What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

CfA: Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe (Deadline: 2 November)

Target group: Scholars in any field or discipline in the humanities or interpretive social sciences pursuing postdoctoral or advanced research. Countries: East Central and Southeastern Europe, including Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Short description: The Summer Institute for

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CfA: WBF Move Grants (Deadline: 6 November)

Target group: Individuals holding citizenship of one of the Western Balkans Fund Contracting Parties. Aim: Enhance intercultural dialogue and knowledge exchange between experts and professionals from the WB region; Support professional mobilities (i.e., regional travel for professional purposes) of artists, cultural professionals, academia, journalists, activists; Create links between professionals to support regional cooperation. Amount: 4,000

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CfA: Second Call For Residency Hosts Under Culture Moves Europe (Deadline: 16 January 2024)

Target group: Organisations and individual artists registered as legal entities in one of the 40 Creative Europe countries. Aim: The call provides grants to organisations and individual artists registered as legal entities in one of the 40 Creative Europe countries, that want to host international artists and cultural professionals for a residency project. Amount: N/A

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Civil Society Platform Demands Urgent, Radical Change to Aid Architecture at UN Financing for Development Dialogue

At the United Nations General Assembly’s High-level Dialogue (HLD) on Financing for Development (FfD), CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) brings demands for urgent, radical change to aid architecture. The HLD FfD comes at a critical juncture in the pursuit of the SDGs, which the UN itself has described to be off-track at their midpoint,

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SAVE THE DATE: BCSDN Event: United for Free Civic Space (1 November, Sarajevo/Zoom)

In light of significant threats to the civic space in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the reintroduced criminalization of defamation and the draft “foreign agents’ law”, BCSDN and CPCD are organizing a hybrid event in Sarajevo. The gathering will bring together affected CSOs and relevant stakeholders for a comprehensive discussion on identifying potential threats and formulating

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BCSDN Policy Paper: AML/CFT Regulations and Implications on CSOs in the Western Balkans and Türkiye

BCSDN published a Policy Brief on AML/CFT Regulations in the Western Balkans and Turkey, providing a comparative analysis of regional AML/CTF regulations and their implications on the CSO sector. The AML/CFT regulations in the WBT have been reflected in many areas: the reporting requirements by the state, the registration of CSOs and related administration requirements,

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Defending Democracy with Clarity

ECNL and The Good Lobby offered valuable feedback on the European Commission’s Defense of Democracy package, emphasizing the need for a precise and narrow definition of “interest representation.” They highlighted the importance of adopting risk-based regulatory initiatives that carefully assess the impact on fundamental rights such as freedom of association, expression, and participation. The measures

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EU Media Law Enters Home Stretch but Spyware Disinformation Concerns Persist

The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), proposed by the European Commission in September 2022, is the first EU-level attempt to establish a binding common framework for media services. It introduces new rules on state advertising, transparency of ownership, audience measurement, and protection of journalistic sources and communications, as well as safeguards for public service media,

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European Civil Society Strategy Needed to Create an ‘Enabling Environment’

Civil Society Europe published the Civil Society State of the Union report which provides recommendations to EU institutions, member states, and other stakeholders, including some specific to funding or fundraising. The report’s first recommendation is the creation of a strategy to “defend a safe and enabling environment for civil society”. This would include measures to

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The AI Act Must Protect the Rule of Law

The inappropriate use of AI systems could jeopardize fundamental democratic principles. Regulatory gaps, including exemptions for national security and law enforcement, could be taken advantage of to undermine democratic structures and procedures, as well as the rule of law. It is essential for the AI Act to establish a strong and secure regulatory framework that

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