Second National Conference of the SMART Balkans project for Albania
The Institute for Democracy and Mediation is delighted to invite you to the National Conference “Reclaiming our civic space”, an initiative of engaged citizens, journalists, activists (incl. from the virtual domain) representing a range of fields such as art, media, civil society, academia, and students. The conference will take place on Thursday, 15 June, from 10:00 at Tirana International Hotel, Consortium Venue.
Over the last decade, freedom of expression In Albania has significantly regressed, whereas civic space clearly has shrunk. This regresion has been observed by various actors such as civil society organizations, activists, journalists, artists, students, informal and community groups, and social media activists. In response, they have expressed their concern and protested against this situation, either individually or as communities.
The period from 2018 to 2020 was particularly active when a series of protests broke out accross the country. These included residents of Kukës protesting against road tolls, citizens rallying for the preservation of the National Theater, the protest of the oil workers from Ballshi, dozens of demonstrations against the construction of hydroelectric dams in protected areas, and student-led protests. However, beyond the echo and hope they stirred among citizens, each of these protests took place in isolation and with limited coordination with other actors of the civic space, which made them easier to discourage, fragment and minimize their impact.
Each of these civic space groups face different challenges due to the restriction of freedom, but on the other hand they also possess significant competitive advantages and complementary capabilities with each other. If used properly, these attributes can create not only new energies, but perhaps also reclaim a part of the freedom and civic space that is currently occupied by narrow political interests, groups with illegitimate economic interests, captured institutions and other actors that undermine public interest. For this purpose, this conference aims to bring together activists, civil society organizations and community groups, students and young people, artists, journalists, social media activists and other defenders of civic space and freedom of expression.
The conference program will include discussion panels on establishing a common action platform for empowering each other, increasing synergy, expanding civic space and opportunities for citizen participation in decision-making to protect the public interest. The event will also provide networking opportunities for all participants.
The conference will be held in Albanian. Translation in English will be provided.
