The mission of SEEDS is to:
· Research, develop, implement, and assist programs that further the preservation, reconstruction, and development of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia as stable, democratic, multi-ethnic, and economically prosperous countries.
· Research, develop, implement, and assist programs that help the people of the former Yugoslavia recover from the physical and emotional trauma of war and rebuild their lives and their communities as a basis for lasting peace, sustainable economic growth, and inclusive participatory democracy.
Note: as of November 2006, the successor states of the former Yugoslavia (1945-1991) are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Activities of SEEDS
Activities supported or implemented by SEEDS within the successor states of the former Yugoslavia include:
· Providing humanitarian assistance to people in need; for example, refugees returning to their pre-war homes, orphans, and marginalized people
· Providing material and consulting assistance to local level organizations to help build their capacity to provide sustainable community services to citizens
· Implementing programs that create a favorable business climate for the purpose of local job creation and attracting foreign investment
· Implementing programs that encourage citizens to participate in the improvement of their communities
· Implementing trust-building programs that promote harmony between people of different religions and cultures
Activities supported or implemented by SEEDS within both the successor states of the former Yugoslavia and the United States of America include:
· Implementing research and development projects that focus on the activities of international organizations within the former Yugoslavia as a way of developing more effective models for helping establish sustainable peace, economic growth, and inclusive representative democracy
· Initiating and cultivating productive relationships between education, community, business, and government leaders from South East Europe and the United States of America
· Implementing programs that enhance mutual understanding between the citizens of the United States of America and the citizens of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia.
