News from CSOs

The latest research by the BIRC Institute on “The Representation of Women, Youth, and Smaller Ethnic Communities…

The PACT – Participatory Action for Community Transformation project has officially launched its first phase with the WP1 Coordination Meeting, held online on 28 January 2026, bringing together partners from across Europe to align strategies, exchange perspectives, and co-design the foundations of upcoming activities.
Funded under the CERV – Networks of Towns programme, PACT is a 24-month European initiative that aims to contribute to the recognition, empowerment and inclusion of underrepresented ethnic and national minorities in local communities. By strengthening cooperation between municipalities, civil society organisations and minority-led actors, the project promotes inclusive governance, participatory democracy and social cohesion across Europe.
The project is led by ADL Zavidovići (Italy) and implemented by a transnational partnership including Fons Català de Cooperació al Desenvolupment (Spain), KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre (Greece), Center for Intercultural Dialogue – CID (North Macedonia), PLACE Network (France) and KONKÁV (Hungary).
ALDA – the European Association for Local Democracy leads the coordination of events at European level, strengthening the link between the project’s transnational scope and its communication and advocacy actions.
A collaborative start: WP1 Coordination Meeting
The WP1 kick-off meeting marked an important first step in translating the project’s vision into concrete actions. The session created space for partners to present their organisations, target groups and local contexts, while identifying shared challenges and opportunities related to minority participation.
Partners highlighted experiences from working with migrant-led organisations, Muslim communities, Roma youth and families, as well as municipalities committed to anti-racism and inclusion policies. Across different national contexts, a common concern emerged: the difficulty in reaching underrepresented minorities, compounded by barriers to participation and the persistence of misleading or exclusionary narratives.
The meeting focused on the core principles guiding WP1 activities: cooperation, co-design and co-creation. 
Throughout the meeting, partners reaffirmed the project’s commitment to a human-rights-based and participatory approach, placing minorities at the centre of decision-making processes as active contributors and rights-holders.
Looking ahead: WP1 International Conference and Workshops in Brussels
Preparations are now underway for the WP1 International Conference and Workshop on the Promotion of Minorities’ Participation in Multi-level Governance, which will take place on 10–11 March 2026 in Brussels, at Amazone – House of Associations for Gender Equality.
The two-day event will gather 76 participants from 10 European countries, including representatives of municipalities, civil society organisations, minority-led groups, experts and practitioners.
By fostering dialogue between local and European actors, the event will represent a key milestone in advancing inclusive governance models and democratic participation across Europe.
With WP1 officially underway, PACT is setting the foundations for a shared European effort to reshape narratives, enhance participation and build more cohesive and inclusive communities.

Over €200 million per year is allocated to state aid in North Macedonia, but these funds are dispersed across multiple institutions, making them difficult to track and manage. According to data from the Commission for Protection of Competition, state aid amounted to €206 million in 2023 (around 1.5% of GDP), while in 2024 it reached […]
The post Over €200 million annually for state aid – a need for greater transparency and control first appeared on Finance Think.
The post Over €200 million annually for state aid – a need for greater transparency and control appeared first on Finance Think.

Finance Think supports an increase in the minimum wage to preserve the living standard of its recipients. The key question is not whether the minimum wage should increase, but at what pace and on which economic foundations. An excessive increase in the minimum wage and all other wages in the economy without a parallel increase […]
The post FT Opinion 67 on the Minimum Wage, Productivity, Inflation, and Informal Employment first appeared on Finance Think.
The post FT Opinion 67 on the Minimum Wage, Productivity, Inflation, and Informal Employment appeared first on Finance Think.

Today’s panel debate, “Strengthening state aid governance in the Western Balkans: transparency, effectiveness and EU alignment”, brought together a diverse group of policymakers, representatives of public institutions from the Western Balkans, international organizations, and research and civil society actors. The discussion highlighted that state aid is often perceived as a technical or administrative issue, while […]
The post Strengthening state aid governance in the Western Balkans first appeared on Finance Think.
The post Strengthening state aid governance in the Western Balkans appeared first on Finance Think.

The Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (CMEM) presented statistical data on the complaints received and processed during 2025, with a focus on the main trends reflected in the figures.
Last year, 244 complaints concerning media conten… Повеќе… “Half of the code violations in 2025 related to inaccurate reporting”
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For the needs of the project “Initiating Adult Learning Programmes on AI”, funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme, KA220-ADU – Cooperation Partnerships in Adult Education, the Metamorphosis Foundation for Internet and Society announces Call for Offers for Development of Training Curriculum for AI Literacy for Adult Learning Providers and Trainers and Delivery […]