News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Threats to independent journalism no longer come only from direct forms of state control. Where advocates of a vibrant public sphere once mobilized against the suppression and censorship of news, they now must also contend with the more complex challenge of media capture. This is the topic of a new book, In the Service of
Read more →The 2017 Global NGO Online Technology Report (techreport.ngo) is a research project that seeks to gain a better understanding of how NGOs worldwide use online technology to engage their supporters and donors. The report summarizes how NGOs worldwide use web and email communications, online and mobile fundraising tools, and social and mobile media. The report is
Read more →The FutureLab Europe programme is selecting young participants aged between 20 and 30 from the Council of Europe member states who want to play an active role in shaping the future of Europe by implementing a project with a civic impact. Selected participants will convene to Brussels in January 2018 for the FutureLab Europe Annual
Read more →GlobalGiving is accepting applications from eligible non-profits around the globe for its “GlobalGiving Accelerator” program in order to build skills, access tools, and grow their base of supporters to achieve crowdfunding success. GlobalGiving Accelerator is a virtual training program and crowdfunding campaign that will help to take fundraising to the next level. Training topics include:
Read more →Storymakers is a storytelling campaign that is focused on digital media. Its purpose is to build the skills of media makers and enthusiasts in the non-profit sector. The goal is to educate and inspire non-profits to create powerful stories about the social benefits of their important work. During the campaign, TechSoup offers education, training, online
Read more →The 1st Horizon 2020 virtual summit is unique not only from its structure and access point of view but also from its content. It is the first ever event on Horizon 2020 that can be accessed virtually from your remote location and it offers comprehensive training and clarifications on the full Horizon 2020 grant application
Read more →UN Women is inviting CSOs or CSO networks working on gender equality and ending violence against women, as well as community-based organizations working with Roma or other disadvantaged women to submit proposals under the Call “Promoting the right of women to access specialist support services available for women survivors of violence and discrimination”. The proposals
Read more →For the twentieth consecutive year, the 2016 CSO Sustainability Index for Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia reports on both the advances and setbacks in seven key dimensions affecting the sustainability of the civil society sectors in 24 countries in the region. A number of countries, including Hungary, Russia, and Macedonia, have experienced backsliding over
Read more →The conditions for freedom of expression in Serbia have considerably worsened around the country’s recent presidential election. In the last update for the CIVICUS Monitor, BCSDN as a research partner has detailed worrying examples of threats, harassment and intimidation being used to silence critical journalists and impair investigative reporting in Serbia. In particular, female media
Read more →CSOs inside the EU are facing a growing number of restrictions that limit their ability to perform their tasks. Put otherwise, the freedom or space available to CSOs to perform their role in protecting and promoting fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law is ‘shrinking’ or ‘closing’. These restrictions include: Smear campaigns, administrative harassment
Read more →Aid donors, governments and the UN have made many commitments to gender equality. Their actions have been less impressive. Across UN programmes, gender equality is vastly underfunded. When the UN Women agency was created in 2010, activists estimated that it needed at least a $1 billion budget (for comparison, total revenue for the children’s agency
Read more →A G20 discussion paper on civil society advocacy has proposed an independent high-level commission of eminent persons to examine the contradictory policy environment for CSOs internationally. In many instances, state–civil society relations have worsened, leading experts to speak of a “shrinking space” for civil society nationally as well as internationally. The author proposes to initiate
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