Bosnian Human Rights Law Group

About this grant

The goal of Global Rights’ Bosnian Human Rights Law Group is to encourage public participation in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s newly established democratic institutions by building the capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The project provides expertise and technical assistance to coalitions of local NGOs working on major issues facing Bosnian society.Multiyear funding will enable Global Rights to build the capacity of local partners in preparation for the closing of its office and program in Bosnia. Activities will include developing their skills in critical areas such as coalition building, using the media as an advocacy tool, and initiating meetings and hearings at the parliamentary level; strengthening their capacity for managing, fundraising and coordinating successful human rights and legal advocacy initiatives; building sustainable organizational structures; developing a communications strategy; and conducting an evaluation of the process.Accomplishments during the past eight years included training thousands of lawyers to use the European Convention and Dayton human rights mechanisms to conduct individual human rights cases in Bosnian courts; helping Bosnian NGOs contribute to the creation of legislation; assisting Bosnian NGOs and issue-based coalitions in developing advocacy campaigns; promoting individual human rights protection; and organizing lawyers to address the human rights standards that need to be applied to trafficking.