EFDS held a network meeting in Belgrade which was preceded by a meeting of the S&D Group’s Willy Brandt Programme and A Friends of the Western Balkan’s meeting.
This session brought together participants from diverse contexts to reflect on how civic and democratic actors can remain effective in an era marked by shrinking civic space, political polarization, disinformation, and uncertainty around long-term funding. The discussions emphasized the need to reconnect with citizens, strengthen organizational resilience, clarify strategic priorities, and develop communication practices that build trust and mobilize support.
Three main themes guided the discussion: how we organize ourselves, what our strategic focus should be and how we communicate our importance.
How do we organize ourselves?
Participants stressed that democratic actors must avoid retreating into expert bubbles and instead build stronger, more practical cooperation. Think tanks, CSOs, youth groups, unions and political actors should work together more systematically through joint initiatives, regional alliances and shared platforms.
Internal resilience requires integrating essential activities into ongoing work even when funding is tight and developing an engagement ladder that moves people from participants to volunteers, members and leaders. Building talent and long-term capacity is as important as short-term project delivery.
Financial sustainability is a growing concern. Suggested approaches included collaboration with membership-based organisations, creating revenue-generating trainings or educational projects, crowdfunding for targeted efforts and forming or joining consortiums for EU-funded projects. Participants also advocated for emergency funds and for external partners to simplify complex funding procedures.
What should our focus be?
The group agreed that democratic actors must prioritise the areas most at risk and avoid dispersing limited resources. The most vulnerable fields identified were media freedom, equality and rights, youth engagement and the broader protection of political pluralism and anti-corruption frameworks.
There was a strong call to return to citizens as the centre of democratic work. Many organisations have focused too heavily on institutions and legislative reform, losing touch with the public whose support ultimately determines legitimacy and impact. Trust, credibility and visible results are key to mobilising people.
Participants highlighted youth as a strategic priority. Student movements have shown strong potential for mobilization. Low-cost initiatives such as student-led media or community platforms could significantly expand outreach and strengthen democratic resilience.
Overall, participants urged a shift toward core systemic issues such as corruption, media capture and democratic backsliding rather than secondary or symbolic topics.
How do we communicate our importance?
Effective communication begins with trust. Participants agreed that direct, in-person engagement works best: door-to-door outreach, neighbourhood events, community forums and student initiatives all help rebuild confidence and counter misinformation.
The choice of messenger influences credibility. Young people, academics, respected community members and citizens themselves often communicate more effectively than formal institutional actors.
Messages should be clear, simple and tied to concrete actions. Overly technical language alienates audiences. Value-based communication, relatable examples and real-life success stories help people understand why issues matter.
To reach wider audiences, democratic actors must look beyond social media and use local media, community spaces and coalition-building. In environments affected by media capture, going directly to citizens is essential. Proactive narrative shaping is more effective than reacting to disinformation after it spreads.
Core recommendations
1. Strengthen organisational resilience
- Build alliances, establish engagement ladders, diversify funding and join consortiums
- Advocate for simplified funding procedures and emergency mechanisms
2. Prioritise core democratic challenges
- Focus on media freedom, equality, youth engagement, anti-corruption and political pluralism
- Keep citizens at the center of all strategies
3. Communicate through trust and clarity
- Use direct outreach, trusted messengers and simple, action-oriented messages
- Engage communities through local media and real-life examples
