PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR MEMBERS OF THE IRIS NETWORK

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In the framework of the project “Improving the provision of Social Service Delivery in South Eastern Europe through the empowerment of national and regional CSOs”, implemented by the consortium of SOLIDAR, LIR CD BiH, OGI Croatia, EDC Serbia, SOS TELEPHONE Montenegro, CLARD Kosovo, ARSIS Albania, ASYD FYROM – led by ASB Germany, SOLIDAR is organising a Professional Staff Training Programme open to staff members of CSOs providing social services in the Western Balkans, that are part of the IRIS Network.

The programme offers to one selected candidate the opportunity to spend 4 weeks in the premises of Movimiento por la Paz (MPDL)  in Madrid (Spain) and provides a learning experience on the provision of social services and civic movement in Spain, as well as insight into how the provision of services and the policy advocacy is shaped. Travel, accommodation and living costs of the selected candidate will be covered.

For more information please see the on the description of the Programme.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS WITHIN SMALL GRANTS FACILITY PUBLISHED

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IRIS Network has a great pleasure to announce the continuation of its small grants program, which will provide financial support to the member organisations in: Albania, FYROM, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

This call will support implementation of advocacy initiatives.

Proposed advocacy initiatives should focus on:

  • Improving policies and their practices in the area of social inclusion and provision of social services on local level;
  • Improving policy framework for CSOs providing social services at local level;
  • Introducing of innovative models in provision of social services;
  • Improving policy framework and practices of involvement in decision making process  vulnerable groups and/or beneficiaries of social services.

Total budget of the call is 60 000 EUR.  Funding will be provided for minimum 12 projects lasting up to 6 months maximum. It is anticipated that  maximum of € 5,000 per project will be available.

Project proposals should be written in English language. Applicant must submit filled application package and additional documentation consisted of:

  1. Application form;
  2. Budget proposal;
  3. Scanned copy of Registration of organization;
  4. Scanned copy of Statute of organization;
  5. Scanned copy of Balance Sheet and Income Statement for the previous year (2014.)

In case of partnership, corresponding additional documentation should be enclosed, as well as “Partnership agreement” from the Application form, signed and stamped by the legally authorized representative.

If you have a project which may fulfill the requirements of  above described program, please send your proposals to:  masa.mitrovic@asb-see.org no later than 31.10.2015 midnight, with the email subject  “Call for proposal for the CSO support”.

Supporting documents: Application form; Budget proposal; Guidelines.

PREDA Plus helps to refugees in FYROM

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PREDA Plus is providing immediate help to the refugees on exit point in FYROM in Tabanovce.  In cooperation with ASB, PREDA Plus distributed 150 humanitarian packages per day, out of which 50 for women and 100 for men. This number roughly covers 5 to 10% of the total distributed humanitarian aid at the spot.  Additionally, PREDA Plus provided food and milk for the refugee children, as well as the blankets.

The situation at the border-crossing Tabanovce is changing from hour to hour. At the moment, 4000-5000 people are crossing to Serbia daily. Most of the refugees are using trains for transit, but some of them are transiting via busses and/or taxi.

Due to the change of weather conditions (lower temperature, rain and fog) there is a need of additional type of aid packages: warm clothes (jackets), boots and raincoats.

IDC is helping refugee children

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Since the beginning of September 2015, IDC has started implementing the program for refugee children and their families residing in the park near the bus station and the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade. Together with their parents, children are travelling long way through the often dangerous and inhospitable places, without much food and water, sleeping in tents or under the open sky, in a situation of existential insecurity. In these circumstances, their psycho-social needs are often put aside. Therefore, the IDC started a program primarily designed for children refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Eritrea and other countries, travelling through the territory of Serbia. Program is consisted of: workshops, watching cartoons, visits of clown, games playing and other activities targeting children. Also, along with a number of organizations, including the Foundation Ana and Vlade Divac and organization ADRA, IDC’s young volunteers distributed food, water and sweets to children, which were donated by Mondelez International.

Second Call for Proposals – Small Grants Facility soon to be launched

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The IRIS Network informs its membership that the Second Call for Proposals will be launched in October 2015.

The Small Grants Facility will be organised according to the lessons learned from the First Call SGF, focusing on: greater involvement of the stakeholders in discussion on provision of social services, partnerships promoting innovative services, analyses, advocacy and monitoring of social sector reforms.

The SGF will be open only to Network member organizations, especially those who show initiative in active approach in implementing quality standards in their work. Priority will also be given to joint initiatives between two or more Network member organisations.

Application documentation will be distributed through National Networks and available on the web site of the IRIS Network.

National Congress of IRIS Network BIH

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On 2nd and 3rd June 2015, the first National Congress was conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, at Vlasic Mountain.

The participants were members of the IRIS BiH network and representatives of Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy,  Ministry of Health and Social Welfare from RS, Academic institutions, ASB and LIR CD, in total 27 participants.

The Strategic planning mission was structured as an interactive workshop in order to outline main strategic areas for the future work of IRIS BiH Network, highlighting the most important points as a key factors to the IRIS Strategy Plan and discuss the basic organizational structure of the future network.  The strategic planning helped founders and members of the IRIS network reaching consensus and creating more dynamic network with capacity to influence policy and decision making processes in BiH. At the end,  along with the definition of the vision, mission, principals, values and main strategic goals, 3 Advocacy plans are developed and discussed with representatives from public sector, consequently receiving the concrete suggestions and recommendations  how to approach respective Ministries to achieve the results.

The detailed agenda of Strategic planning 

IRIS Network Academy Program

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Dear participants of the first IRIS ACADEMY,

It is our great pleasure that 45 young, enthusiastic people from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine and Georgia will participate in this years academy.

You can download detailed agenda HERE.

See you soon in Rijeka, Croatia!  

IRIS ACADEMY – Selection process

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Final evaluation of received application for the IRIS ACADEMY is concluded. Evaluation Committee selected 44 candidates as participants for the Academy which will be held in Rijeka, Croatia from 15th to 18th of June. Based on the previous experience, education and motivation letter, future participants have been chosen from 7 countries from South East Europe:  Eight from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, six from Albania, Montenegro and Serbia, and five from FYR of Macedonia and Kosovo.

About IRIS Network Academy

IRIS Network Academy is a four-day program of informal education dedicated to improvement of the delivery of social services in South East Europe. Students of the Academy will have a chance to, through a series of lectures and practical workshops, from prominent experts in this field, find out:

  • How to address the needs of most vulnerable groups in the best possible manner;
  • How to improve social protection and services on the local level;
  • What is social entrepreneurship;
  • How to diversify funding of the Civil society organization, provider different type of social services;

Participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia will have a chance to, in addition to these topics, talk about the process of licensing of social services, experiences from the region, partnership and connecting the public sector and civil society in order to improve the system of social protection. After the successfully concluded Academy, the most prominent 7 participants will have the opportunity to receive the scholarship for internship in the CSOs that provide different types of social services in one of the following European Union countries: Sweden, United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, Spain and Belgium.

 

IRIS Network Academy

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Network of the civil society organizations, providers of social services from the South East Europe region, IRIS and German organization Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. are announcing the Call for participants of the first IRIS Network Academy, which will be held in Rijeka, Croatia from 15th to 19th of June 2015.

About IRIS Network Academy

IRIS Network Academy is a four-day program of informal education dedicated to improvement of the delivery of social services in South East Europe. Students of the Academy will have a chance to, through a series of lectures and practical workshops, from prominent experts in this field, find out:

  • How to address the needs of most vulnerable groups in the best possible manner;
  • How to improve social protection and services on the local level;
  • What is social entrepreneurship;
  • How to diversify funding of the Civil society organization, provider different type of social services;

Participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia will have a chance to, in addition to these topics, talk about the process of licensing of social services, experiences from the region, partnership and connecting the public sector and civil society in order to improve the system of social protection. After the successfully concluded Academy, the most prominent 7 participants will have the opportunity to receive the scholarship for internship in the CSOs that provide different types of social services in one of the following European Union countries: Sweden, United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, Spain and Belgium.

Application 

Academy is intended for:

  • Young activists (up to 30 years old), which are active in the civil sector.
  • Volunteer or work experience in civil society organizations will be considered as an advantage in the selection process.
  • Participants need to be from one of the countries covered by the project: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Croatia and Serbia.
  • Fluent knowledge of English language – B2 level (the working language of the Academy is English)

Applicants should submit a CV and a motivation letter of no more than 300 characters explaining what social inclusion means to you, by email to: iris@iris-see.eu

All costs related to the Academy, as well as the transportation and accommodation, are fully covered by the organizer.

The Call is open until 5 June 2015. For any additional questions, please feel free to contact Tijana Laban on tijana.laban@asb-see.org

Logistical information 

All logistical information concerning the accommodation, transportation and other logistical issues will be subsequently delivered to the selected participants.

Please read the detailed invitation letter HERE

BSCM verziju pozivnog pisma pogledajte OVDE

New SOLIDAR publications

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New SOLIDAR publications

Partner of IRIS network SOLIDAR published two new publications:
– Supporting Social Investment in the Western Balkans:European Enlargement Monitoring Report 2014
– The social dimensions of EU enlargement 

Both publications are available on our website on the following links:

– Supporting Social Investment in the Western Balkans:European Enlargement Monitoring Report 2014.pdf
– The social dimensions of EU enlargement.pdf