We will support four civil society organisations to, together with us and with Human Rights Action (HRA), contribute to the fight against the worrying trend of narrowing civic participation space in Montenegro.
Through the project ‘’Voice Your Rights! – Expanding Space for Free Assemblies”, Institute Alternative and the Human Rights Action will contribute to the development of democracy and a greater degree of respect for fundamental human freedoms by improving the environment for the enjoyment of the right to freedom of assembly.
In the achievement of this aim, we will be supported by civil society organisations from Montenegro whose projects were rated as the best of the 12 submitted to the Small Grants Contest.
Five-member Evaluation Commission, composed of representatives of the IA and HRA, as well as two external experts who are human rights activists from the region,rated the following four projects as the best:
1. “Professional Reporting on Public Assemblies”, NGO Media Center;
2. “Journalists for Freedom of Assembly”, Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro;
3. “Freedom of Assembly between Local Self-government and the Constitution of Montenegro”, Center for Civil Liberties”;
4. “Freedom of Assembly of LGBTQ persons at the Local Level”, LGBTQ Social Center.
The total support for these four projects, provided by Institute Alternative with the help of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, amounts to 34,190 euros, while the individual value of the projects amounts from 6,000 to 10,000 euros.
The civil society organisations that we have supported, will carry out projects in Budva, Podgorica, Nikšić and Pljevlja, and all of the projects will last six months. The project’s target groups are the media, members of the LGBTQ community, civil society organisations, representatives of institutions, primarily the police, and Montenegrin citizens.
For organisations whose projects are supported, in addition to financial support, a capacity development program is provided in the area of project management and monitoring the enjoyment of the right to freedom of assembly.
We thank to all of the organisations that applied for the Call and we want to praise all the received project proposals which, due to limited budget funds, we couldn’t support this time.
Organising and participating in public assemblies is a human right that gives a voice to those who don’t have access to the legislative institutions or don’t have their representatives in them, as well as to those who have little or no opportunity to express their opinion, publicly or through the media. Also, the right to peaceful assembly can play a significant role in strengthening support for reforms and changes or expressing dissatisfaction of them. In most cases, people’s peaceful assemblies are the most direct attempt to influence governments and institutions and expressing opinions about local and national policies.
Project ‘’Voice Your Rights! – Expanding Space for Free Assemblies” is being implemented by Institute Alternative, in partnership with Human Rights Action and supported by European Union through the Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, Program for Montenegro 2018. The content in no way reflects the views of European Union.
