Македонски центар за меѓународна соработка - МЦМС

MCIC is a founder and initiator of the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) with its purpose to strengthen the role of civil society in the democratic and EU integration process. BCSDN became an influential network of 15 member organizations covering 10 countries in the region, and implements activities that are important for the civil society sector. Moreover, based on the experience of the 5th Enlargement, the network and the member organizations seek to work beyond mere legal adoption of EU rules and principles to enable structures and practices of citizens’ participation to become an everyday norm and value in society and thus provide for an irreversibility of the positive reform process undertaken in the accession period.

The strategy includes monitoring of the enabling environment for CSDev in 8 IPA beneficiary countries on a half-yearly basis in order to provide consistent and continuous pressure and articulate the voice of civil society on the basic development needs of the sector. Moreover, the project envisages addressing two specific areas of pivotal concern to the CSDev in Western Balkans and Turkey, i.e. funding policies and procedures for civil society based on EU rules and practices, and economic and human-resource value of the sector and civil dialogue structures and practices. This direct pressure is complemented with actions addressed to civil society by providing expert, information and capacity-building support. This project includes the activities that are related to and will be implemented in Macedonia, as well as the MCIC contribution towards common regional perspectives. 

Overall objective of the project: strengthening foundations for monitoring and advocacy on issues related to enabling environment and sustainability of civil society at regional and country level;

Specific objectives of the project: building CSOs capacities for monitoring and advocating more effectively for the enabling environment and sustainability of civil society on regional and national level, and strengthening the integration structures for CSOs participation in EU policy making process and accessing process on national and EU level. 

Target groups for this project are civil society organizations, state institutions, public and media. The direct beneficiaries are the CSOs and national-level platforms, government bodies (Ministries/agencies), inter-governmental organizations, especially EU. 

Expected results: monitoring EU and national policies on enabling environment for CSDev; improving funding policies/procedures for civil society at EU and national level; establishing a structured dialogue between civil society in the Balkans and EU institutions; promoting alternative sources and models for supporting civil society; increasing opportunities for influencing EU and national policies and programmes for CS; improving communication and increasing CSO involvement in the whole region.

The period for implementation of the project is from 2nd January 2015 till 30th November 2016.

Total budget for the project is 1.490.120 MKD.