of Mostar, initiated the establishment of the RCD Mostar. After establishing RCD, it continued its work through the“Councilor – Citizen” Project, funded by the Open Society Fund BiH – SOROS and the Puglia Region (Italy), and through the organization of a series of trainings for local and international organizations (Center for Promotion of Civil Society – CPCD, Handicap International, LiNK Enterprise and Business Association).
Description:
The purpose of the RCD Mostar is to strengthen local government, build capacity for civil society, establish bonds between the citizens and authorities of City of Mostar and the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, as well as enhance dialogue between citizens, members of different ethnic groups, and support the democratization process. In addition, the project should support the creation of a fully developed democratic society with the direct participation of citizens in the decision-making process, together with civil society, elected representatives and public officials. With the establishment of the RCD Mostar, LDA has framed all its activities related to supporting the process of democratization of the society as a whole, providing space for the realization of other projects and activities not necessarily related to the democratization process, relevant and useful for the organization itself and for the City of Mostar and the region in general.
Objectives:
To establish functional Training Center of the City of Mostar, that supports and strengthens the process of democratization and capacity building of local authorities and civil society in the City of Mostar, and supports local government institutions to make their work as efficient and transparent as possible. Furthermore, the project aims to support a fully developed and stable democratic society, with direct participation of citizens in the decision-making process, together with civil society, local political representatives and local civil servants, fully benefiting through participation in the EU integration process.
Activities implemented in 2009:
RCD of LDA Mostar has implemented its activities within its non-mobile and mobile part.
Activities of the non-mobile part of the RCD:
-Free counseling on human rights
The Center for Free Legal Aid on Human Rights, located in the LDA Mostar headquarters, continued its work started in the previous year. A human rights expert from LDA Mostar was available to citizens every Thursday from 12:00 – 3:00 pm until the end of the project in May 2009.
A media campaign has been implemented with the aim of getting more citizens of Mostar familiar with the work of The Center. A number of media outlets have been involved in the campaign: RTV Mostar, HTV, HTV Oscar C, Youth Radio X, Radio Mostar, Radio Station Mostar, as well as a number of web portals, which have repeatedly published information on The Center.
Posters and flyers were produced and distributed throughout the city, and as part of radio broadcasts, which were realized by RCD Mostar in cooperation with Youth Radio X, citizens were regularly informed about the work of The Center for Free Legal Aid on Human Rights. Legal advices given to citizens mainly concerned the following areas:
-RCD publications
In order to promote the concept of knowledge on human rights protection and democratic principles, the following publications have been produced:
– A Quick Guide On Human Rights For Citizens
– Democratization: A Quick guide For Citizens
These publications were distributed to citizens and city officials so that they could acquire practical tools to disseminate their knowledge of rights and obligations in a democratic society.
Activities of the mobile part of the RCD
The following activities were implemented in the mobile part of the RCD project in the period September 2007 to May 2009:
– 26 trainings, round tables discussion, workshops
– 28 radio shows in collaboration with Youth Radio X
– 6 TV shows in cooperation with RTV Mostar and HTV Oscar C
-3 documentaries (Communication of the City of Mostar officials and Citizens, The Position of Roma in the City of Mostar and Social Inclusion)
-Radio shows
In 2009, The RCD in cooperation with Youth Radio X, continued to realize radio programs with various content and guests, aiming to increase citizens’ awareness of the work of the Local Democracy Agency (LDA) Mostar (projects, activities) , increase transparency of city institutions, and improve democratic processes in the City of Mostar. Each of the shows covered a different theme and had different guests
8 Some of the topics were:
– Work of Student Councils of Secondary Schools in Mostar,
– Volunteerism
– Social inclusion
– European projects implemented in Mostar, with special reference to the „Pearl.EU“ Project
– Citizen participation in the decision-making process
– The situation of minorities in the City of Mostar
– Promotion of the work of NGOs, partners of LDA Mostar
Radio broadcasts were also thematically linked to other activities implemented by RCD Mostar at a specific time. As part of all radio broadcasts, citizens whose human rights got endangered are invited to visit The Center for Free Legal Aid on Human Rights.
-TV program
In 2009, the RCD continued to broadcast monthly TV shows, in cooperation with two TV companies: RTV Mostar and HTV Oskar C. The aim of these TV shows is similar to that of radio broadcasts: the campaign on transparency of local authorities, social inclusion, human rights protection and the process of democratization.
The RCD TV show broadcasted on a popular programming period, simultaneously on the programs of two partner TV companies.
– Trainings, workshops and roundtables discussions
Continuation of workshops in kindergartens in Mostar
The RCD of LDA Mostar, in cooperation with the kindergartens of the City of Mostar and the Mobile Team for the implementation of the experimental educational project “Inclusion – Phase 1” in the preschool institutions of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton for 2008 and 2009 continued the realization of workshops in kindergartens. In the first phase, a visit was made by speech therapists and defectologists to the kindergartens:“ Bambi“, „Kuća od Kamena“, „Pčelica“and „Radobolja“, with the aim of observing and early identification of children with special needs and giving recommendations to educators for further work. As a follow-up to these workshops, visits were made to the kindergartens “Kuća od Kamena” and “Bambi”, where practical work began with both children and educators. At this stage, it is envisaged to give practical advice and recommendations to educators for further work with children who have been identified with certain problems. The ultimate goal of these workshops was to create individual programs for children with special needs in all of the above kindergartens, as well as to create files for monitoring (progress or indication) of children included in this program.
Organization of a two-day training entitled “Communication and Public Relations”
The RCD of LDA Mostar organized a two-day training entitled “Communication and Public Relations” for representatives of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministries and NGOs on January 27-28, 2009. The aim of the training was to facilitate the communication with the media and journalists and representatives of the Ministries and NGOs as well as to familiarize them with the principles of functioning of the Public Relations Office of the City of Mostar. Through practical work, the participants were presented with:
– How to make a press statement
– How to give information to journalists in an official and informal conversation
– How to convey information as clearly and concisely
Realization of the fourth TV show on “Communication of officials of City of Mostar and Citizens”
On 29 January 2009, the RCD of LDA Mostar in cooperation with RTV Mostar and HTV Oscar C broadcasted a 4th TV show. The theme of the show was “Communication of officials of City of Mostar and the Citizens”. The guest of the show was an official of the Public Relations Office of the City of Mostar. The aim of the show was to acquaint the citizens with all forms of communication between the City of Mostar representatives and the citizens (counters for issuing documents, free legal aid, freedom of access to information …).
Premiere of a documentary on “Communication of officials of City of Mostar and Citizens”
On January 29, 2009, RCD LDA Mostar, in cooperation with RTV Mostar and HTV Oscar C, premiered a documentary on “Communication of officials of City of Mostar and Citizens”. The aim of this film is to present the real state of communication between the City of Mostar representatives and citizens, to introduce citizens to new forms of communication, and to highlight the need to constantly improve all forms of communication with citizens.
Organization of a workshop entitled “Women’s Rights in BiH – Gender Equality”
RCD of LDA Mostar organized a workshop for Councils of High School Students from the city of Mostar on January 30, 2009 entitled “Women’s Rights In BiH – Gender Equality ”. This seminar is the fourth in a row to be held for Councils of High School Students. The aim of the workshop was to inform high school students about women’s rights, gender equality and youth rights in BiH in general.
Organization of a two-day training entitled “Communication and Public Relations”
The RCD of LDA Mostar organized a two-day training entitled “Communication and Public Relations” for representatives of the Administration of City of Mostar and NGOs on February 2 and 3, 2009. The aim of the training was to make it easier for representatives of the city authorities and NGOs to communicate with the media and journalists and to familiarize them with the principles of functioning of the Public Relations Office of City of Mostar. Through practical work, the participants were presented with:
– How to make a press statement
– How to give information to journalists in an official and informal conversation
– How to convey information clearly and concisely
Organization of a workshop on “Intercultural Dialogue II”
On February 25, 2009, the RCD of LDA Mostar organized a workshop for Councils of High School students in the City of Mostar on the topic: “Intercultural Dialogue II”. The aim of the workshop was to introduce high school students to the basics of:
– Communications
– Conflict
– Dialogue
– Negotiation skills
– Communication skills
Broadcasting of the fifth TV show on “The situation of the Roma population in the City of Mostar”
On February 26, 2009, the RCA of LDA Mostar in cooperation with RTV Mostar and HTV Oscar C broadcasted a fifth TV show. The theme of the show was “The situation of the Roma population in the City of Mostar”. The guest of the show, the president of the Mostar’s Roma Association, had the opportunity to point out the problems faced by members of the Roma population in the City of Mostar.
Premiere of a documentary film on “The situation of Roma in Mostar”
On February 26, 2009, the RCD of LDA Mostar, in cooperation with RTV Mostar and HTV Oscar C, premiered its documentary on “The situation of Roma in the City of Mostar”. The aim of this film is to show the real situation of the Roma in the city of Mostar, pointing out their urgent problems, as well as sensitizing the public against them. The film was also broadcasted in December 2009 by BHT.
Organization of a two-day training for representatives of the Youth Council of the City of Mostar on “Strategic Planning”
The RCD of the Local Democracy Agency Mostar organized a two-day training for representatives of the Youth Council of the City of Mostar on “Strategic Planning” on March 11 and 12, 2009. The purpose of the training was to familiarize the representatives of the Youth Council with the concept, purpose and importance of strategic planning and ways of creating a common vision for the future, and the ultimate goal was to develop concrete action plans for a period of one year.
Organization of a two-day training on: “IPA EU Funds for BiH 2007-2013 – Advanced Module”
On March 23-24, 2009, the RCD of LDA Mostar organized a two-day training for representatives of the Ministries of the Herzegovina-neretva Canton, the Government of the Herzegovina-neretva Canton and the Administration of the City of Mostar on the topic “IPA EU Funds for BiH 2007-2013. – advanced module ”. The purpose of the training was to broaden the knowledge and capacity building of public institutions employees on possibilities of using EU funds for BiH. This training was a continuation of the training organized by RCD in September 2008. The training was dedicated to the following topics:
– IPA funds
– Transition support and institution capacity building
– Cross-border cooperation
– Stakeholder analysis
– Creating a logical frame matrix
Realization of the sixth TV show in collaboration with RTM and HTV Oscar C
On April 17, 2009, the RCD of LDA Mostar, in cooperation with the broadcasting companies RTV Mostar and HTV Oscar C, made the final sixth TV show. The guest of the show, public relations officer of the City Council of Mostar, had the opportunity to present to citizens the communication system “Parla.Net”, which, unlike the previous system “Conect 35”, gives the possibility of two-way communication between citizens and elected councilors.
Organization of a workshop on “Media Communication with Government Institutions and a Practical Journalism Workshop”
On April 24, 2009, the RCD of the Local Democracy Agency of Mostar organized a workshop for representatives of Mostar media outlets on “Media Communication with Government Authorities and a Practical Journalism Workshop”. The workshop covered the following topics:
-How to spot the news
-How to write the news
-How to convert field research to news for a website
-How to get the best possible media communication with the institutions of the authorities
Organization of a two-day training on the topic “Significance and techniques of planning process with citizen participation”
April 28-29, 2009 RCD of the Local Democracy Agency of Mostar organized a two-day training for representatives of the Ministries of Herzegovina-Neretva of the Canton and the Administration of the City of Mostar . The training discussed:
-Planning (action and strategic)
-Participation and conditions of good cooperation
– Principles of participatory planning
-Identifying problems and defining goals
Specific mechanisms for involving citizens in the decision-making process:
– Public debate
– Meeting with the City Councillors
-Study of citizens opinions
– Focus groups
-Ad hoc Advisory Committees and Groups
– Regular bodies and commissions
– Application of modern technologies
– Associations, communities, local offices
-Open the door
-Public information
-Educational programs and public reporting
The aim of the training was also to point the representatives of the City’s and Canton’s institutions the fact that citizens are partners and not rivals in the planning process.
Organization of a roundtable discussion on “Cross-border cooperation – advantages and opportunities for economic progress in Mostar and Herzegovina-Neretva Canton”
On May 13, 2009, the RCD of the Local Democracy Agency of Mostar organized a roundtable discussion on “Cross-border cooperation – advantages and opportunities for economic progress in the City of Mostar and the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton”. Since 3 bilateral programs of cross-border cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, as well as the IPA Adriatic Program were planned to be opened in the coming period, a round table was organized to clarify all the advantages and opportunities that BiH has through these European funds. The aim of the roundtable was to exchange ideas, gain insight into the problems encountered by government and NGOs representatives in their implementation, and how to overcome them. The most common problems are: lack of educated people on these issues within the authorities, lack of a database of EU projects implemented on the territory of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, lack of coordination and inability to act heterogeneously. Representatives of the Government, the Administration of the City of Mostar, and relevant CSOs participated in the roundtable.
Speech therapist visits „Jasmin“ Kindergarten
As part of the activities of the RCD on issues of social inclusion, from May 1st, 2009, until May 15th, 2009, the speech therapists visited the „Jasmin“ kindergarten. The visit identified children with speech difficulties who were included in speech therapy.
As part of speech therapy in children, the following were performed:
– The first speech examination
– Taking the health History (informative talk)
– Identifying speech status
– Identifying hearing status
– Speech therapy
-Corrective treatment for speech disorders
– Play therapy
– Encouragement of the child’s motivation to work
-Giving guidance to parents to work from home
Organization of the final session of the Board of Directors of the RCD
The final session of the Board of Directors the RCD of LDA Mostar was held at the premises of LDA Mostar on June 30, 2009. The Head of the Mostar RCD and the financial officer of the organization presented the narrative and financial report on the work of the Mostar RCD. The members of the Board of Directors – representatives of the City of Mostar, responsible for ensuring the transparency of the usage of funds allocated to the RCD LDA Mostar, and for monitoring the implementation of activities, emphasized their satisfaction with the implemented project and its positive reflection on the local community.
Workshop for children ”European Teddy Bear or The Toy Shop”
LDA Mostar, as part of the RCD Project, implemented an activity on intercultural coexistence and democratic values that focused on the children of Mostar. This activity consisted of a two-month workshop aimed at motivating children to reflect on the importance of mutual respect and fraternity, drawing inspiration from the Italian fairy tale ” European Teddy Bear or The Toy Shop”. The fairy tale was written by Gianfranco Draghi in the 50’s with the aim of preventing the risk of further world conflict after the tragedy of World War II. Even today, this story is used in several Italian schools to cover topics of tolerance and intercultural dialogue. The preparatory activities implemented by LDA Mostar during 2008 consisted of two study visits to Ravenna (Italy), where the City Administration promoted many projects in the local school system using the fairy tale as a starting point and initiation tool. The fairy tale is translated from Italian into local language and printed for local schools and kindergartens. Workshops were realized in kindergarten “Kuća od Kamena” and in IV. Primary school in Mostar. As a result of a two-month workshop with children, we also prepared the play “European Teddy Bear or The Toy Shop”, which premiered on March 19, 2009. The children of the kindergarten “Kuća od Kamena” also prepared play with dolls from the toy shop made during the workshop. The event was organized in kindergarten on March 5, 2009.
Training Series for „Handicap International„
LDA Mostar delivered a training series for beneficiaries of the project “Support to Social Inclusion of Mine Threatened Population in BiH; Development and Mine Action ”implemented by Handicap International with the aim of supporting people living in mine-affected areas.
-August 11, 2009, – One-day training “Working in partnership and admission EU funds” for representatives of local authorities and civil society in Berkovici Municipality, RS BiH.
-August 19-20, 2009, – Two-day training “Project idea development” for representatives of local authorities and civil society in Berkovici Municipality, RS BiH.
-September 2, 2009, – One day training “Working in partnership and access to EU funds” for representatives of local authorities and civil society in Stolac Municipality, FBiH.
-September 8 – 9, 2009, – Two-day training “Project idea development” for representatives of local authorities and civil society in Stolac Municipality, FBiH ”
-November 23 – 30, 2009, – Four-day training “Project Proposal, Logical Framework Matrix and Note Concept” and one-day training “EU Funds” for representatives of civil society organizations of the Municipality of Berkovici (RSBIH) and Municipality of Stolac (FBiH).
Training for the Association for Entrepreneurship and Business LiNK Mostar
November 16 – 17, 2009, Two-day training was organized on the topics “Team building and strengthening of teamwork“ and „Strategic planning” for members of the Supervisory and Management Board, as well as employees of the Association for Entrepreneurship and Business LiNK Mostar. The aim of the training was to clarify the importance of building a quality team. The topics covered on the first day of the workshop are as follows:
– Definition and concept of teamwork
– Concepts: Assertiveness, cooperation and collaboration
– Symptoms that indicate team problems
– Characteristics of a successful team
– Guidelines for giving feedback
– Guidelines for receiving feedback
-Point list as a guide to creating an effective team process.
The second day of the training was dedicated to “Strategic Planning” and aimed to highlight the importance of planning and to clarify the following topics:
– The concept, purpose and importance of strategic planning
– Developing a common vision for the future
– How to get to the point
– Specific goals and actions required
– Develop an action plan
– Analysis of existing resources
– Setting deadlines
Research and training for NGOs within the Network of Regional Resource Centers (RRCs) of BiH
As a member of the Network of Regional Resource Centers (RRC) of BiH, The RCD of LDA Mostar conducted a research on the needs of the NGO sector in the 16 municipalities of Herzegovina and the southern part of RS: Mostar, Široki Brijeg, Neum, Stolac, Capljina, Ravno, Trebinje, Ljubinje, Bileća, Nevesinje, Gacko, Capljina, Ljubuski, Jablanica, Konjic, Prozor. According to the results of this survey, two training sessions were organized for NGOs in the area.
– December 18, 2009, – Training on “Preparation of a project proposal”
– December 22, 2009, – Training on “Strategic Planning”
In this way, efforts were made to respond as directly as possible to the real needs of CSOs in BiH, with the aim of strengthening their capacities.
The“ Councilor – Citizen“ Project
Donor: Puglia Region (Italy) and Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina
Duration: December 2009 – December 2010
Description:
The project, entitled “Councilor – Citizen”, will promote the work of the Mostar City Council, encourage citizens to actively participate in the decision-making process, and strengthen communication between the councilors and citizens of the City of Mostar. This project will also ensure the continuation of the active work of the RCD, which is extremely important for the LDAf Mostar. The purpose of the project is to strengthen local government, build civil society capacities, connect citizens and authorities of Mostar and the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, as well as enhance dialogue between citizens, members of different ethnic groups, and support the democratization process. In order for local authorities to meet the needs of their users at all, they must be consulted and encouraged to engage in decision-making processes. The process of democratization, protection of human rights, involvement of citizens in the decision-making process, and better and more transparent work of local authorities and their institutions are the basic preconditions for BiH’s accession to European integration. On the other hand, in most cases, citizens are not fully aware of their rights and social obligations, and in lack of the “tools” and knowledge to ensure quality negotiations with local authorities to fully exercise their civil rights. For this reason, with the strong support and in cooperation with the Mostar City Council, a project idea was put forward, translated into a project called “Councilor-Citizen”. The project covers all the above mentioned processes and aims to improve them and make communication between citizens and city authorities much better and more efficient.
Objective: Strengthening of the process of democratisation and capacity building of local authorities and civil society, with the support of the Resource Centre for Democratisation for the purpose of promotion of direct sustainable citizen participation in the decision making processes in the City of Mostar.
Specific Objectives:
Activities planned by the project in 2009/2010 year:
Research – government sensitivity to identifying and meeting citizens’ real needs
Information Meeting – Training for Mostar City Councilors for the implementation of the program planned by this project
Training „Participatory planning process“ for councilors of the Mostar City Council
Preparation and production of the Publication
Exchange of good practices and study visits
Free legal counseling
Promotion of PARLANETS
Final Conference
Promotional campaign
Activities implemented in 2009:
December 30, 2009 An initial meeting was held in the office of the President of the City Council, with the aim of jointly planning concrete activities on the project, which will be implemented in 2010.
Donors: Puglia Region (Italy) and the Open Society Fund of Bosnia and Herzegovina – SOROS.