Initiatives
Highlights
Our work
Since inception, EED has supported over 600 initiatives aimed at promoting democracy in the EU neighbourhood and beyond. This database provides an insight into the work of EED partners over the years. However, due to the sensitive nature of certain initiatives and personal security risks facing some grantees in the restrictive environments where they operate, not all initiatives are listed in the database.
-
Qendra Levizja Rinore per Demokraci Puke
Country: AlbaniaLevizja Rinore per Demokraci (Youth Movement for Democracy) operates in the rural town of Puka in northern Albania. Thanks to EED, they are developing a hub for young people to socialise, learn new skills and take part in activities such as book clubs, study sessions, and movie nights. They are also organising a girls scout group to empower young women living in a deeply patriarchal society, as well as workshops to promote environmental protection and cultural heritage.
Read more -
Hand to Hand Against Nation Apathy (HANA)
Country: AlbaniaHands to Hands Against Nation’s Apathy (HANA) is a youth organisation operating in the remote town of Lezhe, in an area facing large-scale societal apathy. They engage with young people, mostly from rural areas, and guide them towards becoming active citizens in their communities. EED’s support is providing them with a start-up grant that has enabled them to furnish and equip their centre, used as a common working space and a meeting place for young activists. The grant will also allow HANA to conduct workshops about journalism, community engagement, and art, as well as field trips and career guidance sessions for the youth.
Read more -
Albanian Centre for Quality Journalism
Country: AlbaniaThe media landscape in Albania lacks independence. Many existing media outlets are owned and influenced by political figures and business men. As a consequence, journalists and editors are prone to censorship and self-censorship. With EED’s support, the Albanian Centre for Quality Journalism (ACQJ) is establishing a training programme to train journalists on ‘Mobile Journalism’which could be used as a mean to circumvent the rigid media market and the systematic censorship. The initiative will consist of training and capacity building of journalists in the field of Mobile Journalism, whereby commissioning, production and publication of multimedia news items is also envisaged.
Read more -
Citizens Channel
Country: AlbaniaThe Citizens Channel (CC), was established in 2017 as a volunteer project led by a group of young, renowned journalism academics and professionals in Albania. This innovative media organisation aims to promote citizen engagement in generating media content and setting the news agenda. CC aim to inform citizens on issues that directly affect them, initiating public debates and encouraging the use of innovative ways of generating and disseminating media content.
Read more -
Lura Elezi
Country: AlbaniaAlbanian blogger Lura Elezi has been a public activist for the past 6 years. She writes about gender inequality, workplace conditions, regressive social and cultural norms, private sector abuse, environmental issues and many other topics, approaching them from a personalised angle, often with a humorous and satirical tone. EED’s support is allowing her to increase the volume of posts, improve the design of her blog, inviting guest writers to contribute, and ensure that important topics get addressed by mainstream media.
Read more -
Empowering Laralara blog, a one-of-a-kind feminist & progressive blog
Country: AlbaniaLaralara is a one- of-a-kind, witty, feminist blog that discusses social issues in Albania through the experiences of a young Albanian women blogger named Lure Elezaj. Often inspired by daily events, Lure’s writings identify issues in Albania, while also suggesting a way forward.
Read more -
Initiative for Impartial Journalism
Country: AlbaniaIn his 25 year long career as an investigative journalist, Ylli Pata has exposed several corruption scandals in Albania. EED’s grant will enable him to continue his work as a champion of change in the Albanian journalism landscape and to increase the production of his work.
Read more -
Maçoku i Zi (The Black Cat)
Country: AlbaniaEED’s support has allowed Sokol Shameti, a reputed intellectual and journalist in Tirana, to start a satirical website called Maçoku i Zi (The Black Cat), which publishes short satirical stories, op-eds, memes and cartoons, to encourage critical thinking in Albania’s public sphere. The initiative, which had been functioning as a social media page, was supported by EED in order to be established as a fully fledged online satirical magazine.
Read more -
Destil
Country: AlbaniaDestil Albania is a hostel and a café whose owners have invested a significant share of their profits to develop a creative space that hosts discussions, exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and other creative events. The place has become strongly associated with civil society and the artistic community in Tirana. With EED’s support, they have started live-streaming events and producing interviews and other video content about freedom of expression, activism and political reform, in order to reach a wider audience beyond the capital. In spite of the serious problems faced by them due to the lack of rule of law in Albania, which has caused significant delays, Destil is expected to resume their activities in Autumn 2020.
Read more