What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

CfA: POLITEIA Regional School for Youth Participation 2023 (Deadline: 4 June)

Target group: Final-year undergraduate high school students, students, young professionals, and activists from the age of 18 to 25 from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo*, Serbia and North Macedonia Countries: Western Balkans Short description: POLITEIA is one of the leading non-formal educative programs with great choice of lecturers, interactive methodology as well as choosing qualified participants. POLITEIA

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CfA: Digital Rights Summer School (Deadline: 5 June)

Target group: Enthusiasts based in Southeast Europe, passionate about digital rights and eager to learn more about the latest developments in this field. Countries: Western Balkans Short description: Participants will explore the impact of emerging technologies on human rights with the help of expert lecturers. They will have an opportunity to delve deeper into the issues and

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CfA: CIVICUS Youth Members Group (Deadline: N/A )

Target group: CIVICUS Youth Members Group Countries: Global Short description: The “CIVICUS Youth Members Group” is an online group for the CIVICUS Youth members to establish direct contact with each other, exchange knowledge on resourcing their work and conquering challenges, collaborate and stand in solidarity locally and globally through a safe digital platform. Link to more information (Civicus)

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CfA: Peace Nexus 2023 Call for Applications for the Western Balkans (Deadline: N/A)

Target group: Western Balkans professionals, change-makers in their community who have the ambition to contribute to social cohesion, as well as are ready to lead on and invest time in an internal strengthening process. Countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia Short description: Through the organisational development support, Peace Nexus wishes to

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Chilling Trends: Balkan Region’s Crackdown on Civil Society Organizations

BCSDN strongly condemns the growing trend of foreign agents registration acts (FARA) in the Balkan region, which pose a significant risk to independent CSOs. Recent developments in Republika Srpska and Bulgaria demonstrate a concerning pattern of restrictive legislation that could stifle CSOs’ ability to operate freely. These laws, framed as measures to enhance transparency and

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Liberties Report Highlights Decline in Media Freedom in 2023

The Liberties Media Freedom Report for 2023 reveals a disturbing trend of declining media freedom worldwide. The report, which covers 200 countries, identifies government repression, censorship, and physical attacks on journalists as the primary factors contributing to the decline. The report also highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on media freedom, with many governments

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The Western Balkans: Challenges and Opportunities for EU Accession

The article, published by the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, discusses the challenges and opportunities the Western Balkans region faces in its pursuit of EU accession. The region, has been hit by a series of crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic, Russian aggression against Ukraine, rising inflation, and an energy crisis. The article examines specific

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Policy Brief on Crisis Prevention and Critical Infrastructure in the Western Balkans

The Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” Skopje (IDSCS) has released a policy brief on the importance of crisis prevention and critical infrastructure in the Western Balkans. The brief highlights the vulnerabilities of the region’s critical infrastructure, such as energy and transportation systems, to natural disasters and cyber-attacks. It calls for greater cooperation and coordination among

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EU Foreign Interference Law Could Threaten Civil Society

A coalition of CSOs has issued a joint statement expressing concern about the EU’s proposed foreign interference law, which they argue could have a chilling effect on CSOs. The law aims to address foreign influence in EU elections and political processes, but the CSOs warn that it could also be used to stifle legitimate activities

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Defending Democracy Through a Free Civil Society

A vibrant and independent civil society, including non-governmental organizations, media outlets, and grassroots movements, is essential for holding governments accountable, promoting transparency, and safeguarding human rights. Unfortunately, many governments worldwide are cracking down on civil society and restricting its ability to operate freely. This is particularly concerning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which

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