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Regional programme on local democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD)

ReLOaD2 is a regional initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the following six Western Balkans countries and territories: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Following the successful first phase of the programme, which supported more than 50 projects across Montenegro, ReLOaD2 continues to empower civil society by enabling better cooperation between local governments and NGOs, as well as by promoting youth and civic engagement.

The overall objective of the programme is to strengthen participatory democracies and the EU integration process in the Western Balkans by encouraging civil society to actively take part in decision-making and by stimulating an enabling legal and financial environment for non-governmental organisations.

This Programme emphasises the needs of local communities and hence strengthens the capacities of local governments to apply transparent and gender-responsive funding for civil society organisations. ReLOaD2 places special emphasis on youth. In that regard, this programme component seeks to identify the needs and attitudes of young people and strengthen their participation in the community, ensure funding for youth initiatives, as well as support activities aimed at creating internship programmes for young people.

Fllowing public calls, five clusters of local governments have been selected for participation in ReLOaD2, namely:

  1. Tara – the municipalities of Mojkovac, Kolašin and Pljevlja,
  2. Coastal Mates – the municipalities of Budva, Herceg Novi, Kotor and Tivat,
  3. Together for the North – the municipalities of Andrijevica and Berane,
  4. Together Nikšić and Plužine – the municipalities of Nikšić and Plužine,
  5. Central region – Podgorica Capital City, Cetinje Old Royal Capital, Golubovci – a municipality within Podgorica Capital City, and the municipality of Danilovgrad.

ReLOaD has funded NGO projects tackling different areas, including human and minority rights, cultural heritage, green economy, education and social policy. Below is an overview of several projects supported within the first phase of the programme:

Project name:

Regional programme on local democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD)

Sector:

  • Civil Society

Start time:

01/02/2018

End time:

01/12/2024

Location:

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia

Budget:

22600000€

Beneficiary:

Local self-governments

More info:

www.me.undp.org/ReLOaD.html
www.me.undp.org/regional-programme-on-local-democracy-in-the-western-balkans-2–.html
www.ba.undp.org/ReLOaD.html
www.facebook.com/RELOADWesternBalkans/

News:

Additonal materials:

Grants

Sportom-do-inkluzije-i-pristupacnosti-rampa-za-bazen

Towards inclusion and accessibility through sports

  • It was implemented by the Association for Assistance to Persons with Psychophysical Development (UZPD), with the aim of increasing inclusion and equality of persons with disabilities in Nikšić, as well as their motivation and self-confidence.
I-choose-a-healthy-lifestyle

I choose a healthy lifestyle

  • It was implemented by the Eco Centre Dolphin from Kotor, with the aim of improving the knowledge and skills of primary school children in Kotor in respect of the benefits of healthy lifestyles, particularly through cooperation between civil society and educational institutions. The grant helped strengthen cooperation among CSOs and between CSOs and the public sector. It also enhanced the advocacy capacities, knowledge and skills of local CSOs that took part in relevant training courses, as well as environmental awareness about healthy lifestyles among school children who participated in educational and practical training sessions.

Lake Šas – the untouched resource of Ulcinj

  • It was implemented by Green Step from Ulcinj, with the aim of analysing the current situation the area of Lake Šas and initiating further steps towards its protection. Thanks to this sub-grant, the organisation improved its capacities and visibility. It also conducted research and prepared recommendations with respect to the efficiency of the management of Lake Šas. Furthermore, a roundtable discussion with representatives of national authorities and green CSOs helped define an initiative for renewing the procedure for declaring Lake Šas a protected area, which was submitted to the Municipality of Ulcinj for adoption.

Sound Source

  • It was implemented by the Student Active Frequency of Radio Avant-Gard – SAFRA from Podgorica, with the aim of creating equal opportunities for study and activism for visually impaired students. Some of the activities included recording relevant audio books and setting up a site with an audio library, as well as initiating a constructive dialogue and raising awareness about their needs. Being recognised as student radio station, with this sub-grant SAFRA enhanced its capacities and expanded its horizons towards people with visual impairment. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of the Blind of Montenegro and tailored its services to the needs of the visually impaired. In addition, the grant also helped design and launch the Sound Source digital platform for the visually impaired, which will serve as a database for future beneficiaries.

The environment is very important – let’s protect it urgently

  • It was implemented by LEGALIS, an NGO based in Pljevlja, with the aim of motivating the citizens of Pljevlja to take part in environment protection. LEGALIS established cooperation with the Municipality of Pljevlja and distributed around 50 led panels with educational brochures on environment and climate change. In addition, around 200 young people were directly involved in environmental protection activities in the most polluted municipality in Montenegro, which included educational workshops, community clean-up activities and the planting of 40 trees in the central part of Pljevlja.
Healthy-and-good-connections

Healthy and good connections

  • It was implemented by the Civic Creative Centre from Cetinje, with the aim of building the capacities of youth from volunteer clubs and/or youth clubs in Tivat, Budva, Cetinje, Berane, Nikšić, Danilovgrad, Podgorica and Tuzi in terms of peer education on sexual and reproductive rights. This sub-grant helped present an online counseling service for young people and increased their awareness about risky behaviors. It directly reached 250 young people from the above-mentioned municipalities, but the outreach was much wider as the Civic Creative Center conducted an intensive social media campaign. Also, the sub-grant facilitated capacity building training on financial management and philanthropy.
Protect-nature-dont-waste-energy

Protect nature, don’t waste energy

  • It was implemented by the Youth Civic Initiative from Rožaje, with the aim of raising public awareness about the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in Rožaje. The local community was informed and educated about the topic through a social media campaign and a special brochure on energy efficiency measures. Furthermore, more than 100 trees were planted in a joint activity involving local schools, institutions and civil society organisations. The sub-grant helped increase public interest in taking part in environmental protection, especially among youth, as more than 150 students from 5 schools attended thematic workshops and expressed willingness to be actively involved in similar activities.

#DoMoreBeMore

  • It was implemented by the Centre for Youth Education from Podgorica, with the aim of establishing mechanisms for developing and supporting youth activism at the national and local levels in the areas of importance for young people. This involved support for youth empowerment and networking by fostering youth participation, social inclusion, information and mobility. The sub-grant helped strengthen the capacities of the Centre for Youth Education and promote socially responsible programmes for young people through different events, as well as via the web, social media and traditional media. Furthermore, youth in Montenegro gained insight into all the benefits the European Youth Card (EYC). Thanks to the sub-grant, a total of 500 cards were made and distributed in Podgorica and in the north of the country.
Initiative-to-suppress-imposed-fate

An initiative to suppress the “imposed fate”

  • It was implemented by the Centre for Roma Initiatives from Nikšić, with the aim of enabling Roma and Egyptian girls to enjoy the rights defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child through proper application of the legislative framework in combating early marriages. This sub-grant helped the NGO to improve its organisational knowledge and skills, including on project proposal writing. Furthermore, a public campaign against early marriages of Roma and Egyptian girls was conducted in Podgorica and Nikšić. In addition, an initiative to amend Article 444 of the the Criminal Code of Montenegro with regard to entering into an unlawful marriage was prepared and submitted by the Ministry of Justice.

Regional programme on local democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD)

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Implemented by the NGO Monitor Center for Media and Democracy, with an aim to help reducing the level of peer violence against Roma youth. In order to raise awareness of peer violence against members of the Roma community, this sub-grant included production of several research articles. In the research process were also involved journalists from the Roma portal “Romalitika”.