Overview
In order to promote regional cooperation and good governance in the wider Black Sea region, GMF started the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation. A public-private partnership modeled on the successful Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD), the Black Sea Trust (BST) works in collaboration with a range of donors to provide grants to indigenous organizations working to foster and strengthen regional cooperation, civil society, and democratic foundations. BST will be operated as a 10-year initiative, though GMF remains open to considering a longer-term effort. The broad goals of the Black Sea Trust will be four-fold: - To rebuild trust in public institutions
- To affirm the value of citizen participation in the democratic process
- To strengthen a critical set of institutions that lie at the nexus of state and society
- To foster regional, cross-border ties in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors
BST will have three primary programs: Civic Participation, Cross-Border Initiatives, and East-East Cooperation. Activities BST provides grants to local and national NGOs in the Wider Black Sea Region, to governmental entities, community groups, policy institutes, other associations to implement projects in the three programmatic areas of the Trust: civic participation, cross-border initiatives and east-east cooperation. Outcomes Over the course of the Trust’s life it will play an important role in seeding the development of a thriving civil society and a cohesive regional identity that bonds the countries of the wider region to each other and to the countries of the transatlantic community. Financing The Black Sea Trust is a $20 million public-private partnership operating from Bucharest, Romania over a 10-year period. GMF envisions BST growing to around $40 - $60 million over the course of its lifetime. An initial investment has been provided by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the United States Agency for International Development, the Government of Romania, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Ministry of Defence Republic of Latvia. The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation also contributed to the early activities of the Trust in the Black Sea Region by supporting working groups, study tours, and written products. As it continues to grow, BST will seek to engage a diverse array of partners including European governments and organizations, international businesses, and other funders whose work includes this important geographic region. The countries where the Trust operates are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. Note: BST does not fund in-country projects in Bulgaria and Romania. The Balkan Trust for Democracy is fully engaged in Bulgaria and Romania. GMF encourages Bulgarian and Romanian organizations interested in-country work to visit the Balkan Trust for Democracy's website for more information.
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Leaders debate Georgian War and Russian Relations
On September 1, the German Marshall Fund of the United States held a debate entitled "The war in Georgia and relations with Russia: What happened and what now?" in Brussels, Belgium, just before an emergency European Summit began.
Leaders debate Russian-Georgian conflict
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Book presentation - "Reclaiming Democracy: Civil Society and Electoral Change in Central and Eastern Europe"
On March 4, the Austrian Parliament hosted a presentation of the book Reclaiming Democracy: Civil Society and Electoral Change in Central and Eastern Europe that was edited by GMF's Joerg Forbrig and Pavol Demeš in cooperation with Erste Stiftung. The event featured Barbara Prammer, president of the Austrian Parliament; Erhard Busek, special coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe; Sonja Puntscher-Riekmann, director of the Research Institute on European Integration; Boris Marte, managing director of Erste Stiftung; and Pavol Demeš , director of Central and Eastern Europe of GMF. Held in the historic committee room of the lower house, the event provided an opportunity for Austrian policymakers, journalists, and NGO representatives, as well as students, to discuss recent democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe.
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Basescu serves up some suprises in NATO Summit Preview
On January 31, GMF Brussels hosted a talk by Romanian President Traian Basescu, entitled "Gearing up for the NATO Summit," that was later opened up for a question and answer session from the audience. Dr. Ronald D. Asmus, the executive director of GMF's Brussels Office, moderated the event held in the packed Polak Room of the Residence Palace.
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