Observatory on the Balkans is a project promoted by the Peace Bell Foundation and the Forum Trentino for Peace and Human Rights. It is sponsored by the Council Department for International Solidarity of the Autonomous Province of Trento and by the Municipality of Rovereto.

Founded in 2000 in response to the demand for knowledge and debate with people, associations and institutions which had for years promoted peace and social cohabitation in the Balkans; today the Observatory organises a workshop about in-between Europe and offers a view on the Balkans, Turkey and Caucasus.

International aid workers; scholars and researchers; journalists; students; local, regional and national authority's officials; business professionals; southeast Europe's and Caucasus citizens; tourists and travellers use the Observatory services and participate as dialogue partners.

With the website, www.osservatoriobalcani.org, the programme BalcaniCooperazione and the thematic page dedicated to the Caucasus region, Observatory combines information, research and support for international cooperation. It uses the potentials of various media and through the open source model encourages wider distribution of its information.


THEMES

Grassroots political Europe
From the enlargement of the Europe of nations to the integration of Europe's societies

Transcultural dialogue
Civil society and cultural “creolisation”

Territorial cooperation
Decentralised and community cooperation, cooperation and economic globalisation

Conflict and peace
Public memory and conflict resolution, social security and geopolitical interests


SERVICES

Information
News, dossiers, in-depth examinations on the websites www.osservatoriobalcani.org, www.balcanicooperazione.it and www.osservatoriocaucaso.org

Analysis and reflection
Field research, surveys, publications, documentary production, seminar, forum and congress organisation

Advice
In our themes of competence, on the use of new technologies for public administration’s information services

Training and education
University, master degree's and special training courses lectures; education for operators of the field

Information diffusion
Meetings, public initiatives, campaigns

Support networking
Between activists in Italian and Balkan non-profit organisations, between actors of territorial and decentralised cooperation, between journalists, writers, artists, illustrators


PARTNERSHIPS

The Observatory on the Balkans has chosen the web as a tool and working method. Our partners are:

National publications
AltrEconomia, D La Repubblica delle Donne, Il Manifesto, La Nuova Ecologia, Popoli, Vita non profit magazine

Television programs
Levante ed Estovest di RAITre

Radio
RadioRAI, Radiotelevisione Svizzera Italiana , Radio Radicale , Radio Vaticana , Radio Popolare , Radio inBlu, Radio Onda d'Urto Brescia, Radio Città del Capo Bologna

Press agencies
AMISnet, AGR, GRT News, News Italia Press

Specialised magazines
Diario Europeo, Limes

Counterpart sites
Le Courrier des Balkans, TOL - Transitions Online, IWPR - Institute for War and Peace Reporting, BIRN - Balkan Investigative Reporting Network

NGOs and associations
ALDA - Associazione delle Agenzie della Democrazia Locale(Association of the Agencies of Local Democracy), Caritas, ICS - Consorzio Italiano di Solidarietà ( Italian Consortium for Solidarity), IPSIA - Istituto Pace Sviluppo Innovazione delle ACLI (Institution for Peace Development Innovation, ACLI), Legambiente, UCODEP - Unità e Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli (Unity and Cooperation for Peoples Development)

Study Centres
CEIS - Center for European Integration Strategies di Ginevra, CeSPI - Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale di Roma, Istituto per l'Europa centro-orientale e balcanica di Forlì, Historical Museum in Trento

Universities
University coalition of Portogruaro, University of Bologna, University of Salento, University of Siena, University of Torino, University of Trento

Governmental institutions, local and regional authorities
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Region of Emilia Romagna, Region of Lombardia, Region of Piemonte, Region of Puglia, Region of Toscana, Region of Veneto, ANCI - National Association of Italian Municipalities