Articles by Anonymous User

Da nido delle aquile a porta dei Balcani

08/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

Quale sviluppo per l'Albania? Quali gli elementi endogeni che influiscono su quest'ultimo e quali dipendono invece dal contesto regioneale e internazionale? Una tesi di laurea

Il resto è silenzio

08/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

La storia di due donne e delle loro due sorelle. Un romanzo di Chiara Ingrao

Chiara Ingrao alla trasmissione Fahrenheit

In valigia un sogno

08/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

Parole come mattoni, silenzio e pietra, per costruire ponti che vadano nel tempo, attraverso luoghi, da un io a un tu, e viceversa. Se esistesse in letteratura la tradizione o la scuola dei costruttori di ponti Božidar Stanišić ne farebbe parte

A tutto gas

08/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

Dopo l'inaugurazione del gasdotto Iran-Armenia, anche la Georgia mostra interesse per il gas di Teheran. Le diplomazie caucasiche alle grandi manovre nel mercato dell'energia

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07/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

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L'ultimatum alla Serbia divide la presidenza bosniaca

07/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

La presidenza tripartita della Bosnia Erzegovina propone un'iniziativa per sollecitare la Serbia al rispetto della risoluzione della Corte di giustizia internazionale. Ma il veto posto dal membro serbo della presidenza ne invalida l'efficacia

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06/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

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06/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

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06/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

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06/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

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06/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

EDITARE A MANO IL CONTENUTO HTML

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02/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

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02/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

Background

During the 1990s, the crises in the Balkans have deeply modified the scene and the characteristics of the Italian development cooperation practice. At the outset of the crises, a combination of geographical proximity, emotional wave and lack of a decisive strategy by national and international political institutions towards the human tragedy of the conflict gave rise to new practices that took shape spontaneously, in a marked discontinuity with the past; traditional methods and patterns (based on large national and multilateral agencies or NGOs acting as the main protagonists of aid cooperation) faced the need for rebuilding 'from the bottom' the transnational action.

In many cases, the Italian local governments played a leading role in supporting and promoting coordinated actions in South-East Europe. This process led to a shift from the project-based approach in favour of a process-based approach while the project-cycle as such gradually lost its centrality together with the traditional 'donor-beneficiary' pattern. In most cases, the project turned into just one of the elements of a territorial relation, which became the real focus of the cooperation and started to be built over the time and involved - as a 'dowel of a mosaic' - a universe of local actors' initiatives. At the same time, the manifold and heterogeneous nature of the stakeholders (sprouting from the context of the local grass roots and local authorities) required a normative and an institutional interface providing the framework for their initiatives and actions. Regional laws on development cooperation, international relations or promotion of peace have been adopted and gradually filled in the normative gap at local level contributing to shaping the present 'decentralised cooperation'.

All this paved the way for a new phase of Italian cooperation, recognizing the central role of the Italian local governments (Regions, Provinces, Municipalities) in building up networks and partnerships with their counterparts in South-East Europe. As a result of this process, the actions promoted by the local governments have become one of the most meaningful features of Italian development cooperation in the Balkans. During the past 15 years, various (in types and sectors) decentralised cooperation initiatives took shape and relevance while territorial partnerships, neighbourhood policies and the principle of reciprocity have produced significant outcomes in the local context of both sides of the Adriatic Sea.

More than a decade after the start of the first few initiatives of decentralised cooperation, the whole phenomenon is now facing a new challenge, along the line of the rethinking and the 'capitalisation' of all the efforts made in the recent past: establishing steady and enhanced relations with those territories in search for new local development strategies. Bearing in mind this task, a great asset is the long and rich experience of Italian local self-government, which can surely give its support to the re-launching of the citizenship spirit and to a wider participation in the decision making process involving the local levels.

Dealing with diversified experiences and numerous actors at all levels, a need has gradually emerged for the creation of an instrument that could collect information, data, research material, in-depth analyses together with a tool for specific horizontal communication among local governments that are active in South-East Europe. The Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Autonomous Province of Trento supported and co-funded this information and communication instrument mainly created to benefit regional and other local governments, associations, enterprises as well as a wider public of readers.

At this stage only the present page, describing the general approach of the project, is provided in English. Some translations of materials and articles shall progressively be made available for the non Italian-speakers.
The project
The general objective of the project BalcaniCooperazione is to monitor, support and give more visibility to Italian Regions and other local authorities in their initiatives of decentralised cooperation with the Balkan area (i.e. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro).

The central tool for the activities is the web portal www.balcanicooperazione.it, designed and implemented through a participatory approach involving regional and local authorities that decided to be partners of the project. The portal also reflects a territorial approach that emphasizes the role of various actors involved in decentralised cooperation: institutional and non-institutional; profit and non-profit; private as well as public ones. Furthermore, for each Italian Region and other interested local governments (e.g. Provinces and Municipalities) a specific page has been created and collects data, news and other materials that specifically describe their activities in South-East Europe.

In a specific section, the database Re.Te. (Territorial Relations) highlights all forms of interactions linking the Italian Regions to their South-East European counterparts. Finally, meetings, seminars and conferences targeting public servants and decision makers both at local and national level, complement the activities of the project by deepening the debate about opportunities, strengths and critical aspects of the Italian decentralised cooperation in the Balkans. They represent an attempt at improving and spreading best practices, bearing in mind that decentralised cooperation can take very different forms and move along various lines of action.

More in detail, the project is shaped along the following main activities:

* DATABASE: collects, files and spreads information and related data on the numerous projects and experiences of decentralised cooperation promoted by Italian Regions and local authorities together with the Balkan territories. This database offers the opportunity to elaborate and visualise the system of relations that have been shaped through a long term process and a strong participatory method that involves all stakeholders in formulating objectives, mobilising local resources and skills and reducing the risks of overlapping.

* INFORMATION: supplies public servants, decision makers, and the wider public with a thorough, regular and reliable information flow about the general evolution of Italian decentralised cooperation and more specifically about issues related to Italian and European activities in the Balkans.

* IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS: starting from the collected data included in the database 'Re.Te.', together with the information provided by the partner Regions and by other stakeholders, the project's staff elaborates the picture of the territorial relations established over the time, their content, approach and methodology. It describes the actual interactions between Italy and South-East Europe in terms of the invested resources (not merely economic ones); of the capacity to mobilise the general public in favour of a more critical approach to local development; of the degree to which decentralised cooperation contributes to the institution building; of the decentralisation process and the democratisation of the Balkan countries.

* FORUMS and WORKING MEETINGS:events, thematic seminars and international conferences are part of the project as well as technical and operative meetings aiming to consolidate relations and stimulating networks and partnerships. This kind of activities are meant as a first step towards the creation of a common open discussion space about decentralised cooperation in the Balkans.

* PROMOTION of the Regions' and other local authorities' initiatives and actions, improving their capacity to communicate and spread information to the wider public as well as to potential partners and donors (both at the national and international level). This visibility is decisive in order raise awareness and consequently to emphasise good practices.

All these activities are aiming at the creation of a wide and participated network of people and institutions, a rich information flow as well as of a constructive and critical forum for discussing relevant issues related to the Italian decentralised cooperation world.
About us
The idea for the Observatory on the Balkans emerged in Venice in June 1999, during the "Cantieri di pace" event. Various Italian organisations decided to cooperate in order to gather critical information for the developing of practical approaches to South Eastern European issues. The Peace Bell Foundation in Rovereto (Trento), the Trentino's Forum for Peace, the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Rovereto Municipality all agreed, by the end of 2000, to establish the project "Observatory on the Balkans" (www.ossservatoriobalcani.org).

By promoting transnational networks and dialogue, the Observatory supports associations, NGOs and local institutions that are active in grassroots diplomacy and cooperation projects in South-East Europe. The Observatory provides:

* constant information through an on-line source about and from the Balkans;

* research and in-depth analysis;

* training courses for development project coordinators and volunteers;

* data collection and elaboration about the multifaceted world of development cooperation in the Balkans.

Since the Autumn 2004, after the adoption of the Italian law 84/2001, the Observatory, in close collaboration with the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, monitors and supports decentralised Italian cooperation in South-East Europe through the project BalcaniCooperazione.

From its headquarters in Rovereto (Trento), the Observatory develops in-depth analyses on specific topics. These studies are carried out by Italian researchers, local correspondents from throughout South-East Europe and a highly-qualified Scientific Committee of scholars and international experts. In order to strengthen the regional capacity for analysis and proposal, the results of these studies are shared with organisations, institutions, research centres and civil movements in every country of South-East Europe.

Along with its analytical activities, the Observatory promotes public campaigns and initiatives in favour of the inclusion of the Balkan countries into the European institutions. Indeed, in 2001 the public Appeal "Europe Beyond Borders" called for an integration of the Balkan area into the European Union that is "fast, sustainable and from below". In September 2001, the mayors of Rome and Sarajevo officially launched the Appeal in Campidoglio, Rome. The Appeal gained wide-ranging support. In April 2002, at the presence of 400 delegates from South Eastern Europe and from Italy, it was also presented to the President of the European Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi. On that occasion, the network "Europe from Below" was also created to support dialogue among associations, civil society, local and regional authorities in South-East Europe and in the European Union's member States. In September 2003, the Appeal was presented in Belgrade, at the completion of a journey along the Danube ("Danube: Europe is meeting"). Seventy representatives of organisations and local institutions from 15 countries took part to the journey that started in Vienna and continued through Bratislava, Szentendre, Budapest, Vukovar, Novi Sad down to Belgrade.
The partners
The active involvement of the stakeholders is one of the main features of the project BalcaniCooperazione. It is part of the objectives as well of the methodology of work: among the aims of the program there is in fact the promotion of coordinated actions as well as the support to the creation of networks and operational collaboration among the various subjects acting in decentralised cooperation with South-East Europe.

Horizontal communication, information and the exchange of experiences among the stakeholders is a growing priority for decentralised cooperation, which is based on the mobilization of a very heterogeneous set of actors. The project BalcaniCooperazione offers a place where information and data are collected and elaborated.

Methodology-wise, on the other hand, the participatory approach towards the partner Regions has been expressed through their direct involvement since the early phases of the designing and planning of the web portal, the database and every other event connected to the project. Moreover, for each partner Region a special page on the website has been created, in order to guarantee space and visibility to their activities in South-East Europe.

Partner of the project are all Regions and other local governments or subjects that provide data and information and actively participate to the functioning of the operational tools and to the activities of the project, recognizing the usefulness of these instruments. Their participation is formalized in a letter of intent signed by the partner Regions with the Autonomous Province of Trento, co-founder and in charge of the project. At present, partners of BalcaniCooperazione are:

* Provincia Autonoma di Trento

* Regione Autonoma Friuli-Venezia Giulia

* Regione Veneto

* Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige

* Regione Toscana

* Regione Lombardia

* Regione Emilia-Romagna

* Regione Piemonte

* Regione Puglia

* ANCI

* CeSPI

* OICS

Contatti BC

02/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

Progetto BalcaniCooperazione

Osservatorio sui Balcani
Piazza San Marco, 7
38068 Rovereto (TN) - Italia

tel: +39 0464 424230
fax: +39 0464 424299
e-mail:segreteria@osservatoriobalcani.org

BalcaniCooperazione

02/05/2007 -  Anonymous User

Nell'ambito della legge 84/01, la Provincia Autonoma di Trento e l' Osservatorio sui Balcani hanno avviato nel 2004 il progetto "Balcanicooperazione.it - Monitoraggio, supporto e visibilità del sistema italiano della cooperazione decentrata nell'area dei Balcani", un Programma Operativo Integrato che garantisce un servizio di informazione, raccolta dati e comunicazione on-line sulla cooperazione decentrata nei Balcani e stimola al contempo processi di scambio e di integrazione orizzontale tra soggetti italiani impegnati nell'area.

Nel corso del biennio 2004-2006, il progetto è stato co-finanziato dalla Provincia Autonoma di Trento e dal Ministero degli Affari Esteri. Hanno aderito 9 Regioni/Province autonome italiane: Emilia Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardia, Piemonte, Puglia, Toscana, Veneto, Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano. La partecipazione al progetto è stata formalizzata con una lettera d'intenti, personalizzata per ogni ente istituzionale, e firmata da questo assieme alla Provincia Autonoma di Trento, titolare del progetto BalcaniCooperazione .

Oggi BalcaniCooperazione costituisce la sezione tematica di Osservatorio sui Balcani dedicata alla cooperazione con il sud-est Europa.

Le sue pagine offrono un servizio informativo (composto da notizie e dati) nel campo della cooperazione decentrata con il sud-est Europa, monitorando le attività realizzate da gran parte delle Regioni e dagli altri Enti locali e fornendo visibilità alle iniziative di cooperazione a tutti i livelli.

BalcaniCooperazione sostiene inoltre la comunicazione e l'incontro tra i soggetti della cooperazione decentrata proponendosi quale punto di raccordo tra nodi quali i Ministeri a livello centrale, le Regioni, le Province, i Comuni e le varie espressioni della società civile impegnate nelle relazioni territoriali con il sud-est Europa e stimolando la creazione di reti con soggetti omologhi in Albania, Bosnia Erzegovina, Bulgaria, Croazia, Macedonia, Romania, Montenegro, Serbia (e Kosovo).

Tra gli strumenti operativi offerti, BalcaniCooperazione ha approntato un sistema di raccolta dati, disponibilii in un archivio on-line (Database Re.Te.- Relazioni Territoriali), sui programmi di cooperazione decentrata nell'area dei Balcani promossi dagli enti territoriali italiani. Il database viene regolarmente aggiornato grazie alla collaborazione degli enti regionali e locali coinvolti attivamente.

La cooperazione internazionale sta subendo una profonda trasformazione sia dal punto di vista metodologico, sia dal punto di vista normativo (europeo, nazionale e regionale). Sotto la spinta di un forte movimento dal basso di enti, gruppi e istituzioni della società civile, la cooperazione degli Enti Locali italiani ha svolto negli ultimi anni un ruolo di rilievo nella regione balcanica ed è divenuta una delle componenti più significative della cooperazione italiana nei Balcani. Si sono sviluppati e strutturati vari interventi di cooperazione decentrata che hanno prodotto risultati di rilievo nel contesto locale dei paesi balcanici, arricchendo al contempo di esperienze e conoscenze le comunità di origine.

A più di un decennio dall'avvio delle prime iniziative di cooperazione decentrata, si pone oggi l'esigenza di un ripensamento degli sforzi avviati e di un rilancio delle esperienze realizzate al fine di costruire rapporti e relazioni stabili con i territori balcanici. Tramite BalcaniCooperazione contiamo di stimolare la trasparenza delle attività di cooperazione ed auspichiamo di alimentare il dibattito sulla cooperazione decentrata promossa da Regioni ed EE.LL italiani nel sud-est Europa.

Una Casa caucasica

30/04/2007 -  Anonymous User

La diaspora cecena in Europa: le iniziative per mantenere vive le tradizioni del mondo vainach. Incontro con Abdul Gani Džeirchanov, presidente dell'associazione "Ceceni in Europa" di Strasburgo

Una nuova dimensione globale: attori locali e cooperazione in Bosnia

30/04/2007 -  Anonymous User

Ad inizio aprile a Zavidovici, BiH, si è festeggiato il decennale dell'apertura dell'Agenzia per la Democrazia Locale. Numerose iniziative ed un convegno in cui si è dibattuto di Bosnia e cooperazione decentrata

Tra Tbilisi e Tskhinvali

27/04/2007 -  Anonymous User

Il presidente Saakashvili propone una nuova amministrazione per l'Ossezia del Sud. Reazioni negative a Mosca e Tskhinvali, sede del governo secessionista. Entusiasmo americano

Republika Srpska: a che punto la riforma della polizia?

24/04/2007 -  Anonymous User

Da anni in Bosnia Erzegovina si trascina la riforma della polizia. Ora, in seguito ad una riunione d'urgenza, l'esecutivo della Republika Srpska guidato da Milorad Dodik propone di rinnovare la Commissione responsabile della messa in pratica della riforma stessa

Una tranquilla campagna elettorale di violenza

24/04/2007 -  Anonymous User

Sparatorie, incendi e intrighi stanno segnando la campagna elettorale in Armenia. Gli episodi di Gyumri ed Echmiadzin. Si vota il 12 maggio per eleggere il nuovo parlamento