Who are we?

We are a joint initiative with partner organisations from Bosia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Each member organisation brings with itself its own perspective with focuses on different themes, levels (local, national to regional) and forms (research-based advocacy, grassroots mobilization) of activities. The common denominator, however, is that each member of the network strives for a change in the security oriented political culture and structure in their respective environments, towards a human centered approach.

Why a “Citizens’ Network”?

At the heart of our work is having a regional network of civic constituencies working on issues of human security across the borders. The transnational nature of threats to security in the everyday lives of the citizens is visible in the form of informal and illicit economies, organized crime, poverty, social exclusion and extremism. To counterweight the strong links connecting the clandestine actors causing these insecurities, there is a need for stronger regional civic ties on the common values of peace, reconciliation and human security. This is why we intend to achieve a “citizens’ network”, connecting citizens at different levels including advocates, research communities and decision makers.

Read more on the detailed account of the rationale in the section on Regional Context: Western Balkans and Turkey.

See also:

• Who are we?
• What is Human Security?