training and education for journalists, including aid for permanent training centers recently established by the international community.

28. The Council is encouraged by the development of the Open Broadcast Network which has expanded its geographical coverage, increased the role of BiH management and delivered informed programming free of nationalist dogma. The Council calls for continued support by donor governments to OBN, which remains the only neutral cross-Entity broadcast network. This support will be vital in consolidating open and pluralistic media and should be sustained until such time as public service broadcasting is legally and financially secure and firmly established.

29. The Council supports the continued operation of Radio FERN and encourages donors to sustain financial assistance for the network until it becomes fully constituted within an appropriate indigenous BiH commercial or public service broadcasting structure.

30. Civil society -- the vital role of the voluntary sector. The Council regards the development of civil society in BiH as a vital aim both to promote the healing of the wounds of war, and to protect the peace. Civil society organizations are essential to a democratic society. Many of them have demonstrated their ability to work across communities and lines of division.

31. Further efforts are needed to make local NGOs and civic groups sustainable. The international community should support "train the trainers" programs in the areas of citizen's participation and empowerment, peace-building, organizational development, gender awareness and human rights awareness. Foundations and endowments should be developed and supported in order to provide a more systematic and co-ordinated approach in strengthening civil society, and more resources should be targeted to neglected areas.

32. The Council acknowledges the important role of civil society as a balance to government structures.It encourages representatives of civil society to play an active role in advocacy and to hold public officials accountable for their actions. Charitable activity at individual initiative, rather than at the behest of the state, is a crucial component of a healthy society.

<34>