Balkan Network for Local Democracy (BNLD)

Katica Janeva
projects@alda-europe.eu

The purpose of this project is to fortify the capabilities of the Balkan Network for Local Democracy and CSOs on the local and regional levels through a series of activities that include capacity-building, networking, campaigning, and connection-building activities among regional CSOs, alongside promoting their achievements and broadening their participation tools. The main target groups for this project include members of regional thematic CSOs and of BNLD. CSOs in the Balkans are left in a vulnerable state due to regional circumstances that limit them and recent developments such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as being held back by a general lack of knowledge, experience, capabilities, and accountability. This project incorporates the long-standing grassroots experience of the various members of BNLD in the participatory approach to achieve the various objectives.

Over the course of 6 months, this project will undertake a series of comprehensive and interlinked activities to improve the capacity of CSOs in the region, including greater cooperation, networking, upgrading results of previous projects, improving management, and promotion of knowledge. The bulk of the activities will come from a series of three main work packages, focused on management and coordination, capacity building and networking, and communication and outreach. Specific activities to be undertaken include a training seminar for regional networking, additional training workshops for accountability, a series of promotion and communication activities using an online learning platform, social media campaigns advocating for improvement of the state of CSOs, a regional exchange and cooperation programme, and more. Six project management team meetings will be held to coordinate the project, as well as four monthly project thematic meetings meant to discuss areas to upgrade and reflect on other actions.

The main estimated results of the project include strengthened CSO networking and exchange capacities, reinforcement of network sustainability and previous project results, expanding the CSO knowledge base and creating a knowledge sharing platform for good governance, and generally improved capacity for the network to apply global accountability standards.

The primary objectives of this project include fostering an environment where CSOs can develop more and become more influential actors in society and policy-making, done through strengthening the connections between regional CSOs, and the objective of making sure CSOs contribute towards the protection of civic space through effective, transparent, and accountable work, and increasing the capabilities for communication and outreach.