23.09.2015.

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BCSP wins both 2015 PASOS Think-Tank Awards

The PASOS Think-Tank Awards commend the work and achievements of members that demonstrate outstanding work to promote the values and goals of PASOS in promoting and protecting democracy, human rights and open society values - including the rule of law, good governance, and economic and social development.

The BCSP publication “The Future of Civil Society Protection in North Kosovo” was honored with the 2015 PASOS Best Policy Publication of the Year Award, and the BCSP was also honored with the 2015 PASOS Think-Tank Achievement of the Year Award for its work organizing the Belgrade Security Forum.

The Policy Association for an Open Society PASOS is a network of 56 policy centres in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The annual awards were announced at the PASOS General Assembly held in Tirana, Albania, on September 12, 2015.

The aworded paper was produced by BCSP researchers Maja Bjelos and Isidora Stakic and presents an independent analysis of the current state of the Civil Protection units in the four municipalities which consti­tute North Kosovo, and suggests possible solutions for their future. 

 “It carefully picks apart what is required to lessen the chance of conflict in the integration process that is fraught with suspicion and murky practices. It makes quite specific recommendations on steps that are required suggesting programs of re-employed, planned and supported retirement and gives the numbers of people that are affected. It makes a strong case of civil society’s voice to be heard if a measure of transparency and consensus is to be reached,” said awards juror Bohdan Krawchenko, Director General of University of Central Asia.

The publication was published by BCSP and Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) in the framework of the project “Security Research Forum: Belgrade- Prishtina-Tirana” supported by the Government of the Kingdom of Norway. Research was supported by the Balkans Trust for Democracy’s Professional Work Exchange Program for Enhanced Policy Dialogue, with the support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom. 

PASOS Annual Awards are given in two categories, and the BCSP also won the the 2015 PASOS Think-Tank Achievement of the Year Award for its work organizing the Belgrade Security Forum, an annual gathering jointly initiated and designed by BCSP, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE) and European Movement in Serbia (EMinS).

At the fourth Begrade Security Forum, more than 450 participants, including officials and policymakers from national, foreign, and international institutions, leading independent experts, civil society organizations and the media, discussed a number of topics related to security and foreign policy of importance for Serbia, the region, and for the European Union. 

“After four years, BSF has been able to attract attention from beyond the region and even beyond Europe but at the same time stay in close contact with local realities and use the international spotlight to mobilize local political elites to think in a larger context,” said awards juror Gabriela Svárovská (Dlouhá), former Director of Human Rights and Transition Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic.

The winners were selected by a three-member jury of leading experts from the international think-tank world and experienced policymakers with a knowledge of the policy challenges facing young and aspiring democracies in Europe and Central Asia. Besides Mr. Krawchenko and Ms. Svárovská, third juror was Kalman Mizsei, Head of EU Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform, Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine), Adjunct Professor at the Central European University, Budapest, Hungary.

News source: www.pasos.org

Tags: ..., achievements, awards, commend, democracy, demonstrate, development, economic, goals, governance, human, including, members, outstanding, pasos, promoting, rights, social, society, think, values

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