A series of articles recently produced by ten journalists participating in this year’s Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence, highlighting the need for better movement of people, goods and ideas in the Balkans, is to be launched over the next two weeks in capital cities throughout the region.

Starting with a reception on November 28 in Belgrade, the fellows and their mentors will present the book Moving On: Overcoming Barriers to a European Future at nine events hosted by the Balkan Investigative reporting Network, BIRN. Members of the media and organisations working on themes related to European integration are invited to attend the events, which will also take place in Buchurest, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Tirana and Zagreb.

The book reflects in-depth research conducted by fellows on the existence and impact of a range of obstacles to political, economic and social development. Articles feature topics as diverse as criminal justice, environmental threats and sport and culture policy, as well as visa regimes, labour flows and the politics of transport.

The Fellowship programme, an initiative of the Robert Bosch Stiftung and ERSTE Foundation, provides financial and professional support for quality reporting, regional networking among journalists and balanced coverage on an annual theme, selected for its significance in the Balkan region and the EU. Fellows are given practical, professional support by the programme’s local partner, BIRN, a regional network of media development organisations and publisher of Balkan Insight.

Moving On is published by BIRN, online in English, German, Albanian, Bulgarian, Bosnian/Croatian, Macedonian, Romanian and Serbian at http://fellowship.birn.eu.com/movingon.

For information on the programme, upcoming events, or how to republish and cite reports, contact Anna McTaggart, Fellowship Programme Manager & Editor, on anna@birn.eu.com or tel. +381 11 303 7809.

Nikoleta Popkostadinova, 24, has won the first Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence award for her article on Roma employment. Jobs Boom in Bulgaria leaves Roma Behind takes a fresh angle on the issue of Roma exclusion, highlighting economic as opposed to human rights arguments for mobilising the beleaguered community out of its poverty trap.

Members of the Fellowship’s Selection Committee - whose members are Alexandra Foderl-Schmid, editor-in-chief of Austrian daily Der Standard, Drago Hedl, editor of Croatian weekly Feral Tribune, Gordana Igrić, director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Gerald Knaus, president of the European Stability Initiative, Remzi Lani, director of the Albanian Media Institute, Christiane Schlotzer, deputy foreign editor of the Suddeutsche Zeitung, and Wolfgang Wahner-Schmidt, Editor Europe for Reuters - recognised the originality of this approach to covering Roma deprivation, as well as the quality of research and writing.

Popkostadinova, who works for the Kapital weekly, covering social affairs, receives an award of 8000 euros, to spend on professional development.

The award was presented at a seminar in Berlin, hosted by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and attended by all ten fellows. Runners up were Milorad Ivanović, for Rich States Poach Former Yugoslavia’s Sporting Talents, and Davor Konjikušić, for Sound of Music Heals Wounds in former Yugoslavia.

The seminar also marked the launch of a book featuring all fellows’ articles. Moving On: Overcoming Balkan Barriers to a European Future shall be distributed in the coming weeks at events to be held throughout Southeast Europe, and is also available online at http://fellowship.birn.eu.com/movingon.

Ten journalists participating in the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence travelled to Berlin on November 13 to present the results of individual research and writing projects carried out as part of the 2007 programme.

The fellows, who are from throughout the Balkan region, shall attend a five-day seminar, marking the publication of reports they produced with the programme’s financial and professional support. The series of reports, which feature topics related to the mobility of people, goods and ideas in the Balkans, is entitled “Moving On: Overcoming Balkan Barriers to a European Future.” It is to be distributed both in the Balkans and throughout Europe in a special book edition, via the Balkan Insight email newsletter, as well as appearing online - in eight languages - at fellowship.birn.eu.com/movingon .

On the basis of these reports, the Fellowship’s Selection Committee, comprising journalists and experts from throughout Europe, shall award one fellow with financial support to develop his or her professional skills. The award shall be announced on Friday, November 16.

The seminar’s programme also features discussions with Berlin-based experts on a variety of issues current in the Balkans and Europe as a whole, including the geopolitics of energy supply, demographic changes and religious coexistence, as well as a visit to the German foreign ministry.

The event is organised and hosted by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, which ,with the ERSTE Foundation, initiated the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence. The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, the programme’s partner in the region, provided professional support to the fellows during their research, and produced the Moving On publication.

For more information on the programme, and to read the fellows’ articles, visit fellowship.birn.eu.com. For copies of the publication, contact Fellowship Programme Manager & Editor, Anna McTaggart, on anna@birn.eu.com.

I woke up at 04:15 this morning and I was almost late to catch a train to Budapest. Even if I live ten minutes, by walking, from the main train station in Zagreb, I needed almost 20 minutes to come to the station. The reason is my suitcase, which I bought before few months. The suitcase with wheels. And that is a hell of suitcase, blue Chinese monster that I needed to care in the hands this morning. If I was late even a second, I would miss the train and wait for next four hours. I should stay on backpack.

I’m writing this post in the train. No, I do not have a wireless in the second class compartment of Hungarian railways, but I will post it on the web somehow later. At the moment I’m passing by Balaton Lake, which has green – gray color. The people are cleaning their house yards, ignoring the fact that rain falls.  I’m happy that soon I will see people from BIRN. After Budapest I will go for a one afternoon to Belgrade (don’t ask me why), and then the other they early in the morning I have a flight to Berlin.

I’m really curious how the seminar in Berlin will look like and I’m excited about it. What other fellows made, what are their experiences, how the people will react on my feature, who is the winner will “take the honey” and a prize, what selection committee looks like, are Veronika and people from Bosch plan intense time in Berlin and how the book look like. That is a nice feeling, to complete all the things after the months of work and hell yeah have a book for mum and dad. Just kidding.

Now, seriously. It is great to have some of your work printed in a book. I do think that this is a very good project and that next year’s will be better and better. Just a short thanks list: Anna was a great mentor and Marcus is the wizard. I have never done anything like that with so perfect style in English language. And thanks to the people from Erste and Bosch for hosting us.

And to be honest, I’m excited also cause of Berlin. I just adore that city, and every time when I leave it, I just do want to come more and more. And some very very good memories keep me connected with that city. The first time I came there was before five years. I travelled with some Slovenian friend to Baltic states and one morning in Lodz I decided to quit traveling with them and go in the afternoon to Berlin. I came and stayed in love with that adorable city. The rest is… OK maybe I’m to pathetic this morning, so it is time to stop now.

See you soon.