More than 25 participants attended the online conference, organised by BCSDN and ECNL, on 13 July 2020 to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public participation in the Balkans and ways to promote participatory and multi-stakeholder approaches in the relief of the crisis. The two keynote speakers: Anna Rurka, President of the Conference of INGOs at CoE, and Paul Maassen, Chief, Country Support at Open Government Partnership (OGP) reflected on the new forms of citizen engagement to better voice their concerns and demands amid pandemic. With this new momentum, Paul Massen advised that CSOs can re-approach the shrinking civic space by anchoring their agenda in local needs and priorities, and better tap into the energy of citizens’ movement. Ana Rurka has suggested how CSOs can take up the role as crucial actors in post-pandemic reconstruction, such as developing platforms in emergency contexts and using different forms of participation during the pandemic. Read more here.
Source: BCSDN