News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The European Union is setting a bad example by allowing some of its members to stifle human rights groups, which is encouraging crackdowns elsewhere in the world, a top United Nations official charged with defending rights activists said. Michel Forst said officials in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel and other countries pointed at recent
Read more →From rising repression on the streets to the battle for the internet, in 2018 the spaces where citizens seek to freely express themselves and organize are increasingly contested. What was a trend has become a global emergency and “‘a universal phenomenon, no longer restricted to autocracies and fragile democracies,” writes Danny Sriskandarajah, Secretary General of
Read more →In the latest report on Freedom in the world 2018, Freedom House has noted that democracy faced its most serious crisis in decades in 2017 as its basic tenets came under attack around the world. 71 countries suffered net declines in political rights and civil liberties, with only 35 registering gains. Although decline in freedoms
Read more →Fundamental human rights are reported to have diminished in almost two-thirds of the 113 countries surveyed for the 2018 Rule of Law Index, published The World Justice Project, amid concerns over a worldwide surge in authoritarian nationalism and a retreat from international legal obligations. The WJP Rule of Law Index measures rule of law adherence
Read more →On 18 January, the European Civic Forum officially launched Civic Space Watch, a collaborative tool to share resources and create a new, fast-responding alert system for active citizens, NGOs, journalists, researchers, whistleblowers, but also decision-makers on issues linked to civic space. The event saw the participation of numerous CSOs representatives, but also from several EU
Read more →On 18 January, the European Civic Forum (ECF) will launch the Civic Space Watch – a new online tool to collect and organise resources on European civic space. The launch event will provide an opportunity to discuss the following issues: How can the European Union protect civic space in Europe? How can CSOs strengthen their
Read more →At the crossroads of business, nonprofits, investors, foundations and social enterprises, Impact 2018 brings pioneers of social impact under one roof to showcase the best practices from around the world. The aim is to accelerate social change by boosting the connections, funding and visibility of change-makers. The first of its kind in South East Europe,
Read more →Building on the success and impact of the 2017 Innovators Forum the International Civil Society Centre invites for its second gathering of civil society innovators. Under the title Digital Futures the 2018 edition of the Forum will explore how civil society organisations (CSOs) can benefit from digital innovation and how they can navigate the pitfalls
Read more →The editors of East European Politics (EEP) – a refereed journal that publishes articles in the government, politics and international relations of the post-communist space – opened a call for themed special issue proposals for Volume 35 (2019). The editors seek collections of excellent research articles on any aspect of the government, politics, and international
Read more →Approximately 25-30 small grants will be awarded to CSOs from Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo to promote good governance and rule of law. Two types of grants will be awarded, in the range between EUR 6.000 to EUR 8.000 per grant, namely: 1) Support to local CSOs to perform initiatives within
Read more →This call for proposals covers the following strands and measures of the “Europe for Citizens” programme: 1) European remembrance (European Remembrance projects) and 2) Democratic engagement and civic participation (Town Twinning, Networks of Towns, Civil Society Projects). The total budget earmarked for this call for proposals is estimated at EUR 16,3 million. More information is
Read more →The US Embassy offer grants to CSOs in Slovenia for projects strengthening the civil society sector and addressing societal concerns. Eligible topics are broadly defined to include democracy and human rights, security and foreign policy issues, economic and civic development, and support for regional stability in Southeast Europe. Typically, grant awards range from USD 3.000
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