STAR Network in Action

World Learning STAR Network is a results-oriented program with a strong history of success. Highlighted below is a sampling of how STAR Network has helped to support regional networking and cooperation on practical issues.

Support to Serbian Women's Campaigns for Democracy



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STAR Network joined with others in giving technical and financial support to Serbian women's campaigns for democracy that helped defeat Milosevic in the 2000 elections and established a new era of women's activism in political parties and trade unions. STAR Network provided particular support to the Serbian Women's Political Network, a coalition of women politicians from 16 different parties, and the Ravnopravno campaign of the Women's Movement-Women's Network, a coalition of women's NGOs.

Support to Kosovo Women Elected Officials in Municipal Assemblies

The Post-Election Training for Elected Women Municipal Officials of December 7, 2000, served as the first Kosovo-wide gathering of the newly elected municipal assemblywomen and NGO leaders. Seventy-five women attended the event. The training was presented by OSCE and UNMIK, facilitated by the Women's Coalition (which was trained for this role by STAR Network), and funded by UNIFEM, Kvinna till Kvinna and STAR Network.

Women's Enterprise Development

The founder of the Vojvodina Women's Initiative for Self-Employment (Yugoslavia) provided intensive training to Macedonian and Kosovar women on how to establish similar programs in their communities. Serbian and Kosovar women were given an intensive introduction to micro-credit management and programs for women through a visit to BOSPO, Bosnia's internationally recognized micro-credit program for women.

Financial Management, Strategic Planning and Organizational Development

Aferdita Imeri, STAR Network coordinator in Macedonia, developed the curriculum for and leads a Financial Management Training School, which trains new NGO leaders in Kosovo and Macedonia in bookkeeping, negotiation of budgets and the complex reporting systems of international donors. One of those graduates is now using the materials to train Roma women in Kosovo. As a result of this training, 15 new trainers are available to deliver the same training to other NGOs; 20 NGOs have increased their capacity to get grants; and a training manual has been published in English, Macedonian, Albanian and Serbian.

Supporting Women's Business Associations and Trade Unions

Croatian and Macedonian women, who have worked to start new organizations to support women's small business development, made presentations to new members at a recent meeting of Serbia's Association for Women in Business. The women discussed how to rebuild trade links with businesses in the neighboring countries. STAR presented a workshop on advocacy and coalition building for women trade union leaders from East Europe at "Women's School: Challenges Women are Facing in Transitional Societies," an event organized by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

Regional Conference on Advocacy Strategies for Women's Economic and Political Empowerment

This regional conference, co-organized with the local Center for Civic Initiatives, was held in Porec, Croatia, in July 2000. Sixty women experts from the region, Central and Eastern Europe and the U.S. adopted the Porec Platform of Action, a multi-faceted agenda to advocate for the immediate and significant improvement of the position of women in the labor market, business and politics, and to work for an improved social safety net for women in the post-Yugoslav region.

Crafting New Women-Friendly Legislation on Entrepreneurship



	Former RAB member Dijana Cizmadija (right), Croatian MP, discussing the importance of women's entrepreneurship with Lael Stegall and Michael Cox, USAID-Kosovo. January 2000.

Inspired by a STAR Network Regional Advisory Board meeting, Dijana Cizmadija, a Croatian parliamentarian from the Social Democratic Party and 1999-2000 Board member, promoted the successful passage of Croatia's first legislation supporting women's entrepreneurship programs.

The Kosovo Women's Fund

Established in April 1999, the Kosovo Women's Fund has provided over $400,000 in private grants for local women's initiatives that responded to the refugee crisis. For the Kosovo Women's Fund Grant List 1999-2000 click here.

Compton Peacebuilding Program for Southeastern Europe



International policy advocacy training participants at World Learning's School for International Training campus in Brattleboro, Vermont

Through this newly established program, six young civil society leaders from the region were awarded fellowships to attend the CONTACT (Conflict Transformation Across Cultures) Program at the School of International Training. They were also given demonstration grants to apply their peacebuilding skills in their local communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia..

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World Learning

World Learning International Development Programs

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Phone: (202) 408-5420 Fax: (202) 408-5397 Email: star@worldlearning.org