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Medienhilfe Ex-JugoslawienProfessionelle
Solidarität gegen Nationalismus und Chauvinismus
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REPORT ON THE REALISATION OF THE URGENT SUPPORT TO MEDIA PARTNERS IN KOSOV@April-July 1999 PROJECT DESCRIPTIONOn March 24 and 25, all media in Albanian language in Pristina were robbed and demolished by paramilitary units. Among others our partners – Koha ditore, Media Project – Pristina and Zeri. The Koha’s night guard was killed. Editors, journalists and technical staff of these media were forced to go into underground in order to save their lives. Some were hiding somewhere in Kosov@ during the whole time of the bombardments. Some were victims of the terror perpetrated by police and paramilitary machinery. Fortunately, most of them managed to escape out of Kosov@ and were refugees in Macedonia. Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien was from the very first day of the NATO bombardments in contact with its partners in Pristina. However, the lines broke after a few days. Still, we managed to find ways to trace them and renew and keep contact with them immediately after they had reached Macedonia. All three of our partners had enough strength to collect energy, to organise themselves and expressed their clear intention to re-start their work from the exile as soon as possible. And their work was very much needed and quite important. Hundreds of thousands of Kosov@ Albanian refugees were without any doubts in a desperate need for receiving urgent humanitarian aid, so vital for their survival. But, beside being without food, clothes, shelters, medical service... – many of them were also terrified, confused, feeling as being lost and cut off their roots. Most important, many of them were very uncertain about destiny of missing family members, relatives and friends, as well as about their future. It was extremely important to keep these people informed about what is happening. Independent media whom they, because of their professional reporting, have been following for years before and whom they have trusted – and that were exactly our partners – could the best provide these people with reliable information. Beside being in contact with our project partners, Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien was in a contact with numerous non-governmental organisations and foundations who have been for years engaged in providing support for independent media in the area: Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation), Swedish Helsinki Committee, Norwegian People’s Aid, Press Now (The Netherlands), National Endowment for Democracy (USA), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Heinrich Böll Stiftung and others. Intensive exchange of information resulted in organising of the donors‘ informal meeting in Brussels, where concrete plans for joint operation on providing support were elaborated. Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien addressed to a number of Swiss relief organisations, media, and other kind of organisations in order to collect support that our partners needed. The support was urgently needed and most of organisations that we addressed for providing grants reacted with full understanding and promptly. In a period from April till July, Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien managed to collect 49,281.60 SFr. Additionally, a donation of 120 Music CDs was given for the Radio 21. PROJECT REALISATIONAll three of our partners succeeded in re-starting their operation in Macedonia. The first one to manage it was the daily Koha ditore. Its editorial staff, based in Tetovo and led by editor-in-chief Baton Haxhiu, resumed the operation within one month. The first exile issue of the paper appeared on April 24. At the beginning, 10,000 copies were printed and distributed free of charge in refugee camps in Macedonia. In end of May, this number was increased on 20,000 copies. Due to its enormous popularity among donors (it was the first ever established independent media in Albanian language in Kosov@ in 1993), Koha ditore got a huge support from a few governmental agencies, mainly British, French and later USA and German ones. However, grants were containing of equipment, print paper, as well as for paying printing companies directly for printing and distribution. Running costs and honoraria for editors and journalists were covered due to smaller and non-governmental donors. At present, Koha ditore is the most read daily paper in Kosov@. According to the Gallup International’s public opinion survey, more than 58% of respondents said they regularly read this paper, while only 19% never do it. Media Project – RTV 21 resumed its operation through launching broadcasting as Radio 21 in Skopje/Macedonia in mid May. It produced daily news bulletins in Albanian and English in real audio on the Internet and a daily two hour programme which was also broadcast on a Radio Netherlands short-wave frequency, covering the whole region. Also by this partner, governmental agencies were ready to approve grants only for providing needed equipment, while non-governmental donors provided grants vital for survival of the staff. Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien was the only one who provided Radio 21 with music CDs, which enabled it to make a normal radio programme. In mid July, Media project – RTV 21 returned to Pristina. It was granted a radio frequency (99.8FM) and started terrestrial broadcasting. Today, Radio 21 is on the air around the clock, preparations for starting TV broadcast and production are to be finished, and re-establishing the Training Center for young women in journalism and conflict resolution, which will result in creating a network of young women throughout Kosov@, is under way. According to Gallup poll, Radio 21 is the second listened station among Kosov@ Albanians, after Radio Deutsche Welle in Albanian language. The most difficulties to resume its operation had the weekly Zeri. Its staff managed to escape to Macedonia rather later than those from Koha ditore and Media project – RTV 21. Beside, its editor-in-chief, Blerim Shala, remained in Koso@ till beginning of June, which brought worries and uncertainty among the staff whether to re-start the paper or not. Zeri started preparations for its revival at a time when all bigger donor organisations were already focused, and some of them even absorbed, by other media projects. Swedish Helsinki Committee and Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien were the very first organisations who provided support to Zeri. Soon afterwards, a few other non-governmental organisations and foundations joined. In a case of Zeri, these organisations provided support for both – equipment, and running and personnel costs. As the respond on our call for supporting our partners resulted in providing a sum bigger than planned (45,000 CHF, i.e. each partner 15,000 CHF), we approved Zeri additional grant: a laptop computer able to make e-mail communication by mobile phone line and therefor not depending on the broken terrestial lines, which was outmost need for Zeri’s communication. The first issue of Zeri, printed in 10,000 copies, appeared in the beginning of June and was distributed free of charge in refugee camps in Macedonia. According to already mentioned Gallup polls, Zeri is at present the most popular weekly in Kosov@. Further, the daily "Zeri i dites" is about to be launched. FINANCIAL REPORTSUPPORT WE APPLIED FOR (in Swiss Francs):
RECIEVED DONATIONS
REALISED GRANTS
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P.O. Box, CH-8031
Zürich, Switzerland