Results of the 1st open call
Below is a list of proposals that contributed to the following outcomes:
- strengthened democratic culture and civic awareness
- wider support for human rights and equal treatment
- vulnerable groups empowered
The supported projects are presented in alphabetical order.
1. Strengthened democratic culture and civic awareness
Estonian Ecovillage Network
Collective wisdom-based leadership programme
€ 41 820
The aim of the project is to enhance the paritcipatory democratic culture, participatory leadership, citizen awareness and capacity of civic organisations in Estonia. The project will bring to Estonia knowledge and skills of management models such as sociocracy, holacracy and self-organising organisations. A training on sociocracy and holacracy is organised for the target groups, a new management training programme is developed in Gaia Academy and a pilot training is going to be delivered in 3x3-day modules.
As a result of the project, there is public information in Estonian about management methods using collective wisdom; a training program has been developed and available for the target group in the future as well; ~80 active citizens and ~25 civic organisations have gained knowledge and skills to practice leadership and management based on collective wisdom and self-organisation. The project is carried out in partnership with Teeme Ära Foundation and Let's Do It World NGO.
Estonian Fund for Nature
Everyones’ nature conservation – positive engagement to nature protection
€ 80 000
The aim of the project is to empower people to understand issues of nature conservation and to be actively involved in conservation activities as well as policy making. Target group is nature oriented and environmentally conscious people who otherwise do not have experiences with complicated policy documents. Activities of the project include participation in the development of the Estonian CAP Strategic Plan 2021-2027 and supporting activities like events popularising everyone’s nature conservation and communication. There will be community events to popularise hands-on nature conservation – trainings on mowing by scythes that is used to maintain landscapes of outstanding natural beauty that are important for local communities and Estonia-wide competition near Estonian National Museum. www.talgud.ee will be renewed to support the everyone’s nature conservation concept. The project will be carried out in partnership with the Estonian Seminatural Community Conservation Association and Karula Society.
Estonian Green Movement
Developing an active civil society organisations’ climate network
€ 80 000
The aim of the project is to build the capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs) and the existing climate network on to contribute to climate policy on local, national and EU levels. Many civil society organisations (CSOs) lack knowledge, capacity and a common voice to effectively participate in these discussions. In the framework of the project the following activities take place:
1. Development of the existing CSO climate network – better networking and training;
2. Simplifying the involvement in national and international climate policy development - during the project period a number of policy documents are being developed that have effect on climate policy. Effective participation in the development of these documents should result in positive climate and environmental impact;
3. Building the capacity of local level CSOs to participate in local and regional climate policy - skill and knowledge training for local communities, offering professional legal help for solving local climate related issues.
The project will be carried out in partnership with the Estonian Fund for Nature and Estonian Environmental Law Centre.
NGO Opinion Festival
Opinion Festival 10
€ 60 000
The Opinion Festival contributes to a stronger participatory democratic culture and greater civic awareness by involving hundreds of NGOs, tens of thousands of people and hundreds of young people in knowledge-based and cultural public debate, working together in an inclusive and innovative way to empower and collaborate with NGOs. Specific focus will be given to NGOs (by way of Discussion Lab) and the youth (Democracy Fitness).
Teeme Ära Foundation
Green Tiger
€ 100 000
The root cause that the Green Tiger will be solving is over consumption and waste of resources in every level of society (production, consumption, management). The outcome of the project will be a roadmap for the Green Tiger which will be built and led by civil society organisations in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders.
The project will focus on four main changes in society:
1. Raised public awareness and therefore reduced amount of waste generated by Estonians and their ability to manage the rest,
2. Stronger democratic culture by creating a network of organisations across all three sectors who are aware of environmental challenges,
3. Development of civic participation and participatory democracy through organising events and actions and giving citizens a chance to speak out and share their thoughts about environmental topics,
4. Contributing to capacity building for civil society.
The project will be carried out in partnership with the Estonian Fund for Nature, Producers Responsibility Organisation OÜ and Icelandic civil society organisation called The Blue Army of Iceland. All three partners bring along invaluable expertise and therefore crucial for the successful implementation of the project.
Transparency International Estonia
Enhancing reporting of wrongdoing and the protection of whistleblowers in Estonia
€ 59 775
Whistleblowing is not favoured in Estonia. Problem is systemic because Estonian legislation does not sufficiently regulate whistleblowing and society shares a negative view on reporting. Project focuses on key outcome areas: Whistleblowers are protected in the Estonian legislative framework. Advocacy activities ensure that EU Directive on whistleblowing is adopted to the Estonian legislation with highest regard to whistleblowers’ rights. Recommendations are guided by international standards and supervised by the Legal Counsel of TIEE, Transparency International and Whistleblowing International Network.
Whistleblowing mechanisms are adopted in more enterprises. TIEE will develop a freely accessible and thorough e-course and information and guidance materials. Members of the Business Integrity Forum (BIF) and TIEE expert members guide these activities;
Awareness of whistleblowing is higher amongst the youth and the Russian minority because of new accessible materials and an information campaign;
TI Estonia will develop trainings on whistleblowing that increases its the capacity to conduct in-house trainings and improves TIEE financial independence as well as ensures the sustainability to protect whistleblowers’ rights.
NGO VitaTiim
Young Voice Counts
€ 48 404
Civic participation in Narva is quite low, as evidenced by participation in elections and several surveys. Young people of Narva have no alternative for political and civic education except the school and the support provided by people working with youth on the issue is not sufficient. Young people have little interest in community, city, country and European issues.
The aim of the project is to increase active citizenship and awareness of young people on political process. To achieve this goal, we will educate young people on the basics of democracy and the processes of other forms of governance; raise young people's awareness of how they can have a voice and engage in active citizenship; we bring together young people and decision-makers and train people who work with young people.
Expected outcomes are educated young people who understand democratic values, distinguish between different forms of governance, know how to contribute to society and solve problems, and express their views. Young people have a realistic attitude towards decision makers and are ready to work with them. In addition, people working with young people are able to encourage and properly engage young people in order to raise their civic initiative and to create the right conditions for them to express their views and bring about the changes they feel need for.
Wider support for human rights and equal treatment
2. Wider support for human rights and equal treatment
Estonian Human Rights Centre
VÕIVIK: Capable Civil Society Protecting Human Rights
€ 80 000
The project aims to increase the level of human rights protection in Estonia and to advance and disseminate the principle of equal treatment through wide and network-based strategic advocacy that includes the grassroots level. In the course of the project, Estonia’s main civil society organisations engaged in human rights and equal treatment advocacy receive new knowledge and skills to work with international and European human rights protection mechanisms, using the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process as an example. They also receive knowledge and skills to communicate rights better and include grassroots levels, also new and developing aspects of human rights and equal treatment. The main activities include gathering local level inputs for and draft the civil society shadow report for the UPR third cycle review of Estonia due to take place early 2021, and related advocacy activities as well as training of trainers based on updated handbook of the Equal Treatment Act. Participation in project activities contributes to increased capacity of project participants and new people have been involved in human rights protection in the local levels. The project is carried out in partnership with CSOs that belong to the Equal Treatment Network (Estonian Chamber of Persons with Disabilities, Estonian LGBT Association, Estonian Youth Council, Estonian Vegan Association, NGO Oma Tuba/Feministeerium and Estonian Union for Child Welfare) and Icelandic Human Rights Centre, which helps with the UPR process.
Estonian Institute for Open Society research
Developing gender stereotype-free and efficient law enforcement system for prevention of gender-based violence
€ 59 940
The aim of the project is to enhance women’s human rights and equal treatment through the development of more efficient law enforcement system to prevent gender-based and interpersonal violence. The basis of the efficient law enforcement system is the cooperation and trust between the victims and law enforcement specialists that is free of gender stereotypes. Direct objective of the project is: to increase the know-how and expertise of law enforcement specialists in solving the cases of gender-based and intimate partner violence;
to increase the capacity of law enforcement specialists to intervene as early as possible in serious cases of gender-based and intimate partner violence to prevent serious and fatal cases and decrease repeated acts of violence;
to work out legislative proposals for improving and making the legal regulation of gender-based and intimate partner violence more effective.
The project will be carried out in partnership with the University of Tartu Faculty of Law, Tallinn Crisis Shelter for Women and the Icelandic Women's Rights Association.
Estonian LGBT Association
Educational Work and Awareness Raising in the Field of Education to Create a Safe and Inclusive School Environment for LGBT+ Youth
€ 80 000
The aim of the project is a safe and inclusive school environment for LGBT+ students in Estonia. With the support of the project study materials will be created and seminars will be organised for education professionals. In addition, an awareness raising campaign will be conducted that will help people better understand LGBT+ youth.
As a result of the project, LGBT+ youth will be empowered and informed about their rights and possibilities; education professionals will be aware of LGBT+ topics, understand why it is necessary to include these topics as well as LGBT+ youth in educational work, and will be willing to discuss these topics in school and in public; organizations and institutions in the field of education will be informed on the topics of LGBT+ and LGBT+ youth and the cooperation between different institutions and organizations will be established; general awareness on LGBT+ topics will increase in society; the competence of the staff of the Estonian LGBT Association as trainers will increase and the effectiveness of cooperation with necessary organizations and institutions will increase.
The project will be carried out in partnership with Kiusamisvaba Kool Foundation, the Estonian National Youth Council and the Estonian School Student Councils.
EVPIT
Making Estonia more accessible with easy to read
€ 60 000
The aim of the project is to create conditions for active and inclusive engagement of people with intellectual disabilities and thus for better life. In the framework of the project a survey will be conducted among the institutions offering public and other services that maps the accessibility with easy to read. People with intellectual disabilities will be engaged in performing the survey thus giving the possibility to be actively involved in shaping their living environment. Project activities lead to better understanding of public services and one’s rights to use them by intellectually impaired people; the project also leads to better understanding of and need for easy to read by people working at institutions providing services. Such institutions include libraries, shops, medical institutions, local governments, sports clubs and other institutions visited daily by the public.
The project contributes to better accessibility of such organisations improves, increased social inclusion and tolerance towards vulnerable groups. The project is carried out in partnership with Tartu Maarja Support Centre and an Icelandic organisation Landssamtökin Þroskahjálp.
Kiusamisvaba Kool Foundation
Evidence-Based Bullying Prevention to Grades from 7 to 12
€ 59 915
With the support of the project evidence-based KiVa anti-bullying programme will be offered to students and teachers starting from the 7th grade. As a result of the project, the schools have efficient tools for the prevention of bullying and have improved means to tackle sensitive issues in upper grades. Exercises and topics in KiVa programme materials help advance wider support for human rights and contribute to the prevention of unequal treatment in older ager. The new module facilitates the assertion of values like equal treatment and prevention of hate speech towards vulnerable groups. KiVa Foundation also offers support to school personnel to implement KiVa programme both in Estonian and Russian language.
NGO Oma Tuba
Supportive Community and Advocacy: Voice of One’s Own
€ 59 935
The aim of the project is to increase the influence of women, sexual and gender minorities in Estonia through capacity building on advocacy, a community empowerment program and communication. The long-term goal of the project is to ensure wider support for human Rights and gender equality in Estonian society. The project is carried out in partnership with NGO Women 's Wave, the Estonian Youth Mental Health Movement and Salam Norge (Norway).
3. Vulnerable groups empowered
NGO Eriline Maailm
The Inclusive World Horizon
€ 59 989
The aim of the project is the creation of comprehensive supportive approach that aims to engage all members of society, including non-Estonian-speakers, persons with disability etc., based on equality and by the means of implementation of inclusive education and inclusive citizenship education. The activities of the project include the training of trainers of inclusive education and trainings on inclusive education for Russian-speaking teachers and support specialists. There will be experience-based consultings, trainings and discussions in order to help break the stereotypes among the Russian-speaking population, create new attitudes and change of the paradigm for dealing with questions of inclusive education, social justice and equal treatment.
NGO Peaasjad
Life-saving mental health first aid awareness to every municipality in Estonia
€ 60 000
The aim of the project is to to increase mental health awareness, reduce stigma and the risk of discrimination. This will be done by training of municipality leaders, public health specialists and community leaders. We will create a working network of VTEA trainers, materials for communities and make the voice of people vulnerable to mental health problems heard. This will provide people with mental health problems with access to services that meet their needs and increases their chances of participation in the community. People with mental health problems, including the youth will be engaged in project activities. The project is carried out in partnership with the Estonian Psychosocial Rehabilitation Association, the Estonian Youth Mental Health Movement and an Icelandic organisation Batamiðstöðin.
Tähtvere Open Women’s Centre
Empowering victims of gender-based violence by support groups and group therapy
€ 43 426
Support group for victims of interpersonal violence is a service belonging to the minimal assortment of services recommended by the Council of Europe and according to a study conducted in Norway, victims themselves consider support groups among the most efficient services supporting the leave from violent situation. Although Estonia has joined the Istanbul Convention, the help currently provided by the state is insufficient for fulfilling the obligations as a signatory as well as for providing the minimal assortment of services recommended by the Council of Europe. With the support of the project, a support group service will be launched in Tallinn based on the long-term practical experience of the Tähtvere Open Women’s Centre. Also, a group therapy format developed from the support group will be piloted in Tartu. The longer-term aim of the project is the adding of the support group service to the list of nationally funded services of which the public, policy makers, the victims and the network will be informed through various information events and campaigns. The project is carried out in partnership with the Estonian Union of Women Shelters and Tallinn Crisis Shelter for Women.
NGO Valguskiir
Better future
€ 42 021
The aim of the project is to increase the social inclusion of visually impaired people and the sustainability of the NGO Valguskiir (Ray of Light). The activities of the project include the reconstruction of the ground floor of the association’s that will be used for launching the services for creating revenue and jobs as well as for joint events. As a result of the project, NGO Valguskiir will be more independent and sustainable organisation whose activities significantly increase the quality of life and active citizenship of people with visual impairments. The project is carried out in partnership with Blindrafelagid, Icelandic Society for the Visually Impaired (BIAVI).