Common Ground Program | Expanding Trust, Solidarity, and Dialogue in the Balkans
The European Fund for the Balkans, which has currently developed its strategy for the next five years, is a joint initiative of European foundations (Erste Foundation, Robert Bosch Stiftung, and King Baudouin Foundation) that envisions, runs, and supports programmes aimed at strengthening democracy and peace, fostering European integration, and affirming the role of the Western Balkans in addressing Europe’s emerging challenges. With a strong focus on building regional solidarity in all its activities, EFB has become a well-recognized actor of regional cooperation since 2008.
With its Common Ground Program: Expanding Trust, Solidarity, and Dialogue in the Balkans, the EFB strives to support local, national, and regional initiatives and actors working on transcending ethnic boundaries and reducing tensions between communities and groups across the Balkans. The program is intended to counteract political polarization and to advocate for constructive dialogue where divisions between people, communities, and institutions have intensified. EFB supports a cooperative partnership and a demand-driven approach.
The program unfolds in two main phases. The initial participatory design phase, scheduled from January to August 2025, is a crucial period of active stakeholder engagement, reflection, and strategic planning. Rather than imposing predefined interventions, the program actively engages its stakeholders in shaping its strategic direction, thereby ensuring that the proposed initiatives truly reflect local realities and have genuine community ownership.
During this phase, the program team conducts consultations with stakeholders and experts and facilitates reflection sessions aimed at uncovering authentic, community-identified priorities. This consultation process is designed to establish a clear and shared understanding of the most urgent needs and possible forms of support.
Insights and recommendations collected during the first phase will directly shape the subsequent implementation phase. This second phase will translate into targeted funding, strategic advice, and sustained partnership from EFB.
The Common Ground Program’s emphasis on mutual trust-building, solidarity-driven action, and productive regional dialogue positions it uniquely within the broader context of similar initiatives. It thus represents a comprehensive, strategic, and genuine investment by the European Fund for the Balkans into a more stable, cooperative, and solidarity-based future for the region.
Contact:
European Fund for the Balkans: office@balkanfund.org
Milos Ciric, Program Manager: milos.ciric@balkanfund.org