Above: A Yugoslav army convoy moves along a road decorated with the Croatian flag some 25 kilometres from Zagreb in 1991. Photo: EPA/ROBERT RAJTIC. This interview was originally published on The Balkans Insight by Sven Milekic, where it is also available in Shqip, Macedonian and Bos/Hrv/Srp. A newly-published book by Croatian-born Mila Dragojevic, an associate professor…
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Polarisation and extremism have historically been critical security threats to communities in the Balkans. North Macedonia is no exception. SCN Manager Simeon Dukic describes how one city has implemented its new Local Action Plan to help address these threats and outlines how other cities can take a similar leap.
One of the most significant challenges in preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) is the sharing of information, resources, expertise and strategies. The lack of proper channels of communication, shared goals and informal spaces to discuss exchanges of ideas can breed mistrust and isolationism.
To encourage the breaking down of these barriers, the Strong Cities Network (SCN) has conducted a series of city exchanges between its members. In this article, Local Prevention Coordinator Veton Latifi outlines their purpose and describes the latest (and first) city exchange to take place in the Western Balkans.
In 2017, the SCN launched an innovative and radical experiment in the Middle East – to bring local community actors together to drive efforts to help prevent violent extremism. This novel approach proved enormously successful, with six Local Prevention Networks (LPNs) launched across Lebanon and Jordan.
Today, we are proud to announce that this model is being expanded to the Western Balkans in the North Macedonian city of Kumanovo.
Marijeta Mojašević is a Youth Advisor for the Municipality of Berane, a town in the north of Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992, the region was rocked by armed conflict throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Montenegro gained independence in 2006, and while the country has remained peaceful, the aftermath of the Balkan…
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We are delighted to welcome two new managers to the Strong Cities Network team. Patricia Crosby and Simeon Dukic joined last month and will be leading the SCN’s work in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and the Western Balkans and Central Asia, respectively. Together they bring a tremendous amount of regional expertise and insight that…
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To lay the groundwork for its programmatic expansion into Central Asia, the SCN attended the 2019 OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference hosted by Slovakia in Bratislava, held on 25-26 March. Focusing on region-wide efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) and radicalisation, the high-level conference gathered state representatives from OSCE member and partner states. Also in…
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In November 2018, the Strong Cities Network convened over 40 representatives from the SCN’s Western Balkan cities, including ten mayors and deputy mayors at the Western Balkans Resiliency Forum in Budva, Montenegro. The forum was hosted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) in partnership with SCN and supported by the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization…
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Authors: Daniel Hooton and Marta Lopes With little over a third of eligible voters taking part a fortnight ago in Macedonia’s controversial referendum on changing its name, the country’s future hangs in the balance. In an attempt to bury a three-decade-long dispute with Greece over the country’s name, the referendum has thrown open as many issues…
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After East and West Africa, our second regional web page is now live, this time presenting our work in the Western Balkans! Click here to find out more about our engagement to date in the region, our partners, as well as to access our reports. During the city consultations held in Kosovo and Macedonia in…
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