Mr. Ardian Hackaj and Mrs. Bendis Bocari from Cooperation and Development Institute have published on the “Environment Now” Magazine an analysis report titled “Citizen movements and environmental protection in Albania”.

This analysis explains that in Albania, many environmental decisions are made at the central level of government. Although national legislation allows citizens to participate in decision-making, this is not the case. Influencing decision-making is a real challenge for citizens and local communities, especially when they are most affected by these decisions.

In these cases, civic movements contribute to a healthy civil society and a better connection between individuals in society and in the state. In Albania, civic movements are new phenomena, arising mainly from the reactions of different communities, in protest against environmental pollution with detrimental effects on the protester.

This publication is available in Albanian Language only.

Tags: Education, Environment, Society

This Business Charter is an output of the project SIMPLE (Strengthening the Identity of Minority People Leads to Equality), an innovative institutional cooperation and capacity building initiative that involves 5 Adriatic Countries, aimed at achieving social cohesion in the area through the strengthening of the cultural identities and diversity values of minority communities historically and recently established in Adriatic Countries.

The partners of the project SIMPLE have developed joint strategies and approaches in the Adriatic basin for the promotion of equality and non-discrimination culture, as basic values for the peaceful coexistence of all citizens, without any discrimination based on ethnic origin.

SIMPLE aims to improve the life conditions of minority people transforming the key-factors that nowadays are weakness and providing to public authorities, minority associations, NGOs and other local, regional and national stakeholder of Adriatic Countries guidelines and recommendations to arrange targeted services for addressing minorities’ disadvantages at local level.

The Business Charter is part of a set of 6 thematic documents produced and shared by the SIMPLE consortium that will be the operational tools to be promoted by the Adriatic Permanent Observatory on Minority Communities, which will be established within the project.

Each output is edited in a single document proposed in 6 languages (English, Croatian, Albanian, Italian, Montenegrin, and Slovenian), in order to favour the concrete comprehension and utilization by all the stakeholders of the project participating Countries.

The documents are available on request from national responsible partners. Info and contacts on the project website: www.simpleproject.eu.

Tags: Education, Environment, Local Development, Society

The current study has been prepared by Cooperation and Development Institute as contracted by MoEFWA and aims to prepare an operational Education & Sensibilsation Campaign (ESC)
for the protection and promotion of biodiversity in the Prespa National Park (PNP) in Albania.

PNP and the protected areas (PA) in Albania in general have come second in the attention and budgetary allocations provided by the government. Financial resources affected to PAs have been considered as a cost, to be allocated after the basic needs of the population has been dealt with. Even those measures have been mostly regulatory as a response to the approximating of the acquis communautaire than based on a real understanding of the needs of the local population. The current PA structures do not have the technical capacities to manage PAs (all efforts are on inspection & prevention); and the flow of information, as well as management, reporting and control routines between PA, the regional level and the central level are not operational.

This paper is composed by two main parts. In the first one we explain our methodological tools and the respective approach. In the second one, we go into precise and concise actions through project fiches ready to implement. The goal is to provide tailored and comprehensive measures on education in environmental protection and biodiversity conservation adapted to local population mental framework.

Tags: Digital Economy, Education, Environment, Local Development, Society

This study was prepared as part of the project “Promoting Internet Broadband in the Accursed Mountains”, implemented by the Minister of State for Innovation and Administration and Cooperation and Development Institute, and funded by the European Union under the IPA instrument, Albania-Montenegro cross-border cooperation programme.

The study consists of four chapters:
1. “Overall assessment of the socio-economic development of the area, geographical position and terrain, area demographics, state of mountain tourism and the prospect of its development through broadband access and broadband internet connection”.
2. “Preparing the list of broadband internet operators and providers in the selected area, evaluating the existing legal framework and policy documents with suggestions for their improvement, identifying the synergies of using broadband internet to enhance cross-border cooperation in exchanges of tourists and increasing trade exchanges.”
3. “Broadband Internet Services in the Accursed Mountains.
4. “Financing Broadband Internet in the Alps”.

The process of preparing this study group was led by Ms. Anis Lamllari, Project Director for the first three chapters, and by Ms. Krisela Hackaj for the fourth chapter.

This study report is in Albanian language only.

Tags: Economy, Local Development, Society

Cooperation and Development Institute participated in the workshop “Shaping the future of Albania” organized by the Southeast Europe Association (Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft) civil society activists from Albania – journalists, academics, young generation politicians and officials from administration – as well as German and international stakeholders – met in Munich.

They held a dialogue on Albania and its future under Chatham House Rules, looking for answers to the current issues surrounding Albania’s civil society and defining additional questions. The problems that persistently came up in the workshop, whatever the context, were those of EU membership perspectives, of persuasive corruption, of the lack of the rule of law, the need for reform, the question of Albanian nationalism and of economic development.

Tags: Civil Society, EU Accession, European Union, Reforms, Society

This paper was prepared by the group of authors – Svetlana Cenic, Ardian Hackaj, Amer Kapetanovic, Maria Eleni Koppa, Gazmend Qorraj, Dusan Spasojevic, Dragan Tevdovski and Daliborka Uljarevic and has been supported by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

In November 2014 the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung initiated a process to develop policy recommendations for a positive change of the political and economic situation in the Western Balkans. Representatives of academia, civil society and politics from the Western Balkans were invited, along with political experts on European integration from Germany and Brussels, to discuss core challenges and necessary reform policies. The public debate on the EU integration of the Western Balkans and a two-day workshop in November 2014 and March 2015 in Berlin resulted in the formulation of four core theses that point to the deficits of current policy approaches and suggest alternatives to policy-makers at the national and European levels.

Tags: European Union, Regional Cooperation, Society, Western Balkans

The new Municipality of Durres rather than a local unit of the Republic of Albania, is a center where economic and social interactions for the whole country are networked and joined. With 85% of active companies, the totality of the administrative centers of main public enterprises at regional level (and some at country level, such as the Port of Durres or Albanian Railways), and 65% of the population, the administrative unit of Durres (current municipality) is clearly the dominant unit of the new Municipality, incomparable with the socio-economic strength of the other five units.

This analysis allows us to understand that the economic structure of the New Municipality of Durres in order to be consistent, should be oriented toward clusters of enterprises, which are actively affected by the strategic support policy from the central government (much more than the Municipality).

Regarding to the public services of the New Municipality, our attention is drawn by two main groups: direct administrative public services to citizens, such as civil services, and public services to the context surrounding the citizen, such as waste management, water and sanitation, etc. In the first case, during 2015-2016 the New Municipality will have as primary challenge maintaining the quality and network service at the same level at least as before the RAT.

Tags: Decentralization, Economy, Local Development, Society

The following working paper, elaborated by a high professional scientist team of the “Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI) / ShtetiWeb” supported by the Tirana-office of the Hanns- Seidel Foundation (HSF), aims at fill in this apparent gap.

The study investigates in a paramount and comprehensive level the external pull factors and internal push-factors of the Albanian case of emigration wave to Germany and contributes therefore by its “lesson-learnt” to some improvement of understanding of the phenomenon and better tool of solving the situation.

The contents of the following study as part of the CDI-HSS “Berlin Process-Series-working papers” provides some scientific illumination and analysis of the Albanian generally migrant profile, analysis of the Albanian migrant experiences in the destiny-country Germany and also analysis of the perspectives of Albanian migrants after their return in the origin-country after having been rejected their asylum application, because they are regarded mainly as only “jobseekers”, expecting and wishing better living conditions.

The study is finally completed by some institutional and legal framework context on the reintegration topic and by special conclusions and policy recommendations. The study took place from April until October 2016 and the draft publication was presented by some joint CDI-HSF “round-table” discussion in Tirana on 16th of December 2016 to some public audience and to media, which were very interested in the topic.

Tags: Migration, P2P Connectivity, Society

This Working Paper is prepared by Cooperation and Development Institute and aims to investigate and provide a robust understanding of the recent migration outflow originating from Albania during 2014 – 2015, the push and pull factors that caused it; the experience of Albanian migrants abroad and the profiles and perspectives of the returnees.

The study took place from April until October 2016 and included desk review, media monitoring, in-depth interviews and field visits.

Tags: Migration, P2P Connectivity, Society

This is the 3rd CDI Working Paper analyzing Migration and it focuses on the return and reintegration of Albanian migrants logging an asylum seeker request in Germany in the period 2014-
2016, and subsequently returned to Albania.

It is primarily focused on the topic of return and reintegration of Albanian migrants, depicting, describing and analysing the path from asylum seeker requests in Germany in the period of 2014 to 2016 with all relevant expectations, challenges and constraints until the subsequent resettlement into Albania with all combined problems, difficulties and disappointments, which became evident when back in the homeland.

The study is characterized by methodology of scientific approach and is enriched by many case-examples and interviews, drawing a vivid picture of the past and present situation.

The contents of the following study as part of the CDI-HSF “Berlin process-series-working papers” concretely provide some scientific documented illumination and analysis of the Albanian generally migrant-profile, describe the Albanian migrant experiences in the destiny country Germany and give also some analysis of the perspectives of Albanian migrants after their return and reintegration into the society of the origin- country after having been rejected their asylum application.

Tags: Migration, P2P Connectivity, Society