We work on Civic Education – Youth Empowerment in Anticorruption

AIS returns to its tradition of Datathon and Hackathon Albania. This November we started working with a group of young people for the DataThon that will be held in January 2023. DataThon comes from the words Data and Marathon. They are events where people meet to work together on an idea and to collect, analyze, visualize and communicate findings related to data.
AIS has previously held DataThon and HackaThon in Tirana. This time DataThon is an event that will engage young members from the OpenDataFellowship Network. This Youth Network was created to increase the capacities and skills of young people in anti-corruption issues. The issue to be addressed this time is the finance of political parties, their volume, structure, and visualized forms of research. For more information on DataThon Albania 2023, a publication will be prepared on AIS website.
How does the Government Spend the Taxpayers’ Money? Our well-structured Treasury Transactions database enables the monitoring of all payments that state institutions make to third parties. Currently, we have data on each payment made in 10 years. The data is obtained through the access to information from the Treasury Department. They are placed in a system where anyone can easily find, use and reuse them in real time.
The system also offers a search engine through filters, where transactions are divided by institution, beneficiaries, value, expenditure category, payment date or invoice number. This database discloses to the public information about how taxpayers’ money is spent; where the funds are allocated; who benefits and how much is paid for certain projects and programs.
The Open Data Albania portal continuously publishes data related to Gender Balance Statistics in the country. Articles are listed under the Gender Relations topic. The latest data published are related to the gender balance in sectors and fields such as Demography, Education, Public Representation and Penal Policy by gender groups.
The data assist in identifying ratios and development of gender groups, revealing also economic and social imbalances. The gender pay gap in different employment sectors, as well as the data on Penal Policy and Sentences imposed by courts on women compared to the total number of sentences imposed for crimes in the country – are two indicators carefully presented during November.
The organization AIS / Open Data Albania has been working with a group of students and young professionals for a year, creating a Fellowship program for empowering young people in Anti-corruption matters. This includes events held during the year such as work sessions; discussion forums; internships with the organization’s team; training and other networking events. On the weekend of October 22nd and 23rd, members of the youth team traveled to several districts of the country on a Retreat. The event contains – Happy Hours and Networking – Presentation of the Organization’s Work Strategy Youth Objectives – StartUp DataThon Albania
The young participants areas of significance for nature; culture, tradition and urban development of the country, such as: – Nivica, the view over the Canyon – Peshtura waterfall – Labova, the beautiful area of Lunxhëria with religious and cultural monuments dating back to the 5th century. – accommodation at Bujtina Maria, a model of agritourism and tourism business initiative, where we presented AIS new Work Strategy, with a focus on civic education and young people. – Archaeological Park #Antigone. – Peshtan, visit to the Italian-Greek war museum, During the event, the Work Program was also finalized for the next event of the Network, which is DataThon Albania Financing of Political Parties, an event that will be held in December 2022.
The Organization AIS / Open Data Albania is holding this week (October 2022) a training cycle with young people, part of the OpenDataYouth Network. The young participants in this program are selected through competition targeting young journalist professionals or students; economists; tax accountants; future politicians; analysts; sociologists; researchers; etc.
The purpose of the Training is to raise the capacities and empower the youth, as the category most predisposed to bring change in society. The targeted capacity includes awareness, articulation, education and evaluation on issues of good governance and anti-corruption. Provide them with knowledge about the stakeholders engaged in anti-corruption phenomena and tracking methods. The final goal is for a researcher, activist, journalist in the first steps of the profession, or during university studies to be able to articulate publicly on issues related to governance and corruption
There are eight specific topics addressed during October with a focus on anti-corruption and good governance issues, namely Corruption and EU Integration; Media and Anti-Corruption; Institutions and Stakeholders engaged in Anti-Corruption; Gender Perspective and Anti-Corruption; Corruption by Law; Money Laundering Challenges; Fiscal Policy and Civil Society and Activism for Anticorruption.
Working with young people and empowering them against corruption is part of the implementation of the Open Data, Access and Transparency over sectors exposed to Risk of Corruption Project. The project is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. One of the components of the project is Youth Empowerment against Corruption – Citizen Education, Improve Fact-Checking Models.
This component shall consist of several events. Its objective is to educate and develop the skills of a group of young people in critical thinking and articulation on issues related to corruption. The component envisages activities such as training, individual work sessions, internships at the organization, forum, preparation of articles and networking.
See the Training Program: HERE
See the Curricula HERE
Photo from the Training:
Announcements and other Network Events:
Call Apply to become part of the open data fellowship youth network http://ais.al/new/en/apply-to-become-part-of-the-open-data-fellowship-youth-network/
OpenData Fellowship Youth Network working with young people to increase their capacities
Forum “Youth and Emigration as an inducement to live for a better country
If Besnik Cani v. Albania case in Strasburg would construe a Precedent (unifying verdict) 8 other judges and prosecutors today would be awarded the same rights as Mr. Cani, as the Judge elected in violation of the statutory criterias is part of nine Decisions where the KPA (Appeals Chamber) has opposed the qualifications in the KPK (Independent Qualification Commission)
The previous day, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg issued a decision on the case of Besnik Cani against Albania. Mr. Cani is a prosecutor who passed the first stage of evaluation in the KPK (Decision No. 84/2018), but was dismissed by the Special Appeals Panel (Decision 2.2020). His case in Strasbourg referred precisely to the decision of the KPA, with the argument that the right to due process had been violated, since one of the member judges of the College, Mr. L.D., had been appointed in violation of the statutory criteria, having previously been dismissed from his office as a judge in First Instance Court.
The Strasbourg Court accepted the request of Mr. Besnik Cani, awarding him the right to claim that he was not given a proper process. Mr. Cani’s profile and documents concerning his evaluation HERE
The Decision issued on October 4th by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, it seems to cast doubts on quite a few decisions, where the KPA Judge (elected contrary to the statutory criteria) was a member of the body that made said decisions. Specifically, below we will list the cases in which the Judge or Prosecutor under the Vetting Process had been confirmed by the Temporary Qualification Commission, but was later dismissed by the KPA- Special Appeals Chamber composed of a panel that included Mr. L.D.
The documents listed below are part of the Access to Justice database – the Register of Magistrates, a register created by the AIS organization with the aim of increasing transparency, integrity and public trust in individuals who are part of the justice system.
Confirmed in KPK (Independent Qualification Commission) and dismissed in KPA (Appeals Chamber)
Meanwhile, KPA member Luan Daci was appointed by the Assembly as a member of the Special Appeals Chamber on June 17, 2017. A criminal investigation was filed against him in the Supreme Court thereafer. He exercised this duty until his suspension from the College (December 2021).
Mr. Luan Daci has been part of the collegial body in about 35 Decisions concerning re-evaluations of Judges and Prosecutors which constitute Dismissal Decisions in the KLP (High Prossecutor’s Office), who remained in force even after the appeal in the KPA (Appeals Chamber).
All KPA Decisions are published and carefully listed in the Register of Magistrates Access to Justice Akses Drejtësi, a platform created by the AIS organization as an open and transparent model of a Magistrate’s Register.
The cyber attack, that started in July 2022 on the Albanian official state database, has also taken offline the database containing information and documents concerning PPP/Concessions from ATRAKO, the Agency for the Handling of Concessions. Their publication, as well as guaranteeing public access are mandatory. Abanian Institute of Sccience, through its web-portal Open Corporates Albania, has in place a Registry with all the Albanian PPP Concessions contracts and documentaton. This database was created by monitoring, recording, collecting, re-publicating in a well-structured manner of data from the Public Registers, the work and commitment of many years from AIS team of analysts.
The Concessionaire Registry OpenCorporates.al is of particular importance especially during this time, with ATRAKO Concession Handling Agency official website, atrako.gov.al and relevant information out of service, due to the cyber attacks on the Republic of Albania’s official databases and systems. (from July 2022). Our Concessionaire Register contains the following information, business passports and documents: – Concession and PPP Contracts and Agreements; – Information on the PPP and Public Concession Companies management, ownership, and performance; – data and documents on Companies selected for PPP Implementation; – the Statute, Financial Statements, Credit Agreements, documents on legal issues; – Financial control packages; – Treasury Transactions and Payments over the Years; – Extensions and Amendments to the initial contract or agreement; – Feasibility studies and procurement procedure documents for awarding PPP or Concession through competition; – fees and concessionary conditions; – etc.
The purpose for which this database was created and operates matches our desire and will that the data for this important public sector be easily accessible and transparent. The database applies the best standards of data publication and access and creates opportunities for objective analysis and assessment.
The information provieded by the database demonstrate consistency in time, tracking documents from the PPP planning phase, to the finalization and subsequent implementation. The information is complete, revised and updated over time. The data has been retrived over the years in the followoing Public Registers: Official Bulletins of the Albanian Government; Parliament Archives; Business Registration Center; Licensing Center; Official Gazette of the Republic of Albania; Publications of the Treasury Directorate; Publications of the Public Procurement Agency; Publications of Public Business Registers in EU countries; Publications of AKBN, i.e National Agency of Natural Resources.
OpenCorporates Albania, – data on the Concessionary Company,- functions simulaneaously as a service, instrument and a database, created by the Civil Society in implementation of the “OpenData Access and Trasaprency over sectors exposed to risk of corruption” Project. Other products of AIS’s work in the implementation of the “OpenData Access and Trasaprency over sectors exposed to risk of corruption” project involve the publication of Reports and Research Articles regarding Concessions and Private Public Partnerships in the country, which can be accessed online via the NdiqParate webpage, by searching on the topic of Concessions
Last Friday, July 1st, AIS/Open Data Albania hosted a forum on “Youth and immigration: Corruption as inducement to leave for a better country“. The activity was held in the frame of the Open Data, Access and Transparency over Sectors Exposed to Risk of Corruption project, as part of which, AIS is preparing the Open Data Fellowship Network, a group of young people who will be upskilled in analyzing data and use data and facts in arguing on topics of public interest.
During the 3 hours that the forum lasted, guests partook in a discussion about the flight of the population, as one of the biggest problems facing the country, with disturbing effects that will extend in the following years and decades. Led by analysts in the field, young people debated on what has influenced this phenomenon, how can we analyze its various dimensions through data, how it is related to other prominent issues, such as corruption and unemployment.
Speakers at the event brought different perspectives on the increased emigration in the country:
Sociologist Donalda Tanellari treated the phenomenon from the point of view of societal developments; Blerina Shehu, a journalist with a focus on economics, spoke about immigration and how it has affected demographic dynamics, while Gjergj Erebara brought a history of censuses to the country, focusing on what data that can be extracted from them, as well as how censuses can be used to inform government policies.
For a more detailed overview of the approaches broached during the forum, please consult the agenda in the attached link
Albanian Institute of Science
“Asim Vokshi”
Nr 13 /25, Kati 3
1001, Tirana