Youth Service America and Disney are pleased to launch a second round of Disney Minnie Grants to engage children and youth, ages 5-14 as community volunteers.

Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy

(ADA)

announces enrollment in its

Summer School

on

Islam in the Contemporary International Affairs

11-20 July, 2008

Baku and Guba, Azerbaijan

The deadline for submitting applications for Turda Democracy Gatherings has been extended until the 20th of May.

For details visit http://www.ratiucenter.org or write an e-mail to  

My Initiative movement organized action titled "Serbia has stopped", within We are Important election turnout campaign. Action took place in Knez Mihajlova Street in Belgrade, in 1 pm. Seventy (70) My Initiative activists stopped at the same time, and remained frozen for five minutes. Through this action, My Initiative sent out the message to the public that Serbia has already stopped.

"We" elected a new president… But what does it mean for Russia? Should we wait for any positive changes? or nagative… Here is his first speach!

Serbia's pro-West president and the European Union on Tuesday reached a long-delayed agreement to forge closer ties, but harsh reaction among many Serbs immediately threatened both the pact and the leaders who backed it.

IRI Announces June workshop in Istanbul, Turkey for EEYPL Alumni.
Application deadline: May 7, 2008.

I congratulate to the whole Orthodox World the Eastern, let’s all your hearts be full of faith and love. Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

An opportunity some of you might be interested in

Chance for the best summer in your life: Macedonia, Ohrid, 7-20 July, 2008

During the period of 18th to 27th July 2008, there is going to be organized Peace Academy for people from former Yugoslav republics.

The European Commission (EC) and the EU's expert bodies have got to work on a "roadmap" of measures for scrapping the visa regime for Serbian citizens.

Evidence How Russian Jet MIG – 29 Shot Down Georgian Drone

On April 21, Russian Jet MIG – 29 downed Georgian unarmed plane over border of Georgia’s breakaway republic of Abkhazia, which belonged to the Interior Ministry of Georgia.

PRIŠTINA—The Kosovo Assembly adopted the province's new Constitution in April 9th 2008, which will come into force on June 15th. All 103 MPs that attended session voted in favor of the Constitution.

The Summer School for Young Professionals 2008 - Introduction into Security Policy, takes place on 28 June - 6 July 2008. SSYP will be held at the National Academy of Defence (NAD) in Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia and in Uzgorod, Ukraine.

VIENNA: Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe Coordinator Erhard Busek says that all the Balkans countries should be accorded EU candidate status.

The Macedonian parliament has been dissolved after 70 of the 120 MPs voted in favor of new elections. The biggest opposition party, the Social Democratic Union, did not participate in the vote after leaving the chamber.
This happened after a marathon two-day debate on a proposal from the opposition Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) for snap elections.

Incumbent Filip Vujanović has declared victory in the Montenegrin presidential election last night.

I created the blog “Solidarity” in order to have discussions on every issue. It is a platform for free expression, it’s a place for community of democratic choices, it’s an appeal for justice and peace, it’s a place there your voice will be listened and respected.

Croatia's Foreign Minister Gordan Jandroković Tuesday spoke about the upcoming visit by U.S. President George Bush. 

President George W. Bush set the stage for a clash at his last NATO summit on Wednesday. 

In Match 19, Azerbaijan has freed one of its two religious prisoners of conscience, Baptist pastor Zaur Balaev, Forum 18 News Service has learnt.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the conference on “NATO’s Bucharest Summit – transformation of the Alliance and Polish and regional perspectives” in Warsaw, declared that NATO had open door for Balkans, what concerns to Georgia and Ukraine, he emphasized that Europe would not have common position until they would not reach required conditions and would not be master of their own future.       

The Serbian Government has sent proposal for dissolution of the Parliament to the President. In its meeting in Belgrade, the cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, decided to propose the date for the new elections to be May 11. The explanation given was that the Government no longer had a unified position on policies, which according to the Constitution, had rendered it impossible for the Government to perform its Constitutional function - to establish and implement policies.

Five years ago to the day, Serbia's first democratic prime minister, Zoran Djindjic, leader of Democratic Party, was shot dead as he entered the government building. Five years later, Serbia is without a Government, and her further European path remains unclear.

Girls and laidies I congratulate you 8 March, International Women's Day.

My beautiful girls and ladies, I congratulate you 8 March, International Women's Day and wish you to keep love and beauty throughout your life.  Your contribution is invaluable in every field and many thanks that you make our life so beautiful.  Always your  George from Georgia  

After the declaration of independence of Kosovo and the "spontaneous" reaction of "rage and anger" depicted in the Prime Minister's words, demolished Embassies, public lynching of those with different political opinions, as well as the declarative call to "peace and peaceful protests", Serbia has hit the bottom.

Article on the difference… Comments are welcome! I would particularly appreciate ideas of Serbs and Albanians on the objectivity of the provided facts regarding the Kosovo conflict.

A controversial election-monitoring mission in Armenia has plunged the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights into a full-blown credibility crisis. Already under attack from member states that are hostile to ODIHR’s democratization mandate, the Warsaw-based office is now facing harsh criticism from civil society advocates.

Article on EUobserver gives at least ten reasons why the idea of encouraging Kosovo's indenepndence was a bad idea. 

Those who are interested in how international law regulates the issues of separatism, like that of Kosovo, can see my article published in the Georgian Times in March, 2007. It also demonstrates the justfullness of the Serbian cause.

The Unilateral Declaration of Independence by Kosovo is fraught with negative consequences for the whole of Europe and beyond. Partitioning the state, which is adhering to democratic principles, is unacceptable. All the civilized nations should strive for a better solution to the problem of ethnic seccessionism and incompatability. We, Georgians, stand on the side of Serbia, a truly democratic and representative state, based on European values and willing to settle territorial disputes in peaceful manner compatible with international law. Declaration of Kosovo's independence, despite the history of ethnic cleansing and undemocratic treatment of ethnic minorities, is in contravention of UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and the Fundamental Principles of International Law. A state's territorial integrity is a supreme principle of inter-state relations. International law is flexible enough to ensure the maximum possible self-determination of nations within the borders of the given state. Even if Slobodan Milocevich was guilty with the Albanian minorities, the entire Serb nation should not have been scapegoated. People should not be punished for the mistakes of their leaders. Europe and the US ought to have been more far-sighted and rational before encouraging the Kosovars to strive for independence. The Kosovo case is unique, no doubt about that, but 17 February has already been written in the history of Westphalian era of diplomacy as the case when a territorial entity was separated from a sovereign state without the consent of the latter. Such thing has never happened before. Even when the USSR and Yugoslavia dismantled, the prerequisite for "consent" was not ignored. It is for the first time ever that I have to allign myslef with Russia which has fiercely opposed the imposed decision on the Kosovo issue. What has Europe and US achieved? Once again, the divided EU, with some of the member states disregarding the vital interests of territorial integrity of the others; a blackmailing Russia, who has threatened to "take into account" the Kosovo outcome in its relations with the other breakaway regions (two in Georgia, and one in Azerbaijan and Moldova); new risks of distabilziation and disorder in the Balkans where many ethnic minorities are closely watching at the success of Kosovan separatists; and undoubtedly a precedent in international law which will instigate so many "peoples" to fight unjustly for their independence;  and last but not least, it may be too late for Europe to realize that it has just opened a pandora box at its doorstep, with a move which may throw Europe back into the 17th century when some 300 political entities existed in this part of the world.

Diplomacy is an art of negotiation where sides stream to reach a desirable point. Business is an art of relation which makes sides to be more rational and to reach maximal profit with minimal expenses. Negotiation and relation forms common policy, rules, norms, standards, principals, and even threats as well in international system. International organizations are founded for reason to develop relations in every field and to avoid bad trends which threatens peace and territorial integrity of any state. Thing what happened once is deemed to be repeated second time.

Serbian youth and students organisations are protesting tommorow in order to express their will to live in the european Serbia.

The presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, Mr. Boris Tadic has won his second term in office. He was re-elected after the second round ballot on February the 3rd, defeating his rival, Mr. Tomislav Nikolic, candidate of the Serbian Radical Party.

In the first round of the election on 20th January, Mr. Tadic was second, with 35,4% to Mr. Nikolic with 40% of votes. After the second round Mr. Tadic, the pro-Western candidate, won 50,7% of the votes. Mr. Tadic had a support of the Democratic Party, the G17+, the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina and the Sandzak Democratic Party.

This election was seen as a referendum on Serbia's relations with the European Union. The turnout was around 67%. The electoral will has shown that citizens of Serbia, and specially the youth of Serbia, see their future within the united Europe.

After the victory, Mr. Boris Tadic has spoken to his supporters from the balcony of the party's city branch headquarters in Terazije. He underlined that he will push forward his european integration agenda,  and that he will profond the relations with the EU. Mr. Tadic also added that his victory represents the victory of democarcy and european values in Serbia. He stood for peace and cooperation, but also for respect of the Republic of Serbia when it comes to Kosovo's status. 

In response to Anastasia's email asking for more information about Georgian presidential elections, I am pasting from Georgian MFA web-site a compilation of various reports assessing the election. Their common denominator is the conclusion that the election was essentially free and fair!

Democracy is the most difficult path, sometimes ineffective way as well, but it’s only one without option upon which is possible to rely future prosperity of a country. Democracy is always associated with western values, freedom of expression, protection of human rights and free and transparent elections.

Serbia didn't choose the president in the first round of elections. According to initial results of yesterday elections, Serb Radical Party (SRS) leader Nikolić finished the first round with a lead over the Democratic Party (DS) leader and presidential incumbent.

Editorial office of Rez has published a special edition of this magazine regarding presidential elections that will take place on 20th of January. All copies were given away to young people all over Serbia, with the message that appears on the front page of the magazine: YOU ARE BOYCOTTING! YOU ARE UNDERMINING!

Within "You are Boycotting! You are undermining!" campaign, at Belgrade Knez Mihajlova Street, "My Initiative" movement has called upon young people to go out and vote at the forthcoming presidential elections. The call was aimed at young election abstainers, of which are many in Serbia, regarding that only 10% of citizens younger than 35 vote at the elections. This was not just an appeal to go out and vote, but also to vote responsibly. "My Initiative" thinks that young people in Serbia should show more responsibility for their future, because unless they do so, they will not have the right to complain about president's activities in next five years, during the duration of his mandate.

Civil Georgia / 2008-01-19 11:48:14  
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=16946

OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission assessed vote tabulation process at some precincts as “bad or very bad,” while some polling stations reported “unusually high” voter turnout, the international election observation mission said in its post-election interim report.

Hi to everyone!

I'm Semra from Macedonia and I need your help. I would like from all of you that have any materials from the presentation "Message development" and "Training the trainers" to post on the web site, because this weekend I have to share my Belgrade experience with my colleagues and I need those presentations.

Hope to see any maertrial on the site.

Thanks a lot.

Today, on January 13, there was the biggest protest rally in the center of the city. Opposition accused the Central Election Commission in falsification of results and demanded the second round between Saakashvili and Gachechiladze. Even Davit Gamkrelidze, leader of New Rights Party, who also ran for the presidency, and who is perceived as the most balanced politician told protesters that Saakashvili would be illegitimate president and the run-off was needed.

I invite you to visit my photogalery, where photos from Belgrade appeared! :)

The Transition Studies Network offers 10 scholarships for the BA or MA students to participate in the Winter School: Politics of Memory. 

George, Nodar and other guys from Georgia! Please, tell us something interesting about presidential elections - for example, about infringements, if they were.

ENEMO - one of the international organizations monitoring the Georgian snap presidential elections held on January 5, 2008 has released its report today.

Photos