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Western Balkans

In the Western Balkans , we work towards reconciliation by supporting organisation that contribute positively to inter-ethnic cooperation and to dealing with the past.

Violent conflicts devastated the Western Balkans between 1991 and 2001, leaving a legacy of unaddressed bilateral and regional disputes, and dysfunctional political systems. Today, polarisation is on the rise and peaceful democratic development is backsliding. We provide internal strengthening support to courageous organisations working to challenge the status quo by creating connections across divides and addressing the legacy of the past.

Where we work: organisations based in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are eligible for our support.

The context

Unfortunately transitional justice processes have stalled in the region and war crimes are often denied. Ethno-nationalist narratives prevail in the public space and in the education system and hate speech is far too common. In addition, the civic space is shrinking and progressive organisations find themselves at the receiving end of various forms of pressures. This hostility affects their work and reach as well as their internal functioning.

Difficult socio-economic contexts limit the opportunities provided to citizens (especially young people) and also lead to significant brain drain. Wider global crises and conflicts are creating further uncertainties as the region remains vulnerable to external shocks and to donor practices that are not always sufficiently responsive to needs. Despite these challenges, some breakthroughs have been achieved. The Berlin process has led to the emergence of new forms of regional collaboration between Western Balkans states.

Over the past few years, while these have not been stalled, space for civic action and cooperation is being reduced. However, civil society organisations remain strong advocates for genuine reconciliation and positive change despite worsening socio-political context and polycrises within and across borders. They have shown exceptional resilience and have not been deterred by pressures against their work. In addition, new citizen led-movements and informal groups are also emerging, demanding social change, better political leadership and accountability.

Our work in the region:  We have been working in the Western Balkans since 2014 and have supported the institutional strengthening of more than 20 organisations by supporting them on addressing their organisational development and conflict sensitivity challenges. Our partners are diverse and work at different levels on a local, national or regional scale. They however all have some commonalities: they share the courage to counter polarisation and the ambition to improve their organisations to strengthen their impact.

In addition to supporting individual organisations on organisational development or conflict sensitivity, we also invest in learning and leadership development and regularly convene our partners in regional peer-learning events.  Lastly, we seek to contribute to a more responsive ecosystem of support for civil society and engage in dialogue with other funders to constantly adapt and improve our grant-making (for example, see here our latest report regarding emergency support in the region)

Partnership Highlights

Find out more about our partnerships in Western Balkans

Western Balkans Partners

The full list of our current partners in the Western Balkans

Past Partners

A selection of past partners in the Western Balkans

The Team

Find out more about our Western Balkans team