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2000 Baltic-American Partnership Program - Latvia
The 2000 Baltic-American Partnership Program - Latvia continued many
of its 1999 projects, building on the groundwork laid in its initial year
of activity. The BAPP - Latvia's 1999 legal environment project made significant
early strides in creating a national legal framework friendly to NGO development
and philanthropic activity and facilitating greater access to public information.
In 2000 the legal environment project was continued to provide ongoing
analysis of laws adversely affecting NGO development and advocacy for
the improvement of these laws. Additionally, the BAPP Latvia made a second
round of institutional grants, this year focusing upon NGOs that had an
advocacy/public policy development component to their work. Eleven NGOs
were provided with a combination of core and project support, as well
as specialized training and consultation programs offered by the BAPP-supported
NGO Center, based upon the individual needs of the organizations receiving
grants.
New to BAPP Latvia in 2000 was a program awarding matching grants with
local governments to NGOs providing community-based services. As in Estonia,
this project was inspired by the early successes of a similar initiative
supported by BAPP Lithuania in 1999, and was aimed at strengthening civic
engagement, as well as stimulating local philanthropic traditions and
cooperation across sectors. A second complementary program initiated by
BAPP Latvia in 2000 was the provision of small grants directly to civic
groups engaged in activities with the potential to lead to positive change
in local communities. In addition, BAPP Latvia provided its first year
of support for a pre-existing network of regional NGO resource centers,
with the aim of strengthening the infrastructure of information and training
available to the third sector throughout Latvia. Future BAPP support to
the resource centers will depend upon their ability to attract other sources
of funding from the local community in which they operate. Finally, BAPP
Latvia in 2000 turned its attention to the issue of locally-based philanthropy,
by participating in the initial study and design phase of a pan-Baltic
pilot project in participatory planning and community philanthropy.
Legislative
Environment
Delna
– Transparency International, Riga $ 11,910
To monitor and analyze public procurement processes and existing legislation,
and to develop and advocate for improvements in laws and their implementation
procedures.
Lawyers and Legal
Experts Association "Ratio Legis," Riga $ 14,380
To
work towards transparency and combat corruption in the judicial system
by monitoring the conformity of court decisions and procedures with existing
legislation and to establish legal precedents in the courts in areas involving
public interest.
Regional NGO Support
Centers
In 2000 BAPP awarded
grants to regional NGO support centers that provide technical assistance,
information, training and consultations to NGOs and groups covering the
whole area of Latvia. In each case a portion of the grant was made as
a challenge grant requiring NGO support centers to attract local funding
for their operations. The following regional NGO support centers received
administrative and challenge grants:
Cesu regional NGO
support center, Cesis $ 4,804
Selijas regional NGO support center, Jekabpils $ 4,804
Liepajas NGO support center, Liepaja $ 4,804
Madonas NGO support center, Madona $ 4,804
Dienvidlatgales NGO support center, Daugavpils $ 4,804
Tukuma NGO support center, Tukums $ 4,804
Zemgales NGO support center, Jalgava $ 4,804
Ziemelkurzemes NGO support center, Talsi $ 4,804
Preilu NGO support center, Preili $ 4,804
Viduskurzemes NGO support center, Kuldiga $ 4,804
Aluksnes NGO support center, Aluksne $ 4,804
Rezeknes NGO support center, Rezekne $ 3,304
Ventspils NGO support center, Ventspils $ 1,804
Grants to NGOs
Latvian Human Rights
Committee, Riga $ 8,950
For a project analyzing the actions and regulations of the Riga municipality
in field of social security; for developing recommendations and providing
legal consultations for people who are entitled to receive social aid
but are prohibited by lack of information or bureaucratic procedures.
Sports Federation
of Disabled Children and Youth, Jalgava $ 6,508
For a project promoting physical education classes
in schools
for disabled children.
Association of disabled
and their friends "Apeirons," Riga $ 7,979
For administrative support and for a training and consultation program
for an organization providing services for and advocating on behalf of
the disabled.
Educational center
for families and school , Riga $ 23,280
For a campaign against drugs and HIV, and for advocacy for improvement
of government drug and AIDS policies.
Ziemelkurzemes NGO
support center, Talsi $ 4,779
For facilitation
of public hearings
and community development in the town of Talsi.
Latvian organization
"Save the Children," Riga $ 23,775
For administrative support in order to continue the organization's
work as an independent observer of government policy and activities relating
to children rights, and for issuing a report on the situation of children
rights in Latvia that will be submitted to the UN independently from the
government’s report.
Society of flat-owners
and tenants, Ogre $ 3,174
For core support and training to an NGO and advocacy organization for
consumer rights.
Youth club "10 x 10,"
Tukums $ 3,010
For an AIDS and drug abuse prevention campaign and for advocacy for
AIDS and drug abuse prevention policies.
Transparency International–
Delna, Riga $ 13,660
For a project analyzing the decision making process in state and local
government institutions from the point of view of businesses; for developing
a code of ethics to be adopted by business associations; for implementing
programs aimed at eliminating corruption in state procurement processes.
European movement
in Latvia, Riga $ 14,517
For
a project establishing an Independent European Integration Council to
analyze the government’s preparations for EU accession, to monitor the
implementation of EU programs in Latvia, and to inform NGOs and the public
of integration processes.
Vidzeme Tourism Association,
Valmiera $ 9,254
For an unprecedented project monitoring the work of government institutions
and focusing on advocating for changes in national policy for the development
of tourism, for the allocation of state and EU resources towards regional
development, and for introducing transparent decision-making procedures
in the National Tourism Board.
NGO Center, Riga $
50,000
An administrative grant to the NGO Center, BAPP’s primary partner organization
in implementing programs in areas of NGO legislation, philanthropy, and
training of NGOs within the BAPP institutional support program.
NGO Center, Riga $
30,000
For implementation of a training program for BAPP-supported organizations.
NGO / Local Government
Cooperation
BAPP provided matching grants to 14 communities that allocated
funds for open grant competitions for support to local groups and their
projects. Due to the budgetary processes in municipalities, the final
decision on selection of communities was made in 2001. The following 14
communities were selected by the BAPP - Latvia's Local Expert Council:
- Bauska regional
municipality, $ 3,500
- Madona regional
municipality, $ 3,000
- Saldus regional
municipality, $ 5,000
- Aluksne region,
$ 5,000
- City of Jekabpils,
$ 3,000
- City of Ogre,
$ 5,000
- City of Stende,
$ 806
- City of Olaine,
$3,500
- City of Tukums,
$ 4,900
- Islice municipality,
$ 3,000
- Virga municipality,
$ 1,290
- Ligatne municipality,
$ 5,000
- Rucava municipality,
$ 4,900
- Vergale municipality,
$ 4,900
Organizational
Development
Community center "The
White House," Livani $ 425
For a study tour of German organizations and search for potential partners
in the development of community centers.
Regional support center
for NGOs of Selia, Jekabpils $ 425
For a study tour of German organizations and search for potential partners
in the development of community centers.
Latvian Volunteer
Center, Riga $ 449
For participation in the training course "Management of Voluntary Organizations
in the Age of Information Technology" in Israel.
North-Vidzeme Regional
Development Foundation $1,500
For the participation of a Latvian advocacy NGO at the UN Food and
Agricultural Organization conference in Portugal in July 2000.
Kaija
Gertnere,
NGO Center, Riga $ 1,000
For participation
in the Civil
Society Development Foundation's
conference "Sustainability of the Third Sector" in Budapest, Hungary.
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