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Dinu Toderas cu Program Officer. The Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation ( BST ):. Operating from Bucharest , Romania $20 million 10 year public-private partnership 2007 : GMF; USAID; the Gov. of Romania; C. S. Mott Foundation; Ministry of Defense of Latvia.
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Dinu Toderascu Program Officer
The Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST): • Operating from Bucharest, Romania • $20 million 10 year public-private partnership • 2007 : GMF; USAID; the Gov. of Romania; C. S. Mott Foundation; Ministry of Defense of Latvia.
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF): • Nonpartisan, public policy + grantmaking inst. • 1972 –better understanding and cooperation between N. America and Europe on transatlantic and global issues • HQ in Washington D.C. • Offices in Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Paris, Belgrade, Ankara, Warsaw
BST goals: • Trust in public institutions • Citizen participation in the democratic process • Stronger link between state and society • Regional + cross-border ties
BST operates in: • Armenia • Azerbaijan • Bulgaria • Georgia • Moldova • Romania • Russia • Turkey • Ukraine
BSTgrantmaking: 4 programmatic areas: • Civic Participation • Cross-Border Initiatives • Eastern Links • Confidence Building
Civic Participation • Civic initiatives - transparency, citizen participation, government accountability • Policy institutes - providing governments with policy ideas • Enhancing the role of civil society in conflict management • Etc.
Cross-Border Initiatives • Cross-border dialogues among various entities • Exchange of best practices/lessons learned • Build political, cultural, and economic networks • Lowering barriers between countries in the Black Sea region • Promoting solutions to the region’s frozen conflicts
Eastern Links • Linkages between new EU member states and the countries of the BS region • Expertise + resources to the countries of the BS region in good governance • Information exchange • Linking existing knowledge and expertise in economic reform
Confidence Building in the South Caucasus • A NEW initiative: BST, Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation • New ways to generating mutual understanding • Activities: • Multilateral initiatives + initiatives involving neighboring countries, Russia, Turkey • Cross-border initiatives for youth • Political and civic education • Reconciliation and peace experiences from history conveyed to younger generation • Media in overcoming stereotypes
New BST funding priorities • Confidence Building: • Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, and Moldova • Cross-Border Initiatives - any country in the region • Eastern Links - any country in the region • Civic Participation - funds in-country projects • Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova are NOT eligible for this program
The new BST in-country priorities are: • ARMENIA: • Fighting Corruption • Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Promoting Citizen Participation and Democracy • Independent judiciary (with a special focus on the role and conduct of the judiciary in the electoral process)
The new BST in-country priorities are: • AZERBAIJAN: • Legal aid to civil society actors • Increase civic participation in the electoral processes • Freedom of the media • Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Democracy • GEORGIA: • Watchdog activities • Alternative media • Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Democracy
The new BST in-country priorities are: • TURKEY: • Promotion of participatory democracy, with focus on constitutional process • Encouragement of a resolution to the Turkish-Armenian conflict • Advancement of freedom of speech and expression (with a focus on advanced usage of ICTs), • Promotion of women's role and participation in social, economic, and political processes
The new BST in-country priorities are: • RUSSIA (Southern Russia: Krasnodar and Rostov regions and the autonomous republics): • Promotion of Russian participation in regional programs • Social and Economic Development • UKRAINE: • Monitoring of Parliament • Alternative media
Who is eligible NGOs Think Tanks Local + regional governments Educational institutions Media organizations NOT Eligible: Individuals + political parties
Additional info Duration – max. 12 months Grants: between $16,000 – $19,000 Conf. Building – max.10 months, up to $35,000 (25,000 EUR) Romania and Bulgaria – only Cross-Border Initiatives, Eastern Links, Confidence Building
How to apply Only via email: BlackSeaTrust@gmfus.org No deadline - rolling basis Conf. Building – call for applications, via email confidencebuilding@gmfus.org Decisions in 4 - 8 weeks (projects under $25,000) More information: www.gmfus.org/blacksea or BlackSeaTrust@gmfus.org
Thank you! Dinu Toderascu Program Officerdtoderascu@gmfus.org