About us

Centre for Civic Education (CCE) is a non-governmental and nonprofit organisation, established in 2002.

Vision of the CCE is Montenegro as a democratic society of responsible citizens.

Mission of the CCE is to contribute to the development of civil society and participation of citizens in policy shaping and decision-making through the education of various actors in the field of democracy, human rights and European integration.

Objectives of the CCE are:

  • Enhancement of citizens’ education in the field of democracy, human rights and European integration of Montenegro;
  • Encouragement of citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes and building an open society based on the rule of law and equal opportunities for all;
  • Increase of transparency, accountability and efficiency of institutions’ work;
  • Encouraging dialogue and cooperation between NGOs and institutions on issues of public interest;
  • Strengthening the capacity of NGOs to participate in the creation and monitoring of public policies and to provide quality services to citizens;
  • Research, analysis, and public advocacy aimed at improving the institutional and legislative framework for NGO operations, as well as the overall environment for civil society activities;
  • Monitoring and promotion of anti-corruption policies;
  • Research, analysis and representation of solutions and policies that are leading to further democratization and Europeanisation of Montenegro;
  • Documenting of and advocating for fact-finding on human rights violation, especially those which are relevant to the process of dealing with the past;
  • Affirmation of freedom of expression and media freedoms;
  • Improvement of the status of minorities and marginalised groups (LGBTIQ, women, people with disabilities, national minorities, religious minorities, Roma, juvenile delinquents, political opponents, etc.), advocacy for gender equality and fight against discrimination;
  • Strengthening of democratic processes as preventive mechanism against radicalisation and extreme violence in the society;
  • Protection of consumers’ rights and interests;
  • Informing and empowering young people for their personal personal and professional development and social activism;
  • Encouragement of citizens’ initiatives.

The CCE values are: continuous education, teamwork, quality, tolerance and social change.

At the national level, the CCE/CGO is a member of the Coalition for Transparency and the Fight Against Corruption at the Local Level KUM, the “My Administration” Coalition, the NGO Network for Democracy and Human Rights, the Coalition for the Rights of LGBTIQ+ People – Equal, and the Coalition for Social Change.

At the regional level, the CCE/CGO  is a member of the RECOM Network, advocating for the establishment of the Regional Commission for Establishing the Facts About War Crimes and Other Serious Human Rights Violations in the Territory of the Former SFRY, and serves as the reference organization for this coalition in Montenegro. Additionally, the CCE/CGO is a member of the Regional Coalition for Equality – KORAK, the Coalition for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities in the Western Balkans, and the WeBER Platform (for the implementation and monitoring of public administration reform).

More broadly, the CCE/CGO is one of the founding members of the MRS Civil Network (Civil Society Network of Micro-Regions), comprising organizations from four regions covered by EU strategies: the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), the Danube Region (EUSDR), the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR), and the Alpine Region (EUSALP), encompassing a total of 27 countries, 19 of which are EU member states. Finally, the CCE/CGO is a member of CIVICUS, the World Alliance for Citizen Participation, an international network of influential civil society organizations from around the globe.

Since December 2018, the FAST FORWARD Festival, organized by the CCE/CGO, has been a member of the International Human Rights Film Network, headquartered in Amsterdam.

The work of the CCE is organized within three main programmes: Europeanisation and Democratisation, Human Rights and Active Citizenship, and within these programmes hundreds of projects have been implemented and various expertise provided to different stakeholders.

CCE representatives continuously take part in the working groups of the Government of Montenegro tasked to create certain legal texts, strategies and action plans within the field of CCE interest, and which should align Montenegrin legal and institutional framework with best international standards and practices. Also, CCE representatives contribute to the public policy shaping through their active engagement within working groups for negotiations with the EU (Chapter 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights; Chapter 28 – Consumer and Health Protection; Chapter 25 – Science and Research; Chapter 26 – Education and Culture) and Consultative body of MFAEI that monitors and evaluates the implementation of activities from Communication Strategy for EU. Previously, the CCE representatives took part in the work of the Council for Protection of Discrimination, the Council for Development of non-governmental organisations and the Operational Team for development of Action plan and implementation of measures from Action plan in line with the principles of Open Government Partnership. The CCE has its representative in the Joint Consultative Committee of Montenegro and European Economic and Social Committee.

Brief information about the CCE in the form of the leaflet you can download here.