The Balkan Human Rights Network
DIHR’s network programme in the Balkans started in 1998, when DIHR was asked by local human rights organisations to assist in building up a regional network. Following the violent break-up of the former Yugoslavia, human rights organizations in the Balkans decided to join forces in a regional network in order to overcome their relative isolation and help each other to address human rights issues and promote human rights on a regional scale. As a result of this initiative, the Balkan Human Rights Network (BHRN) came into being.
DIHR in the Balkans
In relation to the Balkan Human Rights Network (BHRN), DIHR acts as moderator in the process of network building and provides professional assistance to support capacity building and human rights education.
DIHR is also actively engaged in cross-cutting projects between the Balkan Human Rights Network and other regional networks among civil society organisations in the Balkans, e.g. South Eastern Europe Refugee Assistance Network (SEERAN), SEE Youth Network (SEEYN), SEE Network for Professionalisation of Media (SEENPM), SEE Networks of Public and Private Broadcasters (TELESEE and SEENPB).
Main partners in the Balkans
The main partner is the Balkan Human Rights Network (BHRN) as such, including all its members, however most regular contacts are with the leading bodies of the Network (the Steering Committee and the Secretariat).
Current members of the SC are: Albanian Centre for Human Rights (Tirana, Albania) Association for Democratic Initiatives - ADI (Gostivar, Macedonia) Belgrade Centre for Human Rights (Belgrade, Serbia) Human Rights Centre (Podgorica, Montenegro) Council for Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (Prishtina, Kosovo) Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (Zagreb, Croatia) Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republic of Macedonia (Skopje, Macedonia) Human Rights Centre, University of Sarajevo (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska (Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Full list of BHRN members can be obtained from the BHRN website or secretariat – BHRN homepage
Activities with the BHRN
The BHRN was founded in 1998 During its six years of existence the BHRN has promoted a dialogue and co-operation in Human Rights issues between the non-governmental sector, governments, media, professional groups and general public. The BHRN is built on strong NGOs characterized by the following: Long standing commitment, a relatively high degree of sustainability on own terms, strong identity, regional perspectives, and professionalism. The Network consists of a steering committee, a secretariat, an assembly and an economic committee. The steering committee is responsible for strategy of the network and is supported by the secretariat, which also assist and coordinate between member organizations in project preparation, fundraising and many other ways. The economic committee approves expenses and the assembly makes all the major decision regarding to nature and future of the Network. The Network has defined its vision as follows: Respect for human rights and rule of law enhanced, peace and stability promoted, and regional and national human rights agenda established in all countries in South Eastern Europe.
The Network divides its activities in core activities and areas of intervention. Core activities are permanent whereas areas of intervention are determined and changes according to analysis of the human rights environment in the Balkans.
Core Activities
Education and information about human rights
Education is a core activity for the BHRN strategy, which corresponds well with the wishes and the capacity of the members. The target groups include professional groups such as police officers, and also young and well-educated people defined as “future decision makers”. The Network is also educating school teachers so they in turn can teach the pupils of the primary schools throughout the region.
Since 1999 the BHRN Web-site and database has been in operation, and the plan is to enhance and develop existing services as well as to add new ones. Education of members of the Network in information technology and information systems will be continued as a part of the internal capacity building activities of the Network.
Currently the network is publishing the BHRN Yearbook, Newsletter, “Lighthouse” database on human rights, and has updated the website and information materials about the Network.
Human Rights School for Future Decision Makers is a project of the Balkan Human Rights Network (BHRN), funded from FRESTA. The intention of the organisers is to gather younger activists, members of non-governmental organisations, political parties, young representatives of the parliament, students graduates and post graduate students, who will in their future work participate in the process of decision making in their communities. The School is held once a year in Dubrovnik.
Watch a video from the latest Human Rights School:
(Small player) (Large player)
Sustainability of BHRN and capacity building of member organisations
A new process for developing sustainability of BHRN has been initiated and will continue throughout 2004. One is focusing on defining and elaborating values of the Network and services for and from the members. Another element focuses on the organizational reforms necessitated by the increased administrative burden of secretariat. The regional framework of the Network offers a unique opportunity to gather national human rights reports into a regional human rights environment assessment. The third element of the sustainability development process is to make such a regional assessment an integral part of BHRN’s future core activities. A fourth element is the issue of future financial sustainability, among other thing fundraising and establishment of strategic partnerships. The Network needs a plan of action to attract sufficient funding in the future.
The four areas of human right intervention are
- Knowledge, information and dialogue about Human Rights
The main field of operation for the network and its members in general is education in human rights. Within this area of intervention education takes place on many different levels. The network has a annual school on human rights for what they call future decision makers i.e. well educated young people, but school teachers, police officers, people of the media, and state officials are target groups for educational program.
- Minority rights
In this intervention area the activities are mainly structured after the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM). The FCNM is a multilateral legally binding instrument devoted to ensure the right of minorities, ratified by some 34 European states. Some member organizations focus all their efforts on FCNM activities. The BHRN steering committee and the secretariat will initiate further activity and are striving to harmonize member organization efforts in this regard.
- Social, economic and cultural rights
At the last assembly meeting it was decided to put more effort into securing social, economic, and cultural rights. The main focus up until now has been on civil and political rights and there has been major improvement in these fields. However many civil and political rights are closely connected to economic and social rights. Recognition of civil rights is often associated with economic benefits. The formal recognition of rights must be followed up by actual implementation thus creating greater social and economic equality which will increase stability. Within this intervention area there are plans to focus on elderly people, disabled persons and gender mechanisms.
- Civil and political rights, rule of law and good governance
As mentioned above progress has been made within civil and political rights in the Balkans, but that does not meant it has become less important. Due to the results acquired, however, it is necessary to reconsider the activities of BHRN. BHRN will in the future apart from raising awareness and educating in human rights, also focus on human rights in relation to the ongoing reform processes on all levels of administration.
Principles for BHRN project
During the period of this Strategy the Network’s new emphasis will be on working practices (including new projects) and collaboration that foresee:
- Advocacy, dialogue, partnership among the NGO sector and government at all administrative levels.
- Awareness rising and educating
- Knowledge sharing to maximize the synergy of ideas and knowledge within the network.
- Bottom up approach and participation of all willing member organizations to ensure the continued diversity of the network.
- Additionality means seeking diversified funds of human rights activities to ensure sustained success.
Enhance synergy and complementary cooperation with other FRESTA networks
The further development of synergy and complementary co-operation with other FRESTA supported Networks will be based on the experiences of the past period. For example, the Cross cutting co-operation in the Legal Issues Group (LIG) between BHRN and SEERAN has achieved remarkable results succeeding in involving governmental bodies, media, and NGOs in a process of advocacy for legal reform on property rights, citizenship rights, pension, health care, social rights, and of advocacy for better implementation of laws (good governance).
Other activities
A process of reforming the justice Sector in Serbia was initiated in 2001 in cooperation between DIHR, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice and Serbian civil society organisations. The cooperation with the Ministry of Interior aims at producing a vision document for a reform of the Serbian police.
A bilateral programme on developing a manual on Human Rights and Policing has been implemented in Albania in 2000. The manual was developed in partnership with Albanian Centre for Human Rights and the relevant Ministry. The police training has been carried out.
Publications and documents
Publications within the framework of BHRN
Jacob Fuglsang's interview with Budimir Babovic: 'From Legal Anarchy to Legal Discipline' Politiken, December 14, 2003
BHRN publications:
Milica Delevic Djilas (ed.): “(Un)Even Partners – Political Conditionality in Relations with the Balkan Countries”, Balkan Yearbook of Human Rights, 2001
Gordan Kalajdjiev (ed.): ”Police and Human Rights in the Balkans”, Balkan Yearbook on Human Rights, 2002, Part I-II,
including chapters:
Lisbet Ilkjær: "A Concept in Practice - Developing Manuals on Policing and Human Rights in Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro",
Francesco Castellani: "A Comprehensive Process of Advocacy"
and
Diego Bang: "Training in Human Rights for Law Enforcement Personnel".
Kozara Kati, (ed.): “Human Rights Education in the Balkans”, Balkan Yearbook of Human Rights 2003
“One world 2002”, International Festival of the Documentary Film on Human Rights, Prishtina, Kosovo, 2002
Balkan Human Rights Network newsletter see BHRN homepage
Four manuals on Human Rights and Policing:
Bulgaria: “Police manual for human rights”- Mr Latchezar Popov, Mr Boyko Slavchev, Ms Kristina Diliva and Mr Hristo Doshkov – Ed.: the Rule of Law Institute in Sofia, Bulgaria - 2002.
Croatia: “Police and Human Rights” – Mr Davor Gjenero, Mr Stjepan Fluscic, Mr Ranko Helebrant, Mr Sasa Lalic – Ed.: Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Zagreb, Croatia – 2002
Macedonia: “Police and Human Rights” – Mr Vojce Zafirovski, Mr Zvonimir Jankuloski, Mr Gordan Kalajdziev, Mr Trpe Stojanovski – Ed.: Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Macedonia – 2002
Montenegro: “Police and Human Rights” – Mr Dragan Prelievic, Vladimir Vukotic, Milovan Milicevic, Aleksa Ivanovic – Ed.: CEDEM, Podgorica, Montenegro - 2003
Other Partner publications:
“Human Rights in Yugoslavia 1998”, The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Belgrade 1999
“Human Rights and the Police – A Training Manual” – Ed.: The Albanian Centre for Human Rights – 2000.
“Human Rights in Yugoslavia 1999”, The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Belgrade 2000
“Human Rights in Yugoslavia 2000”, The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Belgrade 2001
“Human Rights in Yugoslavia 2001”, The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Belgrade 2002
“Human Rights in Yugoslavia 2002”, The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Belgrade 2003
“Regional Conference on the Work of the Judicial System”, Council of Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms – Prishtina, Kosovo, 2003.
“Bulgaria – Serbia: Access to Information Issues”, Valery Roussanov (Editor), SEENPM/BHRN ACCESS – Sofia Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2003
“Human Rights in Yugoslavia 2003”, The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Belgrade 2004
Iliana Stoycheva and Genoveva Tisheva (eds.): ”Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. A Compilation of NGO Reports from Balkan Countries”, Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation, Sofia 2002
“Regional Conference on the Work of the Judicial System”, Council of Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms – Prishtina, Kosovo, 2003.
“Bulgaria – Serbia: Access to Information Issues”, Valery Roussanov (Editor), SEENPM/BHRN ACCESS – Sofia Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2003
Project-reports
Some of the BHRN activity reports are included in the Yearbook issues, which will be available on the BHRN website, while the project reports to FRESTA are delivered biannually and are available at www.fresta.org
DIHR-publications on the Balkans
Erik André Andersen and Lis Dhundale (eds.): “Revisiting the Role of Civil Society in the Promotion of Human Rights”, including chapters:
Erik André Andersen: “Regional Networking among Civil Society Organisations. The Case of the Balkan Human Rights Network”
and
Steven Sampson: “Too Much Civil Society? Donor-Driven Human Rights NGOs in the Balkans”
Partners in progress - Human Rights Reform and Implementation
Edited by Birgit Lindsnaes and Tomas Martin(eds.)
92 pp.,2002. DKK 50.00. ISBN 87-90744-44-6
Human Rights Office Tuzla (HROT). Evaluation
Evaluations and Reviews of Partnership Programmes - No 11
The Danish Centre for Human Rights
88 pp., 1999. DKK 50,00. ISBN 87-90744-27-6, ISSN 1399-6029
Links and addresses
BHRN’s website is www.balkan-rights.net
BHRN member organization websites can be found on the BHRN website.
The BHRN has been supported by FRESTA secretariat at the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. FRESTA’s website is www.fresta.org
For more information on the Balkans:
OSCE - www.osce.org
International Organization for Migration - www.iom.int
United Nations - www.un.org
Stability Pact for South Eastern Europehttp://www.stabilitypact.org/