The Civil Society Resilience Activity (CSRA) project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by PartnersGlobal, seeks to contribute to a more inclusive and pluralistic Serbian society by improving the legal environment for civil society, public understanding of civil society’s contributions to the development of Serbian society, and the ability of civil society in Serbia to be more transparent, accountable, and representative of its constituents. This five-year initiative helps civil society to remain resilient in the face of closing civic space and perform its function as an effective watchdog, advocate, and monitor by:
1) Equipping civil society with new knowledge, skills, and tools to fundraise, connect with different stakeholders, and communicate in complex operating environments.
2) Fostering dialogue and creating space for civil society to participate in public policy processes.
3) Bridging the gap between citizens and civil society through awareness raising, storytelling, and outreach; and
4) Enabling the (re)emergence of civil society-government dialogue by improving existing civil society organizations’ participation mechanisms.
To achieve the goals, the project is partnering with the Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS), DT Institute, European Center for Not-for-profit Law (ECNL), Civic Initiatives, and Partners Serbia, who will provide strategic advice, legal, research, and technical assistance to dozens of civil society organizations and initiatives throughout Serbia.
The CSRA in Serbia will launch in September 2022. This project page will be continually updated as implementation gets underway.