02 April 2003
$25 Million Fund Supports Democracy in Southeastern Europe
(Balkan Trust a partnership of USAID, Marshall Fund, Mott Foundation)
(730)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the German
Marshall Fund of the United States, and the Charles Stewart Mott
Foundation have announced a $25 million initiative to support good
governance in Southeastern Europe.
The new Balkan Trust for Democracy will have headquarters in Belgrade
and will work in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Romania starting later
this year.
A USAID press release said the trust will award almost $2 million in
grants annually to civic groups, indigenous non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), local and regional governments, educational
institutions and the media "to support local initiatives that improve
the connections between citizens and their governments."
Following is the press release:
(begin text)
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
April 2, 2003
$25 Million Raised for Balkans through Public-Private Partnership
Donors Leverage Funds to Solidify Democracy
Washington, DC - The U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID), the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), and the
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation are pleased to announce a new $25
million initiative to support good governance in Southeastern Europe.
The grant-making effort, called the Balkan Trust for Democracy, is a
project of GMF made possible through a public-private partnership
between GMF, USAID, and the Mott Foundation.
The Balkan Trust, to be headquartered in Belgrade, will begin
operations in the summer of 2003 and will work in Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and
Montenegro, and Romania.
Nearly $2 million in grants will be awarded annually to civic groups,
indigenous non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local and regional
governments, educational institutions, and the media to support local
initiatives that improve the connections between citizens and their
governments.
It will also go to grants for cross-border cooperation to promote the
region-wide political and civil society development necessary for
long-term stability in Southeastern Europe.
USAID and the GMF are each contributing $10 million to the venture,
and the Mott Foundation is granting $5 million. GMF is also
underwriting the Trust's administrative expenses, so the full $25
million will be dispersed as grants.
By design, USAID's funds will last for ten years, after which the
Trust will continue operating with funds from GMF and other sources.
Additional donors are being sought as the initiative becomes
operational.
"While Southeastern European countries have made great strides in
establishing democracies, there is still work to be done to finish the
complex transition from communism.
The Balkan Trust for Democracy represents a long-term commitment by
GMF and our partners to help these countries meet their goals of
democratic consolidation and membership in NATO and the European
Union," said Craig Kennedy, President of GMF.
The Balkan Trust for Democracy has been established at a time when the
countries of Southeastern Europe have begun the long process of
gaining membership in the European Union, and Romania and Bulgaria
have been invited to join NATO.
While having stable democracy is a prerequisite to membership in these
organizations, democracy remains fragile throughout the region and
work is still needed to improve governmental accountability,
transparency, and responsiveness to citizens.
"The Balkan Trust for Democracy will serve as a model of how public
and private institutions can join together to help support good
governance and civil society engagement throughout the world," said
USAID Administrator Andrew S. Natsios.
"This is an excellent example of how USAID can deepen the impact we
have throughout the world through public-private partnerships."
"The strength of the Balkan Trust for Democracy lies in the excellent
cooperation and shared vision among the three founding institutions.
The Mott Foundation believes that this initiative will be a
cornerstone for achieving the vision that we have for the region -
stable and productive democracies and engaged citizenry throughout the
Balkan peninsula," said Mott Foundation President William S. White.
USAID is the principal foreign assistance agency of the U.S.
government.
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is an American
grantmaking and public policy institution founded in 1972 through a
gift from Germany.
Its mission is to promote transatlantic cooperation and understanding.
The Mott Foundation, founded in 1926, is a private philanthropy
committed to supporting projects that promote a just, equitable, and
sustainable society.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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