News and updates from BCSDN and the region
In 2025, Serbian student-led protesters intentionally avoided formal links with CSOs to protect their movement’s legitimacy. Following the 2024 Novi Sad station tragedy, organizers rejected NGO cooperation to bypass government-led “foreign agent” narratives and preserve public trust. While some students cited concerns over interference by individual organisations or the presence of GONGOs, the distancing went
Read more →Albania’s EU accession process accelerated rapidly in 2025, with negotiation clusters opening in quick succession, intergovernmental conferences following closely, and reform delivery periods shrinking. Concerns are growing that accelerated accession may outpace domestic democratic development, leaving transparency, accountability, civic oversight, and media freedom struggling to keep up. Observers note that challenges in media freedom, elections,
Read more →Three years after the Belgrade Court of Appeal acquitted four former Serbian security officials in the 1999 murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija, Serbia’s Supreme Court ruled that the verdict violated the law. The ruling, issued in October 2025 but only recently made public, found legal errors in how the Court of Appeal handled witness testimony
Read more →Despite recent efforts to strengthen Turkey’s cybersecurity framework, experts say mass data breaches continue to expose tens of millions of citizens, with the root causes tied less to technology than to governance, institutional culture, and poor coordination. In October, personal data of over 5,000 members of the Turkish Business Association appeared for sale online, followed
Read more →The President of the United States has issued a memorandum directing all executive departments and agencies to withdraw from and end support for 66 international organisations and bodies, following a review mandated by Executive Order 14199 of 4 February 2025. After considering the findings of the Secretary of State and consultations with the Cabinet, the
Read more →Target Group: Regional, national, and local organisations/institutions interested in developing high-quality human rights education (including youth organisations, NGOs, governmental education/youth bodies, and human rights education institutions). Aim: To establish strategic partnerships for developing and implementing national or regional human rights education training courses (EDC/HRE) for youth, in cooperation with the CoE. Countries: CoE member countries
Read more →Target Group: CSOs and media organisations active across thematic policy sectors, including organisations working on combating gender-based and domestic violence. Aim: To strengthen the role and capacities of civil society and media organisations in North Macedonia, support democratic participation and policy engagement, and contribute to the prevention and combating of gender-based and domestic violence. Countries:
Read more →Target Group: Local media outlets and CSOs that: are legal, non-profit entities; hve the media sector included in their statutes;are directly responsible for project preparation and implementation. Aim: To strengthen the professional capacities of journalists, media outlets, and CSOs to promote freedom of expression, access to information, and media pluralism, and to support the production
Read more →Target Group: Consortia of at least 3 partners from 3 different Creative Europe countries, including non-profit, public, and private media outlets (print, online, radio, TV, podcasts), as well as media associations, NGOs, journalistic funds, and training organisations. Aim: To foster cross-border collaborations between news media organisations across Europe, supporting innovative business models, new types of
Read more →Target Group: CSOs implementing projects for young people aged 14–30 in the Western Balkans, working on youth reconciliation, intercultural learning, dialogue, and regional cooperation. Aim: To strengthen youth-led reconciliation, trust-building, intercultural learning, and regional cooperation across the Western Balkans by supporting high-quality, impact-oriented and sustainable initiatives that foster dialogue, peacebuilding, and youth participation beyond individual
Read more →Short Description: The European Fund for the Balkans (EFB), in partnership with the Austrian Parliament, invites applications for fellowships designed for civil servants from the WB6 national parliaments. The programme offers a unique opportunity to learn from Austrian parliamentary operations, observe administrative practices, and apply best practices in administrative reform to strengthen regional and European
Read more →Short Description: As part of the UN project “Women Lead the Way Towards Peace and Security in BiH,” UNFPA BiH invites civil society organisations to apply for funding to establish or further develop social enterprises that strengthen financial sustainability and support women affected by conflict. Target Group: Legally registered women-led CSOs or associations in BiH
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