MISSION – FOR CIVIL SOCIETY WITH CIVIL SOCIETY
In our research in the EU and Russia we work with communities for a better understanding of the current trends in civil society development. We take not a purely academic but rather a participatory approach dedicated to better conceptualisation of “our Europe”, its challenges and new divisions faced by civil society. We see our task in the search for better concepts, which will help foster a deeper understanding of existing problems and threats in order to enhance better exchange and unite communities in building “our Europe” and thus strengthen democracy based on different voices coming from civil society.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
The Report on the State of Civil Society in the EU and Russia was initiated because of the wishes of many CSF members to get more systemised information and to evaluate how NGOs and civil society are developing in different countries, especially among the EU members. In response to this need, a new series of reports was initiated. The target group of this research includes both the broader public and specific NGO sector representatives. It reflects the most important trends and events in the development of civil society in different countries as well as the NGO sector in particular.
THE OBJECTIVES ARE:
To provide knowledge and facilitate mutual understanding of the civil society conditions and agenda in different EU countries and Russia;
To find common challenges and interesting solutions, which can became a basis for cooperation;
To outline the most important challenges to illustrate the arguments for the advocacy;
To evaluate achievements of NGOs and strengthen self-awareness of the NGO sector and its impact.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The collection and aggregation of empirical data;
Meta-analysis of different civil society indexes;
Survey of representatives of civil society organisations in the selected countries;
Interviews with civil society representatives in the selected countries;
Participatory methods of research; participation of the CSF members in the research on different stages.
In 2016, our international research team produced the Report 2016 covering Hungary, Germany, Poland, Russia and Spain. The Report is available in English and Russian.
In 2017, our fellow experts worked on a new Report that focused on Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Russia.
This year – 2018, our team has changed the methodological approach and has chosen a new set of countries to focus on: Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Romania and Russia.
The Report 2019 will focus on the UK, Estonia, Slovakia, Sweden and Russia, and will be published in spring 2020.
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