ANNUAL REPORT 2011 © Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights – LBI and Research Association A-1010 Vienna, Freyung 6 (Schottenhof), Hof 1, Stiege II T +43/1/42 77-274 20, [email protected], http://bim.lbg.ac.at Photo: Steffi Dittrich Vienna, April 2012 2 Contents Introduction 5 Events 7 Publications 25 Finances 31 Staff 33 Projects 37 3 4 Introduction Dear readers, dear friends, partners and supporters of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights! We are pleased to present you with a comprehensive review of our activities throughout the year 2011. In 2011 BIM’s work was evaluated by three external experts appointed by the Ludwig Boltzmann Association. The results of this process reconfirmed the excellence of our research and implementation activities as well as the profound expertise and professional skills of our staff. As a result of this evaluation process the Ludwig Boltzmann Association renewed its commitment to a consistent amount of core funding for the next four years. Recommendations of the experts’ report will be integrated into our organisational and thematic development. Research work at BIM deals with a broad range of human rights relevant topics arising from current social questions. In light of upcoming developments within the contemporary international human rights discourse BIM focuses its expertise on the following areas: Fundamental and human rights in general Human Dignity and Public Security Human Rights in Development Cooperation and Business / Digital Rights European Neighbourhood and Integration Policy Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Asylum Women’s Rights, Child Rights, Anti-Trafficking Human Rights Education / Education for Democratic Citizenship From a financial perspective the year was successful and the annual turnover in 2011 could be increased; a trend which is expected to continue in 2012. It is striking that the share of EU-funded projects (BIM) and of federal funding (BIM-Research Association) increased noticeable. For BIM this proportional and numerical increase of EU-funding can be explained inter alia by the fact that BIM is conducting several large Twinning projects financed by the European Commission. The proportional increase of federal funding arises from the finalisation of an EU-funded project and the subsequent proportionally increasing share of the Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools which is administrated by the BIM-Research Association. On the following pages you will find a comprehensive synopsis of our activities, devided in chapters as follows: events, publications, finances, staff and projects. We hope you find the insights into BIM’s activities and projects in this annual review interesting and enjoyable. Patricia Hladschik, Manfred Nowak, Fiona Steinert, Hannes Tretter and the BIM team Vienna, April 2012 PS: In 2012 BIM celebrates its first 20 years of human rights work. Support us, join us for the birthday event at the Viennese jazz and music club “Porgy&Bess” on 7 December, let’s hold up and celebrate the idea of human rights together! 5 6 Events BIM Conferences and Workshops Children’s views on involvement in European and international decision-making 28 January 2011, Europahaus, Vienna As partner of the EU-funded project coordinated by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (London, UK) BIM organised a “national consultation day”: About 100 children and young people from Austria met to share their experiences of being involved in European and international decision- making and to talk about why children and young people should be able to influence decisions that affect their lives. They discussed the best ways to influence bodies such as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Council of Europe and talked about the different methods that these bodies can use to encourage children and young people’s participation in decision-making. Twinning project start-up event: Implementation of a Data Protection Strategy in Montenegro 7 to 8 February 2011, Podgorica/Montenegro Data protection experts from Austria and Slovenia, representatives of the EU delegation and of the diplomatic missions of Austria and Slovenia, of the project partners as well as Montenegrin experts and decision makers participated in the official start of the BIM Twinning project. The relevance of the topic data protection in a globalised world was stressed in a joint press conference with the Montenegrin Minister of the Interior, Ivan Brajović. An expert seminar for the interested public in which current legal developments within the EU and country-specific situations were discussed closed the event. Diversity Management in Practise 16 February 2011, Vienna Working Group Diversity coordinated by respACT in cooperation with BIM (Katrin Wladasch) and Pauser&Wondrak. Gender Equality in Turkey 4 April 2011, Austrian Embassy, Ankara/Turkey In the context of the Twinning project “Promoting Gender Equality in Working Life”, the Austrian Embassy in Ankara and BIM jointly organised a lecture and panel discussion on “Gender equality in Turkey”. Karin Lukas, as junior partner project leader, gave a lecture on “Women's Rights and Business”. EDC Action Days 2011 27 April to 15 May 2011, throughout Austria The EDC Action Days are an annual series of events throughout Austria co-ordinated by polis – Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools. About 100 events, projects and activities on topics such as politics, democracy, human rights, globalisation, Europe etc. were carried out. 2011 had a special focus on “participation and civil courage”. DiversCity Award and Diversity Charta – Motivating factors for implementing diversity? 28 April 2011, Vienna Working Group Diversity coordinated by respACT in cooperation with BIM (Katrin Wladasch) and Pauser&Wondrak. 7 Rights for Everyone?! – Training programmes on how to get along with everyone in daily life 28 April to 12 May 2011, Vienna Workshops on social behaviour for school classes at WUK Kinderkultur organised by polis – Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools. Additional workshops in schools throughout Austria took place during the year. Citizenship education and political involvement: International Citizenship and Civic Education Study (ICCS) 4 May 2011, Innsbruck Educators’ Consultation – organised by polis – Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools in cooperation with the European Wergeland Centre and the University of Innsbruck – focussing on the national und international findings of the International Citizenship and Civic Education Study (ICCS), the largest study ever conducted on civic education in secondary schools: It investigated students’ knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship as well as students’ attitudes, perceptions, and activities related to civics and citizenship. Trafficking in human beings 4, 5 and 9 May, Vienna Guided tours for school classes through an exhibition on trafficking in human beings (arranged by the Austrian Task Force on Combating Human Trafficking), organised by Ingrid Ausserer (polis – Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools). The UN and human rights 9 May 2011, Vienna Training for teachers, students and multipliers, organised by polis – Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools in cooperation with the UN information service, about human rights, the work of the UN, torture prevention, refugees, asylum and children’s rights. Lecturers: Manfred Nowak, Dorothea Steurer. Fundamental Rights Training for Judgeship Trainees 9 to 11 May and 12 to 14 September 2011, Reichenau/Rax Mandatory fundamental rights training for judgeship and prosecutor trainees, organised and conducted by BIM together with the Association of Austrian Judges (Department “Fundamental Rights”). Lecturers: Astrid Steinkellner, Christof Tschohl. Participation and civil courage – information fair for young people 13 May 2011, Vienna Information fair for students that gave an overview on Austrian volunteer organisations and their field of activity, for example Amnesty International, The Red Cross etc., organised by polis – Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools (Maria Haupt). Substainable urban AND rural development 18 May 2011, Vienna The annual conference of the Austrian Agency for Education for Sustainable Development was jointly organised by polis – Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools (Dorothea Steurer) and the Environmental Education FORUM. After a number of keynote speeches it offered the possibility to networking. Expert conference on the prevention of torture in Paraguay 6 to 7 June 2011, Asunción/Paraguay In the framework of the EU-funded Atlas of Torture project, BIM conceptualised, organised and implemented a two-day conference on torture prevention, following up the implementation of the 8 recommendations submitted by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to the Republic of Paraguay. The conference was organised in close cooperation with the project focal point and largest network of human rights NGOs in Paraguay, CODEHUPY. It was attended by some 50 high level representatives from the State, civil society and the international community. Moritz Birk and Tiphanie Crittin presented their assessment report and the participants discussed in four thematic working groups the main issues in the field of torture prevention, that were identified during the assessment visit. At the end of the conference, each working group presented conclusions and recommendations, basis for the further implementation of the