Montenegrin NGOs got €4.2m from the EU delegation in Montenegro just during last year. Apart from those resources, NGOs got additional €595,814 from the US and British Embassies in Montenegro.
This was officially confirmed by the two embassies to Pobjeda newspaper.
US Embassy spent $450,000 last year to finance 20 NGO projects in Montenegro, with the purpose of supporting Montenegro in EU integrations, economic growth and promoting American values.
The British Embassy allocated £156,000, ie €184,179, from its £750,000 annual budget to the NGOs.
However, both embassies were reluctant to say how their financial aid was distributed among various NGOs.
In its reply to Pobjeda, the British Embassy cited only eight NGOs it cooperated last year in the fields of rule of law, efficient economy management and building administrative capacities. The embassy failed to specify the sums granted to each NGO.
The list of NGOs the embassy cooperated with in 2016 include: the NGO Sector Affirmation Network (MANS), the Center for Monitoring and Research, Institute Alternative (IA), NGO SEECOM, NGO Queer Montenegro, the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro, NGO NOMEN and the Association of Montenegrin Alumni from British Universities.
The US Embassy advised finding relevant information on its website. However, out of 20 NGOs the embassy said it had cooperated with, there were granted sums specified only for 11 NGOs at the website.
They include:
- NGO Djelujem, Ulcinj – $24,930 grant for organizing the Mind the Gap edition of annual Seanema Film Festival;
- MANS, Podgorica – $24,840 grant for the Free Elections Free of Corruption project aimed at promoting free and fair elections in Montenegro;
- NGO Center for Democratic Transition, Podgorica – $24,455 grant for the project NATO Info Center – Towards Full-fledged Membership;
- NGO LGBT Forum Progress, Podgorica – $24,325 grant for the project Standing Together – Enhancement of the Protection of Victims of Violence aimed at improving police methods and capacity to deal with gender-based and LGBT-based violence through training and monitoring;
- FC Breznica, Pljevlja – $22,000 grant for the project Inclusion of Children of Minority Population in Sports, Music and Arts;
- NGO Forum MNE, Podgorica – $21,796 grant for the project Preventing Youth Radicalisation in Northern Montenegro through Youth Work
- NGO North Land, Berane – $21,636 grant for the project Mobilization of Rural Communities in Caring for Their Environment
- NGO Niti, Bijelo Polje – $16,055 grant for the project Path of Wool-Entirely Natural during which the NGO trained unemployed women and persons with disabilities in different handicrafts and how to start a business;
- NGO Young Roma, Podgorica – $13,000 grant for the project Beat Your Prejudice aimed at raising awareness on Roma issues and tackling prejudice through activities in Podgorica, Niksic, and Herceg Novi;
- NGO Alef , Bijelo Polje – $8,510 grant for the project Eight Months of Activism aimed at improving the quality of life of people living at the Home for the Elderly in Bijelo Polje, while promoting volunteerism with youth;
NGO Jonathan Livingston, Cetinje – $4,472 grant for the project Youth Club of Creativity aimed at boosting children’s confidence and business skills through various creative and psychological workshops.
