25 Years of BCSDN: Celebrating Our Journey with a New Website

This year, BCSDN marks 25 years since its beginnings — and we are starting the celebrations with the launch of our new website, reflecting both how far the network has come and where we are heading next.

Our story began in 2001, in a region emerging from conflict and division, with a simple idea: organisations facing similar challenges could learn from one another, build connections across borders and become stronger together. What started as a capacity-building initiative evolved into an informal network in 2003 and a formally established regional network in 2009.

A major turning point came in 2013 with the Monitoring Matrix on Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development. What began as a common regional methodology became the evidence base for our advocacy, allowing national experiences to reveal regional patterns and increasingly reach the places where policies affecting civil society are shaped. This stronger evidence base also expanded BCSDN’s advocacy and presence in Brussels, bringing regional civil society perspectives more consistently into EU policy, enlargement and decision-making processes. Today, engagement with EU institutions is a core part of our work, connecting developments across the Balkans with wider European debates on civic space, democracy and the role of civil society.

Today, we are building on this experience to respond to a changing civic space — moving towards earlier identification of risks, preventive action and new approaches that help civil society navigate emerging challenges.

Throughout these 25 years, our members have been at the heart of BCSDN, shaping our strategic direction and turning national knowledge and experience into collective regional action. We are also grateful to the donors and partners who have supported our evolution and, amid a changing development landscape, continue to recognise BCSDN as a trusted regional partner, enabling us to grow, innovate and respond to emerging challenges.

Our new website brings this evolution into one place. With a clearer structure and easier access to our knowledge and resources, it tells the story behind BCSDN through Our Journey and impact milestones, gives greater visibility to our members, partners and projects, and makes it easier to explore our monitoring, EU advocacy, donor research and work on emerging civic space challenges.

Explore the new website and join us in celebrating 25 years of BCSDN. Take a look at where we started, how far we have come and what we are working towards — and let us know what you think. Reach us at executiveoffice@balkancsd.net.

Twenty-five years later, much has changed. The value of working together across borders has not.