Civil Society Forum e.V.

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Civil Society Forum e.V.

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The Civil Society Forum is a network of non-governmental organisations working across Wider Europe.

Our vision is to build a civil society beyond borders across the entire continent. Established in 2011 as a bottom-up, non-partisan civic initiative, the Forum serves as a platform for joint activities, common positions, support, solidarity, and civic influence on policy- and decision-making. The Civil Society Forum aims to build bridges between civil societies, based on shared values of pluralistic democracy, rule of law, human rights, social and climate justice.

09/10/2026

Hi there! This week’s brings together opportunities worth having on your radar, check them out!

➨ The Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) is accepting applications for the Equality Fund Journalism Fellowship 2026. Staff and freelance journalists are invited to apply with a focus on issues including gender-based violence, authoritarianism, anti-rights movements, sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic injustice and war and conflict. The fellowship runs primarily online from January to September 2027, apply by 8 November. https://balkancsd.net/equality-fund-journalism-fellowship-2026-deadline-8-november/

➨ International Crisis Group is looking for an EU Advocacy and Research Intern in Brussels. The internship is aimed at students and recent graduates interested in EU foreign policy, peacebuilding and international affairs. A degree or ongoing postgraduate studies in European studies, international relations, conflict studies, government or a related field is preferred, and English is required. Apply by 15 October: https://jobs.crisisgroup.org/o/intern-eu-advocacy-and-research?utm_source=jobs.humanrightscareers.com

➨ SCIENCE AT RISK Emergency Office is looking for an Assistant to the Executive Director and Office Management in Berlin. The part-time role includes coordinating administrative processes, supporting personnel administration, organising workshops and networking events and assisting with external communications. Applicants should have native-level German and very good English; Russian or Ukrainian are an advantage. Apply by 18 October.https://science-at-risk.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/260917_stellenausschreibung-assistenz-sekretariat.pdf

➨ CEELI Institute is offering a free Autumn School on Good Governance, Transparency and Integrity for Ukrainian early- and mid-career professionals working in law, public administration, civil society and investigative journalism. The programme will take place 19–23 October 2026 in Prague and will focus on identifying integrity risks, investigating corruption-related offences, working with financial evidence and open-source intelligence. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect with peers working to strengthen integrity and good governance in Ukraine. Participation is free. https://ceeliinstitute.org/course/good-governance-transparency-and-integrity-skills

➨ The EESC Civil Society Prize 2026 is accepting applications from non-profit initiatives working to combat poverty in the EU. The prize is open to CSOs registered in an EU Member State. Eligible initiatives may focus on reducing material deprivation, strengthening social and economic inclusion, improving access to essential services, education, social protection or quality employment. The total prize fund is €30,000, to be shared among up to three winners. Apply by 6 November: https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/agenda/our-events/events/16th-eesc-civil-society-prize

07/10/2026

A fresh edition of our Forum Files newsletter has dropped! This time, we’re looking into the topic of transnational repression (TNR).

This issue outlines the insidious range of TNR: we spoke to two very different targets whose experiences show the breadth of the phenomenon, and we’ve also put together a guide to the latest resources for those who want to keep reading about it.

Authoritarian regimes use TNR because dissent doesn’t stop at the border. The internet allows exiles to reach audiences back home, and silencing them helps regimes maintain their grip on information. But the real target is rarely just one person: a single visible act of intimidation is often meant to make an entire diaspora afraid to speak.

The takeaway is simple: distance no longer guarantees safety in 2026, when TNR can be so easily exported.

Interested in receiving the next issues of Forum Files? Subscribe here: https://mailchi.mp/csf-ev.org/newsletter_en

Illustration by Dominik Wendland, created especially for Civil Society Forum.

05/10/2026

When does exile end? That was one of the questions that stayed with us after our latest Exile Talks: Same Label, Different Treatment, where we spoke about the very different realities of exile in Germany — from migration status and work permits to racism, institutional support, professional networks and protection from transnational repression.

For many, exile may never fully end. As Getu Saketa Roro put it: “In exile, you can be physically safe, but emotionally you can never detach yourself from colleagues and communities who stay back in your home country.”

Thank you to our speakers Hanan Badr, Nazeeha Saeed and Getu Saketa Roro for sharing their experience, to CORRECTIV.Exile for this collaboration and to everyone who joined us. The conversation was moderated by Civil Society Forum, and we’re glad we could create space for such an open and thoughtful exchange.

29/09/2026

Tomorrow, we’re meeting for the next "Exile Talks: Same Label, Different Treatment" — and here are the speakers joining us.

➨ Hanan Badr is Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Salzburg, where she works on questions of public spheres, inequality and inclusion. Her research looks at who gets heard, who gets left out and how media and communication shape those dynamics.

➨ Nazeeha Saeed is a Bahraini journalist and trainer based in Germany. After being forced to leave Bahrain because of her independent reporting, she has continued working on human rights, politics, gender and freedom of expression from exile.

➨ Getu Saketa Roro is an Ethiopian human rights defender, former prisoner of conscience and recipient of the 2024 Schuman EU Award. His work spans human rights monitoring, reporting and advocacy, and he brings both professional and personal experience of navigating exile.

The event is organised by CORRECTIV together with for HRDs of the Civil Society Forum.

Join us on 30 September at 19:00. After the discussion, we’ll stay for some drinks and informal conversation.

More information and registration: https://exile.tickets.correctiv.org/same-label/

28/09/2026

Last week, Civil Society Forum joined in Halle as part of our partnership with the European Community Foundation Initiative, bringing the Polarity Game into the festival’s skill-sharing programme.

Together with Alice Priori from CitizensLab, our Programmes Lead Maksim Smekhov worked with 30 young leaders from community foundations across Europe. Through the game, participants explored polarisation through identity, power and patterns of oppression, while reflecting on their own positionality and agency.

The aim of the Game was to help participants recognise how different power systems shape the way we work with communities, and to carry that awareness into the activities and initiatives they design themselves.

Thank you to the European Community Foundation Initiative and Francesca Mereta for the invitation and for bringing our networks together.

25/09/2026

Before the week wraps up, here’s a fresh with new jobs and grants across civil society:

➨ International Detention Coalition is looking for a full-time Europe Programme Officer – Balkans to support advocacy, research, projects and member engagement across the Balkans and wider Europe. Applicants should have at least 3 years of experience in migration and/or human rights and be based in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Serbia. The role is remote-first. Apply by 16 October 2026. https://idc.bamboohr.com/careers/47?source=aWQ9MTk%3D

➨ Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft (EVZ) has opened a call under the Bildungsagenda NS-Unrecht programme for innovative extracurricular historical and civic education projects on N**i injustice. Projects should develop new, participatory formats for younger audiences and can receive €150,000–500,000 for up to 24 months. Projects may start from 1 July 2027 and must end by 30 June 2029. The deadline for project outlines is 1 November 2026.
https://www.stiftung-evz.de/was-wir-foerdern/bildungsagenda-ns-unrecht/anmeldung-beratungstermine-2026/

➨ Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність has opened its second and final call for collaboration grants supporting joint cultural and artistic projects by Ukrainian and European organisations. The programme focuses on initiatives that support the (re)integration of Ukrainians displaced by the war and veterans returning to civilian life, strengthen resilience and shared understanding. Grants of €20,000–30,000 are available for projects lasting up to 12 months. The application deadline is 10 November. https://culture-of-solidarity-fund.grantplatform.com/

➨ JV Legal Advice invites NGO professionals to a free online workshop on “Sponsorship Agreements and Endorsement Agreements as Financing Instruments for NGOs” on 15 October 2026, 10:00–11:00 Brussels time. The session will explore what NGOs give in return for corporate funding, how sponsorship differs from endorsement and how to approach issues such as exclusivity, use of an NGO’s name and logo, reputational risks, funding restrictions and organisational independence. The workshop is open to all NGO professionals. To register, email [email protected].

➨ International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) is looking for a Legal Intern to support its work on accountability for crimes and other violations committed in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Based in Brussels, the paid internship can be part-time or full-time and lasts at least three months. Tasks include legal and factual research, submissions and reports, source verification and assistance with ongoing accountability projects. The role offers hands-on experience with legal research and litigation strategies in international and domestic frameworks. Apply by 7 October. https://iphronline.org/internships/call-for-applications-legal-team-internship/

24/09/2026

For many exiled journalists and human rights defenders in Germany, access to work, protection, networks and institutional support can look very different depending on their nationality.

Join CORRECTIV.Exile and the for Human Rights Defenders of the Civil Society Forum e.V. on 30 September for a conversation "Exile Talks: Same Label, Different Treatment" with Hanan Badr, Nazeeha Saeed and Getu Saketa Roro on migration, structural inequalities, employment, cooperation with German institutions and media and protection from transnational repression.

We’ll end the evening with drinks and snacks and will have time to continue the conversation beyond the panel.

More information: https://exile.tickets.correctiv.org/same-label/
Wed, 30 September 2026,19:00–21:30
Berlin, near Jannowitzbrücke

22/09/2026

On the photo below: participants of the latest “EU Exchange and Action at the Local Level” study visit hosted by Civil Society Forum and bringing together local government and civil society representatives from and .

The group spent three days across Brandenburg to exchange experiences and learn from local practices in citizen participation, climate action, volunteering and cooperation between municipalities and civil society. Meetings in Brandenburg an der Havel, Rathenow and Michendorf will now feed into the next phase of the project, including a study visit to Moldova and a series of online webinars this autumn.

CSF thanks all hosts in Brandenburg an der Havel, Rathenow and Michendorf for their openness and time, and the interpreters who made the exchange possible in Ukrainian and Romanian.

The project is carried out by Civil Society Forum with the Fundacja Edukacja dla Demokracji (Poland), Institutul pentru Politici și Reforme Europene (Moldova) and the Responsible citizens (Ukraine), and is funded by the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany.

18/09/2026

Before you head into the weekend, here’s this week’s with our top selection of opportunities across civil society.

➨ Alliance4Europe invites young activists, advocates, students and civil society actors to join the free PERISCOPE Storytelling & Action Labs this September and October to dive deep into storytelling and campaign building. The programme combines online Storytelling Labs on how narratives shape the digital space with in-person Action Labs focused on designing community, communications and civic campaigns. Participation is free; advance registration is required.
https://periscope-cervproject.eu/
https://community.democracylink.eu/login/en-US/event/storytelling-and-action-labs-2026/registration/VGlja2V0VHlwZV83NDg3Mg==:1/page/UmVnaXN0cmF0aW9uRm9ybV81NzU3Mw==

➨ n-ost invites journalists from across Europe to n-counter: Reclaiming Reality, a two-day conference in Berlin on 2–3 October 2026 exploring how political polarisation, algorithms, disinformation and changing media environments are reshaping journalism and democracy. The programme brings together journalists and media experts from Germany and Central and Eastern Europe for newsroom discussions on topics including far-right narratives, platform power, cross-border collaboration, climate reporting and community-driven journalism. The conference will take place at Forum Factory in Berlin, with satellite sessions hosted by several local newsrooms.
https://forms.gle/11ufQwaxyShV4iVx9
https://n-ost.org/projects/reclaiming-reality-n-counter-

➨ The Eastern Academic Alliance, a project of akno e.V., has opened a call for interdisciplinary teams of education experts, teachers, educational initiatives and media professionals to develop digital teaching materials for Russian-speaking secondary school students. The call supports alternative curricula and ready-to-use digital materials in subjects particularly affected by ideological pressure. The aim is to create fully digital educational programmes that strengthen critical, evidence-based learning. Selected projects will receive €7,000. Apply by 30 September 2026. https://eastern-alliance.org/

➨ SCIENCE AT RISK invites applications for the “Writing and Research Skills” laboratory. The five-session programme is aimed primarily at early-career researchers and students interested in strengthening their academic writing skills and pursuing an international academic career. Participants will work with scholarly literature and research tools, learn how to identify and engage relevant academic audiences. Individual consultations on participants’ writing will also be available. The laboratory will take place on 1, 15 and 29 October, and 12 and 26 November. The workshop will be held in English. https://airtable.com/applouFOcVsqdGw1w/pagh2elpgN9npiVG0/form?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAadMcufWI4C46PbyGkFuSRKruHBQ0U0sbgp0X5stwojmEFN4wsa3yiWSv8A6CQ_aem__1qrh7gxoRz-uNkUjVxh2Q

➨ Tamarack Institute invites community changemakers, nonprofit leaders and others working on complex social challenges to the online workshop “Seeing the System: Tools for Understanding Complex Community Challenges” on 27 October 2026. The session will introduce practical systems-thinking tools for identifying patterns, mapping relationships and structures, exploring root causes and finding potential leverage points for change. The 3.5-hour workshop will be followed by a one-hour coaching session one month later to help participants apply their learnings in practice. https://events.tamarackcommunity.ca/seeing-the-system

17/09/2026

It was... legen—wait for it—dary!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made the such a special night, as well as to Stiftung Zukunft Berlin and to Club der polnischen Versager for hosting us.

And an extra-special thank you to the brilliant Bingo Queen of Berlin, who absolutely carried the night with her energy, humour and just the right amount of chaos. We couldn’t have wished for a better host.

Congratulations to our winning team, Les Quizerables, who proved once and for all that they really do know their human rights and are now officially certified Human Rights Pub Quiz Champions.

And, of course, a big thank you to everyone who helped make winning even sweeter by contributing prizes: Curious Fox, Big Stuff Smoked BBQ, Witch Garden Cafe, The Wall Comedy Club, and Lola Camomilla & BroKolya, who generously added tickets to their LOVE IS LOVE drag show at PANDA platforma to the prize pool.

Thanks again to everyone who came and made this such a memorable night. We have a feeling this might not be our last pub quiz.

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