BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: MEDIA ASSESSMENT 2006

Under the Democracy and Governance (DG) Analytical Services IQC II, Creative fielded one of two experts to assess the overall impact of current USAID media projects on strengthening the sector within the context of Bosnia’s and Herzegovina’s broader media environment and to provide recommendations regarding the needs and possibilities for further USAID involvement in this sector....
 

BEPS: ROMANIA: COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Romania’s geography, widespread poverty and unemployment make it a target for the exploitation of women and children by sex traffickers. A pilot project in northeastern Romania, launched by USAID’s Basic Education Policy Support Activity (BEPS), used education to reach the public, parents, educators and youth about child prostitution and trafficking. It provided high school students, institutionalized children and trafficking survivors with the knowledge needed to find income-producing employment and established a system to identify and monitor at-risk-youth....
 

BEPS/ MACEDONIA: RECOMMENDING POLICIES TO PROMOTE EQUAL ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Although Macedonia did not undergo the violence and conflict that touched other parts of the former Yugoslavia, underlying tensions along the lines of ethnicity, language, and religion remained and affected equitable access to higher education. Creative developed a policy options paper for the USAID/Macedonia program on technical assistance for higher education, with attention paid to integrating ethic minorities into the nation’s economy....
 

BEPS/ MACEDONIA: EVALUATING A DEMOCRACY-BUILDING INITIATIVE

The transition from communism to capitalism brought political instability and disorganization, affecting social structures and leaving a fragile state of peace. At the request of the USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives, Creative conducted an evaluation of the Confidence Building Initiative, a program designed to build public confidence and mitigate ethnic and political tensions. The evaluation offered several recommendations, including strategies for a continued emphasis on women’s participation, transparency, responsiveness, and accountability in local government....
 

BEPS/Bulgaria/Combating Human Trafficking

Ruse, a Bulgarian town on the border with Romania, lies along one of Eastern Europe’s most popular human trafficking routes. USAID, through its Basic Education Policy Support Activity, engaged a team from Creative to design and implement innovative programs, using education as a force to combat child trafficking and prostitution. The project sought to improve the retention of economically disadvantaged students, particularly ethnic minorities, through teacher training and summer programs, and to provide vocational training, job counseling and life-skills classes for at-risk youths. ...
 

Albania/The Albanian Initiative: Coordinated Action Against Human Trafficking (CAAHT)

USAID-funded CAAHT galvanized the efforts of local government and civil society representatives to lead their communities to decrease trafficking of Albania’s citizens and provide life-changing opportunities to victims and those at risk. The project dispersed nearly $3 million in grants, helped open the only transit shelter for victims, provided vocational classes and other prevention services to more than 530 vulnerable girls and young women, and raised awareness about the realities of trafficking and the need to care for its victims through cross-sectorial cooperation. ...