Update July 2007: SPARK (formerly ATA)

SPARK develops education and entrepreneurship so that young and ambitious people are empowered to lead their post-conflict society into prosperity. We build the capacity of local economic and educational institutions so they can empower their own populations. The organisation actively mobilises support for this within Dutch Society, especially with economic and educational institutions.

http://www.spark-online.org/

Academic Training Association (ATA) is an independent not-for-profit foundation, based at the University of Amsterdam, with field offices in Belgrade, Mitrovica, Pristina, and Skopje.

Mission: "We aim to support the ongoing processes of transition and reconstruction in post-conflict societies. We believe that an important way to facilitate these processes lies in the strengthening of educational and economic institutions.
We aim to contribute to sustainable reform of educational and economic institutions in post-conflict societies in a way that is lasting and demands the pro-active participation of local communities. Key principles in our work are:

• A demand-driven approach that pinpoints the needs and priorities of local beneficiaries;
• A society-oriented focus that ultimately benefits society as a whole;
• The support of long-term cross-regional and international cooperation processes;
• The promotion of local ownership as precondition for sustainability."

Current projects are:

• Private Sector Development in the Western Balkans
• International Summer University Macedonia
• Mitrovica Summer Courses
• International Pristina Summer University
• Introduction of the European Credit Transfer System, Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Business Start-Up Centre Kosovo

Source: http://www.academictraining.org, About ATA, Current Projects, as accessed in November 2006.