- Program Civil Society
- Program Area Special Initiatives
- Grant Amount $50,000
- Grant Period July 1, 2005–June 30, 2007
- Location Belgrade, Serbia
- Geographic Focus Montenegro, Serbia
About this grant
The success of democracy in the Western Balkans depends upon its ability to address the past. Unresolved issues of blame, responsibility, acknowledgement and justice regarding the conflicts during the 1990s deeply divide societies and communities along ethnic and national lines and complicate the democratization process. The Youth Initiative for Human Rights works to raise public awareness about the facts and circumstances surrounding the conflicts, advocates for justice for the victims of war crimes and human rights abuses, and promotes accountability on the part of the government and governmental agencies.Multiyear funding will enable the initiative to focus on building the capacity of young people to address past abuses and increase dialogue among young people from all sides of the conflicts. Activities will include organizing workshops and public debates with legal experts, witnesses and victims; encouraging awareness of specific atrocities committed during the conflicts; visiting family members of victims in Kosovo and Serbia and Montenegro; researching individual cases of human rights violations, and where appropriate, engaging legal representation for victims; and conducting eight workshops and seminars to increase human rights awareness among young people.The institute was established in late 2003 to foster conditions for reconciliation in Serbia and Montenegro and the broader region by responsibly and effectively dealing with the region’s past.