The global objective of this Call is to increase knowledge about values and the functioning of the EU among the population at large in Serbia. Any amount requested under LOT 1 – production and broadcasting of TV and radio content about Serbia’s EU accession process, reforms needed, EU assistance and benefits of accession – must fall between EUR 400.000 and 450.000, whereas for LOT 2 – organization of events, presentations and public communication campaigns – between EUR 240.000 and 270.000, both with 50%-90% of the total estimated eligible cost of the action. The initial planned duration of an action may…
Author: anja
On April 12th, 2016 in Skopje, Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC) presented the 2015 Monitoring Matrix Report on Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development in Macedonia. Simona Ognenovska of MCIC provided a retrospective of the environment in which CSOs operated during 2015, briefly covering the main findings from all three Monitoring Matrix areas. With regards to basic legal guarantees of freedoms, she pointed out that, during 2015, state authorities exercised indirect pressure on CSOs through inspections and other methods, but also that there have been several deviations from the law regarding limitations to the place for holding assemblies. As…
As the European Commission is about to commence with the 2016 Enlargement Package, which will be adopted in November, the EU Delegation (EUD) to Montenegro has open consultations for all interested parties. Contributors are kindly asked to send a written input in the area of their expertise and which is covered with the Report no later than April 18th, 2016. The focus should be on facts occurred and actual measures adopted as of 1st September, 2015. The consultations will be followed by a meeting on April 20th, 2016 whereby issues concerning the interested public will be discussed. More information is…
The International Civil Society Center (ICS Centre) has drafted The Civic Charter– a document which provides a framework for people’s participation in securing a just, peaceful, and sustainable future. In the efforts of responding to human rights violations and global challenges, all the while facing severe restrictions and threats from governments and other powerful actors, CSOs need to join forces to claim our space, through having a common understanding and framework of civic space itself. The Civic Charter – currently a draft – will provide such a basis, and once finalised it will be open for sign-on and can be…
Disrupt&Innovate, the International Civil Society Centre (ICS – Centre) project serves as a platform for civil society professionals and activists to discuss the topics that will determine the sector’s future. The current article concerning civil society effective counter restrictions on civic space overviews four initiatives that have been seen as non-helpful in ‘protecting’ civic space, namely “solution-by-meeting”, “the latest new idea” and “coordination-compulsion”. Based on ICNL’s work of over two decades in protecting and promoting a safe legal space for civil society, ICS – Centre provided recommendations five for how to exit the vicious spirit of using ineffective tools. More…
The 2016 analysis from Publish What You Fund indicates that 25% of global aid now meets transparency standards. Despite the progress over the last five years, the analysis of 46 aid donors found that most have failed to uphold this commitment. Once again, BCSDN has taken part in the ATI evaluations as an independent reviewer by assessing DG Enlargement performance. DG NEAR is one of the biggest improvers since 2013, increasing its score by 26%. DG NEAR should still improve its coverage and publish all available project-related documents to the IATI Registry, and very importantly, should require implementation of the…
On April 12th, 2016 in Skopje, Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC) held an event so as to introduce to the interested public the 2015 Monitoring Matrix Report on Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development in Macedonia, analyzing the basic legally guaranteed freedoms, the framework for financial sustainability and the relationship between CSOs and the Government. The event gathered circa 40 representatives both of civil society sector and state institutions. Simona Ognenovska of MCIC provided a retrospective of the environment in which CSOs operated during 2015, briefly covering the main findings from all the three areas that the Monitoring Matrix is covering.…
The 2016 analysis from Publish What You Fund indicates that 25% of global aid now meets transparency standards. Despite the progress over the last five years, the analysis of 46 aid donors found that most have failed to uphold this commitment. Once again, BCSDN has taken part in the ATI evaluations as an independent reviewer by assessing DG Enlargement performance. Along its general performance, transparency of EU funding in Serbia, as the biggest IPA recipient, has been the focus of the assessment. DG NEAR is one of the biggest improvers since 2013, increasing its score by 26%. It is the top ranking EC…
Caroline Slocock, Director of the think tank Civil Exchange published the report Independence in Question, building on the work of the Panel of the Independence of the Voluntary Sector, a five year programme set up to measure whether charities’ independence was under threat. Slocock highlighted that the challenges have increased since the last year’s panel, placing the independence of the voluntary sector under serious attack. Accordingly, he explains that the major shift lies in that the relatively flexible grants enabling the voluntary sector to help shaping public services have become contracts that specify what the voluntary sector should deliver. More…
The Global Trends in NGO Law issued a report on the Challenges for Environmental CSOs. Bearing in mind the increasing global concern for environmental issues which have led to a proliferation of active and outspoken civil society groups on the one hand, and the variety of techniques that states employ to interfere the effective execution by environmental CSOs, this issue of Global Trends examines the techniques used, as well as some promising trends and initiatives which could potentially counteract these negative strategies. The report concludes that it is only through collaboration of civil society organizations, private companies and state that…