SERBIA: APPLICATION FOR FY 2009 PRM JULIA V. TAFT FUND TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000464 DEPT FOR PRM/JOHNSON SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM SR SUBJECT: SERBIA: APPLICATION FOR FY 2009 PRM JULIA V. TAFT FUND TO CREATE WOMEN'S INFO CENTER FOR FEMALE IDPS REF: STATE 14280 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Embassy Belgrade proposes granting $20,000 of the FY 2009 PRM Julia V. Taft Fund for Refugees toward the creation of a Women's Info Center for female IDPs in a selected municipality in Serbia (Obrenovac or Smederevo). The project fills a critical gap in assistance to female internally displaced persons in Serbia that is not already being addressed by UNCHR, other international organizations or non-governmental organizations that are already receiving USG funds. Post has chosen female IDPs as a target group since they present more than 50% of the total IDP population in Serbia. End summary. PROJECT DESCRIPTION -------------- ¶2. Post recommends funding a project proposed by the Balkan Center for Migration (BCM) to enable female IDPs in the selected municipality (Obrenovac or Smederevo) in Serbia create a Women's Info Center that will help empower female IDPs in the community. ¶3. Before forming the Center, BCM will educate the beneficiaries on equal opportunity rights in Serbian society, improve their business skills, and raise awareness of domestic violence. BCM will build the capacity of female IDPs by organizing them into citizens' associations and preparing them for life in a professional (business or NGO) environment. A Women's Info Center will have two female IDPs hired as field officers, as part time BCM employees. Furthermore, BCM will twice a month provide pro bono legal assistance to this population regarding women's rights, working relation, property issue etc. ACTIVITIES -------------- ¶4. During a six month period, 30 female IDPs will be targeted by the project that will: a) Improve their skills through three-month courses: -Internet Technology usage, information research and retrieval for the women's needs, and basic use of Microsoft Word and Excel; -Lecturing about women's right from legal and social aspect (including domestic violence); -Introduction to income generation and small-business set-up and operation, and NGO creation, organization and management. b) Provide them with the technical assistance for the creation of IDP associations in order to facilitate and improve access to information on jobs, business communities, civil rights, and women's rights for all female IDPs in the community. c) Provide them with the basic equipment that will, after the end of the project, remain the property of the IDP association and will be the info point for all female IDPs in the community. NGO BACKGROUND -------------- ¶5. The Balkan Center for Migration and Humanitarian Activities (BCM) is a local NGO established in 2003 that works on the provision of free legal aid to refugees and IDPs in the areas of property repossession, employment, pension, status rights and provision of documentation. Since September 2005, BCM has been a partner in BPRM/CRS funded project dealing with provision of free legal aid to refugees and IDPs. BCM is also partner in the UNDP and Serbian Ministry for Justice-funded project "Creating an Effective and Sustainable Free Legal Aid System in Serbia;" in the CRS-funded project "Capacity building of IDP and refugee youth in non official collective centers in Serbia," and in the UNHCR-funded project "Legal Assistance, Information and Counseling to Internally Displaced Persons from Kosovo." BCM carried out the project "Community Legal Info Board," a legal, informative and educational program related to civil society development, funded by posts's Democracy Commission. BCM operates from a Head Office in Belgrade and offices in Kraljevo and Novi Pazar. ¶6. Post will implement the project through Catholic Relief Services (CRS). CRS has agreed to implement the project without charging customary administrative fees, as a measure of their own commitment and contribution to the project. COMMENT -------------- BELGRADE 00000464 002 OF 002 ¶7. This project demonstrates USG commitment to address the social inclusion of refugees, IDPs and other vulnerable groups in need of protection. This effort is consistent with post's proposals in previous funding years. In FY 2008 we applied $20,000 of Ambassador's funding toward the installation of an elevator in the Home for the Elderly in Kucevo municipality. We were successfully able to leverage $25,000 in additional assistance for the facility from the Commissariat for Refugees of Republic of Serbia, Ministry for Labor and Social Policies and UNHCR Office Serbia. Catholic Relief Serves is implementing the project. End comment. MUNTER