Page 36 – Albanian Institute of Science

Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana invited in “Tonight Ilva Tare” program speaks on the EU presidency and the country’s integration process

27/01/2016/in Media Coverage @en /by admin

Invited on the “Tonight Ilva Tare” TV program, Mrs. Dewi van de Weerd, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania, whose country holds the EU Presidency during these six months, said that non approval of the justice system reform means great sufferings for Albanian people and obstacles standing in the way of the country’s integration process.

However, dedicated people are working hard for this reform and according to the Ambassador finding a consensus to adopt this reform will be a turning point for the Albanian politics.

As regards the fight against corruption and organized crime, the Ambassador said that she was surprised by the fact that the chief prosecutor reorganized anti-corruption structure, given that it is one of the priorities for Albania.

Albanian asylum seekers in the Netherlands have 0% chance to obtain asylum and according to the Ambassador all the Albanians should try to build the future in their own country.

She further underlined, that as holder of the rotating EU presidency, the Netherlands will play the role of impartial mediator with Albania and that Albania should focus more on the work than on words.

In Tonight Ilva Tare television program in Ora News, there were also presented several programs supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including the AIS organization’s program titled Money, Government and Politics. This program aims at creating tools for civil transparency and control over government with the aim to empower citizen’s participation and reaction.

DiploHack Tirana 29 – 30th January

25/01/2016/in Events, Homeposts /by admin

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Albania and the Albanian Institute of Science will host DiploHack Tirana, “A Voice for Civil Society: Using Open Data to Strengthen Civil Society Advocacy” on January 29 and 30. This Hackathon event will bring together civil society representatives, diplomats, and programmers in a day-long session to work together towards creative ways for using open data to give civil society a stronger voice.

As the current holder of the Presidency of the European Union, the Netherlands has as one of its principles to promote dialogue between citizens and governments. Transparency plays a crucial role in a meaningful public debate, and using technology and open data can contribute significantly to empowering civil society, journalists and academia.

Mixed networks and collaborations are becoming increasingly important; the world is changing, and so is diplomacy. The rapid evolution of new technology offers both challenges and great opportunities. To meet these challenges, diplomats regularly collaborate with other actors to set up co-creative events that can approach issues of global relevance through ideation and design processes.

A #DiploHack combines the specific know-how and skill sets of NGO’s, social entrepreneurs, tech developers and designers, and those of diplomats, journalists, and academics to ‘hack’ problems and come up with out-of-the-box solutions. Small teams comprised of a civil society representative, a diplomat, and a programmer will work together for 24 hours. The team with the best idea wins the DiploHack Tirana Award.

Date: 29 afternoon and 30 January all the day.

Location: The Public Award Ceremony from 19:00 till 22:00 at 30 January 2016 at Destil

Hashtag: #DiploHack

Schedule – link
Results

Diplohack Albania 2016 Award

#Love in Action

Access hack in Tirana: an interactive map of accessibility statuis of public spaces for people with disabilities.

DiploHack Data Sets

#4Techno

Information on time for public procurement to be improved

Email 1 Print Screen Ap 2 Print Screen App

Swords

Fund your idea:technical assistance, accessibility to data sources capacity building

FYI-Presentation

HopEU

Helping domestic violence victims

hopeu

Slockomats

Education and labor market

PPTX – DOCX

The Pink Team

Common Places, on open digital platform as space of discussion about the creation of common places

DiploHack_PinkTeam

Albanian Tulip

Civil Society Platform:Making Albanian NGO’s more effective by improving their visibility

printsc1 printsc2 printsc3 printsc4

#Love in Action

Universal access in Tirana:an interactive map of accessibility statuis of public spaces for people with disabilities

PPTX – PDF

The Pioneers

Balkan Bike, digital platform for cycling mobility

The Pioneers Slide1 The Pioneers Slide2

Click

Neighbour tap

PPTX

DEC16

Giving a voice to citizens through technology:website and app that allow citizens to contact directly their political representatives

PPTX – PDF

Dothack

See and Act, responsibilities of local governments

PPTX

Sunshine Pirates

WANA app(We Are Not Alone): helping people who live alone for medical emergency purposes

PPTX

The Fifth Power

Be My Guest: Digital tourism ma of Albania with info on region/attraction and populations

PPTX – PDF

Mentors

Nori Spauwen

nori Nori Spauwen is a junior diplomat who works for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She specializes in Human Rights and Strenghtening Civil Society and is in Albania for a month to help set up a DiploHack. Nori has a background as an advocate for LGBT rights at the UN and holds a Master degree in Political Philosophy. She lives in Amsterdam and works in The Hague.

Rron Nushi

11880358_955168171207866_3259066890582449266_n

Rron is currently doing a master in International Relations at Leiden University and is writing his thesis on Albania’s potential as a regional peace builder in the Balkans.

Besjana Hysa

besjana Besjana Hysa has been working for almost 4 years on promoting Transparency through Data by monitoring and analyzing the information on everything related to public expenditures in Albania and implementing digital platforms that provide information to citizens. She is currently involved in the following project: “Money, Government and Politics” project for publishing data about assets, incomes and expenditures declared by high level officials in politics and judiciary system, Electoral Spending project that contains data and analyses on electoral campaign expenditures.

Shefiko Hajna

shefiko Shefiko Hajna is a Software Developer for several projects such as: Open Spending, Open Data and Za’Lart. She holds a Master Degree in System of Information in Economy, Faculty of Economics at the University of Tirana.

Erald Hoxha

Erald Hoxhabis an Open Data Journalist working in Albanian Institute of Science projects that have generated substantial results in terms of transparency, information, accountability and good governance. His work consist in providing the public with Transparency and civic participation through the open source platform Raised Voices Albania (Za’Lart), where citizens had the opportunity to denounce cases of vote manipulation, misuse of public administration or children, and other electoral distortions.

Ergest Nako

Co-founder of Garazh, a newly organization, with the object to help, and acceleration innovation in Albania and in the region. Ergest has an experience of more than 10 years in the technology sector with strong expertise in Project Management, Information security, Business Process Management and IT management. He hold a MSc in software engineer. During the last two year, he is deeply involved in the innovation sector in Tirana, organizing Startup Weekend Tirana for three times in raw and the first HackDay Albania, mentoring different startup and also giving presentation, motivation speech and moderating different events in the innovation sector. He also was recognized for the startup weekend Tirana as Best Innovative Program for 2014 by Infocom Albania.

Participants list
Organizers: The Embassy of the Netherlands in Albania and the Albanian Institute of Science
Inspiration

http://dynamic.hs.fi/2012/hsopen6-1/index.html

Resource Open Data

Instruments

Google Charts tools

https://developers.google.com/chart/?hl=en

https://cartodb.com/

http://www.highcharts.com/

https://support.google.com/fusiontables/answer/2571232

Video Presentations (after the event)
Photo Gallery

DiploHack

23/01/2016/in hidden /by admin

DiploHack on A Voice for Civil Society, 29 and 30 January, Tirana, Albania.
The Embassy of the Netherlands in Albania, together with the Albanian Institute of Science, is hosting a DiploHack on A Voice for Civil Society. Mixed teams of 3 or 4 people will work together in a day-long session to develop ways to use open data in order to help strengthen civil society advocacy. The team with the best idea will win the DiploHack Tirana Award.

Open Local Government Procurements – OpenLGP

14/01/2016/in Homeposts /by admin

Albania ranked in 37th position in the Global Open Data Index 2015

13/01/2016/in Press Releases /by admin

In the Global Open Data Index recently published, Albania holds the 37^th position in the ranking. Such positioning shows that the country has less open data compared to other European countries like: Norway, Netherlands, France Romania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Germany, Switzerland and even Kosovo . Meanwhile Albania left behind Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, Macedonia Georgia. Taiwan holds the first place in the Index. The European countries with the best performance are Britain, Denmark and Finland, while the United States maintain the 8^th position.

The openness of official data for the main databases in Albania is at 42%. Satisfying indicators show the data on National Statistics and Public Budget. While the information over Public Procurement and Weather forecast it is low or there is lack of data. Global Open Data Index was conducted by the Open Knowledge Foundation Network and for Albania the assessment was organized by AIS staff and associates.

Finalists of Open Data Hackathon Albania 2015

24/12/2015/in Events, Homeposts /by admin

Date: 19.12.2015

Organizer: AIS in the framework of MG&P

Place: My Office, Tirana

Topic of this year: Life in a Different City

Hackathon (Hacker + Marathon) is an open marathon, where various individuals may participate, work, and finalize an application or map. This year, Hackathon was held on 19 December, and the suggested topic was: Life in a Different City. An open invitation was addressed to ordinary citizens, analysts, storytellers, scout programmers, and designers.

The event was organized as a contest among groups and individuals. Six groups managed to get to the finals, presenting the following topics:

Topic: Health Care in My City. How is money spent in the hospitals for citizens’ health? Where is budgeting done best: Gjirokastra, Fieri, Korça, Dibra, or Kukësi? Students of Economics monitored budget-related facts for regional hospitals. Money means first health services, and then health. Some of the Hackers’ findings include: more money is paid for salaries than medications, equipment, and hospital treatment. .

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/girokaster.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/korce.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/kukes.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/list.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/Totali.html

Topic: Albanian Facing European Tourism. What should know a tourist visiting Tirana, and what those managing tourism should know about other European countries and about countries neighboring Albania? This was the theme of an application presented at Hackathon 2015.

Topic: Infrastructure Expenses. Two municipalities with the biggest budget for Infrastructure: Gjirokastra and Tirana. Public Works and Infrastructure that each citizen would like to have in his/her municipality. One of the Hackathon contestants identified the two municipalities with the biggest budgets and expenses for infrastructure. Gjirokastra and Tirana are on the top of the list, and Hackathon presentation identified the private companies contracted for public works in these two municipalities.

http://ais.al/Hackathon/transporti/Gjirokaster.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/transporti/Tirana.html

Topic: Improve My City#‎Saranda. APP or web page? Do you have problems with infrastructure or urban planning? Do you live in Saranda? Report your problems to ‘Improve My City’!! Afterwards, your report shall be posted on the website of the Mayor or City Council. An APP for e-Participation.

http://ais.al/Hackathon/saranda/test.html

Topic: Employment vs. University in My City. The number of those pursuing their University studies is much higher than the number of new jobs requiring a University degree. An analysis of these figures presented at this Hackthon brings a comparison showing how disintegrated these two trends are. Finding: 6% of the country population is University students. However, the number of jobs that require a University degree is far from that. Study fees are the highest at the University of Medicine, but the highest salaries are paid in the Hydrocarbure Industry. The number of IT students is the lowest, but the highest number of new jobs is found precisely in this sector. There is a need for more research in the labor market and its relation with the University – that is the conclusion of the first presentation at Hackathon Albania.

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Ne qytetin tim cdokush shkon ne Univ. A ja vlen/list.html

Topic: Taxes in a Different City. How do I pay for my Municipality?!! A student of the Faculty of Economics, another one from the Faculty of Medicine, and one from IT joined their efforts in finding out the city, where people pay the highest and the lowest taxes.

http://ais.al/Hackathon/taksat/list.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/taksat/list2.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/taksat/list3.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/taksat/list4.html

The six final ideas were presented to a jury composed of the following:

Anisa RULA, Scientific Researcher, University of Milan, Bicocca, Italy
Elga MITRE,Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana
Julia HOXHA, Scientific Researcher, Albanian Institute of Science (AIS), University of Columbia, USA
Leonid BLLOSHMI, Open Society Foundation Albania
Rron NUSHI, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana

Hackathon took place in the premises of My Office. This is the fourth year that AIS organizes a Hackathon for Albania. The next event to be organized by AIS is Open Data Day 2016 Albania.

Transparent data about the assets of high officials in the Justice System

24/12/2015/in Events, Press Releases /by admin

The Spending Data Albania portal has published some data about the assets and economic interests of some high officials of the Justice System under its Money and Power section.

Thus, you may find the latest annual incomes of the three Presidents of the Republic, i.e. Mr. Rexhep MEIDANI, Mr. Alfred MOISIU, and Mr. Bamir TOPI, by using the search filter in the ‘President of the Republic’ category.

http://www.spending.data.al/sq/moneypower/list/pos_id/2

You may also find the Declaration of Assets of the two latest General Prosecutors, i.e. Ms. Ina RAMA and Mr. Thedhori SOLLAKU, by using the search filter for ‘General Prosecutor’

http://www.spending.data.al/sq/moneypower/list/pos_id/3

In the same section, you may also find the official declarations of assets of some judges of the high level and judges of the Court for Serious Crimes. This data section is enriched as part of the activities organized by the Albanian Institute of Science (AIS) for the implementation of Money Government &Politics Program (MG&P).

Local Government Law. The Election Situation Room against three mandates for locally elected officials

21/12/2015/in Events, Press Releases /by admin

Tirana, 15 December 2015

The Election Situation Room has asked the Assembly of Albania not to change the original draft law on local government, which restricted the time in office of locally elected officials to 2 mandates.

The latest decision to increase the number of mandates to 3 is considered a regress by the Election Room. According to the representatives of this Room, this decision is a move backward, because all the mayors, who had won a third mandate, were actually criminally prosecuted for abusing their power.

Gerti Shella (INFOCIP): The Albanian experience with the local government dictates today more than ever the need to restrict the mandates of locally elected officials to two. At the beginning of this year only, the mayors of the most important cities, who had already two mandates each, and ran for a third one, were criminally prosecuted for misuse of duty and corruption. Those prosecuted included also tens of commune mayors.

Aranita Brahaj (AIS and Za’Lart Albania 2015): The observation of election situations in the 2015 local government elections showed that where the existing mayors reran in these elections, there were higher expenses and more cases of misused of the public administration for purposes of electoral campaign. The Za’Lart platform received reports from citizens about problems with the transfer of voters’ names on the civil register. In municipalities, where existing mayors reran, there were also cases of pressure being exercised to intimidate voters through public services, violating thus the principles of fair competition among the candidates. Therefore, the law should not tolerate the use of power for such a long time.

Kristaq Kume: We are going to use such restrictive mechanisms such as the restriction of the right to be elected to no more than two mandates”

The changing of the original local government draft law is, according to the Election situation Room, against the recommendations made by the international bodies, as well as against the consultation process with the interest groups.

PDF Declaration of Members
Title: Local Government Law, Election Room against three mandates for locally elected officials

Title: Election Room against the draft law: Such draft law produced corruption – Top Channel Albania – News – Lajme

Shekulli Newspaper: Election Room – Mayors should be elected for two mandates only

Ballkanweb: Election Room – Mayors should be elected for two mandates only

MAPO Newspaper: Declaration of the Civil Society – Draft Law on Local Government makes negative deviation

Albania is awarded the European prize for using Information and Communication Technologies

15/12/2015/in Media Coverage @en /by admin

Evaluation based on the inspiring stories presented by representatives of participating countries

Author: Erisa ZYKA

Broadcast by ABC News TV

The Albanian society is among the most active European societies in using Information and Communication technologies. In other words, Albanians, and mainly young Albanian men and women use social networks like FB and Twitter, but it was even awarded a prize. Even though non-EU countries, Albania and Serbia are part of an electronic network of 11 countries, among other EU member countries. This was enabled thanks to the Albanian Institute of Science, which has included Albania in the Telecenter Europe network, which, through the optimal use of Information and Communication Technologies, intends not only to fight social exclusion and poverty, but also increase citizen’s participation in political decision-making through electronic instruments.

At a ceremony that took place in the European Parliament, the winners of an electronic participation contest, which had presented inspiring stories of active citizenship, were awarded prizes of appreciation. Jora Risto is one of the 12 winners among hundreds of stories presented on how European young people use instruments of electronic participation in order to raise public awareness, influence, or solve social issues. The story for which Jora was awarded the price represents an important moment of civic participation in Albania. She presented the story of the ‘Students of November 2013’, who managed to mobilize protests against the process of dissembling the Syrian chemical weapons in Albania.

In EU member countries, active electronic citizenship may lead not only to protests being organized against certain decisions, but even to changes in the legislation. According to the Executive Director of Telecenter Europe network, Gabriel Rissola, active electronic participation is promoting democratic processes of societies among societies themselves.

Gabriel Rissola: “The so-called ‘Spanish Revolution’ of 15 May was a process that mobilized a lot of people, millions of citizens in Spain. The entire process started through phone calls with people being informed about a protest that was going to take place in the center of Madrid. There were many proposals made by, let’s say, people’s assemblies, but none was translated into changes to the legislation. Nothing happened. That is why it was very interesting to hear the case of Estonia today, where protests managed to be materialized into 7 new laws”.

Active electronic participation intends to make best use of citizens’ initiative in European decision-making. Based on Lisbon Treaty, if 1 million signatures are collected on a given issue, the European Commission is expected to initiate its legislative process on that issue.

Broadcast on13 December 2015 on TV ABC NEWS

Phases of the Court process of AIS vs Political Parties for transparency on electoral financies

11/12/2015/in Events, Homeposts, Homeposts, Press Releases /by admin

In the framework of its efforts to promote electoral transparency, AIS has appealed at the Administrative Court of Appeal against the decision of the Court of Tirana to dismiss the organization’s request towards the main political parties PD, PS and LSI (two of them in power) to make available their information on campaign spending and donations. Considering this issue the first court case where an entity / organization submitted a claim against the three main political parties

The Constitution of Albania, which brings one of the best models of access to information on election finances with no restriction, discrimination, bureaucratic procedures and institutional intermediaries.

AIS will continue to advocate the judicial position that political parties are subjects to the Public Law, and obliged, based on the Constitution to provide information to the citizens, media and other civil actors. Also, transparency over campaign spending and donations is an essential aspect of free and fair election.

Chronological steps of the process

Official request sent to the three main parties on 09.06.2015
Request based on the Law on right of information and the Constitution
The three parties didn’t replied to the official request of AIS
AIS addressed the issue to the Commissioner for the Right of Information (Mr. Besnik Dervishi), but the claim was dismissed
AIS sued the three political parties in the Administrative Court
The court held three sessions, in which were present only the representatives of the Socialist Party and the Commissioner for the right of Information
The last session held on November 10^th the court decided to dismiss the AIS claim
AIS appealed the decision in the Administrative Court of Appeal,
In this process AIS is represented by the Law firm Gumi & Associates
Appeal to the Administrative Court of Appeal
Request for acceleration of adjudication
AIS addresses the Strasbourg Court. Albania does not guarantee trial within a reasonable time (Article 6 of the ECHR)
Administrative Court of Appeal Decision dated 22.11. 2017 with no. 4916 (5236)
AIS addresses the Court of Strasbourg in the absence of both a High Court and a Constitutional Court in the country, asking this court to review the merits of a case, which is now in a process of recourse.