NEI funded projects in Estonia (from FY01-03 funds)*

* This document does not include Democracy Commission grants, nor does it include NEI grants signed in Washington or Copenhagen that involved Estonia. Information about Democracy Commission grantees and their projects can be viewed by clicking here

Organization	Project title	Project purpose/ description
AIDS Information and Support Center	Rehabilitation of Young IDUs	NGO is providing rehabilitation to former IDUs (intravenous drug users) during a two-year period at a Rehabilitation Center in Tallinn (40-50 people per year, in Lääne-Virumaa (14 per year) and in Järvamaa (12 per year); organize a rehabilitative group of anonymous drug abusers; commence individual and group work with IDUs' families. The period of rehabilitation includes Estonian language instruction and computer training courses to master skills, which will enable these young people to reintegrate into the society and be competitive on the labor market.
Non-Estonians Integration Foundation (NEIF)	"TV program "Uudistaja"	NGO produced a professional bilingual children's TV series "Uudistaja" ("Curious Person" in English) that helped integrate ethnically non-Estonian children into local everyday life, helped Russian-medium school curricula in media studies and motivated Russian children to develop a habit of watching Estonian TV channels. Participation in the TV segments stimulated children to analyze their surroundings, to see objective processes and details, to learn and explain things to their peers.
Civil Training Center	Integration through cooperation	NGO conducted the project entitled "Integration through Cooperation". The general topic of the project was to encourage social integration of Russian-speaking women, whose personal resources for coping with social and political change after reindependence were rather limited. Many of these women lost their jobs at big state enterprises and a number of women remained alone with their children while their husbands returned to Russia. The emphasis of the project was on continuing Estonian language training. 39 women participated in language courses and passed the state exam. The NGO also held four two-day seminars for the total of 105 women, where topics like elections, the government, strenghts and weaknesses of NGOs were discussed to fostering greater interest in civil society.
Non-Estonians Integration Foundation (NEIF)	TV Programs for Russian Children "Sputnik"	NGO produced a social integration TV program "Sputnik" for two seasons (total of 39 episodes in talk-show form, 54 minutes each) on Estonian state TV in Russian language. "Sputnik" lied at the boundary between formal news panel program and light entertainment. It featured well-known guests who discussed issues that confronted both Estonians and Russian-speakers. According to the producer, the aim was to encourage all people in Estonia to discuss common issues with the help of light humor to ease viewers into the show.
EuroFaculty	Cooperation on Transition Studies with St. Petersburg	EuroFaculty of Tartu University supported Russian-Estonian joint research on transition studies in four topical groups: 1) Economic aspects "Modeling Economic Development of the Baltic Sea Region"; 2) Political aspects "Strategies and Substance of Public Administration Reform"; 3) Legal aspects "Strategies for Widening Civic Participation in Law Making"; 4) Social aspects "Cultural, Environmental and Social Security in Transition Societies". This project took the form of the workshop held in February 2003 and publishing a book "Promoting Cooperation Between the Baltic Sea Region and Northwest Russia".
Non-Estonians Integration Foundation (NEIF)	Estonian Language CD-Rom	NGO will produce CD-ROM based Estonian language teaching program for 7-9th graders. All schools in Estonia have Internet connections, with at least one computer for every 25 students. The whole culture of schooling is changing into interactive and virtual learning community. CD-ROMs will assist in integrating Russian-speaking students (over 20 % of the total number of students in Estonia) into Estonian society.
Jaan Tõnisson Institute; Transparency International	Anti-corruption source book II: practical experiences in combating corruption	NGO is producing a book entitled "Composing the Transparency International Sourcebook - II. Practical Experiences in Combating Corruption". The book is composed based on the latest version of the TI source book, which is translated and tailored to the situation in Estonia. The main goal of the project is to help and support with know-how, and to publicize relevant publications that strengthen the internal control of state organizations, local authorities and the state control system in general in order to make anti-corruption activities more effective. Best practices collected by Transparency International are also included in this book.
AIDS Information and Support Center	Preventive-informative campaign against trafficking in girls and women in the Baltic States (Lithuania and Estonia)	NGO is executing the project "Preventive-informative campaign against trafficking in girls and women in the Baltic States (Lithuania and Estonia)". The NGO produces some clips of Estonian Youth giving information on the Estonian context to be incorporated into the film produced by IOFA; prepares and delivers lectures on "What Do You Know About Trafficking in Women and Girls?" in Estonian and Russian for high school students throughout Estonia; holds a two-day seminar on trafficking issues for NGOs, government employees and social workers.
US Baltic Foundation	Teaching investigative journalism	NGO executed the project entitled "Combating Corruption in Estonia: Training Local Investigative Journalists" in partnership with the Estonian Newspaper Association. The course addressed the distinct training and education needs of Estonian journalists, and fostered Baltic-American collaboration on anti-corruption initiatives. The project shared U.S. and Estonian experience and best practices with front-line professionals in the media and provided useful strategies and guidelines for journalists working to combat corruption in Estonia. The training was arranged in the form of two seminars run by U.S. experts and Estonian trainers for about 45 participants.
US Baltic Foundation	Ethics and Accountability: leadership at the local level in Estonia	NGO provided training in ethics and public accountability to a group of local government financial administrators in Estonia through a two-day seminar with U.S. professionals. The project trained reform-minded local government officials in Estonia in the principles and practices that American cities have developed to prevent corruption. 22 mayors and county executives attended the seminar. The NGO is also producing a workbook on Municipal Ethics Strategies specifically for local officials in Estonia.
Estonian Marine Institute	Alien invasive species in the North-East Baltic Sea: Monitoring and Assessment of Environmental Impacts	The Institute is developing a monitoring system for aquatic invasive species and assessing their environmental impact in the Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga, as areas of concern in the NE Baltic Sea, in order to provide essential information for invasive species management. Specific objectives of the project are to investigate the distribution area and abundance dynamics of alien species; to investigate the composition of biota in most important port areas; to estimate the role of human-mediated introductions in the structure and development of biotic assemblages and marine food webs; to conduct laboratory experiments on biology of selected invasive species in order to assess their impact on natural communities; to develop joint information system on aquatic invasive species with on-line module as early warning system. Click here for Program Report
Foreign Policy Institute	Regional development conference in Tartu and Pskov	The Institute will organize a 2-day international conference on interregional cooperation "Development of economic cooperation and foreign investment opportunities between Estonia and Northwestern Russia" in Tartu, Estonia and Pskov, Russia, where experts and participants from both regions present their visions and development programs in the border area and discuss funding possibilities for perspective projects and regional cooperation with the overall aim to increase tourism, transport and transit (logistical) potential and competitiveness in the Eastern part of the Baltic Sea region (Pskov region in Russia and Southern Estonia); and increase investments for infrastructure in the field of tourism, transport and other related sectors.
Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation	Peipsi- Lake which connects Estonia and Russia (tourism development project incl. a regional development conference and Kallaste Information Point)	NGO's aim is to enhance the use of Lake Peipsi as a means of cross-border travel between Russia and Estonia, and to develop and promote the tourism potential offered by the lake and its coastal areas where small and medium size entrepreneurs would play the most significant role. Lake Peipsi is Europe's fourth largest lake, and the defining physical feature of the Estonian-Russian border. The project includes establishing and developing the Lake Peipsi Tourism Information Point (which was opened in August 2003) and Museum, organizing workshops, seminars and discussions. The NGO organized a conference on regional tourism development. The project also includes conducting a study on tourism potential in the region and developing regional computer-based networks and e-mail lists to provide information on tourism related activities.
Non-Estonians Integration Foundation (NEIF)	2 U.S. speakers' presentations at the international conference "Multicultural Estonia"	NGO supported the participation of two speakers from the United States of America (Duke University Sociology Prof. Edward Tiryakian and Stanford University Sociology Prof. David Laitin) at the International Conference "Multicultural Estonia" held in Tallinn, Estonia, on October 24-25, 2002. Lecturers also gave lectures in universities on the integration issues.
Non-Estonians Integration Foundation (NEIF)	Integration of Undocumented Residents into Estonian Society	NGO is organizing the drafting of identity documents for undocumented persons, updating the existing data base on undocumented residents residing in Estonia, consulting undocumented residents and their relatives with respect to legalization possibilities and submitting applications for legalization of persons to the Citizenship and Migration Board.
Non-Estonians Integration Foundation (NEIF)	Estonian-language teaching materials for Russian-language kindergartens	NGO is providing Russian-language kindergartens in Estonia with much-needed teaching materials to support the voluntary learning of the national language, Estonian. By supporting Russian-language children in their quest to learn Estonian, the project helps provide students with a head start to integration. During the project 10 large format books will be developed, that include a teaching strategies guide. These books will be made available in all Russian-language kindergartens and teachers will be trained to use those study aids.
Estonian Women's Studies and Resource Center	Combating Trafficking in Women	NGO is raising awareness of Estonians about prostitution and trafficking in women, about their causes and consequences, by using the NGO's public library on gender issues, website, media outlets, and holding roundtables and seminars for people who come into contact with potential victims – police and border guard officials, youth workers, social workers, teachers and vocational counselors.
Ministry of Justice of Estonia	HIV/AIDS Prevention, Control and Harm Reduction in Estonian Prisons	The grant will be implemented by two NGOs with the aim of promoting sexual and reproductive health of juvenile and male offenders and reducing risk factors thus reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to reduce violence in prisons; facilitate coping with life after release of inmates and prevent and decrease repeated offenses. The project will offer knowledge to improve skills and to develop conscious attitude towards sexual health and behavior, STDs, drug addiction and healthy way of life. The training that includes lectures, group-work, discussions, individual counseling, video and picture materials, will target 2340 offenders in remand and sentenced to prisons in Estonia.
Postimees	Integration Project	"Postimees" hosted 3 Russian-speaking journalism students as trainees in the "Postimees" daily's editorial office for two months in summer of 2003 with the aim of promoting development of Russian-language journalism and providing these three students with a clear vision of modern media.
Institute of Zoology and Botany, Estonian Agricultural University	Development of a Long Term Ecological Research Network in Estonia	Institute will support the development of a Long Term Ecological Research Network in Estonia within the framework of the U.S.-Estonian Bilateral Science and Technology Agreement.
Estonian Science Foundation	Cooperation of Estonian and American Scientists in Research Projects	Foundation will support the travel of Estonian scientists to the United States to pursue cooperative research projects within the framework of the U.S.-Estonian Bilateral Science and Technology Agreement.
International Organization for Migration	Research and Information on Trafficking in Persons in Estonia	IOM will collect information about the current situation on trafficking in human beings to, from and through Estonia. The result of the research will increase awareness of the trafficking phenomenon among Estonian Government officials, NGOs and other relevant actors in the field. The dissemination of the results and the establishment of a national roundtable of government offices and NGOs will provide the necessary groundwork for the development of a counter-trafficking action plan in Estonia. The project builds on IOM's counter-trafficking experience in the Baltic States, it includes research, information dissemination and awareness-raising.
Ida Viru County Government, Social and Health Department	Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in East-Viru County of Estonia	Ida Viru County Government will execute a two-year project entitled "Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in East-Viru County of Estonia" with the aim of expanding access to quality services to HIV-positive pregnant women and their infants in East-Viru County and reducing the risk of MTCT of HIV during pregnancy and delivery. The project will include the following activities: analysis of the situation; providing special training programs for specialists; setting up the network for PMTCT program on the local level; providing information materials for women and women at risk; expanding access to social and psychological services to HIV-positive pregnant women and providing breast milk substitutes to HIV-positive mothers free of charge.