CEBRICS

Democracy and security are closely intertwined in Central Europe; thus, only a democratic Central Europe will be a secure Central Europe.

This claim is strongly reflected by the fact that over the past ten years Central Europe was the fastest-autocratizing region of the world, facing not only external but also significant domestic threats to democracy that ultimately translate into challenges to the democratic security and sovereignty of these countries as well as to the integrity of the Western alliance system.

To address these challenges, GMF’s “Central Europe—Building Resilience in Civil Society” (CEBRICS) project supports civil society organizations and other democratic actors across the region to advance democratic freedoms and security. 

The overall aim of CEBRICS is to increase the capacity and resilience of civil society to promote democratic principles and protect fundamental rights as well as to build the watchdog skills of civil society and social movements to enhance rule-of-law observance, combat corruption, and increase access to justice.

CEBRICS is a five-years USAID-funded single-donor regional grantmaking and capacity-building project for 2022–2026, with an initial focus on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland. Overall, GMF plans to provide about 230 grants, 300 microgrants, and 18 capacity-building courses over the project’s duration.