The CSF Skopje that was held in the period between November24-26, 2016 in Skopje, Macedonia gathered over 100 civil society members (activists, analysts, advocates) from across the region discussing the relevant issues: What kind of re-claiming of hijacked terms (Democracy, Europe, Social Justice) do we need and how can we achieve it? Do the alternatives exist only in theory or they can become vital sources of change in the societies in the region? The emancipatory potential in the region of Southeastern Europe taking into account the social movements and the civic activism was visible in the past two years across the region. The idea of the Forum was to encourage the culture of constructive dialogue with all stakeholders including the ones from the governmental institutions. The CSF Skopje united fellow citizens in thinking, in providing food-for-thought and motivation for action by collaborating and creating new networks, in raising awareness for major concerns and in creating and effectively communicating a new Vision of Democracy in Southeast Europe. The Civil Society Forum series is focused on establishing a sustainable and relevant second-track platform in the Berlin Process which creates impulses for both decision-makers and wider European debates. Finally, the Civil Society Forums have to be recognized as a relevant segment for the governments and politicians in the region and to continuously create the urge to maintain closer cooperation with the civil society in the future. The Civil Society Forum Skopje is organized under the umbrella of the “Civil Society Forum of the Western Balkans Summit Series” as a joint initiative of the European Fund for the Balkans, ERSTE Foundation, and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and European Alternatives. The local partners of the Civil So-ciety Forum Skopje are the Macedonian Centre for European Training, JEF Macedonia and the Youth Educational Forum.
