Contribution from BCSDN has been integrated into the global Compilation of Carnegie Europe: Coronavirus as a Catalyst for Global Civil Society, where in the joint article “Filling Democracy’s Gaps in the Western Balkans”, our current and former Executive Directors Biljana Spasovska and Ilina Neshikj, speak about the challenges and achievements of the CSOs in the region in times of COVID-19 crisis. The article indicates that CSOs in the Balkans have struggled to adjust their operations to respond to the emergency and meet their constituencies’ needs while striving to reach their goals and address a lack of funding and support from states and donors. It concludes that citizens are not well recognized with CSOs’ actions, and governments do not acknowledge their efforts. This underlines the need for civic groups to improve the ways they communicate and engage with society. Read more here.
Source: Carnegie Europe