BERLIN – The 2024 Civil Society and Think Tank Forum, organised by Southeast Europe Association and the Aspen Institute Germany, supported by German Federal Office, will take place on 9-11 October in Berlin.
On the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process, the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum is bringing together a diverse array of civil society stakeholders representing over 115 organisations to actively shape and participate in the Berlin Process.
According to organizers, over three days, this event will shine a spotlight on policy recommendations through public exchanges between civil society, government, and other key stakeholders from the Western Balkans and the EU.
“With every passing year, it becomes more important to ensure that all stakeholders feel
represented and heard in the Berlin Process,” explains Dr. Christian Hagemann, the Executive Director of the Southeast Europe Association. She adds that the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity by offering civil society the opportunity to reach out with their policy recommendations directly to key decision-makers from the Western Balkans.
“The Civil Society Forum’s approach is unique and particularly effective because it is rooted in local actors’ expertise and experience,” says Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner, the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Germany. “This ensures that the recommendations remain relevant and build on existing regional initiatives and capacities in the Western Balkans”, Mildner adds.
During the Preparatory Forum in July in Skopje, civil society representatives developed policy recommendations within seven thematic working groups. The results of the Preparatory Forum will serve as input to the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum in Berlin, which takes place just a few days before the Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit on October. At the Forum in Berlin, perspectives of civil society and think tanks will be presented and discussed directly with decision-makers from the region and the EU.
Since the second summit of the Berlin Process in Austria in 2015, the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum has provided a unique platform for dialogue between civil society and government representatives. By convening stakeholders on the sidelines of the Berlin Process, the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum allows Western Balkan civil society to contribute their ideas to advance cooperation and integration in the Western Balkans.