The business sector and civil society need to cooperate in monitoring and supporting reforms in the European integration process and working towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. That was the key message of the event organized by Belgrade Open School with the support of the Kingdom of Sweden.

Belgrade Open School has published a publication The necessity of change – analysis of civil society organizations’ capacities for advocacy in Serbia.

Belgrade Open School implemented the project "Civil Society as a Force for Change in Serbia’s EU Accession Process" (CS4EU), in the past three years, from 2016 to 2019. During this period, 35 civil society and media organizations were supported and 49 projects were implemented. Through our activities, we were able to significantly contribute to the European integration process and democratic development of Serbia, by strengthening the role of civil society while constantly encouraging citizen involvement in decision-making processes and upholding the principles of the rule of law and human and minority rights. And in order to be able to continue to implement this example of good practice, Sweden has decided to support Belgrade Open School for the second phase of this project, over the next two years. In the second phase of the project, civil society and media continue to be recognized as drivers of change and key players in democratic development in Serbia. They are able to bring the European integration process closer to the citizens, to explain the importance of social changes and contribute to citizen involvement in decision-making processes, and therefore continue to be key beneficiaries of the CS4EU program. The fourth year of the CS4EU programme began with the initial workshop, held from 22-24. December in Sabac, for the new 11 programme partners. Their areas of interest and supported projects under the CS4EU programme can be divided into three clusters: 1) Rule of law, human rights, transparency, and good governance; 2) Freedom of media and reporting about the EU; 2) Youth policy and improving the position of youth.   You can view the list of new programme partners by clicking on this LINK. At the workshop, the partners had the opportunity to get to know each other, as well as the newly set goals of the CS4EU programme. Specific objectives of the CS4EU program are: To enhance the role of civil society in improving policy framework within the decision-making processes by representing communities’ interests. To increase quality of information related to EU accession process and democratic reforms in Serbia. To establish and improve the connections between civil society organizations and private sector within their joint participation in the EU accession process and development framework. The third objective presents  a new component of the CS4EU programme which aims to bridge the gap between civil society organizations and the business sector in order to advance understanding of the role of the two sectors in Serbia's EU accession process and to establish mutual cooperation, which would contribute to Serbia's EU accession process overall. The participants at the initial workshop were also presented with the desk research conducted by Belgrade Open School - "The role of the civil and business sector in Serbia's EU accession process and opportunities for cooperation". Photos from the workshop can be viewed here.  

Belgrade Open School (BOS) announces the List of Approved Project Proposals under the Programme of Support to Civil Society and Media in the Area of European Integration (Programme) implemented by BOS with the support of Sweden, as part of the second phase of the project "Civil Society as a Force for Change in Serbia’s EU Accession Process" (CS4EU). Belgrade Open School congratulates civil society organizations and the media whose project proposals have been approved and expresses gratitude to all applicants who have recognized the importance of the Programme and submitted their project proposals. Approved projects will start with implementation on December 1, 2019. The following is a list of approved project proposals sorted by reference number: List of approved project proposals for programme support Project reference number Name of the organization / media Project name 318 Uzice Child Rights Centre “Monitoring of Implementation of Child Rights in the Process of Serbia’s EU accession” 319 National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS) “The Voice of the Youth in Democratic Processes” 322 NGO Women’s Forum Prijepolje – TV Forum   “Informed and active citizens – A step closer to the EU” 324 Association of Public Prosecutors and Deputy Public Prosecutors of Serbia   “Support for the system of checks and balances and strengthening the independence of public prosecution” 325 Mental Disability Rights Initiative MDRI-S   “European integration and the rights of citizens with mental disability  - EUQUALITY” 326 Human Rights committee Valjevo “Alternative sanctions in Serbia through the local communities on the road to the EU” 327 Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia “Empowered journalists = informed citizens”  328 Centre for Investigative Journalism “Institutional support for the work of Centre for Investigative Journalism Serbia” 329 EcoNomic Expert Community Association (ENECA) “Participation of the sector of micro, small, medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs in public policies as a precondition for creation of fruitful business environment in Serbia” 333 Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK) “Reveal and Heal: Investigative Journalism as a Cure for Corruption in Judiciary” 334 European Western Balkans “Challenges of integration: Reporting on Serbia's accession process to the EU”    

On November 21, 2019 the Belgrade Open School (BOS), with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), presented awards for the best change makers in Serbian civic advocacy over the past year. The awards presented as part of the Annual Conference on Strategic Advocacy in Civic Engagement.

On November 1st 2019, Belgrade Open School (BOS) and the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society of the Republic of Serbia organized a conference One step closer to citizens through dialogue which took place in Palace Serbia.

On September 6, 2019, Belgrade Open School organised a Grant Award Ceremony for 18 small scale civil society organisations from the Western Balkans. CSOs have been awarded with the financial support from European Union.

What is advocacy? What is the difference between marketing and advocacy, is advocacy the same as lobbying? At Srebrno jezero, from June 30 - July 2, the second to last training within the CS4EU project we tried to answer these and many other questions.

During the last week from June 26th to 28th, in Petrovac, Montenegro, a partner meeting of the organizations within WeB4YES consortium was held.

According to a Eurobarometer survey, at the end of 2018, Sweden is one of the EU Member States whose citizens have the highest level of confidence in the European Union. As many as 71% of Swedes believe that their voice is heard in the EU, there is also a high degree of trust in Swedish institutions, while 88% of citizens have a positive attitude about the national economy.

From 16 to 23 of May info sessions dedicated to the WeB4YES open call was held in Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad. Info sessions gathered representatives of small local organizations dealing with issues of youth employment and employability.

It is necessary to have a continuous review of the achieved results and objectives in order to improve and increase the efficiency of the implementation of public policies. In democratic societies, the authorities are continuously under the throb of the public so it has required mechanisms which would help to present achieved results. A system of monitoring and evaluation has been established - tools that assess the performance and impact of a public policy.

Poland will celebrate 15 years this year since becoming a member state of the European Union. What is commendable is the fact that it has achieved great economic growth, improved infrastructure at the national and local level, as well as the living standard of its citizens. The question that is inevitably raised is what was Poland's "recipe" for these successes and whether Serbia, in the process of European integration, can learn from its example.

During the 22nd and 23rd of March, the Belgrade Open School organized training for representatives of sixteen civil society organizations engaged in improving the employability of young people within the project "Western Balkan Civil Society Organization for Youth Employment Support" (WeB4YES). Sixteen representatives who attend the training are from organizations that work at the local, provincial and republic level to improve the employability of young people through various actions, as well as public advocacy campaigns.

Access to information of public importance is regulated by the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, with the purpose of the fulfillment and protection of the public interest to know and attain a free democratic order and an open society.

One of Serbia's most important foreign policy goals is to become member of the European Union. Apart from the fact that this process involves harmonization of Serbian legislation with the acquis communautaire, it also involves number of reforms that are suposed to take place in all spheres of society.

The beginning of the third year of the project Civil Society as a Force for Change in Serbia's EU Accession Process (CS4EU) started by gathering of partnering civil society organizations in the premises of Belgrade Open School, on 11-12th December 2018.

The beginning of the third year of the project Civil Society as a Force for Change in Serbia's EU Accession Process (CS4EU) was marked by a gathering of partner civil society organizations at Belgrade Open School's premises, 11-12 December 2018.

The Belgrade Open School (BOS) in association with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Serbia and the Foundation Eduardo Frei from the Netherlands, realized the XI Regional School of Democracy "New Leaders - New Opportunities" for youth representatives of the political parties, right-center oriented, from countries of the Western Balkan, from July 23th to 27th at Srebrno jezero.

Representatives of 20 partner organizations of civil society and media, from 18th to 20th of June 2018, attended a training in Palić, fourth in a row within a project “Civil Society as a Force for Change in the Serbia's EU Accession Process”. Lecturers on the training "Strengthening Program Partners for Participation in Decision-Making: Public Policy and Advocacy" were Srđan Majstorović from European Policy Centre, Vladimir Pavlović and Milorad Bjeletić from Belgrade Open School, Milan Sitarski, a certified trainer for practical policy writing, Mirjana Jevtović from "Insider" and Suzana Stojadinović from the Republic Secretariat for Public Policy.