News and updates from BCSDN and the region
On 20 March, the EESC adopted its own-initiated opinion, concluding that liberal democracy relies on civil liberties and a pluralistic civil society, but considerable political forces in today’s Europe are challenging liberal democracy. The social, political and legal framework must allow for a pluralistic civil society. Strong social partners and civil society are needed to
Read more →The Council adopted conclusions approving the EU human rights guidelines on non-discrimination in external action. The Council reaffirms the EU’s commitment to the purposes and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that applies to all human beings without distinction of any kind. The Council recalls that the Treaty on the European Union establishes
Read more →The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) published its latest report: “Closing Academic Space: Repressive State Practices in Legislative, Regulatory and Other Restrictions on Higher Education Institutions.” The report, authored by Kirsten Roberts Lyer and Aron Suba, seeks to understand the ways in which governments are repressing university autonomy and closing academic space. The authors
Read more →The Local Democracy Academy brings together an international group of leading scholars, post-doctoral scholars, junior researchers, doctoral students, local policy makers and government officials for an intensive week of mutual learning, critical thinking and joint exploration of new ideas and approaches to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The academy is organised around interactive and participatory
Read more →Our world is changing from the ground up. Whether a community-owned pub in the UK, participatory budget-making in Spain, a community endowment fund in Zimbabwe, or a post-earthquake bare-foot volunteer programme in Nepal, local communities are finding new ways of deciding things and doing things for themselves. And they are organising themselves and the resources
Read more →The “International Summer School on Migration” is organised within the framework of three EU-funded projects implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). International academic experts will lecture and mentor the students, addressing issues such as: introduction to migration studies, migration and development, migration and the economy, perception of migrants, migration law, migration
Read more →International Civil Society Week (ICSW) is a gathering for civil society to engage in finding shared solutions to global challenges, create connections that bring about positive social change, share tools that enhance citizen action, and celebrate people power. Organized in partnership between CIVICUS and Civic Initiatives as a local host and BCSDN as a regional
Read more →In a joint statement, 26 NGOs estimated that the proposed amendments to the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Classified Information are not in accordance with international standards. The NGOs urge the Government of Montenegro to withdraw the Draft Law from the procedure, to organize a public hearing and harmonize this document with
Read more →In Europe, today, we are increasingly witnessing barriers to access fundamental rights. Austerity measures and shrinking social policies, as well as a distorted idea of democracy that does not include social justice hamper civic actors from fully playing their role. Moreover, in some countries, civic actors are being stigmatized, oppressed or even criminalized precisely because
Read more →The European Parliament and EU Council have agreed a pathbreaking piece of legislation that will help protect whistleblowers around Europe. The political agreement was reached in tough negotiations on 12 March, and is the first time that the EU will have dedicated legislation in this area. The proposed legislation will give much greater protections for
Read more →This recent study by Beyond Philanthropy is the result of an in-depth reflection of the philanthropy and social investment sector in Europe. It is an exploration into what is happening in this field around the world. It is also based on the day to day experiences of a broad spectrum of stakeholders. We, the six foundations
Read more →European governments are complicit in the systematic, unlawful and frequently violent pushbacks and collective expulsions of thousands of asylum seekers to squalid and unsafe refugee camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Amnesty International in a report. Pushed to the edge: Violence and abuse against refugees and migrants along Balkan Route details how, by prioritizing border control over compliance
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