Civil society

The problem with refugee camps in Greece

14/01/2020 -  Eleni Stamatoukou Thessaloniki

More than 100,000 migrants and refugees are still present in Greece. Many of them live in refugee camps, which are not appropriate accommodation solutions because of their location in faraway, poory connected areas

Albania: the winter of representative democracy

09/01/2020 -  Gentiola Madhi

A new wave of protests is expected to mark the beginning of 2020 in Albania. With a fragmented opposition and a non-representative Parliament, civic protests may serve as a catalyst for further democratisation and freedom of speech

Albania: the civic duty of protecting the National Theatre

18/12/2019 -  Gentiola Madhi

The 20-month long protests against the demolition of the National Theatre reflect not only the need to protect the country's common historical and cultural heritage, but also citizens’ demands for further democratisation of Albania

Insight: the Ukrainian Lgbt+ community

26/11/2019 -  Claudia Bettiol

It has operated for over ten years alongside Ukraine's LGBT+ community. A meeting with some Insight activists and their views on Ukrainian society and the slow progress on rights in post-Soviet Ukraine

Rijeka, when history goes public

21/11/2019 -  Marco Abram

Combining scientific research, dissemination, and participation; telling the story of Rijeka in multiple languages. These are the objectives of an international project of which OBCT is a partner, in view of Rijeka – European Capital of Culture 2020

End Violence Against Children: who has heard of INSPIRE strategies in South Eastern Europe and the Caucasus?

13/11/2019 -  Roxana TodeaCristina Rigman

According to the World Health Organisation, the seven INSPIRE strategies are the most effective in reducing violence against children. ChildPact and its members surveyed 296 child focused organisations and institutions across South-Eastern Europe and the Caucasus to find out who's working on the INSPIRE package

The slogans of '89 have been appropriated by neonazis

21/11/2019 -  Paola Rosà

OBCT is among the founders of ECPMF, a media freedom centre based in Leipzig – just where the demonstrations that would lead to the collapse of the Wall started in October 1989. Thirty years later, one of the slogans of that revolutionary autumn has become an angry claim on the electoral posters of the far-right AfD party

Turkey, Kavala remains in prison: an international call for his release

10/10/2019

According to the decision in the third hearing in the case Gezi Park, Osman Kavala has to remain behind bars. OBCT joins other international organisations to call for his release. The full text of the statement

Diary of a September day in Rijeka

19/09/2019 -  Marko Medved*

A walk in the centre of Rijeka on the centenary of D'Annunzio's enterprise: politics, the work of historians, memory, and democracy

International media freedom mission in Turkey: press freedom in crisis

16/09/2019 -  ECPMF

For three days our partners of ECPMF joined 7 other freedom of expression organisations on a joint mission to Turkey, led by the International Press Insitute. Despite some glimmers of hope, press freedom in the country remains in crisis. Here the final statement, released on 13th September

Turkey: Erol Önderoğlu, Ahmet Nesin, and Şebnem Korur Fincancı again under trial

13/09/2019 -  Paola Rosà

Less than two months after acquittal in the first instance, two journalists and an activist find themselves accused of "terrorist propaganda": Erol Önderoğlu, Ahmet Nesin, and Şebnem Korur Fincancı will have to face the appeal trial

Let's go out. Sarajevo towards its first Pride

06/09/2019 -  Alfredo Sasso

In 2008, the first LGBT public initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered a harsh aggression which caused 15 injured and the cancellation of the event. On September 8th, the opportunity is coming to overcome this trauma, with the country's first Pride

Letter to Europe

26/08/2019 -  Ilija Trojanow

Every year, in Ptuj, Slovenia, a poet writes a "letter to Europe". This year it is signed by Ilija Trojanow, writer, translator and publisher

Albania, the controversial media law

06/08/2019 -  Matteo Trevisan

Concerns persist over the approval of the new package of amendments aimed at modifying two important laws on the Albanian media, the so-called "anti-defamation package"

Bosnia and Herzegovina, the right to the rule of law

15/07/2019 -  Alfredo Sasso Sarajevo

The deaths of Dženan and David are just some of the "silenced cases", the many episodes of bad justice that have shaken Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent years. Hence arose one of the few mobilisations capable of crossing the administrative and so-called "ethnic" borders of the country after the war

Bosnia and Herzegovina, the "broken pipes" of history

04/07/2019 -  Alfredo Sasso

In several cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from May 28th to June 2nd, an important history festival was held which brought together about 100 historians from the region. This year, however, the History Fest has become a case of ethno-political tension

Montenegro: the swamp of politics

13/06/2019 -  Milena Perović Korać Podgorica

Montenegro remains plagued by major issues of crime and corruption, which directly involve the ruling elite. An interview with Dejan Milovac, deputy director of the MANS NGO

Ukraine: the new language law, Porošenko's last act

05/06/2019 -  Martina Napolitano

Before leaving the presidential chair to the newly elected Volodymyr Zelensky, Petro Porošenko signed a new language law – one that puts minority rights under strong pressure

Student protest in Dagestan approaches third week

30/05/2019 -  OC Media

Professors dismissed without warning, bribes paid to see the contracts reconfirmed... The State University of Dagestan is certainly not in good health. But now, with great courage, some students are trying to make a change

What do we talk about when we talk about Europe?

23/05/2019 -  Gresa Hasa

Gresa Hasa, an Albanian activist of the Lëvizja Për Universitetin movement, explains why she feels European. Europe is, in her opinion, a moral concept rather than a geographical one

Croatia, surviving tourism

29/05/2019 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

Always regarded as an important economic resource, today mass tourism risks creating serious imbalances in Croatia. To address them, someone started thinking to "Proceed with care"

Disinformation, technology giants, and our critical skills

16/04/2019 -  Fazıla Mat

Online disinformation is a complex phenomenon that can become extremely harmful to society. As we are faced with the power of technology giants, short-term policies, and implications for freedom of expression, it is crucial to promote critical thinking, media literacy, and reflection on these issues in all age groups

Hard days for Croatian journalism

21/03/2019 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

As Croatia approaches the EU Council presidency semester in January 2020, Zagreb registers a negative record: it is the only European country where public TV sues its own employees

Chechnya: taxis, Islam and independence

13/03/2019 -  Marat Iliyasov

Soon the Chechen women will be able to take taxis driven by women and only for women. An initiative sponsored by an Arab investment fund that caused very different reactions

Bosnia and Herzegovina, rivers under siege

11/03/2019 -  Marco Ranocchiari

Bosnia Herzegovina and its citizens' initiatives in defense of its natural resources and waterways

Nationalism and revisionism in Croatia: teenagers tools and victims

28/02/2019 -  Ivana Polić

In Croatia in recent months there have been numerous cases of violence against minorities, racism, incitement to hatred. And minors where involved

The Eu and de facto states: adjust expectations, support small steps

13/02/2019 -  Giorgio Comai

Meaningful engagement with de facto states and consistent, patient support for constructive approaches as they emerge from the region are the way to go for the EU and other international actors in the coming months

Albania, it had to happen sooner or later

30/01/2019 -  Nicola Pedrazzi

A rush of vitality for Albania's society and future. An interview with Gresa Hasa, an activist of the student movement that is giving the Albanian government a hard time

China-Armenia: do you speak English?

23/01/2019 -  Armine Avetisyan

The new frontier for Armenian English teachers seems to be China: the possibility of working at higher salaries attracts more and more workers

Croatia, a thousand lawsuits against journalists

18/01/2019 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

There are over a thousand ongoing trials against journalists or Croatian media, and the list is not complete. The complaint of the Association of Croatian Journalists