Soros Foundations NewsFlash September 24, 2004
NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS
NAME CHANGE FOR MDAP: As of October 15, 2004, the Mental Disability Advocacy Program is changing its name to the Open Society Mental Health Initiative. This change is in order to avoid further confusion with other international mental disability organizations with names similar to MDAP's and also to reflect the direction in which the program is developing. Over the last few years, the program has shifted towards supporting partner NGOs in pursuing policy development in mental health and intellectual disability in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The Open Society Mental Health Initiative aims to ensure that people with mental disabilities (mental health problems and/or intellectual disabilities) in the region are able to live as equal citizens in the community and actively participate in society with full respect for their human rights.
PROGRAM NEWS
TEENS TO PROMOTE EQUALITY OF CHANCE FOR WOMEN AND MEN
Soros Open Network - Romania
The Partnership for Equality Center (PEC), a member of the Soros Open Network - Romania, has recently launched "European Ambassadors," a project designed to promote non-discriminatory behavior and emphasize equality of chances for women and men in their daily lives. The project involves 120 teenagers as "civic promoters," who will be actively involved in developing an information campaign about the status of women and men in EU member states and candidate countries. The project is funded by the European Commission through the PHARE Program for Micro-projects - Europe Fund, and by the Open Society Foundation - Romania, through its support of PEC. Contact: Alina Chiriac, Program Manager; achiriac@gender.ro
NATIONWIDE VIDEOCONFERENCES ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN
International Renaissance Foundation
A series of nationwide videoconferences on the results delivered by public monitoring groups about the Ukrainian presidential election campaign recently began in Ukraine. The videoconferences brought together representatives of Ukrainian NGOs in 25 regional press centers to discuss the progress of the presidential campaign. Results of the videoconferences are available at www.conference.civicua.org, and on this site journalists, politicians, experts, voters, and others will be able to receive updates from the regions and join the public discussion about the campaign. The videoconferences are a part of the Elections Online Project implemented by the New Choice Coalition (http://www.monitor.org.ua) and the Civic Space Portal (http://www.civicua.org) with financial support from the IRF and the OSI Information Program. The IREX Internet Access and Training Program is also a partner in the project. Contact: Artem Kolesnyk; kolesnyk@irf.kiev.ua
MONITORING REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT ROMA STRATEGY
EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program, OSI-Budapest
On Monday, September 27, the report "Monitoring of the Local Implementation of the Government Strategy for the Improvement of the Condition of Roma in Romania" will be presented to the public in Bucharest. The report--a joint project of the Resource Center for Roma Communities (Cluj), the EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program, and the Roma Participation Program--is a follow-up to the 2002 EUMAP report "Monitoring EU Accession Process: Minority Protection in Romania." The report will be available online in English and Romanian at http://www.eumap.org and http://www.romacenter.ro. Contact: Florin Moisa; info@romacenter.osf.ro; or Miriam Anati; manati@osieurope.org
ON THE INTERNET
FULL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR ROMA AT CEU
CEU, with the generous financial support of the Ford Foundation, is offering a Preparatory Course in Budapest for promising young Roma. Full scholarships will be awarded to 17 students, covering travel, tuition, housing, meals, and a living stipend. The full-time course will start in March 2005 and last until December 2005. The application form is now available online. Application deadline: October 18, 2004
ReSET CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2005-2007
HESP's Regional Seminar for Excellence in Teaching (ReSET) Program invites proposals for multi-year projects from academic institutions, associations, and groups of individuals committed to promoting teaching excellence and lending ongoing support to individual faculty and departments in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Application deadline: December 15, 2004
RUSSIAN EDITION OF "HIV, PREGNANCY AND WOMEN'S HEALTH"
Originally published in English by HIV i-Base (http://www.i-base.org.uk/), this guide offers practical information for women dealing with HIV and pregnancy. The new Russian edition was prepared by Anastasia Kamlyk and Svilen Konov as part of their participation in the Gay Men's Health Crisis/IHRD Advocacy Fellowship Program.
"TRANSFORMING THE CULTURE OF DYING"
This new OSI report traces the development of the Project on Death in America's funding initiatives over the course of nine years and highlights examples of strategic grants.
REMINDER: OCTOBER 15 DEADLINE FOR PAPERS ON INFORMATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Eumap.org and Human Rights Education Associates are seeking articles and opinion pieces on issues related to information and human rights. Deadline: October 15, 2004
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RAOUL WALLENBERG INSTITUTE TRAINING PROGRAM ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law will organize a two-part training program on human rights in Lund, Sweden (February 21 - March 18, 2005) and in Belgrade (September 19 - 23, 2005). The program is financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and is open to individuals from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo), Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Application deadline: November 1, 2004
REMINDER: NOVEMBER 1 DEADLINE FOR REAGAN-FASCELL DEMOCRACY FELLOWSHIPS
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) invites applications to its Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program. Established to enable activists, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change, the fellowship program is based at NED's International Forum for Democratic Studies, in Washington, D.C. The program is intended primarily to support practitioners and scholars from new and aspiring democracies. Distinguished scholars from the United States and other established democracies are also eligible to apply. Application deadline: November 1, 2004. Contact: fellowships@ned.org
EU-TURKEY WORKING PAPERS
Eight working papers about Turkey and the European Union are now available on the website of the Centre for European Policy Studies. Although the papers are listed in the CEPS Shop section of the site, the pdf versions are available for free.