about us

The Association CIVIS was founded in 2007 by the representatives of the non-governmental organizations from Serbia and Southeast Europe who had already been actively involved in the stabilization process in the region. Given the fact there was no common association that would represent the interests and positions of the NGOs from Southeast Europe, the CIVIS Association acquired participatory status in the Council of Europe’s Conference of International NGOs soon after its founding. The CIVIS Association is active in the process of acceleration of the European integration of the Western Balkans, empowerment of civil society, human rights education, and economy as well as in the inter-religious dialogue. CIVIS is also active in publishing domain – publishes books and various publications.

CIVIS is active in economic development field as well as in environmental protection throughout network of our members or independently. Association CIVIS has signed Memorandum on Cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning and with the Serbian EU integration Office.

CIVIS is active in international conferences and meetings such as Religious, Moral, and Socio-political values of students in Serbia (Belgrade, 2013),  Youth For Maintaining Peace: The Role Of Knowledge (Belgrade, 2013), The Strategic Directions of Development and Determination of Serbia Position in Contemporary International Relations, (Belgrade, 2013); 1st Forum of the NGOs of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Countries (Baku, Azerbaijan, 2012); 4th Annual Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (Doha, Qatar, 2011); Brussels Economic Forum (Brussels, 2011); New Balkans and European Union Enlargement (Miločer, Montenegro 2011); National and Inter-ethnic Reconciliation, Religious Tolerance and Human Security in the Balkans (Croatia, 2010); Role of NGOs in combating corruption – practices and perspectives (Belgrade, 2010); Accession of the Western Balkans to the European Union, evaluating a process (Dijon, France, 2010) etc.

Membership in CIVIS is opened for the NGOs, foundations and citizens of the Southeast Europe who share the same mission – promotion and improvement of the rights of all citizens of the above mentioned region together with the fulfillment of the highest standards of the civil society, support of the civic dialogue in the region as well as between the region of Southeast Europe and the member states of the European Union.

CIVIS promotes ideas and values of the European Union and the Council of Europe, stimulates the cooperation of the NGOs in order to accelerate the process of European integration of the countries that are not yet member states of the EU, as well as the cross border and regional cooperation of the NGOs, municipalities, entrepreneurs and citizens.

From January 2008 CIVIS takes full part in the activities of the Council of Europe’s Conference of international NGOs, which takes place two times per year. Within this important international organization, we have possibility to cooperate and network with nearly 400 associations – members of the Conference of INGO’s from the whole Europe. Therefore, the main activity of CIVIS is to make and deepen the cooperation of its members with the associations and other subjects from Western and Central Europe, exchange of good experiences and methods and networking which will help to resolve global problems. Since CIVIS is an umbrella association and gathers the NGOs that often have different areas of action, the participation of CIVIS in the of the international NGOs takes place in all working bodies:

• Committee for human rights,
• Committee for democracy, social cohesion, and global challenges,
• Committee for education and culture
• Transversal group for the gender equality.

mission and aims

CIVIS association gathers non-governmental organizations, foundations and citizens of Southeast Europe aiming to promote and improve the rights of all citizens in SEE region along with achievement of the highest standards of civil society, stimulating the civil dialog in the region as well as among the regions of SEE and European Union member countries. CIVIS promotes European idea and European values, stimulates the cooperation among non-governmental organizations of SEE region countries in fostering the process of European integration of the countries who intend to be EU members and cross border and regional cooperation of non-governmental organizations, municipalities, companies and citizens.

OUR AIMS

• To be the place of initiatives, actions, meetings, education and documentation for all actors of European integration in the civil society.
• To achieve a greater unity between European countries for the purpose of safeguarding and realizing the ideals and principles which are their common heritage – objective defined by the Council of Europe in the first article of its Statute.
• To improve education, cooperation and exchange information between its members and between CIVIS and the Council of Europe, European Union and all European institutions and organizations committed to the same objective.
• To provide assistance to all those having European integration as the objective, as well as to non-governmental organizations in the region and their activities and relations with European institutions and organizations.
• To advance the capacity of youth.

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