News and updates from BCSDN and the region
In our newsletter, we gladly present our accomplishments for 2020. It has been a year of unprecedented challenges, encouraging us to be more resilient and effective. We completed a full monitoring cycle and published comprehensive reports about the civil society operating environment in the Western Balkans and Turkey. With the Regional Civil Society Hub, we
Read more →Contribution from BCSDN has been integrated into the global Compilation of Carnegie Europe: Coronavirus as a Catalyst for Global Civil Society, where in the joint article “Filling Democracy’s Gaps in the Western Balkans”, our current and former Executive Directors Biljana Spasovska and Ilina Neshikj, speak about the challenges and achievements of the CSOs in the
Read more →CPDE published their Report to the Public 2018-2019, encompassing activities from 2018-2019, supported by two complementary programmes, “Development Partnerships on People’s Realities and Realisation of their Rights,” and “Enhancing Civil Society Role in Development Partnerships Post-2015.” During the past period, fighting the trend of shrinking civic space, CPDE has expanded the cooperation with different CSO.
Read more →We gladly present our Accountability campaign showcasing the challenges and the new opportunities with which CSOs were faced during unprecedented times. This campaign demonstrates the network’s engagement and deliverables and our members’ products on CSOs’ needs and response amid COVID-19. By presenting the stories of CSOs’ resilience, trust, and legitimacy, we invest in our mutual
Read more →After the Western Balkans and Turkey Regional Civil Society Forum held in Skopje on 21-23 January 2020, EU TASCO 3 Project has started the preparation for the EU Civil Society Guidelines in the enlargement region for the period 2021-2027. The guidelines build on the current framework and focus on making more evident linkages with existing
Read more →On 1 December 2020, the Constituent Session of the Advisory Body of the Council of Ministers of BiH for Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations was held. This marked a significant step in developing institutional cooperation between the authorities and non-governmental organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the Session, the Rules of Procedure of the Advisory Body
Read more →The 13th edition of the Black Sea NGO Forum virtually took place on 23- 27 November 2020. The annual Forum provides a platform to enhance dialogue and cooperation between NGOs based in the Black Sea Region and aims to strengthen NGOs’ capacity by promoting regional partnerships and projects. This year’s edition aimed to identify challenges
Read more →Carnegie Europe has published a report that explores the nature of coronavirus-related shifts in global civil society. The report aims to understand the need for society-level responses to crises and how the pandemic is reshaping the relationship between states and societies. In 12 countries, the cases demonstrate that COVID-19 has acted as a powerful catalyst
Read more →The European Council on Foreign Relations has reported how democracy in the Western Balkans has developed. They have found that the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced pre-existing conditions related to the rule of law and democratic governance. This has been shown by the Western Balkans governments and their arbitrary approaches to dealing with the pandemic. This
Read more →BCSDN held an online presentation on 20 November 2020 to report the main findings of the CSOSI 2019 report for North Macedonia and launched into a discussion for the upcoming CSOSI cycle. BCSDN produced the report in partnership with USAID and FHI 360. The report looked at seven dimensions of sustainability: legal environment, organizational capacity,
Read more →BCSDN member Partners Albania has published a report as part of a global study on effectiveness in COVID-19 response compiled by the CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE). The case study looks at three themes of Albania’s COVID-19 response: the socioeconomic impact, an analysis of the application of EDC principles, and CSO good practices in
Read more →BCSDN is glad to present the 2019 edition of the Monitoring Matrix on Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development, examining developments in the Western Balkan countries. In 2019, the Western Balkans experienced socio-economic and political challenges that remained unfavourable towards civil society development. While the freedom of association continues to be legally guaranteed in the
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