SCiDEV

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania (BIRN Albania) in partnership with the Science for Innovation Development Centre, SCiDEV and Qendra Faktoje .al is announcing an open call for applications, offering grants to local journalists and researchers to produce research papers and in-depth analyses on media freedom and journalists’ safety in Albania. Learn more here and apply: https://lnkd.in/gJ6j9Ntx

Our #RYLMP Education and Employability Research Team: Advocates for long-term evaluation of career counseling and internships, ensuring these programs effectively support young people’s employability. Research in Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia shows concerns over career counseling and internships. Private university students report better support, while public university students face ineffective internships. Many students rely on personal networks, pointing to a need for stronger institutional help. Awareness of career counseling is also low. 📑 To explore the full publication click here: https://lnkd.in/g2tM8wB2 Support for this project is provided by Open Society Foundations. RYLMP is jointly implemented by Scidev, Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia and Младински образовен форум - МОФ / Youth Educational Forum -YEF. #RYLMP #rylmpfellow #policydisruptor #DataDrivenAdvocacy #ResearchforAdvocacy #youthempowerment #WesternBalkans #RegionalCooperation #SCiDEV #YHIR #YEF #OSF

Our #RYLMP Regional Cooperation Research Team I: Pushes for a media environment in Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia that supports democratic discourse, and for the adoption of #DSA and #EMFA standards. This advocacy report examines the challenges posed by disinformation in the context of European Union (EU) integration in Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia. In addition to being vulnerable to disinformation, these three countries face significant difficulties in ensuring and safeguarding media freedoms; efforts to improve the state of the media have not yet been fulfilled. 📑 To explore the full publication click here: https://lnkd.in/gj6Z8eJ4 🤝 Support for this project is provided by Open Society Foundations. 👉 RYLMP is jointly implemented by Scidev, Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia and Младински образовен форум - МОФ / Youth Educational Forum -YEF. #RYLMP #rylmpfellow #policydisruptor #DataDrivenAdvocacy #ResearchforAdvocacy #youthempowerment #WesternBalkans #RegionalCooperation #SCiDEV #YHIR #YEF #OSF

Our #RYLMP Migration and Brain Drain Research Team: Recommends comprehensive policies to improve quality of life, citizen engagement, and career support, to reduce brain drain across the region. This advocacy report examines the factors influencing outward migration among young people in Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia, and identifies the main sources shaping these perceptions. 📑 To explore the full publication click here: https://lnkd.in/gTh7YTqf Support for this project is provided by Open Society Foundations. RYLMP is jointly implemented by Scidev, Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia and Младински образовен форум - МОФ / Youth Educational Forum -YEF. #RYLMP #rylmpfellow #policydisruptor #DataDrivenAdvocacy #ResearchforAdvocacy #youthempowerment #WesternBalkans #RegionalCooperation #SCiDEV #YHIR #YEF #OSF

Our #RYLMP Youth Participation Research Team: Supports stronger student governments in North Macedonia, Serbia, and Albania, enhancing transparency, accountability, and active student involvement in higher education governance. Their advocacy report provides a comprehensive analysis of student perceptions and engagement in student governments in all three Western Balkan countries while examining the awareness, involvement, and perceptions of students about their representative bodies in universities. 📑 To explore the full publication click here: https://lnkd.in/g6n6Uj5A Support for this project is provided by Open Society Foundations. RYLMP is jointly implemented by Scidev, Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia and Младински образовен форум - МОФ / Youth Educational Forum -YEF. #RYLMP #rylmpfellow #policydisruptor #DataDrivenAdvocacy #ResearchforAdvocacy #youthempowerment #WesternBalkans #RegionalCooperation #SCiDEV #YHIR #YEF #OSF

💚 Our #RYLMP Green Transition Research Team: Advocates for incorporating green transition into educational curricula, building capacity, and fostering trust through transparent governance, aiming to engage young people meaningfully in policy processes. Climate change is a major concern and awareness among young people, with more than 80% understanding their relevance. Youth in Albania North Macedonia and Serbia share this concern demonstrating a regional grasp of environmental challenges. 📑 To explore the full publication click here: https://lnkd.in/g3J4Tjjw 🤝 Support for this project is provided by Open Society Foundations. 👉 RYLMP is jointly implemented by Scidev, Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia and Младински образовен форум - МОФ / Youth Educational Forum -YEF. #RYLMP #rylmpfellow #policydisruptor #DataDrivenAdvocacy #ResearchforAdvocacy #youthempowerment #WesternBalkans #RegionalCooperation #SCiDEV #YHIR #YEF #OSF

📢 Media Landscape – October 2024 Brief Released! Our latest Media Landscape Brief for October 2024 highlights critical developments in Albania’s media sector. Key points include: SafeJournalists Network recorded 6 new attacks on journalists and media organizations this month, raising the total to 37 in 2024. New initiatives for media freedom, including the EU-led structured dialogue. Publication of research on journalist safety, Anti-SLAPP laws, and foreign information manipulation. Updates regarding our engagement with stakeholders and collaborative efforts. Updates on policy and legislative developments. Stay informed and explore the full details in our October 2024 Media Brief: https://lnkd.in/gJaMWn24 #MediaFreedom #Albania #JournalistSafety #MediaBrief

On November 2nd, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, we reaffirm our commitment to media freedom and the safety of journalists in Albania as essential pillars of democracy, the rule of law, and civic space. Independent journalists working in the public interest, who hold those in power accountable, continue to face threats, pressures, and attacks that often go unpunished. In response, Albanian stakeholders are stepping up efforts to create a safer, more conducive environment for media freedom and journalist protection. Following our recent roundtable, we are sharing key public commitments to align Albania’s legal framework with European standards, particularly in implementing safeguards against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). We call on decision-makers to translate these commitments into concrete actions that protect journalists, and we urge the wider community to support quality journalism and demand transparency in the public interest. We stand in solidarity with independent journalists and remain dedicated to supporting their crucial work. #MediaFreedom #SafetyofJournalists #Albania

📢 SCiDEV on the European Commission’s 2024 Albania Report: Persistent Obstacles to Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists in Albania. The EC report draws on our data to highlight ongoing challenges in #MediaFreedom and #SafetyofJournalists and reiterates that any amendments to Albania’s legal framework must align with European standards and Venice Commission opinions and be subject to extensive consultations with media organisations and civil society based on a structured and inclusive dialogue. With an eye on future reforms, SCiDEV will continue to engage with national and European stakeholders to contribute to a conducive environment for journalism in the public interest. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g__nf9ZR #MediaFreedom #SafetyofJournalists #FreedomOfExpression #EUintegration #SCiDEV

In a joint effort, OBCT, SCiDEV, and IJAS presented findings on media freedom in Albania and Serbia, highlighting pressing issues such as disinformation, media ownership transparency, and threats to journalists. During the international webinar, experts discussed solutions to counter these challenges, from reinforcing journalistic independence to implementing effective media laws. Learn more about the event here: https://lnkd.in/gnBPji6i Read the Shadow Report here: https://lnkd.in/gwubZ-uE This publication and event are the result of activities carried out within the Media Freedom Rapid Response and within ATLIB - Transnational Advocacy for Freedom of Information in the Western Balkans, a project co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and implemented by OBTC in partnership with SCiDEV and IJAS. #MediaFreedom #RuleOfLaw #Democracy