What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

CfP: Western Balkans – RYCO Open Call on The Western Balkans Youth Cultural Fund (Deadline: 15 May)

Implemented by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and financed by the German Federal Foreign Office, the project seeks to support youth cultural activism and creative solutions for social and political issues in the Western Balkans. Target Group: For young people within the cultural and creative sectors, to enhance regional cultural cooperation. The project also features Peace

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The Effects of Changing Meta’s Content Moderation Policies

On 7 January, Meta ended its fact-checking program, introducing the “Community Notes” system that allows users to add context to posts. This has relaxed restrictions on sensitive topics like immigration and gender, which might permit hate speech under the guise of political discourse. An analytical commentary compares these shifts to the surge of hate speech

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CfP: BiH – The GEAR UP! Project, has launched a Public Notice to support European Global Citizenship Education (Deadline: 15 May)

Target Group: Local authorities (LAs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which may lack the capacity to apply for EU funds directly. Aim: The funding aims to co-finance projects and campaigns related to Global Citizenship Education (GCE), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable development, gender equality, and awareness-raising. Amount: 6.000 – 10.000

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CfP: Serbia and Montenegro – CROSOL/GEAR UP! – Small Grants for Local Actions (Deadline: 26 May)

Target Group: for civil society organizations (CSOs) and local authorities (LAs) in Serbia and Montenegro. Aim: The grants will support local initiatives focused on Global Citizenship Education, youth engagement, and sustainable development. These initiatives aim to fund projects that raise awareness, encourage civic participation, and advance social or environmental justice, particularly among young people. Amount:

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Journalism Trust Initiative: Strengthening media ethics in the Western Balkans

More than 2,000 media outlets globally have begun the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification process led by Reporters without Borders (RSF) to enhance media ethics. The JTI involves a self-assessment against 130 criteria using the JTI-app, publishing a transparency report, and an optional external audit for certification. Ten media outlets successfully completed the JTI self-assessment

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CfA: BCSDN Civic Space Hackathon: Open Call for NGOs and Academic Institutions (Deadline 11 May)

Target group: Registered NGOs and academic institutions from the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). Applicants must form interdisciplinary teams of 4–6 people, combining skills in activism, technology, design, legal affairs, communications, or research. Individual applications are not accepted. Countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro

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BCSDN Launches First Civic Space Hackathon to Tackling CSO Challenges in the Western Balkans

BCSDN has opened applications for its first Civic Space Hackathon, set to take place in Skopje on 17–18 June 2025. Under the slogan “Innovate for Impact,” the event invites interdisciplinary teams from NGOs and academic institutions across the Western Balkans to develop bold, practical solutions to pressing civic space challenges, including disinformation, smear campaigns, and

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European Court Bans Use of Sonic Devices for Crowd Control in Serbia

On 29 April, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issued an interim measure instructing the Serbian Government to prevent any future use of sonic devices for crowd control purposes. The ruling follows allegations of acoustic weapons being used during the March 15 protest in Belgrade, where participants reported panic, injuries, and severe physical and

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CfA: The Innovation Hub is calling for passionate media professionals from the Western Balkans to apply for a fully funded workshop (Deadline: 11 May)

Target Group: Passionate media professionals, journalism students, journalists, content creators, and media initiatives from civil society organizations Countries: Western Balkans Short Description: Fully funded workshop for journalists and content creators from the Western Balkans. It will take place June 7-8, 2025, in Subotica, Serbia. It will focus on developing impactful storytelling and digital solutions for

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Common Civil Society Position Shapes Vision for the Next EU Budget

A common civil society position paper on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) has been published by Civil Society Europe (CSE), in collaboration with a broad coalition of CSOs. In the document, an open and rights-based approach to the next EU budget is advocated, with emphasis placed on safeguarding democracy, fundamental rights, social inclusion, and

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CfA: Ryco – Open call for participants for the Regional Summer Camp “Youth in Action: SHAPE THE FUTURE 2025” (12 May)

Target Group: Young people aged 16 to 22, focusing on intercultural learning and cooperation through sport and play to promote teamwork, respect, diversity, and youth participation. Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia Short Description: The Ministry of Sports and Youth of Montenegro, RYCO, and GIZ are opening a call for

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