News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Members of the European Parliament together with CSOs, academics, and journalists from across the EU have called for greater openness of decision making and full transparency of spending of public funds in the final declaration of an International Right to Know Day event held on 28 September 2017. The closing statement of the expert, high-level
Read more →On 28-29 September, in Belgrade, the Directorate for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the European Commission organized the 6th annual ministerial meeting of the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training. Commissioner Navracsics delivered the opening remarks, stressing that this year’s Platform will focus on two very important priority topics: research and mobility. According
Read more →The Ministry for Public Administration of Montenegro has opened consultations with the interest public on the draft Strategy for improvement of the enabling environment for CSO activities (2018-2010) and a Draft Action Plan. The Ministry invites citizens, scientific and professional institutions, government bodies, professional associations, political parties, trade unions, religious groups, non-governmental organizations, international organizations,
Read more →The falling levels of public trust in public institutions we see all over the world should be a wake-up call for those of us who support open government. But to rebuild trust we need to rebuild governance from the ground up, and put citizens (back) at the heart of institutions, writes CIVICUS Secretary General, Danny
Read more →The Atlantic Philanthropies foundation released a booklet entitled “Atlantic Insights: Giving While Living.” The booklet explores foundation founder Chuck Feeney’s philanthropic worldview, which centers on using a limited-life foundation to increase impact by freeing up funds for more rapid deployment. All told, more than $8 billion in grants were disbursed to nearly 2,000 grant recipients,
Read more →Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have come into effect since January 2016, bringing about a growing momentum towards upholding development and integrating it within good governance efforts. In this context, it is worthwhile to look at the SDGs from the more regional perspective of the Western Balkans, given that the region shares similar political and structural
Read more →The civil society sector has long been the invisible subcontinent on the landscape of contemporary society. For the past 25 years, however, scholars under the umbrella of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project have worked with statisticians in countries around the world to assemble the first comprehensive, empirical picture of the size, structure, financing,
Read more →Recently, a prominent consulting firm asked several nonprofit leaders for feedback on the advocacy strategy that the company had developed for a large foundation. The meeting opened with one consultant asking, “Is it really necessary to involve the public in advocacy, and if so when? Wouldn’t it just be easier to get the one guy
Read more →The International Cooperation and Development Forum in Turkey 2017 will be held on 16 October 2017, at Swissotel the Boshphorus, in Istanbul, Turkey. The event aims at creating a unique occasion and platform, to meet and discuss, for financial institutions, government representatives, consultancy firms, sectorial organizations, NGOs, academic institutions and all the other stakeholders interested
Read more →IDEA SEE has expanded its Art for Advocacy program, through the organization of a series of workshops where youth and NGO activists learned how to use the visual language of art and design to communicate their thoughts, messages and positions where it matters, contributing to a healthier, more open and encompassing communities. The 2017 event
Read more →The Obama Foundation is inviting applicants for its Fellowship program to support outstanding civic innovators from around the world in order to amplify the impact of their work and to inspire a wave of civic innovation. The Obama Foundation Fellows will be a diverse set of community-minded rising stars – organizers, inventors, artists, entrepreneurs, journalists,
Read more →Within the framework of the ROMACTED Programme “Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level”, a Joint Programme of the Council of Europe and European Union (DG NEAR), the Council of Europe is launching a call for proposals for grants for Support Organisations. The programme will be implemented in seven beneficiary countries: Albania, Bosnia
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