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Balkan Caravan – Call for participants

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In the framework of the EU-funded project “Strengthening capacities and policy engagement of
community service providers – IRIS PROGRESS”, IRIS Network is organizing Balkan Caravan and is opening a call for participants.

 

ABOUT BALKAN CARAVAN

Balkan Caravan is an eight-day event which purpose is to promote and exchange best human rights and social inclusion practices in Western Balkan countries. Balkan Caravan will visit each of the Western Balkan countries participating in Iris Progress project (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo*, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). In each of the countries a Mini Human Rights Festival will be organized by host organization and partners of Iris network.

The duration of the whole Balkan Caravan will be 6 days (plus 2 days for travel to the Balkan caravan
and return) – 1 day in each city / country. It will take place from 8 – 13 July 2024. The 6 selected
participants for the Balkan Caravan will be divided into 2 groups. Group 1 will travel through BiH,
Montenegro and Albania in the duration of 3 days and Group 2 will travel through North Macedonia,
Kosovo* and Serbia in the duration of 3 days.

The Balkan Caravan route is as follows: Mostar (BiH), Niksic (Montenegro), Elbasan (Albania), Skopje
(North Macedonia), Pristina (Kosovo*) and Novi Pazar (Serbia)

ABOUT CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

Through this Call for Balkan Caravan participants from 6 Iris Network member
organizations will be selected. The selected participants will travel with the Balkan Caravan through
Western Balkan countries mentioned above and participate in the Mini Human Rights Festival,
organized in each country, by presenting a best practice from their organization in form of a 10 minute
video to the festival participants.

 

What do we expect from you?

· To prepare a 10 minute video about your organization’s best practice(s) in the provision of
social services and protection of human rights of vulnerable groups. The selected participants
will present their video at the Mini human rights festivals as part of Balkan Caravan. The video
should be in your native language.
· Willingness to learn about and exchange best practices with Iris Network members and other
CSOs in WB countries
· Recognize the need to increase professional capacity in provision of social services to
vulnerable groups, protection of human rights and transfer know how to your organization
· Willingness to travel as part of the Balkan Caravan through WB countries (Albania, North
Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina)

 

How to apply

If you are interested in participating in the Balkan Caravan please send:
· 10 minute video about the best practice(s) of your organization
· your CV (1 page)
· 1 page cover letter that clearly states your motivation and your objectives/learning outcomes
from the Balkan Caravan
· Recommendation Letter from your current employer – IRIS Network member
to iris@iris-see.eu by 21 June 2024

 

Assessment of applications

The assessment will be based on the application submitted by the candidate. Please clearly indicate
in the motivation letter of your application:
· How the participation in the Balkan Caravan will impact your professional and your
organization’s capacities

Terms and conditions

The following costs will be covered:
· Travel costs to the city where the meeting point of the Balkan Caravan participants will be,
travel during the Balkan Caravan and return travel costs to your city
· Accommodation costs
· Meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner during the Balkan Caravan

 

Please note that this Call is open only to staff members and/or volunteers of IRIS Network member
organizations.

Granting facility of IRIS Progress – Newsletter 2024.

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In the past period, IRIS Network awarded 13 small grants to its members to improve their social service provision and enhance local initiatives for advocacy in the social sphere.

 

This newsletter presents stories of our members, their innovative projects, and steps towards achieving our common goal – advancing social inclusion and providing support to the most vulnerable groups in our community.

Newsletter is available here – Granting Facility of IRIS PROGRESS

 

This Newsletter is realized within the framework of the project “Capacity strengthening and policy engagement of community service providers – Iris Progress”, funded by the European Union

Mentoring for licensing and increasing quality standards – IRIS Network

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The IRIS Network is launching a Call for Mentoring support program for IRIS national networks member organizations from 6 countries: Albania, Kosovo*, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Overall objective is to achieve stronger capacity of the CSOs to impact on decision making process in protection of human rights and anti-discrimination policies of marginalized groups in WB region

Specific objectives:

  1. a) to increase quality of social services provided to vulnerable groups through service licencing
  2. b) to increase organizational capacity and contribute to institutional sustainability
  3. c) to apply the Human Rights Based Approach and gender mainstreaming into programming

 

IRIS Member organisations fulfilling the following criteria are eligible to apply:

  • Be a publicly recognised, legal non-profit making entity under the relevant laws, where such laws exist;
  • Are a local organisation;
  • Registered minimum 1 year before this Mentoring program is announced;
  • Located and operating within the target countries;
  • Working in the area of social inclusion and provision of social services on local level;
  • Have a clearly defined focus for improvement of delivery of the social services;
  • Have clear decision-making mechanism independent from the government;
  • Have strategic determination towards acquiring state licence for provision of social services in the targeted country;
  • Are able to prove basic human, technical and institutional capacities for acquiring licence.

 

Main output of this Call is: at least 30 CSOs initiated the licensing process or have developed strategic / action plan for specific social services in accordance with CSO needs and required documentation for licencing process in accordance with standards for development of services; at least 30 CSOs are applying the Human Rights Based Approach and gender mainstreaming into programming.

 

How to apply and procedure to follow?

Applications should be written in English language. Applicant must submit and filled out next documents:

With application documents, Applicants must send the following additional documentation (scanned):

  • Scanned copy of Registration of organization;
  • Scanned copy of Statute of organization;

 

All documents should be submitted in electronic format, with scanned pages where signature and stamp is needed.

Incomplete applications, applications submitted by any other means and/or forms than provided in this document will not be taken in consideration.

 

Deadline for submission of applications

Applications should be sent to email address of partner in each country which are listed below and Cc: iris@iris-see.eu no later than 1st of March 2024 with email subject stating “Mentoring program – CSOs”.

Serbia – IDC Serbia – jelena.l@idcserbia.org

BiH – Local Initiative for Development Civil Society (LIR CD) – maja.stojcevic@lircd.org

Montenegro – Alfa Center – alfacentar@t-com.me

North Macedonia  – Community Development Institute (CDI) – cdi.zivorad@gmail.com

Kosovo* – Center for Independent Living – qjp_2001@hotmail.com

Albania – Center for Labour Rights – gertjanahasalla@gmail.com