THURSDAY 6 OCTOBER

11:45 – 13:00
Donor funding for civic activism – if, when, where and how?
In recent years, there have been some spectacular manifestations of active civic participation throughout Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). And yet, it still feels like these are the exceptions while the prevailing attitude of people in CEE towards participation in public life is one of apathy and disengagement. So, more than twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, are we at the point of accepting the development of culture and practice of active civic participation is a never ending quest? Do we see a need to proactively developing activism that promotes and defends democratic values? What are the opportunities and obstacles for active civic participation in CEE that we need to address? What are the different types of activism and their role in democratic development that we need to take into account? And what are the DOs and DON’Ts in the donor involvement in supporting activism?
Based on a fresh research carried out by two young practitioners in the field of activism from Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as on the experiences of people in the audience, this session will explore the above questions.
Moderator: Vera Dakova – Program Officer, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Speakers:
Oana Preda - Resource Centre for Public Participation, Romania 
Nedim Jahić - Law Student, University of Sarajevo 

11:45 – 13:00
The power of networks: Increasing the bandwidth of civil society
Do networks reach the parts that their individual members cannot? And do they have influence on policy change in the EU and its Eastern neighbourhood?
Recently, international civil society networks have gained stronger visibility in the European public sphere. If run with the active participation of member organisations, networks can foster and promote policy change at the international level. They mobilise the expertise of a wide range of civil actors, such as activists, scholars, journalists and businessmen. But are they sustainable? Can an independent network outlive the fading from media headlines of its initial principal focus?
Network leaders and members will address these questions:
 - what is the best strategy to run a sustainable network that connects members?  
 - how can a network provide relevant, well-targeted quality services over a long period?
 - are networks an effective channel for expressing the voice of civil society in international fora, such as the EU, and how can a network interpret future policy developments and identify the most important targets for advocacy campaigns?
 - are networks connecting their members to other networks to forge new partnerships and innovation, and how can the latest developments in online communications serve to mobilise the network community?
Moderator: Jeff Lovitt – Executive Director, PASOS (Policy Association for an Open Society)
Speakers:
Assya Kavrakova – Program Director,European Policies and Civic Participation Program, Open Society Institute – Sofia
Ilyas Safarli – Executive Director, “Uluchay” Social-Economic Innovation Center

11:45 – 13:00
Concluding the integration process – Will the Balkans make it?
Western Balkans countries proclaim that the only interest for the Western Balkans is EU integration, which mostly is reflected from the officials’ communication with citizens, whereas in fact, there is lack of an open participatory policy process which will engage different stakeholders in a meaningful way. Western Balkans efforts continue to be limited in addressing key challenges like: organised crime, corruption, illicit economy, unreformed public administration, manipulated elections, environment, and narrowed space for civil society.
This session aims to provide an overview of the current situation in the Western Balkans, and what foundations and civil society are doing, and need to do, in addressing these issues and help EU, member states, international and private donors to better involve citizens in decision-making. 
This session will also explore the experiences of the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB) in investing in connecting people in the region through connecting them with their EU counterparts, as well as reconnecting them within the region. Examples of EFB’s Capacity Building programmes for individuals and organisations, fellowship  and Alumni programmes will be presented and the assessment of what effect they might have within the context of the status and the prospects of the Western Balkans will be looked at.
Moderator: Jeta Xharra – Founder, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)
Speakers:
Igor Bandovic – Programme Manager, European Fund for the Balkans
Ivana Howard – Senior Programme Officer Europe, National Endowment for Democracy
Ferdinand Nikolla – Executive Director, Forum for Civic Initiatives (FIQ)
Henk Visser – IPA Civil Society Facility, DG Enlargement