News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Target group: Member organisations of the European Civic Forum Aim: Support projects that enhance advocacy, capacity building, and engagement in European network building and policies. Amount: Grants between 5,000 and 10,000 EUR per project Duration: Activities must be completed by 31 December 2024 Deadline: 13 May Link to more information (European Civic Forum)
Read more →Target group: A legal person, non-profit-making, a non-governmental organisation established in Albania or in a Member State of the European Union or in another IPA III beneficiary or in one of the members of the European Economic Area covered by CIR. Aim: The global objective is to strengthen the role and capacity of civil society
Read more →Target group: CSO leaders, experienced civil society activists, and representatives of grassroots CSOs from the Western Balkans and Türkiye. Countries: Western Balkan Countries and Türkiye Short Description: The EU-TACSO 3 project is organizing the EU Civil Society Forum for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2024. The forum will focus on the future of civil society
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →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
Read more →Curious about recent concerns over manipulated elections in Serbia? Wondering how citizens are mobilizing amidst these irregularities? How do government responses impact civic engagement, and what successful advocacy strategies have emerged amid challenges? BCSDN and Civic Initiatives are organizing an online discussion, scheduled for April 17th at 11 am CET via Zoom, to address these
Read more →As part of our efforts to provide a more enabling civil society environment, and to inform our audience about recent civil society developments in the region, we present our periodical civil society updates. Divided into three areas based on our flagship tool, the Monitoring Matrix, the April 2024 report highlights ongoing challenges and progress in
Read more →In its latest Nations in Transit report, Freedom House reveals that all Western Balkan countries remain categorized as hybrid or transitional regimes. In 2024, Freedom House introduced new labels to indicate differences between hybrid regime types depending on the overall trajectory of democracy in the last five years – differentiating between “autocratizing hybrids”, “democratizing hybrids,
Read more →Ahead of the European Commission’s fifth annual rule of law report in July 2024, 39 CSOs across the EU urge action to enhance the effectiveness of the rule of law dialogue, improve reporting impact, and combat systematic human rights violations in EU Member States. CSOs emphasize the need for a transparent, participatory, and rule of
Read more →Open Gov Week is a global initiative promoted by the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to raise public awareness of the values of open government. On this occasion, reformers will come together in public debates, assemblies, hackathons, and webinars, and by sharing stories and good practices will accelerate solutions to respond most pressing problems and advance
Read more →Despite opposition and criticism, Republika Srpska proceeded with its controversial proposed law on “foreign agents,” targeting the work of NPOs in the entity. The law would define “agents of foreign influence” as NPOs assisted by foreign entities that are engaged in political activities, try to influence public opinion and undermine the integrity and constitution of
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