Organization “Network of Information and Active Citizenship” INAC

The organization “Information Network & Active Citizenship” (Information Network & Active Citizenship) INAC, was founded on 23.12.2016 and received its full legal value by court decision no. 5542 on 14.02.2017.

The creation of the organization came as a result of the will of a group of journalists and professionals from various fields in Elbasan, with the aim of informing, promoting civic activism, strengthening community structures, promoting accountability of local government and social inclusion in a society with opportunities to equality for all, well-being and youth empowerment.

This organization also came as a commitment to contribute to civil society after a successful experience as a winner in the first call of Lëviz Albania of the journalist Fatbardha Nergjoni (executive director), who won as an individual grantee in the first call of this program. For 12 months, in the years 2016-2017, he has implemented a monitoring and citizen activation project in cooperation with other journalists of this district in the domain of transparency and increased accountability from the local government by monitoring the Participatory Budgeting process in the Elbasan municipality. An important support in its establishment has been IDM.

From May 2017 to August 2018 INAC has successfully carried out two rounds of the CIVILISC project in Belsh Municipality, regarding young people participation in decision-making, using citizen media tools during environmental issues reporting for the Belshi area.

It has also implemented as a partner in a project of the CIVILISC program with the Albanian Institute of Sciences for the transparency of municipal budgets.

From January 2018 to September 2018 has successfully completed an EU-supported project on the “Fight against violent extremism” among young people as a sub-grant of the Albanian Helsinki Committee.

The organization has implemented in partnership with Together for Life in October 2019 to May 2020 the implementation of the project Rattan handicrafts, “The hope for the employment of young Roma and Egyptians”, in Elbasan financed by GIZ. The main objective of this project was the employment of the youth from minorities groups of Roma and Egyptians in Elbasan.

In cooperation with Together for Life NGO, INAC has implemented the project against misinformation during the pandemic (2020) in the health domain, where the main focus has been the fight against fake news in the pandemic. Realization of studies and questionnaires about health services, the doctor’s movement abroad, the patient’s referral system it was another collaboration with the organization Together for Life.

From December 2020 to December 2021, in cooperation with an online media Info- Elbasani, supported by the British Council, “Media for All” project was implemented in the field of the Environment on Elbasan district, reporting and carrying out 4 investigations and many in-depth articles even for uncovered areas such as Librazhdi, Peqini and Gramsh.

From August 2021 to December 2021 supported by the EU with a sub-grant from the Albanian Committee of Helsinki, a project was implemented on illegal immigration and local media.

From December 2021 to august 2022 INAC implemented a sub-grant project “Empowering young journalists for jobs, better quality journalism, to a stronger community”. The project promotes responsible journalism and provides journalistic training and internships in local media for high school students in the rural areas of Elbasani region[1]. In this project participated 6 new journalists in the least years of Elbasan University.   They did practice end worked with the community to do stories on online media.

From August 2021 to August 2022 the “Top Future” project supported by the Global Initiative against transition of Organized Crime focused on the nine-year schools of Elbasan.

INAC organized focus groups and open forums with students from the Roma and Egyptian communities from secondary schools in Elbasan city with the aim of strengthening positive models among young people. INAC has also developed a study in this project with secondary schools “Problems, behaviors and expectations among ninth-grade students in the city of Elbasan”, which it was published in May 2022. During this study they were created focus groups with 40 students who are part of the Roma and Egyptian community from the ninth grades of schools that have a majority of students from this community. From the study results that 58% of the asked students declared that they feel discrimination as a factor that stimulates bullying.

After the study report, we organized focus groups with students from the Roma and Egyptian community with the precipitation of 100 students from these communities.

From March 2022 to March 2023 the “Employ Youth” project supported by the European Union as a sub-grant of Partners Albania, was implementing for the employment of young people.

From May 2022 to April 2023 “Healthy Living / Healthy Living” project was implemented in the framework of promoting initiatives for the protection of the environment and healthy living of young people in Tirana and Elbasan district supported by Tirana European Youth Capital, Youth Congress and Tirana Municipality.

From January 2022 to April 2022 INAC implemented “Elbasani Cycle project” with partners supported by European Commission with the participation of Youth in Elbasan. The main goal was using arts for activism.

“Shkëndija” initiative for the improvement of public spaces in the Rinia Park of Elbasan, was implemented under the support of funds from the American Embassy through COPLAN.

December 2022- December 2023 INAC implemented “Women’s empowerment in local media” supported by Mediterranean Women found. The project was focused on empowering women in the media in the fight against discrimination due to the presence in the local media in Elbasan and Korça. Through the project, a network of women and girls was built, who continue their cooperation in the fight against stereotypes and in the use of joint opportunities for promotion and professional growth.

Currently INAC is implementing a project support by BIRN HUB for citizen’s engagement in an issue of illegal abortion and selective abortions in collaboration with Fokus media in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Through a tool implemented by BIRN Network, INAC is focused on involving citizens in sensitive topics such as selective abortion to identify similar regional stories.

Currently INAC is implementing the project “Club of Activists” supported by the US Embassy in Tirana, which includes schools with a majority of students from the Roma and Egyptian communities. At least 50 students from the Roma and Egyptians community were involved in the meetings that the C/A realized in Ptoleme Xhuvani and Qemal Haxhihasani schools in Elbasan. They gathered all the problems and concerns that these students had with the aim of advocating for their solution through the municipal council.

Currently INAC is implementing a project supported by European Endowment for Democracy The goal of the project is to reviving the operations of ElbasaniON to become a reliable and independent media platform for the inhabitants of Elbasan. Within the frame of this initiative, the following key activities include creating online media multimedia content, quality writing, investigations, and in-depth articles on issues of corruption and human rights.