target regions of slovak oda (2004 - 2005)

The Pontis Foundation’s pilot project on global education, entitled The Western Balkans and Central Asia as target regions of Slovak Official Development Assistance began in October 2004 and finished in July 2005.

The overall goal of the project was to increase awareness on the part of the Slovak professional community on the Balkans and Central Asia as a high-priority goal of Slovak official development assistance (ODA). The rationale behind the project was the fact that the Slovak professional and political community, e.g. media, academic institutions, diplomats and students, which are mostly concerned with foreign policy, still lack visible support for the territorial priorities of Slovak ODA. One of the reasons for that situation was a weak awareness on the part of the professional community on the regions of Western Balkans and Central Asia. Space dedicated to former Yugoslavia by the Slovak media after the fall of the Milošević regime had decreased significantly. In addition, Central Asia had been gradually receiving the attention of the Slovak media, the key factor being the shift in geopolitical significance of the region after the recent war in Afghanistan and its relation to a threat of radical Islamism.

There were three target groups (journalists, university students and professional community) directly and personally addressed with an objective to increase awareness on the Balkans and the Central Asia. The two important and outcomes reached through the project were a better awareness among the abovementioned target groups and increased support for Slovak ODA in the media. The project used these methods: seminars on the target regions and ODA at universities; a visit of Slovak journalists to the West Balkans for study; the best M.A. thesis contest; public debates on the target regions and the ODA; and publication of a book on Central Asia.

This project was funded by SlovakAid.