European Endowment For Democracy

24/06/2026

Yesterday, with EED's support, a Sudan-focused panel took place at the DW Global Media Forum.

The panel presented concrete examples of how community investment and civil society partnerships built durable reporting networks between frontline local media and international media.

Moderator Marija Marović stated that authenticity and credible journalism remain important in conflict to help people access critical and lifesaving information.

Cammon Mohammed Adam, from Ayin Network, talked about their efforts in building networks of reporting while keeping their sources safe.

Journalist and writer, Aya Elsammani, discussed how the war dismantled the social fabric of the country.

Thank you to the DW Global Media Forum for offering space for activists and journalists to share their stories.

24/06/2026

Today, more than 400 civil society leaders gather at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk for the first-ever URC Civil Society Forum.

The Forum will finalise and present the Gdańsk Common Message - a collective call to put people, communities, accountability, and local leadership at the heart of Ukraine’s recovery and EU accession.

The message is clear: Ukraine’s recovery must be people-centred, rights-based, and built through genuine partnership, with civil society recognised not simply as a stakeholder, but as a strategic partner.

EED is proud to be a co-organiser of the Forum and provide our partners a platform to advance a shared vision for Ukraine's recovery and European future.
https://democracyendowment.eu/news/civil-society-unites-behind-the-gdansk-common-message

23/06/2026

Today, with EED's support, a Sudan-focused panel is taking place at the DW Global Media Forum

Sudan’s people are facing one of the worst humanitarian situations in recent history. With international journalists barred from the country, local media networks are ensuring that the story of Sudan continues to be told. Working under unprecedented threats, hybrid teams of frontline journalists and editors in exile counter disinformation and work around internet shutdowns to deliver verified reporting from the ground and build trusted cross-border partnerships.

For 19 years now, the Global Media Forum in Bonn has brought together media professionals, thought leaders, and changemakers from around the world to connect and explore new perspectives on the future of journalism and media freedom.

This panel presents concrete examples of how community investment and civil society partnerships build durable reporting networks between frontline local media and international media, and how these contribute to accountability and trust across borders. The conversation will share lessons from Sudan that matter globally.

18/06/2026

Kino ARMATA in central Prishtina is a place where students, artists, activists, parents and neighbours can share the same room and where community is built.

An independent cinema space, it has become the place to be for film screenings, workshops, concerts, and community meetups since its opening in 2018.

When Rozafa Maliqi became director in 2024, the first thing she did was write an email to the then-Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, explaining why the cinema should not be closed.

The agreement allowing the team to manage the building had suddenly, unexplainably, become invalid.

Rozafa, who has fifteen years of experience working across Kosovo's independent cultural sector, took on the challenge. With a small team of five, she pushed to keep the cinema open, active and visible, with a consistent programme and international movie screenings. Her proudest achievement is creation of the cinema’s film club, Kineto.

"The moments I value most are when the space creates a feeling of community,” she says. "Kineto shows that the space can move on its own.”

Read more: https://democracyendowment.eu/news/kino-armata

12/06/2026

Near the Vjosa River delta, one of Europe’s last wild rivers, and the protected Narta Lagoon, a controversial development project in the coastal village of Zvërnec drew the attention in Albania and around the world.

Residents, environmental activists and civil society groups opposed the construction of a large luxury tourism project in the area, arguing that it threatens biodiversity and a protected landscape.

A wave of peaceful protests began following a violent incident on 30 May during demonstrations against the development. Over the following days, the protests, dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution", gathered thousands of people across Albania and among the diaspora.

At a time when major national and international media were providing little coverage of events, EED partners stepped in to fill the information gap. By documenting events, investigating the project, countering disinformation and amplifying local voices, Citizens, Gjurmonal, Exit, Ditar, Shteg, Nyje, Amfora and Qëndresa Qytetar helped bring the protests to the wider public attention.

Read the full special update on EED’s website: https://democracyendowment.eu/country-updates/eed-special-update-albania

11/06/2026

04/06/2026

Staša Baštrica was sixteen years old when she stood outside a local NGO drop-in center in Podgorica, convinced she was the only LGBTQI+ person in Montenegro.

"I thought I'd have to hide it all of my life," she recalls.

Today, Staša is the Executive Director of Q***r Montenegro, one of the best known LGBTQI+ rights organisations in the Western Balkans. At 32 years old, she has been a q***r rights activist for almost half of her life.

The battle for q***r rights in Montenegro did not come easily as activists faced years of prejudice, invisibility, and lack of state support. But today Montenegro has one of the higher LGBTQI+ legal rankings in the Western Balkans region, providing a haven for q***r people seeking safety from the persecution in their home countries.

There are still many challenges, of course.

Governments adopt strategies on gender equality and publish plans, but as Staša puts it: "The majority of measures are accomplished by civil society organisations. The system relies on us."

The road ahead is still long but Staša believes that people are slowly changing for the better.

Read more: https://democracyendowment.eu/stories/q***r-montenegro

01/06/2026

Congratulations to EED partner Peace of Art, for receiving the International Bremen Peace Award 2026 from Stiftung die schwelle - Contributions to Peace, in the category "Pioneering Peace Work".

The award honors people and organisations that set a good example in their work for Peace, Justice and the Integrity of Creation.

“Having our work for peace and dignity recognised in this way is a profound honour – not only for me personally, but for all the artists, young people, children and communities who are part of Peace of Art. We see this award as a powerful confirmation that our peace work can bring about real and lasting change.” says Mahdi Yahya, founder and chairman of the Peace of Art organisation.

Read more about Peace of Art's work: https://democracyendowment.eu/stories/peace-of-art

Read more about the winners: https://dieschwelle.de/en/peace-award-2026/mahdi-yahya

28/05/2026

Anna Matvienko and Nika Yegorova launched Dnipro.media in 2024 as an independent media focused on accountability.

Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Anna led SEO teams in Berlin. Unsettled by the sense of apathy inside Europe, she decided to return to her home city, Dnipro.

She began volunteering, raising funds, gathering supplies, supporting the war effort in any way she could. She was struck by the lack of access and transparency from public authorities.

“If people don’t have information,” Anna says, “they don’t have power.”

Anna and Nikas's vision for Dnipro Media was as an independent platform that explains how the city works. Despite the many pressures and challenges posed by local officials, they have persisted in their work, combining investigative reporting and storytelling.

Today they organise events, host discussions, and experiment constantly. The goal is not just to inform, but to activate. “We call it: a polite way to make people act,” Anna explains.

Today, Dnipro Media is redrawing the boundaries of what's possible in a city where independent journalism was almost non-existent.

This initiative was supported thanks to the contribution of the European Union to EED.

Read more: https://democracyendowment.eu/stories/dnipro-media

21/05/2026

In the city of Diyarbakır, Mordem was founded on the philosophy that cultural expression is a human right, and that art should be accessible to everyone regardless of background, income level or location. This is how democracy comes to life through the language of art.

“We believe one of the best ways to advance the world we envision, one grounded in fundamental rights and freedoms, is through art,” says Dilek Akyapı, Mordem’s project coordinator

The group was established in 2017. Its home base is an arts complex in Diyarbakır with a 160-seat hall, dance studio, sculpture workshop and music classrooms. Their work transcends theatre, combining it with social work and community building.

“The more we act collectively, the more we are together, the stronger we become,” says Barış Işık, one of Mordem's founders.

Today, with a team of 25 instructors and 60 volunteers, they do a bit of everything: theatre, arts workshops, drama therapy, dance, film screenings, festivals, ecology and cultural heritage preservation.

Read more: https://democracyendowment.eu/stories/mordem