News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Target group: European networks, CSOs active at the EU level, and European think tanks focused on promoting and protecting Union values and fostering citizens’ engagement and European remembrance. Aim: To protect, promote, and raise awareness of fundamental rights as enshrined in EU Treaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and international conventions. The call aims to strengthen
Read more →Target group: Cultural leaders shaping trends, inspiring innovation, and driving cultural conversations within the Western Balkans. Countries: Western Balkans 6 Short Description: Creative Leaders Exchange Grants aim to foster peer-to-peer exchange, collaboration, and networking between cultural leaders from the Western Balkans and European host organizations. The applicants may apply for a grant of up to
Read more →Target group: Mid-career practitioners from developing and transitioning countries working in democracy, legal, economic, or governance reform. Countries: Regions of Eurasia, which includes the former Soviet Union and Central Asia, along with Africa. Short Description: This Stanford University program, hosted by the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, offers training for approximately 28-30 fellows in
Read more →Target group: Civil servants working in the administrations of National Parliaments in Albania, BiH, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Countries: Western Balkans 6 Short Description: The European Fund for the Balkans (EFB), in partnership with the Austrian Parliament, offers a fellowship programme for six applicants from WB6 National Parliaments. The programme enables participants to
Read more →We gladly present our 10th Monitoring Matrix Regional Report, synthesizing insights from the BCSDN members country reports on the civil society environment in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye in 2023. Under revised methodology, the report evaluates 22 standards across three core areas: Basic Freedoms, Financial Viability, and State-CSO Relations.
Read more →CIVICUS published its People Power Under Attack Report 2024, highlighting global and regional threats to civic space. Alarmingly, only 40 out of 198 countries maintain an open civic space rating, while 72.4% of the world’s population lives under repressive conditions, with nearly 30% experiencing completely closed civic spaces. In Europe and Eurasia, civic freedoms face
Read more →The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) 2024 report on SLAPPs reveals that the use of SLAPP lawsuits to silence those speaking out in the interest of the public good shows no sign of slowing down. The 2024 report found 166 new SLAPPs initiated in 2023. Although there has been progress, with the EU adopting
Read more →BCSDN member Partners Albania for Change and Development announced the launch of the Resilient Balkans Fund, a transformative sub-granting initiative supporting individual activists and social movements in the Western Balkans. As part of the Powered by the People (PxP) initiative (2023–2028), led by Partners Global and funded by USAID, the fund aims to address critical
Read more →The EU TACSO 3 team has launched its 2024 annual impact survey to gather feedback from civil society and other stakeholders about the project’s effectiveness. The survey aims to assess the reach and impact of EU TACSO 3 activities. The feedback collected will help shape future planning for 2025 and beyond. Participation ensures that diverse
Read more →Serbian students are leading nationwide protests against President Aleksandar Vučić’s government, sparked by a deadly canopy collapse at the Novi Sad railway station in November, which killed 15 people and exposed corruption tied to infrastructure projects involving Chinese companies. Rejecting accusations of Western funding to overthrow the government, students have suspended classes at over 40
Read more →In a letter to the European Commission, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) raises concerns that the proposed “agent of influence” bill in Turkey poses a serious threat to fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and press freedom. Under consideration by the Turkish Parliament, the bill could see individuals facing 3-7 years of imprisonment for
Read more →BiH Journalists’ Association is calling for urgent protective measures for an investigative journalist after reports of an assassination plot by an organised crime group. The journalist, known for exposing links between international drug cartels and crime networks, has faced significant threats and pressure, including from high-level politicians. The leader of the group was arrested in
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