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INTRODUCTION

The Eastern European Democratic Centre – IDEE Association was established on the basis of the Belarusian Programme of the IDEE Foundation, which is why Belarus was the primary geographical sphere of activity. Simultaneously, funds for activity concerning Belarus allowed preparations to be undertaken for new programme blocks: the Ukrainian Programme and the Information Programme.

The new programme blocks were developed on the basis of the following assumptions:
1. Those activities in Belarus considered worthwhile and possible to adapt in Ukraine or Russia were accepted as a model.
2. In the new countries, the Association will not initially operate outside the three currently most important areas of activity: support for culture and national consciousness, NGO development and independent media in the regions.
3. The Association’s acknowledged role in promoting the work of Polish organisations in the East as well as promoting Belarus in Poland.

All activities were planned around the following programmes:

1. Support for Independent Media in Belarus
2. Support for Non-governmental Organisations in Belarus
(Assistance in VYBIRAJ mobilisation campaign)
3. Programme for Teachers in Belarus
4. Training Trainers for Non-governmental Organisations in Belarus
5. Ukrainian Programme
6. Information Programme
7. Cultural Programme

Belarusian Programmes

1. Support for Independent Media in Belarus

Sponsor: The National Endowment for Democracy 
Grants totals: 49,973 USD +75,000 USD + 15,808 USD (distributed in 2001 from a grant totalling 85,000 USD)
Partners: International Contact (Minsk), Regional Press Association (Minsk), 

Programme goals:
The programme involving the media in Belarus was launched in 1995. The programme’s main goal was supporting the independent regional and local press. Simultaneously, it allowed us to work with various types of cultural, social and historical periodicals. 

Within the framework of the programme, a grant competition was conducted in four categories:
1. The local registered press (published regularly)
2. The non-registered press 
3. Cultural-social periodicals 
4. NGO bulletins 

1. The local registered press (published regularly)
The greatest emphasis was placed on supporting the local press. Working jointly on this project with the Belarusian Regional Press Association, we placed a priority on those newspapers that were in the process of establishing their place on the local press market. During the course of the year, we distributed 17 grants for newspapers and 12 grants were awarded (distributed in 2002). 

2. The non-registered press 
Until 2000, we considered support for non-registered newspapers as a priority in our activities. As a result, a large number of local non-registered publications and bulletins were established in the country (more than 300 in 2001). In 2001, we supported 16 of these publications simultaneously informing them that we were interested in seeing them become professional, registered newspapers. 

3. Social-cultural periodicals.
Periodicals have always had an important place in our grant-allocation activity. We distributed 6 grants for periodicals and simultaneously awarded a further 8 grants, which were distributed in 2002. As can be seen, the significance of these periodicals in our programmes is increasing. 

4. NGO bulletins
In the category of NGO bulletins, which just two years ago was one of our priority focus areas, a decline in their significance is noted in our competition. In 2001, 20 bulletins received support, while none were supported in 2002, as the number of NGO bulletins is currently quite significant. As a result, we decided that it was more important to support only those projects with a particular significance for the third sector as a whole. 
We consider such publications as Treci Sektar in Grodno and The Bulletin of Viesna Association to be the most important.

We also conducted educational activity for publishers of independent newspapers. 
In May, we organised a meeting of all publishers of the independent local press in Belarus. The meeting had two goals: to discuss the participation and role of independent newspapers in regard to the upcoming election campaign as well as to assist in outlining the further plans and structural development of the Regional Press Association. The results of the meeting were extraordinary. In the course of the last year the community of publishers has been strongly consolidated. Newspapers began to organise joint reporting, organising information campaigns concerning the problems of Chernobyl and drug addition. They also were very active in covering the election campaign. 

We organised seminars in Belarus for local non-registered publications on how to write for the local community, simultaneously trying to impress on the participants the importance of registering and how be come self-financing. 

2. Support for Non-governmental Organisations in Belarus
(Assistance in VYBIRAJ mobilisation campaign).

Sponsor: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Partial co-sponsor: Open Society Institute
Grant: 200,000 USD (Mott), 52,968 USD (OSI)
Partners: International Contact (Minsk), Assembly of Democratic Non-governmental Organisations in Belarus, Belarusian Association of Resource Centres (BARC) 

SUPPORT FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS DURING THE ELECTIONS.

Meeting of co-ordinators of the main campaigns of Belarusian non-governmental organisations with donors – April 2001. 

The meeting was organised in co-operation with Freedom House.
Donors were given an opportunity to see who is doing what and how the work of the individual campaigns should be delegated and consolidated as well as to see their projects in the broader context of NGO activity. 
As a result of the meeting EEDC – IDEE began co-operation with the information centre of the “Vybiraj!” campaign – BARC News. We decided to primarily support the “Vybiraj!” campaign. 

Service for Non-governmental organisations and groups engaged in the 2001 elections. 

Visits of Belarusians to Warsaw. 

The number of Belarusians visiting Poland last year was huge. Our office served as a resource centre for Belarusian organisations. An average of 5 people from Belarus visited our office daily. While we did not record the exact number of guests who received support in our office during this period, we did record that 707 people were provided overnight accommodations in our apartment designated for this purpose.

Support for THE ELECTION / MOBILISATION CAMPAIGN Projects.
Our activities were focused on four NGO election campaign projects:

The Information Service of the “Vybiraj!" Campaign.
The Analytical Group of the “Vybiraj!" Campaign.
The Legal Group. 
The Election Analytical Centre.

Grant competition for NGOs.

IDEE’s grant competition, which now has an 8-year tradition, had never been organised in such difficult conditions. We expended substantial energy in developing appropriate security procedures. 

The competition was announced exclusively for the regions, however we did support several projects of small Minsk-based organisations that did not the possibility of obtaining financing from other donors.

1. Identity of the project with a regional or local social need. Projects from small towns and villages were preferred.
2. Projects offering specific benefits to the community rather than the organisation itself (or its members) were preferred.
3. Projects with budgets not exceeding 1,500 USD were accepted. 
4. We decided not to award honoraria or salaries to youth groups.

Of the 470 applications received, we supported 150 projects. Of this number, 11 had a national character (up to 5,000 USD); all others had a local character.

Distribution of equipment to local non-governmental organisations. 

The jury decided that each region would receive 4,000 USD for equipment. The principle was adopted that regions that had no equipment at all would have priority. In this way, we focused on the less developed regions. In June, the Belarusian authorities began confiscating the office equipment of various non-governmental organisations. Therefore, it was decided to purchase the equipment only after the elections. 

Co-ordinating the activities of foreign organisations in Belarus.

We wanted to establish co-operation among the NOS Foundation (Slovakia), GONG (Croatia), the “Otpor” movement (Serbia) as well as several organisations in Ukraine and Azerbaijan. The main partner was the Ukrainian Elections Committee. With funds provided by OSI, in January 2001 we arranged to have the representatives of these organisations come to Belarus. 

Due to the intensive nature of the election-related campaigns, we adjusted the principles of the “East-East Co-operation” Programme. We decided to support the activity of Lithuanian and Ukrainian non-governmental organisations in Belarus, to designate funds to promote contacts between these countries as well as to launch co-operation-oriented projects, not directly connected with the elections.
We supported more than one dozen local projects involving co-operation among Belarusian and Ukrainian groups. 

During the course of 2001, we travelled three times to Lithuania and invited Lithuanians to the Centres for Pluralism meeting in April. Our work was focused on co-operating with two organisations: the Human Rights Association and the Baltic – American Co-operation Fund. We organised a working visit for members of various Lithuanian non-governmental organisations to promote the idea of co-operation with Belarus. 

Afterwards, we began various local projects of co-operation between Vilnius-based organisations and NGOs based in regions neighbouring Lithuania. These projects were conducted due to support from the Baltic – American Co-operation Fund. 

Assumed and achieved results of the project. 

As a result of the project, more than 150 local initiatives received funding with grants of up to 1,500 USD. Of these initiatives, 95 projects directly involved the mobilisation campaign or the monitoring of the elections. 

Computer hardware was distributed to 39 local non-governmental organisations. 

The main goal of the project was to support non-governmental organisations during the election period in preparing and conducting civic campaigns. This goal was achieved. Simultaneously, through these activities we were able to improve the general structures of NGOs and increase the experiences of non-governmental organisations in working with society. 

The election campaign was an unusually difficult experience for leaders of NGOs. It was noted that the majority of society does not accept the non-democratic regime, but that it also has a completely difficult interpretation of the social and economic situation in the country than that of the NGO activists. The problem of finding a common language for dialog with society as well as preparing projects more closely connected with it is now much better understood by all third sector leaders in Belarus. 

3. Programme for Teachers 

Sponsor: Open Society Institute, Polish – American Freedom Foundation – RITA Programme 
Grants:
Open Society Institute –Paris (grant received by the Stefan Batory Foundation)
Polish – American Freedom Foundation - RITA- 12,500 USD,
Teacher seminars within the framework of the Open Society Institute project -52.968 USD
Partners: Stefan Batory Foundation – Forum of Central and Eastern Europe, “Supolnasc” Civil Society Centre (Minsk), 
Partners in RITA project: The St. Maksymilian Kolbe Reconciliation and Meeting House (Gdańsk),
Integration Club of Activists from Lublin, “Together to Europe” Association (Bielsko Biała)


This project has a long-term character and is being conducted in three stages:
1. initial stage – conducted in Belarus during 2000-2001;
2. working visits to Poland – conducted last year;
3. individual programme of internships for selected Belarusian teachers in Poland – to be conducted this year.

The goal of this project is supporting teachers in small towns and villages across Belarus who are using various extramural methods of working with children and young people. We want to enrich and develop their skills, methods of work and professional contacts in order that their work become more effective and attractive. 

The project was established to support the individual efforts of many teachers across Belarus so that, through them, initiatives also reach children and young people, ensuring them an attractive high quality alternative education. The project ensures support for the creation of a network of contacts between engaged circles of teachers. 

The project assumes the future further commitment of the teachers and their programmes within the framework of activities of the existing network of non-governmental organisations in Belarus, which will ensure teachers the possibility of benefiting from the organisational, technical and informational infrastructure of NGOs.

The target group of this project is approximately 1200 teachers, selected as a result of training programmes for teachers conducted by EEDC – IDEE and other partner organisations. As a result of the project, thousands of children and young people across Belarus are now participating in events organised by teachers and parents. 

I. Seminars for teachers.

1. Identification and selection of teachers.
- The database was used as the basis to prepare the selection of teachers to participate in the seminars;
- Selection criteria were based on four points:
· degree of engagement (i.e., in extracurricular activity with children and young people, co-operation with NGOs);
· desire and ability to learn;
· possibility of employing knowledge obtained during training;
· recommendations from other teachers and NGOs.
The database currently contains the names of 1000 teachers who meet the above criteria. This list is continually updated.

2. Organisation of seminars.
Within the framework of the OSI project, 6 basic level seminars were held in Belarus.

Issues and topics of the basic seminars 
- organisation of working in groups;
- organisation of work in the classroom; 
- team building;
- learning techniques;
- psychological basis of learning;
- system of values and grounds for the adopted system of values;
- phases of team development;
- game and toy techniques
- the use of games and toys in the learning process;
- principles of evaluation;
- techniques that the teacher can use to self-evaluate lessons conducted and grades issued;

Based on the reports of trainers and local organisers as well as the reports of the teachers, the seminars organised by EEDC – IDEE filled a real need. This results for several reasons.
First, in Belarus, where almost 90% of the media is controlled by the state, these seminars were one of the few, if not the only source of information and knowledge concerning democracy, teaching democracy in schools, widening education on the topic of the third sector (its structure, roles and possibilities of self-realisation through NGOs). Such knowledge does not easily reach small towns and villages. Simultaneously, it appears that the impact of this information is stronger and deeper when the trainer shares the information through the medium of a seminar. There are two reasons for this: first, seminars provide the opportunity for direct contact among the participants and secondly, the teachers can see that they are not alone.
Second, it would appear that teachers and caregivers in Belarus have lost the foundation on which their image and professional self-evaluation was previously based (their monthly salaries are among the lowest in the country). Therefore, teachers receive almost no tangible gratification for their work for which they are exposed to continuous warnings from the state authorities not to stray from the school programme. Simultaneously, they are the object of successive decrees and directives of the Lukashenko regime. 
Therefore, with the new knowledge and skills, these seminars made them feel needed and able to conduct extramural lessons.
Third, the project ensures teachers access to knowledge concerning the latest teacher methods.

II. Working visits to Poland. 

The second part of the project is addressed to teachers in small towns and villages across Belarus, who are conducting various forms of extracurricular activities with children and young people. This portion of the project ensures them the possibility of improving their skills and teaching methods and provides an opportunity for individual development and progress. The project is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of teaching, making it more attractive (engaging) and improving the local community’s attitude to it. 
Six working visits (10 participants in each group) and six internships (2 people in each round) have already been organised. The participants of the working visits were selected among teachers trained by qualified trainers within the framework of the initial stage of the project (described above). 
The selection criteria is presented below:
- degree of engagement (i.e., in extracurricular activity with children and young people, co-operation with NGOs);
- recommendations from other teachers and NGOs;
- desire to learn;
- the participation of the teacher and the teacher’s activity during the basic seminar (participation in lessons, openness, education, personal character).
In accordance with expectations, the project should:
- have an influence on the quality of teaching, both in and out of school, through adapting professional skills and knowledge of the teacher;
- create the optimal atmosphere for the further professional development of teachers through the creation of a network making the exchange of information and skills possible;
- lead to the establishment of contacts between teachers and non-governmental organisations in Belarus (with benefits for both sides) and subsequently to creating the basis for joint, local campaigns addressed to students, their parents and possibly to educational officials as well. 
All of the mentioned goals were met. 
This project also exerted some influence on schools and non-governmental organisations engaged in education in Poland. It helped in establishing personal contacts and a free flow of information concerning the situation in both countries. The visits of the Belarusian teachers to Polish institutions repeatedly attracted the attention of local government and the media. Both parties, the Belarusian and Polish teachers, agreed that this project was valuable and will result in further direct contacts.


Activity within the framework of the RITA Programme

Within the framework of this programme, we are conducting basic and advanced seminars. Internships in Poland and working visits were proposed to individuals who participated in our training. 
Seminars in Belarus:
Seminars were organised in Belarus with the participation of Belarusian trainers schooled in Poland and Germany. The seminars were conducted on two levels.

Internships for teachers in Poland.
Within the framework of the teacher programme, we conducted internships for teachers selected from among the participants of the first group of seminars.
The primary purpose in organising the internships was showing how to use active methods of working with children and young people and introduce the extracurricular activities undertaken by teachers in Poland. The internships involved visiting Polish primary and secondary schools (public and private) as well as pre-schools and institutions engaged in training and teaching, in youth centres as well as institutions conducting training programmes for teachers and educating social activists and leaders. We also showed the interns facilities for children with special needs. 

We tried to adapt the programme of internships and visits to each group. The basic plan was based on meetings that provided a broad and multifaceted picture of the Polish educational situation. The meetings were conducted in:
- elementary schools;
- junior high schools;
- high schools;
- technical schools;
- educational centres;
- educational organisations.

This year, in projects conducted within the framework of the teacher programme, 284 people were trained in basic-level seminars and 89 people in advanced seminars. Moreover, 12 people were accepted for 1-week internships. Detailed data is presented in table number 1.


4. Training Trainers for Non-governmental Organisations

Sponsor: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Grant: 100,000 USD
Project duration: 1 June 2001 – 31 May 2003
Partners: Belarusian Association of Resource Centres (BARC), International Contact (Minsk), Education for Democracy Foundation (Warsaw).


The goal of the project was to create a team of trainers that could conduct training for local leaders of non-governmental organisations and teachers as well as prepare a new programme of training sessions, handbooks and publications. The trainer’s team will be part of the Belarusian Association of Resource Centres.
The backbone of the future trainer’s team will be based on current NGO leaders. 
Another goal of the project is to transfer knowledge to the resource centres involving the following topics:
• The role of NGOs in a civic society
• The operating principles of democratic institutions, structures of democratic organisations
• Leadership skills (understanding group dynamics, leadership styles, sharing leadership)
• Planning the activity of an organisation
• Conducting meetings (rules of order, chairing a meeting, how to prepare a pronouncement, conflict resolution)
• Selection of members of an association, working with volunteers
• basics of negotiating (styles of negotiating, principles of negotiation, obligations of the negotiating group)

The establishment of the trainer’s team will continue two years.

Four seminars for 104 people were conducted. 


1. Ukrainian Programme

Sponsor: Poland-America-Ukraine Co-operation Initiative (PAUCI)
A portion of funds originated from Charles Stewart Mott Foundation programme
PAUCI grant: 5,369 USD 

The beginning of our work in Ukraine was quite difficult. As having a good understanding of the local situation and targeting local needs have the highest priority in our work, initial activities were was preceded by working visits to the country. 

Working visits to Ukraine in 2001.

In 2001, representatives of the Association made three working visits to Ukraine, which covered 15 regions of northern Ukraine. The purpose of the visits was to evaluate the situation and needs of non-governmental organisations, the educational community and the independent press. 
Meetings organised during these trips primarily involved representatives of the journalist community, teachers, politicians, people working with non-governmental organisations (mainly young people) as well as opinion formers. 

As a result of our trips, we developed principles and conceptions of work. We have currently developed one project for non-governmental organisations that has received funding. This project supports youth groups in 8 regions of Ukraine. It will be conducted in 2002.
In addition, contacts were established with Ukrainian partners, which proposed a project to us for press publishers in the regions. 

Project: Effective Management of Print Media.
Sponsor: Poland-America-Ukraine Co-operation Initiative (PAUCI).
Main grant recipient: Polish-Ukrainian Club of Journalists “Without Prejudice” (Kiev).
Project duration: 1 September 2001 – 1 April 2002 – project is in progress.

Project goals and tasks.
The basic goal of the project is raising the qualifications and professionalism of social and political newspaper editors. Seminars will be conducted in order to transfer the experiences of Polish newspapers in terms of their advertising and promotional effectiveness as well as transfer knowledge concerning the effective newspaper management. The long-term goal is assisting Ukrainian social and political newspapers become financially independent. 

The project’s target group is editors of local and national newspapers as well as journalists involved in marketing and promotion. 

Activity conducted within the framework of the project.
Within the framework of the project, we conducted two seminars for employees of regional and national publications, in which a total of 26 people participated. Topics of the 3-day seminar were:
- advertising;
- promotion;
- subscription/ distribution.
The lecturers were journalists and employees of Polish media outlets.

Within the framework of the continuing project, two seminars were held for journalists and editors from the national press (10 people) and from the regional press (16 people). Preparations are currently underway for internships in Poland for 6 people from the national press and 10 people from the regional press. 


2. Information Programme

Does not have separate financing
Partial utilisation of funds from other programmes: National Endowment for Democracy, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Partners: publications were substantively prepared due to co-operation with a number of Belarusian partners, primarily “Diariusz” Social Association, Belarusian Association of Resource Centres (BARC), the journal “Arche,” the newspaper “Nasza Niva,” Contemporary Art Association (CAA)

The need to disseminate information concerning Belarus in Poland as well as knowledge concerning Polish experiences of systemic transformation was the origin of the idea of the information programme. 
Within the framework of the programme, several publications concerning Belarus were published in the Polish and English languages. Several other publications were prepared but have not yet been published.
Simultaneously, the idea arose to create an Internet web site promoting Belarus. This site as well as the web sites of the three partners should be launched in 2002. 

PUBLICATIONS 2001.

“Belarus – The Third Sector. People – Culture – Language.”
Preparations for publishing “Belarus – The Third Sector...”, edited by Marta Pejda and Paweł Kazanecki, began in spring 2001. This publication is a collection of texts authored by Belarusians. To some degree, it is the continuation of the special issue of the Institute for Democracy of Eastern Europe’s Newsletter, published in 1998. In the present publication, we attempted to cover more than the restrictive scope of topics connected with non-governmental organisations. It is rather a guide to independent life in Belarus, covering topics such as national minorities, the structure of the country’s religious beliefs, culture, education, the organisation of cultural life, etc. The publication is comprised of texts written by more than one dozen Belarusian authors, primarily representatives of the young and middle generations, as well as a CD-ROM with an interactive database of Belarusian non-governmental organisations prepared by the Belarusian Association of Resource Centres (BARC). Texts devoted to September’s presidential election are an important part of the publication. The disk also contains the above-mentioned first edition of the book “Belarus – The Third Sector” and the current edition in electronic form. 

“The Political System of Belarus and the 2001 Presidential Election.”
In 2001, the first collective work of the Analytical Group, a group formed in Minsk under the leadership of Valery Bulhakau, was prepared. This is a group of young independent Belarusian academicians and intellectuals primarily engaged in the humanities: sociology, political science, history, international relations and economics. In proposing to finance a specific type of publication, our Association contributed to inspiring the collection of texts devoted to the current social and political situation in Belarus.
This publication is unusually important for two reasons. First, as mentioned above, it is the initial work of the Analytical Group, an interesting informal (non-registered and deprived the status of an organisation) academic centre, the further plans of which involve articles, analyses and publications in the fields of sociology and political science. The book “The Political System in Belarus and the 2001 Presidential Election,” accounting for the first independent professional effort at a comprehensive summary of the 1990s in Belarus, is another important fact. More than 20 young academicians participated in the preparation of materials, of which the texts of just over one dozen were selected for inclusion in the book. 

“pARTisan”
Following almost one year of preparations, the first issue of “pARTisan” was published. The magazine is devoted to modern Belarusian art. 
„pARTisan” is a comprehensive and modern (in every sense) magazine devoted to various aspects of the independent art scene in Belarus. Artur Klinau, the founder and chairman of the independent Modern Art Association (MAA), developed the magazine’s concept and programme text. Mr. Klinau is also one of the most interesting and most well known Belarusian artists. This is the only magazine of its kind on the Belarusian market and due to its exceptionally professional graphics and the high substantive level of the texts; it could serve as an example for many Eastern European artistic publications. The more than one dozen texts about the most interesting aspects of Belarusian art in the 1990s were written by the most respected Belarusian art critics and theorists. 


7. Cultural Programme

Co-operation with the Institute of Belarusian Culture.

In 2001, we organisationally assisted the Institute of Belarusian Culture (IBC) several times, as it is not yet a registered organisation and, in connection with this, it cannot officially act as an organiser of events and grantee nor have a permanent registered office. As a result of providing assistance in these areas, IBC evening were organised at the Architects Club (rock concert, new year’s eve party). 

Foreign travel for Belarusian artists.

In 2001, several times we supported the participation of well-known Belarusian artists in international seminars, festivals and exhibitions. This assistance consisted in paying the travel costs to Poland and from Poland to Belarus. 
In summer 2001 this type of assistance was granted to three Minsk-based artists: Olga Sazykina, Artur Klinau and Andriej Savicki as well as to the art critic Denis Romanovski, who was invited by Kulturhuset in Stockholm to participate in the “Money” art festival. In August 2001, Olga Sazykina and Eulalia Domanowska participated within the framework of the seminar for artists working in paper in Duszniki-Zdrój: Ms. Sazykina presented her works and the technique in which she works; Ms. Domanowska prepared a lecture and slide show on modern Belarusian art. 
We assisted in establishing contacts between the Warsaw artistic community and the curators of the Minsk Festival of Performance Art “Navinki”, Viktar Piatrou and Denis Romanovski.

In the second half of September 2001 we organised travel arrangements of the Minsk-based artist and designer Vitali Levchenia to the 1st Contemporary Art Biennial in Tirana, a prestigious festival featuring the most well-known artists and curators in the world. 

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