The Balkan Network consists of partner organizations, which are equal in their rights and duties as members of the network. The principles of cooperation, partnership, tolerance, dialogue and respect for others are the main working principles of the network. The Network comprises the Council, the Board, the Executive Office, and the Executive Director.
The Council is the highest governance body of the BCSDN and is composed of one authorized representative of each member organization. The Council meets at least once a year to discuss the management and the work strategy of BCSDN. Each session of the Council is chaired by the Chairperson of the Council, which is appointed on an annual, rotating basis.
The Board is the governing and supervisory organ of the BCSDN. The Board currently has seven members: the Chairperson of the Board, the Deputy-Chairperson of the Board and five members. The Board meets at least twice per calendar year.
Klotilda Kosta
Chair of the Board — Partners Albania for Change and Development
Klotilda (Tavani) Kosta is a seasoned development professional with over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Since 2010, she serves as Director of Programs at Partners Albania, overseeing strategic development in civil society, enabling environment monitoring, entrepreneurship and social innovation. She brings expertise in EU-funded projects, advocacy, gender equality, and capacity-building across the Western Balkans. Board member of BCSDN since 2017.
Maja Stojanović
Board Member — Civic Initiatives, Serbia
Maja Stojanovic is a long-time human rights activist and Executive Director of Civic Initiatives, founded in 1996. With over 18 years of professional experience — beginning in the Students' Union of Serbia — she has conducted over 500 training days across the region. Her expertise spans civil society development, human resources, project management, fundraising, European integration, and transitional justice.
Güneş Engin Karamancı
Board Member — Third Sector Foundation of Türkiye (TÜSEV)
Güneş serves as Secretary General of TÜSEV and brings extensive expertise in civil society monitoring, legal frameworks, and regional policy advocacy. She has been deeply involved in the development and methodological updates of the Monitoring Matrix on Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development and is an Enlargement Candidate Member at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
Aida Daguda
Board Member — Civil Society Promotion Centre, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Aida Daguda is Director of the Civil Society Promotion Centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina with more than 20 years of experience in local and international CSOs. She is the initiator of the largest mentoring program for women in Bosnia and Herzegovina and of several regional initiatives in the Western Balkans, with deep expertise in enabling environment development and government–civil society cooperation mechanisms.
Snezana Kamilovska Trpovska
Board Member — Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC)
Snezhana is a legal expert with more than 12 years of experience in anti-corruption, good governance, transparency, and citizen participation in policy-making. As Project Coordinator at MCIC, she has led large-scale civil society development interventions funded by the EU, SIDA, and the British Embassy. She regularly contributes to national anti-corruption policies and serves on the Council for Government–CSO Cooperation.
Dren Puka
Board Member — Kosovo Civil Society Foundation (KCSF)
Dren is a civil society activist and Executive Director of KCSF, with nearly 20 years of experience in research, advocacy, and participatory public policy. He has served in key leadership roles at KCSF and holds a graduate degree in educational policy and leadership from the University of Rochester, USA. His work focuses on empirical research, civic participation, and inclusive public sphere development.
The daily work of the BCSDN is organized by the Executive Office, composed of the Executive Director and the needed number of staff. For general inquiries please contact ExecutiveOffice@balkancsd.net.
Anja Bosilkova-Antovska
Head of Policy and Advocacy
Anja joined BCSDN in 2014 and is responsible for the strategic priorities, development and coordination of research, policy, and evidence-based advocacy activities on regional and global level related to the enabling environment for civil society development in the Western Balkans and Türkiye. She is a passionate advocate for human rights and civic freedoms, and a vigorous patient advocate for the rare diseases community, with over 12 years of professional experience in the non-profit sector. Anja holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and a BSc in Economics from the Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje.
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Marija Vishinova Shemova
Communications Coordinator
Marija holds an MA in Diplomacy and International Relations from the Faculty of Law Iustinianus Primus, Skopje, and a joint MA in Interdisciplinary Research and Studies on Eastern Europe from the University of Bologna, Corvinus University of Budapest and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is fluent in Macedonian, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, English, Italian and Russian. Her professional experience is both local and international, as a researcher, project staff and communication officer in NGOs in North Macedonia and abroad.
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Simona Mladenovska
Policy and Advocacy Officer
Holds an MSc in New Media and Social Networks from the Institute for Sociological, Political and Judicial Research – Skopje, and a BA in Political Science. She joined BCSDN in April 2021 as an intern on the CIVICUS Monitor research updates and continued as Communications and Information Officer from September 2021 before moving into her current policy role. She has worked with several CSOs in the country, including the Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis, Eurothink and the National Youth Council of Macedonia, with extensive experience in project and event management, research and communications.
Contact: sml@balkancsd.net · Download biography (PDF)
Biljana Stojanovska
Operations and Fund Manager
Holds a BSc in Economy from the Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. In BCSDN she is the Grant Manager for the Regional Civil Society Development Hub. Biljana has more than 16 years of experience at the Ministry of Finance of North Macedonia, in the Central Financing and Contracting Department — the Contracting Authority accredited by the European Commission for tendering, contracting, financial management and monitoring of IPA-funded projects — working with EC services, national institutions, civil society organisations, auditors and IFIs. Her expertise is financial, project and grants management.
Contact: bsj@balkancsd.net · Download biography (PDF)
Besa Mustafa
Project Officer
Currently studying for a master's degree in International Communication at the South East European University in Skopje, and holds a bachelor's degree in Education – English Language Teaching from International Balkan University, Skopje. In BCSDN she is responsible for assistance on project implementation and administrative work, with previous experience working and volunteering in local and international projects.
Contact: bms@balkancsd.net · Download biography (PDF)
The Executive Director is the executive organ responsible for the daily management of BCSDN, appointed by the Board for a term of three years with the right to re-election.
Biljana Spasovska
Executive Director
Biljana Spasovska is the Executive Director of the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), a Board Member of CIVICUS, and a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). With more than 15 years of experience in policy, advocacy and democratic governance, she has led numerous regional and international initiatives promoting civic freedoms, accountability and enabling environments for civil society. Biljana is a member of the Enlargement Candidate Members' Initiative (ECMI) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), and has previously served as Co-Chair of the CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness. She holds an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Bologna and is a Fisher Family Summer Fellow at Stanford University's Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.
Contact: executiveoffice@balkancsd.net · Download biography (PDF)