Centre for Civic Education (CCE), on the occasion of 17 May – The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, points out that Montenegrin society must undertake additional efforts in fight for human rights culture that recognize and accept each citizen as equal before the law and in society regardless of sexual and gender differences. Of course, in this case institutions have particular responsibility.

LGBTI persons in Montenegro, despite declarative prohibition of discrimination, do not yet have necessary support to enable them to enjoy all their rights and live lives without fear of having any unpleasant situation because of their different sexual orientation or gender identity. This year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia focuses on justice and protection for all, and UNDP also emphasizes the support for developing initiatives for putting an end on exclusion, discrimination and violence against LGBTI persons. To take care of this imperative is more than ever necessary, and in the line of this are the CCE’s efforts, which are currently enhanced within the project “NO to Discrimination, YES to Diversity”.

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Centre for Civic Education (CCE) is one of the signatories of the letter sent by Western Balkan civil society organizations to the President of the European Council, Mr Donald Tusk, concerning opening of the accession negotiations with Nort Macedonia and Albania in June 2019.

In the letter, NGOs and individuals express concern that further delay of the accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania would seriously jeopardize pro-European attitude of the population throughout the region. Furthermore, they express the hope that the European Council will keep its promise and open accession negotiations with these countries.

They also consider that these two candidate countries of the Western Balkans would bring new energy, stability and hope to the region, and that good neighbourly relations are one of the key factors for the consolidation of the Western Balkans and their faster integration into the EU.

The initiative was launched at the proposal of the European Movement in Serbia, and the letter was signed by 88 civil society organizations from Western Balkans, as well as 12 individuals from the region.

Young people are not essentially in the focus of decision-makers, and this also has its expression through a certain sense of alienation of young people from political and social engagement, as well as through the growing trend of young people’s desire to leave Montenegro, as it was concluded at the conference What can politics and society do for young people in Montenegro? organized by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

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New issue of the European pulse has been published.

On the occasion of 3 May – World Press Freedom Day, the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) wants to congratulate to all media, media associations and journalists their day. This date is also an opportunity to point out to the deteriorating situation concerning media freedom, but also to call again institutions to make substantial efforts in order to create basis for improvement of the position of media and journalists in Montenegro.

The latest Report of Reporters without Borders confirmed the tendency of erosion of media freedom in Montenegro. It should also be emphasized that Montenegro is mentioned within the introductory part of the index, reserved for examples of countries in which the situation in this area causes particular concern. In its 2018 Country report, the European Commission noted that no progress has been made within media freedom, and this is also confirmed in JUFREX analyses by the Council of Europe experts, done with the support of the European Commission, which elaborates in detail media legislation and numerous problems in the media scene itself.

Unresolved attacks on journalists, with the latest brutal attack on journalist Oliver Lakic that occured a year ago, represent disturbing picture of the environment in which journalists operate. »