FOSI ROM - Program Activities

1. Improved Activity of NGO Sector in Montenegro - Electronic Library of NGO Publications

The project is initiated in line with the recommendations from the Conference on the Position and Sustainability of NGO Sector held in October 2007, in order to provide access to information and publications issued by NGOs in Montenegro.

Although NGOs publish a considerable number of publications and research papers, organizations and the general public are not acquainted with many of them.

2. Transparency of Work of NGOs - Annual Report of NGOs Signatories to the Code

In line with the findings of the Conference on the Position and Sustainability of NGO Sector held in October 2007, the project aims to establish the practice of publication of annual financial and programmatic reports of signatories to the NGO Code of Ethics (around 200 organizations). The Code requires the signatories to publish their reports.

The annual report will be issued in book or CD format, and will also be available on the website of the Coalition and its member organizations.

This type of insight into NGO activities and financing facilitates identification of their needs and the impact of their work. The report will be a helpful source of information for state authorities, local government bodies and donor organizations when developing strategic papers that imply involvement of the NGO sector.

Due to the MMI relocation, the 2007/2008 School of Journalism will be organized between January and July 2008 in the new premises to be adjusted to MMI needs. The project deals with provision of adequate conditions for the School, in particular the practical assignments of its participants. MMI has computers and a TV and radio studio that need to be installed in the new premises.

Since 2003, MMI School of Journalism has trained three generations of young journalists; it is attended by young graduates, undergraduates and young people already working in the profession. The School uses the methodology of Danish School of Journalism, a stratetic partner of MMI.

In compliance with the principle of transparent operation, at the end of each calendar year FOSI ROM presents its programmatic and financial report in daily newspapers.

The report is desigend so as to follow FOSI ROM programatic structure, including under each program heading the individual project title, applicant, grant amount and brief description of project aims and activities.

Adoption of the Law on Consumer Protection is to be followed by development of regulations aimed to put consumer protection in compliance with the EU standards. This project of the NGO CEZAP is a contribution to this effort.

- Development of Draft National Program for Consumer Protection, expert debate and publication of this document;

- Lobbying with the Government of Montenegro for a standing body within the line ministry that will deal with the issues of consumer protection;

- Constant receiving and resolving of consumer complaints, along with advisory services of CEZAP's experts.

The National Program for Consumer Protection is intended to elaborate all the aspects of consumer protection policy in Montenegro and set the rules for all entities actively involved in the implementation of this policy.

[Together with the funds remained from the Educational Campaign on the Implementation of the Law on Consumer Protection of 2.941, total funding for this project equals 19.693,35 EUR]

The project aims to enhance the capacity of young people (16-25 years of age) and their social involvement in social matters for the purpose of their participation, on both local and national level, in the decision-making processes in the course of Montenegro’s accession to the EU.

The project includes two three-day training sessions. At the first session, the participants will be presented the key values of civil open society, EU values, institutions and procedures, local and international instruments of human rights protection and the concept and mechanisms of transitional justice. The second session is intended to enhance the participants' capacity for activism using practical skills (public appearance, social involvement) and to encourage them to identify violation of human rights and the need to organize themselves and respond to the current problems.

In October 2007, FOSI ROM will organize a conference on the position and sustainability of the NGO sector. After the referendum, this sector, with its role of the promoter, monitor and critic of social changes, has been awarded the opportunity to strengthen its status in the society and exert more influence on policy development and implementation.

The participants will consider the necessary modifications of the Law on NGOs and the legislative framework for finance and taxation and learn about the experiences of the NGO sector in the region. They will also be presented the perspectives for the NGO sector in the course of the accession process and upon joining the EU. The conference will include a fair of NGO publications, an event that will foster networking and exchange of information and publications.

Around one hundred representatives of eighty of the most active Montenegrin NGOs are planned to take part in this event. Seven topics will be discussed and presented by local and regional experts: legal status of NGOs, funding (funds and tax policy), code of ethics, philanthropy, voluntarism, services – social welfare, education.

The project involves training in writing business plans, in the context of support to the development of small and medium-size enterprises and reduction of unemployment among the young people in Montenegro.

The students who provide the best business ideas at the competition will be trained by the teachers of the Faculty of Economics, representatives of successful Montenegrin companies, banking sector and the Government. After the training, the candidates will revise their business plans and the jury (consisting of marketing, finance, banking, management and leadership specialists) will select three plans to be presented to investors.

Dr Elizabeth Schotten Merklinger a Canadian expert on Islamic culture and art, will give two lectures at the Carver Bookstore in Podgorica in early October. The lectures will include presentation of slides on the following topics:

The lectures will be organized by the Carver Bookstore, while FOSI ROM will cover part of the expenses.

1. The Process of Adoption of the Constitution of Montenegro and the Requirements Concerning Respect for Human Rights

The project represents an effort to make an impact, in the process of developing/adopting the Constitution of Montenegro, on the final provisions concerning human and minority rights, considering that this process requires more intense promotion of adequate provisions that comply with the international standards.

Between May and August 2007, the five-member team established by the Montenegrin Helsinki Committee will undertake activities for the Constitution to include the complete corpus of established human rights and fundamental freedoms recognized by the democratic states. The team will also focus on consistent compliance with the prohibition on decreasing the level of already acquired rights, one of the key principles of modern law.

The team will propose to the Constitutional Committee amendments to the draft Constitution in at least four sections (basic provisions, human rights and fundamental freedoms, organization of economy, the judiciary, constitutionality and legality) and will regularly inform the public about this activity. Part of the MHC's proposals in regard to the Draft Constitution have been made an integral part of the NGO remarks on the draft Constitution of Montenegro in its part relating to human rights that has been forwarded, under the auspices of FOSI ROM, to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, as a contribution to its commenting of the Draft new Constitution.

1. Proposal for the Reform of the Election of Judges in Montenegro – Specification of the Criteria, Procedure, Competences and Legal Remedies

The aim of the project is development of proposals of constitutional and legal provisions that would enhance the assurances of independent position and professional competence of the judiciary in Montenegro, especially with regard to the reform of the system for appointment, career advancement and dismissal of judges.

NGO Action for Human Rights, supported by FOSI-ROM, aims to contribute to the harmonization of Montenegrin laws with the European standards that request completion of the judiciary reform plans, transfer of control over recruitment and career advancement of judges from the competences of the Parliament and establishment of transparent procedures based on professional and objective criteria for the election and career advancement of judges.

The final stage of the project will include a conference on the given topics and an exchange of opinion between the competent institutions and relevant organizations.

Part of the project costs was used for the articulation of NGO remarks on the Draft Constitution of Montenegro in its part relating to human rights. NGO Human Rights Action gathered proposals of selected/interested NGOs and these proposals have been forwarded to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe (by FOSI ROM) as a contribution to Commission's involvement in constitutional reform. Separate comments of the draft Constitution, provided by the Montenegrin Helsinki Committee for Human Rights are made part of this document.

Seminar on prohibition of discrimination represents a forum for expert exchange of opinions on the exercise of this freedom, in the midst of public debate on draft Constitution in April 2007.

Local presenters and foreign experts of renowned international experience will introduce participants with the European standards and actual judgments of the European Court in Strasbourg.

The seminar continues the series of seminars on the exercise of the rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights. The Foundation supported this series of seminars organized by the NGO CEDEM together with AIRE Center from London, OSCE, Foreign Office, Government of Great Britain and Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

The project, which covers different aspects of the area of minority rights, has been implemented in other countries in the region for several years by the King Baudouin Foundation, Brussels. FOSI ROM supports the extension of this project to Montenegro, where it is to be implemented by the Nansen Dialog Center, CEDEM, Center for Human Rights and NGO Ask.

The first part of the project includes 15 five-minute programmes titled "Hyde Park TV", with citizens expressing their views on the status of minorities in Montenegro, while the second part includes training on the status of minorities and their rights for a group of citizen activists from Ulcinj, Bijelo Polje, Bar and Tuzi. The training will include four workshops and a concluding seminar.

CEDEM performs continuous quarterly opinion polls in Montenegro as well as in-depth analyses of the results of tendencies in public opinion - these are posted on their website and around 300 copies published in both local and English language.

In 2007, the researchers will be devoting particular attention to the public opinion related to the following:

The polls are conducted in a standardized manner throughout the country, using a sample of one thousand respondents that reflects regional, ethnic, social and other relevant characteristics of the population.