From 25th April to 11th May, Civil Society Europe (CSE) launched a survey on the EC Financial Regulations to collect CSOs views on the review of the financial regulations and rules of application of the European Commission. The Survey included questions raised by the European Commission into its own public consultation open until 27 May plus other questions that were pertinent to CSOs. 49 organisations answered and a few others provided comments to the draft recommendations. An overview of the results and recommendations is available here. Source: Civil Society Europe
Author: anja
On May 25th – 27th, 2016, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation organized a Research Partners Workshop on Civic Space Monitor in Johannesburg, South Africa. Gathering representatives of 21 regional civil society networks working on enabling environment for civil society development issues, including Sanja Bogatinovska, BCSDN’s Junior Policy and Advocacy Officer on Civil Society Development, the workshop aimed at opening a discussion that will develop into a vibrant, global community of practice around civic space research, while focusing the workshop on how the Civic Space Monitor (CSM) functions in practice, how the regional research partners fit into the CSM and…
– this article is available in English language here – Само два дена откако Одлуката за формирање на Совет за соработка на Владата на Република Македонија со граѓанскиот сектор беше презентирана пред граѓанските организации, Владата ја усвои Одлуката на своја редовна седница на 17ти мај 2016, без можност за дополнителни консултации со граѓанскиот сектор. Усвојувањето на оваа Одлука доаѓа мошне неочекувано, откако помина повеќе од една година кога група од 75 граѓански организации, предводени од БЦСДН и МЦМС, бараа промени во тогашната предлог-Одлука, нагласувајќи ја потребата од легитимност и репрезентативност на Советот. Иако некои од претходните барања беа делумно прифатени, оваа Одлука предизвика сериозна…
BCSDN is looking for a vibrant and creative individual to join our team in the Executive Office based in Skopje, Macedonia, in the capacity of an Information and Communication Officer (maternity leave coverage). The Information and Communication Officer should have a strong interest and passion for civil society as well as knowledge and interest of regional civil society development issues. They should also meet the following criteria: B.A. degree in social science, preferably in political science, journalism, communication or similar Proficiency in Macedonian and English language (knowledge of local languages – Albanian, Turkish or Serbian – will be considered an asset) Preferably…
[оваа вест на македонски јазик е достапна тука] Only two working days after the Decision on the Establishment of the Council for Cooperation between the Government and Civil Society was presented to CSOs, the Government adopted the Decision on its regular session on 17th May 2016, without any possibility for additional consultations with civil society. The adoption of the Decision comes unexpectedly, after more than a year since a group of over 75 CSOs lead by BCSDN and MCIC demanded changes, asking for legitimacy and representativeness of the Council. Although some of the previous demands have been partially addressed, new serious…
On May 17th, 2016, BCSDN organized a webinar to present “Global Standard for CSO Accountability” that is currently being developed by 9 networks worldwide. The aim of this initiative is to strengthen the effectiveness of CSOs worldwide by creating a collective accountability standard that would serve as a point of orientation for CSO accountability globally. The three goals of the project are: to improve CSO accountability codes and practice; reduce transaction costs (convergence between multiple existing codes) and contribute to a more enabling environment for CSOs. The presentation was given by Ilina Nesik, and gathered representatives of BCSDN staff and…
On 12-13th May, Civil Society Forum 2016 took place in Novi Sad/Belgrade, Serbia under the umbrella of the “Civil Society Forum of the Western Balkans Summit Series” and building on the Civil Society Forum held on the margins of the Vienna Summit of the Berlin Process in August 2015. With the aim of the Forum to contribute to a greater role, visibility and impact of the civil society in the Berlin process and the broader EU integration process of the Western Balkan countries, over 100 CSO representatives gathered to discuss and develop common positions towards political leaders and their governments, including…
A large academic literature exists that identifies structural, individual and polity-level correlates of opposition to Enlargement, the most important of these being socio-economic status, attachment to national identity, perceived economic threats and political cues. Some recent studies, however, have shown that identity effects can be muted when expectations of economic support are mobilized at the same time. Therefore, the ways in which citizens’ arguments, responses and perceptions are combined in different discourses represent more than the sum of their attitudes and can reveal possible ways to proceed with Enlargement in the future. The MAXCAP Policy Brief No. 3 “What Do…
Despite a number of historic legal successes in recent years, organizations advocating for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals continue to face monumental challenges in their attempts to exercise their fundamental rights to assemble, associate and express themselves. Such challenges are particularly formidable when they come in the form of legislation, regulations and official policy prescriptions, many of which continue not only to prevent LGBTI individuals from achieving full equality, but also prevent CSOs from advocating on their behalf. In this issue of Global Trends, ICNL spotlight some of the legal challenges to the rights…
The CEU Center for European Neighborhood Studies (CENS) and the Andrássy University (AUB) are organizing the regional conference “Regional Cooperation and Regional Identity in the Western Balkans: Similarities and Differences” in Budapest. Maintaining good neighborly relations and participating in regional cooperation, as explicit conditions for progress towards EU integration, is one of the most efficient tools in the hands of Brussels to support stability in the Western Balkans. With the aid of regional cooperation, the EU aims to foster a shared understanding within the region that should have a positive effect on the stabilization of political regimes in the area.…