What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

CfA: 2024 Digital Rights Summer School, Perast, Montenegro (Deadline: 15 May)

Target group: Enthusiasts based in Southeast Europe Countries: Montenegro Short Description: Designed for individuals passionate about digital rights in Southeast Europe, the program features lectures, workshops, and discussions led by regional and international experts. Topics include digital markets, online content regulation, AI-enabled surveillance, and strategies for advocacy. Duration: 25-31 August, 2024 Link to more information

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CfA: Transparency School 2024 (Deadline: 15 May)

Target group: Leaders that come from public, private, NGO, and academic sectors and offer the participants unique perspectives on how to address corruption and promote transparency. Countries: Worldwide Short Description: Transparency International School on Integrity is an annual state-of-the-art anti-corruption and accountability training for future leaders. The school exposes its participants to the latest developments

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CfA: 2024 Resilience Fellowship (Deadline: 25 May)

Target Group: Civil society actors supporting communities in conflict-affected fragile contexts. Countries: Global, with a focus on regions experiencing conflict and fragility. Short Description: The Resilience Fellowship, part of the GI-TOC’s Resilience Fund, offers grants and support to individuals and organizations working to counter the impacts of criminal governance and violence. The 2024 Fellowship aims

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CfA: EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 (Deadline: 13 June)

Target group: Journalists from the Western Balkans and Türkiye Countries: Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia) and Türkiye Short Description: The EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2024, organized as part of the “Strengthening Quality Journalism in Western Balkans and Türkiye II” project, invites journalists from the Western Balkans and Türkiye

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CfA: Western Balkans–Visegrad Fellowships (Deadline: 15 June)

Target group: Western Balkans and V4 doctoral students or fellows that hold a doctoral degree (regardless of their current affiliation). Countries: Western Balkans and V4 countries Short Description: The Western Balkans–Visegrad Fellowships allow WB6 citizens to apply for short-term fellowships at V4 research institutions (in Czechia, Poland, Hungary, or Slovakia). Reciprocally, V4 applicants can apply

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CfA: Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) (Deadline: 12 July)

Target group: Human rights activists working at the grassroots level with NGOs. Countries: Applicants from all regions of the world, except high-income countries unless they represent marginalized communities. Short Description: The HRAP is designed to strengthen the skills, knowledge, and networks of human rights activists. It focuses on various issues including sexual and gender-based violence,

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Foreign Agents’ Law Back on the Table: A Lost Battle or is There Something still to be Done for Civil Society in Republika Srpska?

One of the entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska is moving ahead with its controversial “foreign agents” law despite domestic and international pressure and CSOs’ concerns. These worrisome developments, following examples of narrowing civic space in the country, reflect a broader pattern of suppressing dissent. We reassert our concerns about the implications of the law – jeopardizing civil

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European Parliament Adopts Resolution on the 6 Billion EUR Growth Plan for the Western Balkans

The European Parliament approved the legislative resolution for the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, known as the Growth Plan allocating 6 billion EUR for 2024-2027. Beneficiaries must meet conditions including democratic mechanisms, media freedom, rule of law, and alignment with the EU’s foreign policy. Each must submit a Reform Agenda, reflecting assessments

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EU CSOs Briefing Paper on Defence of Democracy Package

The briefing paper prepared by the informal coalition of EU CSOs on the Defence of democracy Package coordinated by Civil Society Europe outlines concerns regarding the European Commission’s proposal for a directive on transparency of interest representation on behalf of third countries as part of the Defence of Democracy package. The proposal is criticized by

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PACE Recommends Kosovo’s Membership in the Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has recommended Kosovo for membership, subject to fulfilling a comprehensive set of commitments and obligations upon accession. The Assembly’s opinion, passed by a majority vote, highlights the potential benefits of membership, such as strengthening human rights standards and ensuring access to the European Court of Human

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Civic Uprising: Resilient Response to Electoral Challenges in Serbia

The recent Serbian elections underscored severe threats to democracy, characterized by violations of basic human rights and a lack of accountability among public authorities, reflecting a broader erosion of democratic values. In response to these issues, together with Civic Initiatives, on 17 April we hosted an online discussion on electoral integrity in Serbia amidst civic

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