Balkan Trust for Democracy
$25 MILLION RAISED FOR BALKANS THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Donors Leverage Funds to Solidify Democracy
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| USAID
Administrator Andrew S. Natsios speaks at the Launch Event (Photo
by USAID) |
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID), the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), and the Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation are pleased to announce a new $25 million initiative
to support good governance in Southeastern Europe. The grant-making effort,
called the Balkan Trust for Democracy, is a project of GMF made possible through
a public-private partnership between GMF, USAID, and the Mott Foundation.
The Balkan Trust, to be headquartered in Belgrade, will begin operations in
the summer of 2003 and will work in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Romania.
Nearly $2 million in grants will be awarded annually to civic groups, indigenous
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local and regional governments, educational
institutions, and the media to support local initiatives that improve the connections
between citizens and their governments. It will also go to grants for cross-border
cooperation to promote the region-wide political and civil society development
necessary for long-term stability in Southeastern Europe.
USAID and the GMF are each contributing $10 million to the venture, and the
Mott Foundation is granting $5 million. GMF is also underwriting the Trust’s
administrative expenses, so the full $25 million will be dispersed as grants.
By design, USAID’s funds will last for ten years, after which the Trust
will continue operating with funds from GMF and other sources. Additional donors
are being sought as the initiative becomes operational.
“While Southeastern European countries have made great strides in establishing
democracies, there is still work to be done to finish the complex transition
from communism. The Balkan Trust for Democracy represents a long-term commitment
by GMF and our partners to help these countries meet their goals of democratic
consolidation and membership in NATO and the European Union,” said Craig
Kennedy, President of GMF.
The Balkan Trust for Democracy has been established at a time when the countries
of Southeastern Europe have begun the long process of gaining membership in
the European Union, and Romania and Bulgaria have been invited to join NATO.
While having stable democracy is a prerequisite to membership in these organizations,
democracy remains fragile throughout the region and work is still needed to
improve governmental accountability, transparency, and responsiveness to citizens.
“The Balkan Trust for Democracy will serve as a model of how public
and private institutions can join together to help support good governance
and civil society engagement throughout the world,” said USAID Administrator
Andrew S. Natsios. “This is an excellent example of how USAID can deepen
the impact we have throughout the world through public-private partnerships.”
“The strength of the Balkan Trust for Democracy lies in the excellent
cooperation and shared vision among the three founding institutions. The Mott
Foundation believes that this initiative will be a cornerstone for achieving
the vision that we have for the region – stable and productive democracies
and engaged citizenry throughout the Balkan peninsula,” said Mott Foundation
President William S. White.
USAID is the principal foreign assistance agency of the U.S. government. The
German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is an American grantmaking
and public policy institution founded in 1972 through a gift from Germany.
Its mission is to promote transatlantic cooperation and understanding. The
Mott Foundation, founded in 1926, is a private philanthropy committed to supporting
projects that promote a just, equitable, and sustainable society.
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