From 23 to 25 August, BCSDN’s Head of Policy and Advocacy, Ms. Anja Bosilkova-Antovska, took part in the annual CIVICUS Monitor research partners workshop. The workshop was organized in Bogota, Colombia, hosted by Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe para la Democracia (REDLAD), one of the 21 partners from around the globe involved in the collaborative research initiative tracking civic space in over 100 countries in the world.
The CIVICUS Monitor is a research tool built by civil society that aims to share reliable, up-to-date data on the state of civil society freedoms in all countries, tracking threats to civil society and the challenges to the basic rights of association, peaceful assembly, and expression.
On an annual level, research partners and the CIVICUS team gather to reflect on the progress made to date and identify remaining areas for development and growth. The workshop aimed to facilitate spaces for learning and further strengthen research collaboration, as well as facilitate further connection and networking among partners. Participants reviewed the updated Monitoring methodology, learned practical tips for writing about civic space based on partners’ feedback regarding challenges and best practices, and discussed best practices to document civic space developments. A session on advocacy and communication explored best practices of using and promoting the research to effect change and reach various audiences, and a session on building feedback mechanisms explored how to foster learning and evaluation within the partnership.
Since 2016, BCSDN has been committed to contributing to the CIVICUS Monitor by timely reporting and raising awareness on civic space developments in the Western Balkans and Turkey.
