Guides
index
INCORE guide to Internet sources on conflict in Balkans-Regional
Compiled by Tanaz Khambatta (August 2004)
Contents
Inclusion in this guide
does not imply an endorsement by INCORE of the views expressed in any
of these sources. If you have a complaint about this guide or believe
that we have omitted a relevant source please read our information about the guides before writing
to us. You may find that this will answer some of your questions. This
includes a warning about the type of information included in the guide,
information about our 'criteria for inclusion' in the guides and about
our 'updating and additions policy'.
MapsPerry- Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas - Maps of the Balkans
The collection, listed alphabetically, includes maps of the entire Balkan region and individual country maps. Click on the link of the map you would like to view.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe.html (241)
ReliefWeb - Balkans
A project of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (UNDHA). Website provides a compilation of useful maps from different sources (listed below each map heading). Provides links to an interactive map of the Balkans, as well as individual country maps. Click on the link of the map you would like to view.
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/map.nsf/Region?OpenForm&Query=Eurasia (242)
News Sources - Email ListsABYZ News Links - Southern Europe
A useful source that provides links to newspapers and news media from all over Southern Europe, including the Balkans. The individual country websites are generally categorized by national and foreign newspapers and news media and local newspapers and news media. The website also lists the language that the media is published in. Click on the link of the country you would like to access.
http://www.abyznewslinks.com/soueu.htm (243)
BBC News - Europe
Provides news from throughout the continent. The website has links to individual country reports which give general country profiles, as well an overview of politics, government, and media. There are also links to the major press, television, radio, and news agencies. The “Timelines” within each country report are particularly interesting. To access country reports, go to the “Country Profiles: A Guide to Europe” box at the bottom of the page and click on a country link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/default.stm (244)
BBC News - History Profile, Yugoslavia
Website provides a timeline briefly detailing the “shape” of “Yugoslavia” from 1900-2003. Click on any of the years on the timeline to view a short description and map of “Yugoslavia” at that time.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/map/yugoslavia/ (245)
EIN News
A useful source that gives daily news from individual Balkan countries as well as the surrounding areas. Website provides a compilation of articles from various sources listed chronologically by date. The site also has as an archive, as well as links to articles from specific sectors. These include: business and economy, government and politics, industry, and miscellaneous. Click on the link of the country you would like to access.
* Please note that some links lead to websites which require registration to access articles.
http://www.einnews.com/#europe (246)
Keston Institute
An institute that focuses on compiling “resources for the studies of communist countries and religious affairs.” The website provides links from a variety of news sources to many recent articles relating to individual Balkan countries as well as the region at large.
http://www.starlightsite.co.uk/keston/ (247)
News Now--Balkans
Provides a compilation of news articles from various sources (listed to the right of the article), all related to the Balkans. Can also click on the “earlier” link to view articles from the archive.
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=Balkans (248)
OneWorld Southeast Europe (SEE)
Provides news from around the region. The “News from SEE Europe” and “SEE Radio” links are particularly useful. There are also links to individual Balkan country guides, and individual country news pages. Click on the link of the country you would like to access. Please note that some of Balkan country news pages are not in the English language. To limit the search by language or topic, go to the light green box at the top of the page. To receive the Southeast Europe (SEE) Newsletter, go to the subscription page and type your e-mail address and name in the boxes, then create a password.
http://see.oneworld.net/article/frontpage/162/2482 (249)
OnlineNewspapers.com
Provides links to the main newspapers and agencies which provide news from countries all over the world, including the Balkans. Click on the link of the country you would like to access. Please note that some of the links do not work, and several sources are in the local country language only.
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com (250)
Public International Law and Policy Group - Balkan Program
PILPP has also developed Balkan Watch, a twice-monthly publication prepared by the Post-Conflict Political Development Practice of the Public International Law & Policy Group. The online news source details and analyzes the various current events and conflicts in the region.
For a free subscription, please send an e-mail to balkanwatch@pilpg.org with the following subject line, SUBSCRIBE BALKANWATCH.
Past and current editions of Balkan Watch can also be found at:
http://www.publicinternationallaw.org/programs/balkans/archives/ (251)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) - Balkan Report
Provides a weekly review of politics, media, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broadcasts in the Western Balkans. Also has an archive of recent newscasts relating to Western Balkan countries and regions.
*Please note that you can receive a weekly e-mail of RFE/RL Balkan Report. Just go to the webpage and type your e-mail in the “subscribe” box.
http://www.rferl.org/reports/balkan-report/ (252)
WorldNews Network - Balkan Post
Provides current new relating to the Balkans. Website also has links to reports and non-governmental organizations (NGO) relating to the region, as well as a link to interactive maps. There are even “Peacewatch Headlines,” and a timeline of “Key Players in the Balkans.” To view a Balkan country-specific news edition, click on a country name at the top left of the screen.
http://www.balkanpost.com/ (253)
External Governmental Institutions and AgenciesEuropean Union (EU) External Relations - South Eastern Europe
Provides a brief overview of the main objectives of EU assistance in Balkan countries, and the main areas of ongoing support. The website also has links to Stabilization and Association Reports, as well as EC Country Strategy Papers for various Balkan states. Please note that some of these reports may become updated.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/see/albania/index.htm (255)
European Union (EU) - Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (SCSP)
The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was adopted in Cologne in 1999. More than 40 partner countries and organizations agreed to work to “foster peace, democracy, respect for human rights and economic prosperity,” which would eventually lead to regional stability. The website offers background and constituent documents of the Stability Pact, as well as links to various “Working Tables” of different regional initiatives. There are also links to press releases.
http://www.stabilitypact.org/ (256)
Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom (FCO UK)—Countries and Regions, Western Balkans
Provides very general information on Balkan states including: basic geography, short history, recent political developments, the economy, and international relations. Also has a link for travel advice—information sheets are updated and issued regularly throughout the year. To access a specific country report, click on the country name in the Western Balkan map.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/ (257)
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) - Europe and Eurasia
Provides general information about the work of the agency in the region. Website also includes several links to USAID offices in various Balkan states, with other links to general country information from sources such as the U.S. State Department background notes and the CIA World Factbook. To access individual country pages, click on the “+Countries/Regions” link in the red box on the right side of the page.
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/europe_eurasia/ (258)
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
To access a specific country page, click on the country name to the left of the screen. Specific country page provides recent “highlights” from the area as well as links to general background notes about the state from sources such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and the U.S. Department of State Consular Information Sheets. The website also provides country information in the form of remarks, fact sheets, and quick links to major reports. The major reports link leads to annual Human Rights Reports and Religious Freedom Reports.
http://www.state.gov/p/eur/ci/ (259)
International Multilateral Organisations (IOs)North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), South East Europe Initiative
“NATO's South East Europe Initiative is a series of programs and initiatives aimed at promoting regional cooperation and long-term stability in the Balkans.” The website offers background information, official documents, and declarations pertaining to the Initiative. There is also a link to the South East Europe Common Assessment Paper (SEECAP) formulated in Budapest in 2001.
http://www.nato.int/seei/home.htm (260)
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - Field Activities, South-Eastern Europe
Provides links to specific missions within South-Eastern Europe. Each mission website gives information about OSCE activities in that area. There are also links to interviews, reports, and speeches.
http://www.osce.org/field_activities/ (261)
United Nations (UN)
Many UN agencies have extensive operation in Balkan countries. To find information regarding a particular country or agency, click on the “Search” link at the bottom of the page, and then type your request into the box. For more in depth information pertaining to the UN and a specific Balkan country, please consult the individual Conflict Data Service (CDS) country reports.
http://www.un.org/english/ (262)
International Financial Institutions (IFIs)International Monetary Fund (IMF)
To access information for a specific nation, click on the country name from the list. Website offers many documents related to the work of the IMF in that country. To view more detailed information about IM F loans within a certain nation, click on “Country Name: Financial Position in the Fund” link at the left of the country page screen.
http://www.imf.org/external/country/index.htm (263)
The World Bank Group - Europe and Central Asia
Provides pertinent information on countries in the region, as well as projects and initiatives in the area. There are also links to useful publications relating to Europe and Central Asia. To access individual country reports, go to the drop down menu at the top of the page.
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/eca/eca.nsf (264)
International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGOs), Research Institutes, Non-State ActorsAmnesty International (AI)
The website gives an introduction to the AI 2004 Human Rights Report. To access individual country reports, go to the drop down menu at the left of the page. Each country report provides links to AI’s human rights agenda, the organization’s activities, and a report guide. The library link at the bottom of the page provides numerous articles relating to current and past political and social events and activities.
*Please note that the AI Human Rights Reports are updated annually, consequently, a newer version than the one listed may become available.
http://web.amnesty.org/report2004/index-eng (265)
The Balkan Human Rights Web Pages
Jointly operated by the Greek Helsinki Monitor and the Minority Rights Group Greece. Provides a compilation of human rights stories from across the region. Website also has larger links to annual reports, anti-Semitism, and Roma. The “Countries” link in the blue box on the left side of the page allows you to search for human rights stories by individual Balkan countries.
http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/bhr/english/ (266)
Center for Balkan Development (formerly Friends of Bosnia)
An international NGO that provides reconstruction and humanitarian aid to the Balkans. The organization has links to its various reconstruction and education projects. Under “Resources,” there are links to Amazon’s online-bookstore, briefs, and other websites relating to the Balkans, particularly Bosnia. There is also an archive of past conferences, events, and news articles.
http://www.friendsofbosnia.org/index.html (267)
CivilitasResearch
CivilitasResearch is a think tank “providing commentary and analysis on politics and society in South East Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.” The website has several links to news and commentary about the region, as well as links to its research programs. There are also useful Balkan country information links under “Country Coverage.”
http://www.civilitasresearch.com/index.cfm (268)
East West Institute (EWI)—Regional and Transfrontier Cooperation Projects (RTFC)
The Institute works at the local and policy levels to promote socio-economic development and regional stability/security across borders. EWI has several projects in Southeastern Europe—to access these projects, click on any link under the “Projects” heading at the right of the screen.
http://www.ewi.info/programs/index.cfm? (269)
European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)
ECMI is an NGO, based out of Germany, which focuses on majority-minority relations in the wider Europe. The website provides links to its major projects, as well as links to other network information. The publications links are particularly useful.
http://www.ecmi.de/doc/index.html (270)
European Stability Initiative (ESI)
ESI is a research and policy institute dedicated to the “understanding of the complex political, economic and social environment in South Eastern Europe, and the real impact of international programs.” The website details the work of the organization, and has links to numerous reports.
http://www.esiweb.org (271)
Freedom House—Freedom In the World Report 2003
To access individual country reports, click on a link from the drop down menus.
The country reports provide valuable information on both political rights and civil liberties. There is also has an archive of reports from previous years. The “Resources” link under “Research and Publications” provides links to organizations working on political rights and civil liberties issues.
*Please note that these reports are updated annually, consequently, a newer version than the one listed may become available.
http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2003/countries.htm (272)
Human Rights Watch, Europe/Central Asia
To access individual country pages, click on a link from the “Country Pages” column at the right of the screen. Each country page provides numerous articles relating to current and past political and social events and activities in the area. The website also has links to annual overviews of human rights developments.
http://www.hrw.org/doc/?t=europe (273)
International Crisis Group (ICG) - Balkans
ICG's work in the Balkans currently spans projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia, with watching briefs kept on Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro. The website has links to all recent reports and briefings, as well as to individual country projects.
http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=1239&l=1 (274)
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF)
Provides general information about the work of IHF. Website has links to the Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2004 (under “Annual Reports), individual country Committees (under “Member Committees”), as well a search engine for documents and publications (under “Documents and Publications”) pertaining to the issue of human rights from countries all over the world.
http://www.ihf-hr.org/welcome.php (275)
Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) - Balkans
Provides an overview of IWPR activities in the region. The Institute maintains the online “Balkans Crisis Report,” a compilation of articles from around the Balkans. There are also links to past reports. To receive reports via e-mail, go to the top right of the page and click on the “IWPR Reports Subscribe Free” gray box—enter your e-mail, country, and tick the box of the reports you want to receive.
http://www.iwpr.net/balkans_index1.html (276)
Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG) - Balkan Program
The Balkan Program has a focus on former Yugoslav states. Work includes publications, as well as advising the parties in the various peace negotiations. To access individual country projects, click on the appropriate link. PILPP has also developed Balkan Watch, an online new source that details and analyzes the various current events and conflicts in the region. To view current and past reports, click on the “Balkan Watch Archives” link.
http://www.publicinternationallaw.org/programs/balkans/index.html (277)
SIL International—Ethnologue
Provides information about the various languages/dialects spoken in various countries around the world. Click on the link of the country you would like to view.
http://www.ethnologue.com/country_index.asp?place=Europe (278)
Transitions Online (TOL), Southeastern Europe
Provides a compilation of articles, commentaries, academic papers, etc. pertaining to Southeastern Europe. For stories from a specific country, click on the country name link at the top of the page.
*Please note that you must have a paid subscription to view many of the reports.
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/section.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&tpid=8 (279)
United States Institute for Peace (USIP) - The Balkans Initiative
Provides information on the work of USIP in the Balkans. Website highlights recent briefings, events, articles, etc. pertaining to the region. There are also links to individual country initiatives, as well as Balkan regional resources. The publications link at the bottom of the page is especially useful.
http://www.usip.org/balkans/ (280)
University of Maryland, Center for International Development and Conflict Management,Minorities at Risk (MAR), Minority Group Assessment for Post-Communist States
MAR tracks “politically-active ethnic groups throughout the world, identifying where they are, what they do, and what happens to them.” The “Minority Group Assessment for Post-Communist States” details all Balkan countries. Click on group name or group type to get more detailed information.
http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/mar/assessments.asp?regionId=2 (281)
Centre for Non-Violent Action
The Centre for Non-Violent Action is a Sarajevo-based NGO working on local cross-border conflict transformation initiatives via its office in Belgrade and and partners in BiH and elswhere in the Balkans.
http://www.nenasilje.org/cna_e.htm (282)
Centre for the Study of Democracy
The CSD is a Sofia-based public policy institute that researches, networks and lobbies on issues of democracy-enhancement, institution-building and market-orineted reform in the Balkans.
http://www.csd.bg/ (283)
New Balkan Politics, Journal of Politics
Provides editorials, essays, book reviews, etc. from across the Balkans and the world. Website has links to the most recent articles from the journal, as well as links to past editions. Most articles are in both the English and Macedonian languages.
*Please note that at the time this file was compiled, the links at the top of the page were not functioning—however, links to archived articles are functional.
http://www.newbalkanpolitics.org.mk/default.asp?issue=8 (284)
Articles, Papers, Reports, AgreementsCommission of European Communities - The Stabilization and Association process for South East Europe, Third Annual Report
Paper addresses the enlarging European Union and the special partnerships it has formed with the Western Balkan region and individual countries.Report also details regional priorities, various stabilization and association processes, and community assistance and support.
*Please note that a newer report may become available.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/see/sap/rep3/strat_pap.pdf (285)
Council on Foreign Relations Center for Preventive Action - Balkans 2010
Report “offers a systematic description of conditions required for the region to be on the path to integration with Europe and for the international community to reduce its presence in an orderly fashion by 2010.” The papers covers a variety of issues including: transitional justice, economic restructuring, refugees and internally displaced people, civil society, and “stakeholders” in the Balkans—can only viewed as a PDF file.
http://www.cfr.org/pdf/Balkans_TF.pdf (286)
European Stability Initiative—“The Road to Thessaloniki: Cohesion and the Western Balkans
Written in March 2003, the paper addresses the enlarged European Union and its meaning for the Western Balkans. The paper stresses the need for economic and social cohesion into EU policy towards the Western Balkans, and on ways and means of promoting cohesion through the Stabilisation and Association Process.
http://www.esiweb.org/pdf/esi_document_id_44.pdf (287)
The World Bank, Europe and Central Asia (ECA) - Beyond Transition
The paper addresses the World Bank’s strategy in the ECA region, including the Western Balkans. The report discusses the challenges over the first 15 years of transition, its vision for the next 10 years, and means of improving the climate for investment and growth. In the Western Balkans, the Bank is focused on “structural reform, institutional development and integration into Europe.”—can only be viewed as a PDF file.
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/eca/eca.nsf/ (288)
The World Bank, Building Market Institutions in South Eastern Europe
The World Bank’s study of impediments to investment and private sector development in South Eastern Europe. The study discusses means for improving the region’s business environment, economic development, and prospects for growth. To access individual country data, click on the appropriate country link.
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/eca/eca.nsf/ (289)
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