News and updates from BCSDN and the region
CIVICUS has published the 11th in their annually published series, taking a new, condensed, and more accessible format. In January 2022, CIVICUS launched CIVICUS LENS – a rolling commentary and analysis initiative that covers the key current stories involving and affecting civil society. This report draws from and summarises that analysis, directly informed by the
Read more →Civil society organizations’ rapid mobilizations and recommendations have been and are essential in the context of the multifaceted crises affecting our societies which each time exacerbate the many vulnerabilities people are confronted with, such as the financial crisis in the early 2010s, the COVID-19 pandemic, the humanitarian crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine or
Read more →The Institute for Democracy (IDSCS) and the Institute for European Policy (EPI), two eminent members of the think-tank community in North Macedonia, today in the Public Room presented the document The Bulgarian veto of Macedonia’s European integration: what kind of apple can bite Macedonia? The panel discussion was addressed by Katerina Kolozova, Director of the
Read more →The decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to procure an abortion, has sent the same kind of political shockwaves worldwide. Dragoslava Barzut from the Civic Initiative has publicly addressed the concern that once again women are put in a position
Read more →Ever since the changes in the Criminal Code in BiH were publicly introduced, the talk on destabilization has been out. Some claim minor inconveniences and nationalistic rivalry amongst presidential representatives, while others claim to be living through the biggest destabilization in the past 26 years. What is the general atmosphere in the BiH during this
Read more →EU TACSO 3 organized the EU Western Balkans and Turkey Civil Society Forum on 8 – 9 June 2022, in Skopje, North Macedonia. Senior officials from the European Commission, EU Delegations, governments, and diverse representatives from civil society organizations attended the Forum. The discussions led through the forum to the conclusion: that the role of
Read more →The Democracy Perception Index (DPI), conducted by Latana in collaboration with the Alliance of Democracies, aims to understand the global crisis that democracy is facing from the perspective of ordinary people from around the world. It is the largest annual study on people’s perception of democracy, representing over 75% of the world’s population. The DPI
Read more →Between sufficient and good or 2.44 is the average grade that the citizens gave to the Government for its work in the first 100 days, showed the results of the latest research of MCIC “100 days Government” conducted in the period from 3 to 13 May 2022. The majority of citizens (65.1%) stated that the
Read more →On 30-31 May in Belgrade, BCSDN organized the Regional Workshop “Joint Action for Promoting Civic Space and a More Resilient Civil Society”, gathering representatives from national and international CSOs, donors, journalists and interested individuals in a hybrid format. The event, supported by the Balkan Trust for Democracy, initially discussed the current CSO affairs in the
Read more →WB2EU 4th Ideas go public Lab Conference took place between 19020 of May in Paris. The citizens of the Western Balkans deserve to live in societies where the rule of law and the fight against corruption function, and that is why the region needs a credible perspective on the road to the European Union, the
Read more →The European Policy Institute together with Civil Rights Defenders and the members of the Think For Europe – Network sent an open letter to the Members of the European Parliament regarding the Draft Resolution on the 2021 Commission Report on North Macedonia. The Open Letter urges them to reconsider parts of the Motion for a
Read more →LGBTI+ activists and human rights defenders Frank Mugisha from Uganda and Xheni Karaj from Albania are awarded the Civil Rights Defenders of the Year Award 2022. Despite threats, harassment, and danger to their own safety the award recipients continue to work for political and social change by advocating for political reforms, changing people’s attitudes, and
Read more →