BIRN BiH
23 February 2006 BIRN BiH was established on a non-profit, philanthropic basis to support the development of high quality media and civil society in BiH, and thereby to contribute to the development of a citizenry fully active in the governance of its country and in securing and exercising its democratic rights and obligations.
In fulfillment of this purpose, BIRN
BiH provides skills and knowledge-based training to individual journalists and
media houses, via vocational and workshop-based methods, publishes a
substantial body of high quality reports, investigations and analyses on
crucial transitional political, economic and social themes, and facilitates the
widest possible public debates on those themes by hosting cross-sector debates
and conferences.
It is part of a region-wide network
of similar organisations throughout Southeast Europe - the Balkan Investigative
Reporting Regional Network (www.birn.eu.com)
- which together aim to promote professional, active media and publish a large
body of cross-border reports, investigations and analyses into the
above-mentioned transitional themes.
In so doing, BIRN wishes to
contribute to the integration of BiH and the region as a whole into Europe, as healthy,
peaceful democratic societies.
In light of this, BIRN BiH places
much emphasis in its work on the issue of dealing with the past, particularly
justice for victims of war crimes committed during the 1992-95 war, since delay
in doing so constitutes perhaps the greatest and most immediate obstacle to
BiH's recovery, development and European integration.
BIRN BiH has been active since 20 January 2005,
when it received it first grant following incorporation in November 2004. Since
then, its work has focussed on the role of the media and civil society in the
localisation of war crimes justice to BiH.
During 2005, it has been running a highly successful
project, in full cooperation with the range of print and electronic media,
civil society organisations and the Court of BiH, to train 'beat reporters'
from all the main television and radio stations, daily and weekly newspapers
and news agencies to cover domestic prosecution of war crimes, now beginning.
Additionally, to further support this process of the
greatest historical importance, BIRN has been educating and motivating relevant
groups in civil society around the country to get involved and support war
crimes justice, and in facilitating dialogue and cooperation between state and
court officials, civil society and the BiH media.
In addition, BIRN BiH has played an active role in the
BIRN Regional Network, participating in cross-border reporting and film
documentary projects, training investigative reporters for BIRN's online
publication Balkan Insight, and contributing to Network development.
Although BIRN BiH was incorporated in
2005, it has continuity with the long-running Balkans Programme of the
Institute for War & Peace Reporting, a London-based media charity. A staged
'localisation' process has transformed this programme to BIRN.
Justice Report is a
specialist reporting agency focusing on war crimes trials taking place before
local courts; development of the local legal system; and efforts to come to
terms with the past.
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State Department: Judiciary Under Political Pressure
In its report on the state of human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2009, the US State Department mentions progress that has been made, as well as political pressure that has been put on the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
The opinions expressed in Balkan Insight are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
