Our project “For everyone saved a tree (FOREST)” started with International opening seminar in Nis on 04.10.2019. Host organization was NIIT Society Innovation Center. The purpose of the event was to introduce young people from the target municipalities Nis and Botevgrad with the current problems of the forests in the cross-border region and to motivate them to take an active part in their protection and sustainable use.

The seminar brought together 120 participants, including more than 50 young people from Bulgaria and Serbia and many representatives of different interested institutions from both countries – environmental and youth NGOs, schools, universities, scientific and research institutes, public authorities, forestry state departments and other stakeholders.

The seminar was open personally by the Bulgarian Consul in Nis, Prof. Edwin Sugarev. Representative of the Ecology Department in the Municipality of Nis also welcomed the participants.

The seminar panels were lead by 10 key speakers (equal number Bulgarians and Serbians) – 2 youth workers, 2 foresters, 2 ecologists, 2 entomologists, 2 phytopathologists.

They told about topical forest prevention and conservation issues in the both countries and the link between youth, nature protection and management and science. It was pointed out that the problems in the forests are very similar in the both countries – climate change, drying, fires, dying by extremal snow and wind, forest diseases and pests, illegal logging and others. All participants agreed that these problems can be overcome only if each individual and society as a whole are aware of the importance of forests and cares for their protection. The young people have a special role in this process. Because of their energy and enthusiasm they can and should be driving force for development of a green culture among the population. To this end, they must be supported and encouraged by all stakeholders – forest science, forestry practice, responsible authorities, green NGOs, and others.

During the lunch break discussions between experts and youngsters took place. Feedback and ideas that the experts and organizers received from the participants in the seminar (especially from the youngsters) will be implemented into the next project activities.

The good mood of the participants was taken care of by two musicians who performed Bulgarian and Serbian songs.

After the seminar, the Bulgarian participants had a short sightseeing tour in Nis. This was a very good opportunity for cultural learning of the youngsters.

The project is co-funded by EU through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria–Serbia Programme.

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria-Serbia Programme, CCI No 2014TC16I5CB007. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of YMDRAB and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the Managing Authority of the Programme.

Corrigendum no. 1 under publication ref. no. CB007.2.32.170-SERV-01 for “Organization of events”, within project no. CBO007.2.32.170 “For everyone saved a tree (FOREST)”, Priority Axis: 3. Environment, Specific Objective: 3.2. Nature Protection, Type of project: Soft, co-funded by EU through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria—Serbia Programme 2014 – 2020.

NIIT Society Innovation Center announces a simplified tender procedure for Service contract: „Organisation of events”

Contract title: “Organization of events” within Project №CB007.2.32.170 “For everyone saved a tree (FOREST)”, Priority Axis: 3. Environment, Specific Objective: 3.2. Nature Protection, Type of project: Soft, co-funded by EU through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria–Serbia Programme 2014 – 2020

Deadline for submission of tenders: 23.09.2019. at 17:00 (UTC+01:00)

Tender dossier can be found on a link

The implementation of the program “Interreg-IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Bulgaria-Serbia started officially last week at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works in Sofia, Bulgaria.

In total 20 subsidy contracts were awarded at the ceremony, and in the next few weeks 11 more contracts will be awarded. The total budget of all 31 contracts is 8 159 278.02 Euro.

The event included more than 40 people at the ceremony, and in the next few weeks 11 more contracts will be awarded

Project proposal “For everyone saved a tree” (FOREST) was approved, and except NIIT Society Inovation Center project includes Forest Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and YMDRAB both from Bulgaria.

The official ceremony for awarding of the subsidy contracts was held on 16 May 2019.

The project aims involvement of young people from both countries in joint activities for practical solution of environmental problems related to conservation and sustainable management of forests and popularization of these activities among other social groups. The project implementation period will be 15 mouths. 8 international youth activities for forest protection will be implemented:

1. Seminar for Awareness raising and willingness for cooperation of young people for forest preservation (in Serbia);

2. Youth training course on nature protection (in Bulgaria);
3. Afforestation campaign (in Serbia);
4. Detecting and control of forest pests and diseases (in Bulgaria);
5. Mapping, assessing and improving the status of valuable species’ populations (in Bulgaria);
6. Creation and exhibitions of herbarium of forest plants in Serbia;
7. Creation and exhibitions of herbarium of forest plants in Bulgaria;
8. International Conference on the project results (in Bulgaria).

50 youngsters from Niš and Botevgrad municipalities (equal number Serbians and Bulgarians, 13-18 years old) will participate in each activity. In this way 400 youngsters in total from both countries will be involved in the project.

Moreover, a joint Database of project activities’ results will be created and a Long-term Strategy for involvement of young people into activities for nature protection will be developed.

The project is co-funded by EU through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria–Serbia Programme.

This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union through the Interreg-IPA CBC Bulgaria-Serbia Programme, CCI No 2014TC16I5CB007. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of NIIT and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the Managing Authority of the Programme.

The publication “Invisible Violence: Stories from The Newsroom”, in which are the stories about to what extent are journalists able to do their work in the newsroom and are their rights respected, was published in four languages – BHSM, Albanian, Macedonian and English.

The research is based on interviews with colleagues in five countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia.

Journalists are on the one hand under open political pressures and threats, often being put on the spot during press conferences by country leaders, and on the other in conflict with editors regarding certain subjects. They are in a precarious position and they do their work under the conditions of insecurity, discrimination, censorship and open pressures, which in the end result in self-censorship.

“The best proof is the fact that most journalists whom we have talked to insisted on staying anonymous, due to the fear of losing their jobs or being prevented from finding one in the future, or due to the feeling of embarrassment for having succumbed to pressures.

With fifty interviews with our colleagues working in the public, commercial and non-profit sectors, in other words, civil society media, conducted from January to May 2018, we tried to present to the public their working conditions – something that is rarely talked about in public or not at all. While the atmosphere in each society influences the way journalists do their work, our interlocutors have one thing in common and that is fear; and societies where journalists are afraid are not free societies”, the publication concludes, and emphasizes that as many as 70% of interviewed journalists in the region in a small survey conducted in the afore mentioned five countries, stated that they would change their jobs or the newsroom they are working in, citing as the main reason low salaries (42%), followed by censorship inside the newsroom (15%).

The authors of the research are journalists Biljana Sekulovska, Una Hajdari, Nidzara Ahmetasevic, Milica Bogdanovic and Zarka Radoja, and the introductory text was written by Viktor Ivancic, founder of the cult Split newspaper “Feral Tribune”, columnist of the weekly “Novosti” and author of the essay on journalism “Why I am not writing and other essays “.

Journalists state that, despite the awareness of the level of censorship and self-censorship, as well as the process that journalism is going through on a global scale, the degree of journalists’ fear speaks of the pressures they are facing on daily basis while working and begs the question about the profession itself and the possibility for overcoming the current situation of utter insecurity in the financial, social and the political sense.

That is why, with the research, two video installations have been made in which more than 40 journalists from the five countries mentioned answer to the questions “What is a journalist today?” and “How to Improve the position of Journalists?”

“We are convinced that the answer is the recognition of the problems in these countries – problems we all share, like insecurity, destroyed syndicates, professional associations that are overloaded or out focus and an overall dissatisfaction with the position of the profession – as well as a greater solidarity in the resistance”, the authors of the project concluded.

Are journalists really able to deal with their work in the editorial office and how much their worker’s rights are respected? These were the initial questions of the research “Invisible Violence: Stories from the newsroom” carried out by the actors of the project with the same name. (NIIT, Kontrapress, CDT…)

The survey was conducted through interviews with journalists from Bosnia, Serbia,  Montenegro, Kosovo* and Macedonia.

Journalism combines personal interest, interest of the profession and general interest.
On the one hand, under open political pressures and threats, often called directly from the media conferences of leading people in the country, on the other hand, in the face of editorial controversy, certain journalists carry out a major part of their work under conditions of insecurity, discrimination, censure, and open pressures.

This is exactly the topic of the publications made within the project, which will be presented at a conference in Sarajevo from May 31 to June 2.

You can download the publication HERE

All project activities are implemented in the line with project goal and through continuously communication and cooperation between lead organization and partners. In order to ensure timely coordination and monitoring, we made a plan of project implementation with clear roles and obligation. During the project implementation, the lead organization initiated a Skype calls and e-mail communication with all journalists and partner organizations with the aim to ensure the effective implementation of project activities. Having in mind that we prepared a set of different journalistic articles based on previous research about journalists’ work condition, our process of publication articles sometimes depends on our speakers or sources and their schedule.

Through first project activities – research talks with journalists and editors from Western Balkan countries as well as the publication of journalistic articles, our results are raised awareness on the conditions in which journalists from Western Balkan countries operate. Through these actions, we illustrated the importance of addressing media problems immediately in order to demonstrate the key role of media freedom in the challenges of the rule of law reforms in the region. Established our cooperation as a strong regional media platform, our colleagues – journalists from Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia can safely share their experiences about the different pressures and forms of violence they are targeted with, the lack of workers rights and the effects of the links between media and center of powers.

Our project is focused on working rights which includes all sets of values you are mentioning. Working equality means gender equality and equal opportunities, needs of disabled people, rights of minorities… Working conditions are closed tight to every social group in society and it deeply affects their ability to have a life with dignity.

Preparations of the project, meetings and talks how to organise interviews, write articles, film people for video story and to preapare publication on all languages with regional view.
Till the 10^th of April we published main article with regional insight in to the situation, published in 4 countries who are participating in the project, and also in media outlets not connected to it. We sent the links.
We also published till now 11 articles in mother language. 

http://kontrapress.com/clanak.php?rub=Dru%C5%A1tvo&url=Cuvari-drzavnog-ili-javnog-interesa

http://kontrapress.com/clanak.php?rub=Dru%C5%A1tvo&url=Urednicko-forsiranje-propagande

http://kontrapress.com/clanak.php?rub=Razgovori&url=Novinarsko-pitanje-je-ubijeno

http://kontrapress.com/clanak.php?rub=Razgovori&url=Causids-Novinari-sute-o-svojim-pravima

https://novatv.mk/novinarite-vo-nokdaun-i-po-stapuvaneto-na-sdsm-na-vlast/

https://novatv.mk/naser-selmani-baram-od-institutsiite-da-me-zashtitat/

https://www.cdtmn.org/2018/03/19/nevidljivo-nasilje-price-iz-lokalnih-redakcija/
https://www.cdtmn.org/2018/04/10/neprofitni-mediji-u-cg-daleko-od-novca-i-zakona/
https://www.cdtmn.org/2018/04/10/kod-velikih-oglasivaca-podigni-rucnu/

Our first text on regional level was taken in most important independent regional media (links below).
We shared all our texts on our pages, and also macedonian texts are translated to BCSM language and published on kontrapress.com. We will in future share regional themes also on page of Journalistic network. 

First regional text:

http://kontrapress.com/clanak.php?rub=Dru%C5%A1tvo&url=Sedma-sila-na-odredjeno-vreme
http://www.mc.rs/sedma-sila-na-odredjeno-vreme.6.html?eventId=71607&eventDate=2018/2/28
https://www.cdtmn.org/2018/02/09/sedma-sila-na-odredjeno-vreme/

http://novatv.mk/sedma-sila-na-odredeno-vreme/

http://www.6yka.com/novost/135569/sedma-sila-na-odredeno-vrijeme

https://www.cenzolovka.rs/pritisci-i-napadi/sedma-sila-na-odredjeno-vreme/

“This project is funded by the European Union through the small grants programme “ProtectingMedia Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans” implemented by the Croatian Journalists’ Association as part of the regional project Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety, carried out through partnership of six regional journalists’ associations – 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).”

On the top of Serbia, in inspiring environment of Kopaonik Mountain, top internet authors from the region shared knowledge and experience. Blogomania 2013 showed that they are more physical than virtual beings, not taking into account some thoughts. Dave Trott, from Great Britain, the biggest star of Blogomania 2013, opened the conference with successful keynote, which draw attention of more than 550 people.

During four days of the conference, more than 950 present participants and 3.500 live stream spectators try to find answers to crucial questions – what is “good content” and “how to create it”. Moreover, lecturers presented good creative practice examples from the region. Over 80 lecturers generated 40 hours of the official program.

Thus, the aim of Blogomania 2013 was an exchange of regional and international experience in successful stories and good content creation, both from individuals and from corporate level. Overall reflection was that this task was fulfilled, even over expectations.

Blogomania was prevailing topic on almost all social networks discussions and regional internet, for a few weeks. In addition, traditional media have given significant scope on the conference. The numerous articles were published on RTS, Studio B, Pink, Prva, TANJUG, Privredni pregled, Danas, Kurir.info, Blic, Alo, B 92, Pressonline, Ekapija, City magazin, Vrele gume, Prosvetni pregled, Tech & lifestyle,  Viblia, Telegraf, Mondo, Naxy, Marketing mreza, Personalmag, 24sata, Smedia, Radio Pink, Beograd 202, Radio Novosti, Naxy radio, Svet, Netokracija, Marketing ITD, Nadlanu, Grazia and many of others.

In addition, around 2.400 different authors created more than 12.000 notifications on the social networks, regarding Blogomania 2013. Even 1264 pictures, with topics on Blogomania 2013, have been uploaded to the Instagram social network. Some of tham are in our gallery.

Among lecturers, the most prominent impression to spectators has made Srđan Erceg, followed by Dave Trott. Performances of Miloš Čirič, Željko Ptiček, Goran Jankulovski and Ivan Ćosić also were remarkable. Workshops held by Ivan Rečević, Hrvoje Hafner and Nikola Vulević were distinguished. Among women, Branislava Antović and Zorana Jovanović were the best. All „Kings of content“ have got good marks, with a slight advantage of The Books of Knjige and Braća Burazeri.

NIIT and Simplicity proudly supported Blogomania 2013. As we stated, blogging is a way of our life and thinking. Freedom of expression and creativity should be of high priority. Therefore, our conference for 2013 is over, but we will prepare much better for 2014. See you there!

Blogomania 2013 Statistics

Share of male and female was almost equal – 53% male, 47% female.

The uppermost age groups were 25-30 years and 30-40 years (16-20 – 1%, 20-25 – 13%, 25-30 – 34%, 30-40 – 40%, 40-50 – 9%, 50+ – 2%).

Participants evaluated Blogomania 2013 with average mark 4, 22 out of 5 (excellent 35%, above average 47%, average 15%, without below average and low marks). In addition, 99 % declared their will to participate on some future event with same organization.

More than half participants followed program in the main hall (53 %), 28 % attended workshops, and 19% was present at “ladies hall”.

The most participants attended 10 and more lectures (36%), (All/almost all -22%, more than 10 – 36%, from 7 to 10 – 20%, from 5 to 7 – 16%, from 3 to 5 – 5%, from 1 to 3 – 1%, not at all – 0%.

Regarding gadgets, smart phone device has 93% of participants, laptop computers 92%, tablet 34%. The conference locations have got average mark of 4,49 out of 5, lodging 4,49 out of 5 and lectures halls 4,01 out of 5.

Blogomaniа is regional conference dedicated to blogs and blogging. In addition, the conference is covering Internet creativity at all.

The first Blogomania took place on Stara planina, in 2012, and draw together more than 400 participants.

This year, Blogomania 2013 will take place from November 28^th to December 1^st on Kopaonik mountain. The Blogomania 2013 main topic would be online content in fields of blogs, digital marketing, public relations and social networks.

Focal point of conference will be questions of content: What is good content, How to generate content, Good practice examples etc.

We would like to share regional and international experience in the successful story creation, both from individuals and corporations. Recent trends in marketing have been connected to storytelling. Blogomania 2013 will give explanation of new terms and concepts, with clear distinction between storytelling and lying.

Great names of regional and international blogging and marketing will share their knowledge and experience with participants, through various forms of presentations. Proven experts, as Dave Trott, Istok Pavlovic, Kresimir Macan, Milos Ciric, Borislav Miljanovic, and many others are the best warranty for effectual brain storming.

Beside of the expert lectures, Blogomania 2013 will include workshops, panels and many less formal activities. Therefore, we expect the “Kings of Content”on Kopaonik – The Books of Knjige, Montenegro; Njuz.net, Serbia; Marko Somborac and Dragoljub Ljubicic-Micko. They produced very interesting contents, published in the media, but, moreover,  their products have high Internet popularity.

NIIT and Simplicity proudly support Blogomania 2013, with high expectations. Blogging is a way of life and thinking. Share your thoughts and experience with us. See you on Kopaonik!

Once upon a time, the meteorologists have had exclusive right to spread out wrong information to public. By the time being, on the list come more and more professions. One of the most notorious are the politicians. Like meteorologists, they deliberately and seriously, with a propensity for being incorrect, offer stories to the audience. Tomorrow is a new day, time for new stories, who will know what we have promised?

The public should know what politician have said. The media have an obligation to remind the audience about that. If the public knows who is “meteorologist” and who is not, they could make the right decision on elections. From another side, the politicians, warned by the media, will take care about own words.