The war the former Yugoslavia (1991-2001) was a painful reminder that ethnic nationalism continues to pose a threat in Europe.
Moreover, impunity for and denialism of the atrocities committed 20 years ago remains widespread throughout the Western Balkans and continues to undermine victims’ demands for justice.
After an exploration mission in 2005, we started a country programme in Serbia to deal with legacies of the conflict, including entrenched victim identities along ethnic lines.
Our work included supporting civil society to influence regional policy frameworks at the EU and Council of Europe. The lessons from this early period strengthened our focus on working with victims and adopting a regional approach to fighting impunity.
Today, we focus on strengthening civil society networks in the region, to ensure their meaningful participation in policymaking, and on linking the fight against impunity to preventing future conflict.
Since 2023, we have been working with the Western Balkans Coalition for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Crimes Prevention (CGMAP). CGMAP is a regional civil society-led initiative to prevent atrocities with over 30 leading CSOs focusing on genocide prevention and the reduction of ethnic-based violence.