News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Target group: Experienced leaders in civil society, aspiring youth activists Countries: Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, Central Asia Short Description: The Prague Civil Society Centre invites leaders and youth activists from Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia to apply for a fully-funded three-day gathering. This event focuses on sharing leadership development experiences, learning from
Read more →Target group: Students aged 18-29 currently enrolled in university programs in economics, political science, law, sociology, or related social sciences. Countries: Open to students from various countries, with a focus on diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, and geography. Short Description: The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is organizing a five-day summer school focusing on the
Read more →Target group: Youth aged 15-29 years Countries: North Macedonia Short Description: The OSCE Mission to Skopje and Center for Intercultural Dialogue Kumanovo (CID Kumanovo) are organizing two Youth Leadership Trainings to enhance leadership skills, civic engagement, and democratic participation. Each training lasts four days and is set in Berovo, North Macedonia. Duration: First training: 19-22
Read more →Target group: Young leaders aged 18-35 from South East Europe (SEE) and selected mentors Countries: North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, Germany, France, Poland. Short Description: The 22nd International Youth Conference will gather 58 young participants from SEE countries and mentors from Germany, France, and
Read more →On 2 July, BCSDN hosted a virtual event to launch the first regional report on SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) in the Western Balkans. Around 100 participants, including activists, journalists, and legal experts discussed the findings. The report and national SLAPPs examples, presented by BCSDN EO and members’ representatives revealed a rise in SLAPP
Read more →The annual Fundamental Rights Report, published by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) highlights crises in 2023 that undermined fundamental rights across Europe. It addresses climate change, digitalisation, and rising intolerance, including increased racism and hate crimes following recent global conflicts. The report explores three main issues: the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on poverty, the
Read more →Open Gov Week 2024 organized by the Open Government Partnership (OGP) was held from 27 to 31 May. It celebrated open government principles across Europe. This year’s European activities emphasized transparency, accountability, and citizen participation, featuring over 110 events across the continent. Key highlights from Europe included the launch of new digital platforms for public
Read more →The Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is regaining public support in Serbia to restart its lithium mining project in Jadar Valley. The Serbian government plans to reinstate previously blocked mining permits that in 2021 were followed by massive protests against the company’s negative damage to the environment, followed by police brutality against activists. Despite new
Read more →Kosovo’s Parliament adopted a controversial law on the Independent Media Commission, IMC, ignoring international calls for stricter safeguards. The new law requires online media to obtain state licenses and register with the IMC, which will manage the Online Media Register. They will also now be subject to a regime of sanctions, including potential fines of
Read more →In Albania, media independence is severely compromised by political influence and financial instability. The government exercises near-total control over major media outlets, transforming them into tools of political propaganda. Efforts to establish media self-regulation, such as the Albanian Media Council, face significant governmental sabotage. Traditional media is largely owned by business elites who exchange favorable
Read more →Croatian women’s activists from the Association Autonomous Women’s House Zagreb are advocating for law reforms to strengthen abortion rights and limit public anti-abortion protests. They highlight the harmful impact of ultra-conservative ‘kneelers,’ who pray in public against abortion and divorce, promoting violence and discrimination against women. The proposed changes to the criminal code include penalizing
Read more →In its latest discussion paper, the European Policy Centre (EPC) proposes eight structural innovations to enhance EU governance. The paper suggests empowering the European Commission for more decisive action and improving inter-institutional relations. Emphasizing civil society and citizen participation, the paper recommends novel mechanisms, including “big tent” fora every five years for drafting the EU
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