ABOUT US

Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (OBC) is an online news provider and research centre devoted to social and political change in South-East Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus. OBC follows 26 countries or regions: among them, six are already EU member States, seven are on their way towards European integration, and a significant number of them is the post-Soviet part of the continent, currently involved in the European neighbourhood policy.

The OBC team, based in Rovereto (Italy), cooperates with a network of over 50 correspondents and local contributors to deliver online articles, in-depth analyses research on a daily basis. Every month, over 120,000 readers visit the website: scholars and researchers; journalists; students; diplomats; local, regional and national government officials; policy-makers; practitioners of development cooperation; business people; members of the diaspora from South-East Europe and the Caucasus; tourists and travellers; people generally interested in these areas.

Besides the journalistic work, OBC carries out research, dissemination and training activities. Among them, it produces documentary films, audiovisual material and educational kits, it runs workshops in schools and universities, it organises and takes part to public events. All OBC products, as well as the records of public events can be found in the Multimedia , Our Products , and OBC Events sections of the OBC website. A list of pitchings and quotations by other media can be found in the section Pubblicazioni, docenze, rassegna stampa (in Italian only).

Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso is engaged in the main social networks on the net, distributes all of its content with a copyleft license and employs open source technologies.

TOPICS

A CITIZENS’ EUROPE

From political Enlargement to the integration of European societies

RIGHTS

Human rights, minorities, migration, gender issues, welfare and diversity for pluralism in Europe

WAR AND PEACE

Conflict transformation through remembrance, justice and truth

A DIFFICULT INHERITANCE

The conflicts and socio-political changes after the collapse of the communist regimes

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Voices of independent journalism in the Balkans and the Caucasus

CULTURE

Films, literature, music, art and cultural “contamination”

DECENTRALISED COOPERATION

Transnational relations with South East Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus

GEOPOLITICAL CROSSROADS

International relations in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

Administrative decentralisation, sustainable development and responsible tourism

BACKGROUND

Osservatorio sui Balcani was established in the year 2000 in response to the need for knowledge and debate by civil society and institutions that had been working for years for peaceful cohabitation in South-East Europe. In 2006, it expanded its activities to the Caucasus and, in 2009, it changed its name to Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (OBC).

OBC is supported by the Peace Bell Foundation and the Trentino Forum for Peace and Human Rights. It is sponsored by the Department for International Solidarity of the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Municipality of Rovereto, in Italy. In addition, it implements projects funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission, several foundations, state and private organisations.