BCSDN together with its regional members, CPCD and MCIC, organized two presentations of the new report “Donor Strategies and Practices in Supporting Civil Society in the Western Balkans” in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. Presentation in BiH was held in Sarajevo on 20th November and attended by 12 key donor representatives, whereas in Macedonia, the first findings of the report were presented in Skopje on 28th November in audience of 9 key donor representatives.
The purpose of these meetings was to present the report to primary stakeholders and representatives of donor agencies who were interviewed for the needs of the report and provide a space for discussion on the specific situation in Macedonia and BiH in light of conclusions and recommendation proposed in the report.
Following the presentation of the report’s conclusions and recommendations by researcher Mladen Ostojic and BCSDN Executive Director Tanja Hafner Ademi, representatives of local stakeholders entered into vibrant and constructive dialogue on civil society in the Western Balkan counties. The discussion was focused on similarities and differences in work of donors’ branch offices in the WB region. Furthermore, significant part of the meeting was devoted to the relationship between CSOs and local communities, i.e. donors’ perception and experience of that relation. The highlighted conclusion of all present donor representatives, which is in concordance with the report’s views, is that there is a value and a need for building and investing in civil society development.
The Report will soon be available at BCSDN’s website.