Civil Society & Think Tank Forum

This year, the Aspen Institute Germany, in cooperation with the Southeast Europe Association and with support of the German Federal Foreign Office, will organize what has always been an integral part of the Berlin Process: the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum. As tradition would have it, the forum will consist of two conferences. On June 01-02, 2021 the “Civil Society & Think Tank Forum I: Road to Berlin” will convene experts, think-tankers, and civil society representatives from the Western Balkan countries to jointly debate a wide range of challenges in the region, exchange best practices, and develop concrete policy recommendations. These will be put in the spotlight and discussed with government representatives throughout the second conference, the “Civil Society & Think Tank Forum II: Berlin 2021”, which will coincide with the Berlin Process Summit in early July. This year, the topics that lie at the heart of both conferences range from reconciliation, the acceptance and social inclusion of minorities, the role of civil society in strengthening democracy, to disinformation and media independence, the Green Agenda, integrity compliance in infrastructure projects, the digitalization of public services, the connectivity agenda as well as regional economic cooperation and the role of the EU in the Western Balkans. Due to the pandemic, the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum will have to take place in an online format.

Picture: Aspen Institute Germany