SPF Human Rights and Democracy Fund

Examples of current or complete projects include:

• Improvement of legal environment for free and independent journalism project. Project aims to improve legal practice and legal norms directly regulating content of journalistic expression, and harmonization of those practices and laws to European standards (Media Rights Institute, 2008-10);
• Enhancing freedom of expression and Media Capacity in Azerbaijan. Project aims at strengthening freedom of expression in Azerbaijan through advocacy for legal reform, in particular abolition of criminal defamation, and capacity building of the media (Article 19, 2009-10);
• Attraction of women and young people to the process of decision making for the protection of human rights. Project aims to empower youth and women of Azerbaijan’s regions to actively take part at the 2009 municipal elections and solution of local problems. (Association of Protection of Women Rights after D. Aliyeva, 2009-10);
•  Improvement of penitentiary system through the effective use of UN mechanisms of protection of human rights (LEPU, 2009-10);
• Youth Fund. Project aims at creating opportunities for youth-led groups to address social needs, participate as active citizens in their communities and develop professional governance  and management skills through capacity building exercises and practical experience operating a small grants programme that directly supports youth-led initiatives (Eurasia Partnership Foundation, 2005-07, Stage 2, 2007-09 through SPF EIWG);

SPF Reuniting Europe

Examples of current or complete projects include:

• Technical Assistance in strategic planning, financial management and community participation for municipalities and their communities in Azerbaijan. Project aimed at increasing the capacity of the government, municipal councils and NGOs as well as improving the level of financial accountability and transparency of local municipal councils to their local communities by creating and practicing a officially recognized training programme in strategic planning, financial management and community participation. (British Council, 2005-06);
• Raising the role of media in promoting accountable and transparent government: journalists as monitors. Project aimed at improving the capacity and increasing professionalism of central and regional media in the effective monitoring of central and local government activities. (British Council, 2007-08);
• Corporate Governance and Transparency as a Challenge for Azerbaijani Businesses. Project aimed at promoting economic transparency and broader private sector development. (Transparency Azerbaijan, 2005 – 07);
• Enhancing access to information, transparency and public participation in decision-making. Project aims at improving Azerbaijani citizens’ access to information and promoting transparency and public participation in decision-making (Article 19, Yeni Nesil, and Media Rights Institute, 2008-10);

Conflict Prevention Pool

Examples of current or complete projects include:

• Caucasus Conflict Prevention Reporting and Journalism Training. Project aimed to bridge conflict divides, foster cross-regional reporting and increase an appreciation of human rights as a prerequisite for building a strong civil society (IWPR, 2005-06);
• Human Security in the South Caucasus. Project aimed at raising public awareness of human security needs and solutions in the South Caucasus and to present and promote measures, which will enhance human security, to the principle political actors in the region. (Caucasus Policy Institute, King’s College London, 2006-07);
• Economy and Conflict. Project aimed at creating permanent, economic based, confidence-building mechanisms across and within the societies of the South Caucasus (International Alert, 2006-08);
• The World of Conflicts. Project aimed at production of a series of documentaries on conflicts in modern world (Internews, 2007-08);
• Consortium Initiative (Underpinning the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution process): Civil Society & Conflict Sensitive Development/Policy Strands. Project aimed at developing two strands: Civil Society and Policy Strands. Civil Society strand included: confidence building events, joint initiatives, public discussions, weekly round-tables across conflict divide. Policy strand included: conduct of research to develop a policy paper for discussions at meetings and roundtables with targeted international actors in national capitals and at least one multilateral forum (International Alert, 2007-08);
• Consortium Initiative(Underpinning the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution process): Media strand. Project aimed at concentrating on the media and public awareness strands of the Consortium Initiative. (Conciliation Resources, 2007-08);

Bilateral Project Budget:

Examples of current or complete projects include:

• Summer camp for the children with special needs (Origami, summer of 2006);
• Public control over municipality finance. Project aimed at setting up a Public Control Commission with the participation of residents of the selected municipalities and other stakeholders to ensure the transparency in budgeting and to increase accountability of municipalities (Local Governance Assistance, 2006);
• Regional Forum Theatre. Project’s purpose was creating mutual understanding between young people in the South Caucasus and UK by providing an opportunity for young people of age 18-30  to share their experience in forum theatre techniques with primal focus on conflict and gender equality (British Council, 2006);
• Art exhibition for mine security under the motto “Give us the world without the war”. Project aim was to raise the children’s awareness about the danger of mines in two frontline districts (Azerbaijan Children’s Organization, 2006);
• Organization of more effective activity of NGOs, communities and resources centres in civil society building process. Project purpose: to attain more effective activity of NGOs, communities and public resource centers in the field of civil of society building in the western regions of Azerbaijan (Bilik, 2006-07);
•  Legal aid to uneducated and poverty stricken women in order to provide assistance to restore their violated rights in the courts. Project aimed at providing legal aid to uneducated and low income women to help the in protecting their rights (family and property) at the courts in the process of divorce, explaining them their constitutional rights (Regional Legal and Economic Enlightenment, 2006-07);
• Monitoring of court procedures, assistance of civil society and mass media in establishment of independent court systems. Project aimed to form a mechanism to allow the civil society  to influence the establishment of the independent judicial system (Institute for Peace and Democracy, 2006-07);
• Juvenile Alternatives. Project aimed at introduction of effective community alternatives to custody for juveniles. (Children’s Legal Centre, 2006-07);
• Documentary on the history of censorship in Azerbaijan. Project aimed at producing a documentary  about the history of the censorship in the media through the twentieth  century up to now (ANS TV, 2007);
• Legal Clinic project aiming at supporting the activities of the legal clinic established at the Western University to provide free legal services to disadvantageous people (Western University, 2007);
• Independent news digest. Project aimed to cover the costs of production and distribution of an independent media digest compiled from independent media sources, including Eurasianet, Radio Free Europe, VoA, BBC, etc. (National Democratic Institute, 2007);
• Children’s Rights Legal Centre. Project aimed at establishment of a legal clinic for the children, and training the students of the legal faculties to provide the legal services to the children, their parents or advisers. (Reliable Future,  2007-08);
•  Strengthening co-operation between municipalities and citizens in solution of local problems. Project aimed at initiating co-operation between municipalities and citizens through public awareness (Democracy Learning, 2007);
• Enlightenment of real values of Islam. Project aimed to discuss the role of Islam in Azerbaijani society (Association of Protection of Women Rights after Dilara Aliyeva, 2007-08);
• Radio programme – Religion and Democracy. Project aimed at organizing a series of dialogues (Radio Liberty Europe)  between the representatives of various religious communities, theology scientists, media and NGOs, government officials on religion and human rights (Inam Pluralism Centre, 2008);
• Systemized analyses of the obligations in the National Action Plan on the Protection of human rights and provision of the feedback to the relevant organization. Project aimed at monitoring the implementation of the specific part of the Action plan. (Oilers Rights Protection Organization, 2008);
• Establishment of women’s development centre. The project aim was to establish the fully equipped centre providing services to women organizations including training facilities, library, web-site on publications on gender studies and women rights. (Women Association for Rational Development, 2008);
• Human Rights and Mass media monitoring in Nakhchivan. Project aims at observation and reporting of the human rights and media freedom situation in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety. 2008-09);
• Electoral Process improvement: 2008 Presidential Elections. Project aimed at improving electoral practice and encouraging people to take more active role in elections (Election Monitoring Centre, 2008);
• Joyful Summer – organization of a summer camp for children with special care needs. Project aimed at assisting the rehabilitation of the children with special needs residing in Surakhani district of Baku (Origami, summer of 2008);
• Domestic Election Observation. Project aimed at increasing public control over the elections through the conduct of domestic election observation of 2008 elections. (Election Monitoring Centre, 2008);
• Religious (Mullah) marriages and women rights. Project aimed at discussing the problem of early marriages, reasons causing to this, and potential threats that the early marriages can cause to young women and their children (Solidarity Among Women, 2008-09);
• Training Video. Project aimed at helping the Central Election Commission meet its international commitments on elections. IFES provided technical assistance to the CEC by developing a training video covering election Day procedures to train the Precinct Election Commission members to carry out their duties through training videos. (IFES, 2008);
• Public awareness on Constitutional changes. Project aims at raising the public awareness on amendments suggested to the Constitution (Law and Development, 2009);
• Media Monitoring of Referendum. Project aims at monitoring Media during the pre-referendum campaigning period. (IRFS, 2009);