On the occasion of the public call for selection of members for the Council for Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Macedonia and the Civil Sector, 89 CSOs have signed a Statement, asking the Government to: Stop the process of selection of civil society representatives to the Council for Cooperation between the Government and the Civil Sector (the Council); Make changes and amendments to the adopted Decision to establish the Council, and Open a consultative process with the civil society representatives, in which the different opinions and views of the Council will be taken into consideration and adjusted according to…
Author: anja
With the contribution of IDM Albania, the study “Economic Value of the Non-Profit Sector in the Countries of the Western Balkans & Turkey” prepared by Dubravka Velat and experts from BCSDN member organizations, has been translated in Albanian. This is the first study ever that gives an overview of the current situation with the non–profit sector-related data collection, analysis and presentation in seven countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. It provides information on the quality and reliability of data on the economic impact of the sectors in those countries, including also challenges that CSOs face…
Over the past three years, MAXCAP has analyzed the internal and external integration capacity of the EU in relation to the 2004 and 2007 enlargements. This policy brief identifies three sets of findings on the state of EU integration capacity and general policy recommendations. First, internal integration capacity has proven strong at the organizational level of the EU. Second, and at the same time, political and economic cohesion and convergence at the level of member states (and beyond) has been more limited and unbalanced. Third, external integration capacity has weakened. The focus of the policy brief is to describe which…
Closing space for civil society is not a short-term phenomenon but instead a much larger tectonic movement, with two large trends that have come together to drive it; namely, a shift in power and relations between “the West and the Rest”, and the recognition of the power of civil society, which has generated fear in some power holders. The aim of this report is to give funders and members of civil society a practical starting point for thinking about possible approaches for working together to contest the closing space for civil society. This report shares the perspectives of numerous donors,…
A two-day Civil Society Forum in Paris, as a follow up to the Civil Society Forum held in Vienna in August 2015 and in Novi Sad and Belgrade in May 2016, will take place on the 3rd and 4th July. Its aim is to establish an ongoing process of civil society dialogue and collaboration across the Western Balkans and the EU. In order to establish an ongoing dialogue, the website of Citizens for Europe will be used to collect positions, proposals and events from civil society actors, even from the ones that will not participate. The positions, which should be…
As a global forum for sharing best practices of open and transparent government through civic consultation and participation, reinforcing public integrity and fight against corruption, and increasing access to new technologies to foster democracy, promote innovation and stimulate progress, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) provides a unique platform that brings together, stimulates and expands the community of state reformers worldwide. France will host this year’s OGP Global Summit on 7-9 December in Paris. Representatives from governments, academia, civil society and international organizations will gather to share their experiences and best practices and push forward the open government global agenda in…
This conference, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and organized by TechSoup Europe, will provide an opportunity to define the ways in which policy-makers, donors, non-profit organisations and corporations can work together on technology solutions for increased social impact across Europe. It will discuss different social technology trends, showcase examples of successful projects, and explore possibilities for future collaboration. It will enable in-depth discussion and exchange of experiences with groups of experts. The experts will represent a variety of stakeholders who will search for solutions worth scaling and ideas for future cooperation along with audience participation. More…
The 2016 prize will reward initiatives carried out by CSOs and/or individuals and aimed at improving migrants’ lives and fostering their integration in society. The aim of the Civil Society Prize, which is awarded annually, is to reward and encourage tangible initiatives and achievements that have made a significant contribution to promoting European identity and integration. Its overall objective is to raise awareness of the contribution that CSOs and/or individuals can make to the creation of a European identity and citizenship in a way that underpins the common values that shore up European integration. The prize, which has a total…
Smart Start is a regional project, financed by the EU through the Civil Society Facility and Media Programme 2014- 2015 and led by CPCD, that aims to create an enabling environment for social entrepreneurship of CSOs, and to improve their sustainability, financial viability and social impact in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. The funds made available under this call amount to EUR 308.500, while each individual project may receive financial support of maximum EUR 6.170, with minimum co-financing of 10% by the CSO. 20 CSOs per country (a total of 100) will be selected until 20th June,…
The objectives of the EU/Council of Europe Pilot Project scheme is to fund projects designed to contribute to the sustainable development and promotion of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education. In particular, with the new call launched within the framework of the 2016 programme cycle of the EU/CoE Pilot Project Scheme, support will be provided to the translation, adaptation, further development and dissemination of the previous outcomes (link), further piloting of the existing tools and supporting their introduction in the education systems of the participating countries. The indicative available budget under this call is EUR 210.000, while the…