Global freedom is in decline for the 15th consecutive year, with more countries experiencing deterioration rather than democratic improvements. Europe is historically the best performing region in terms of liberal democracy, but even here its principles have been under pressure in recent years.

In this project we explore what "civic deserts" are, and what challenges civic actors are facing. We answer the questions what civic cohesion is and what philanthropies and civil society can do to foster it.


Activities
1. Conducting expert interviews in order to define four so-called "civic desert regions": Bulgaria’s Northwest (Severozapaden), Hungary’s North and Northeast (Észak-Magyarország and Észak-Alföld), Poland’s Northeast (Podlasie), and Romania’s South (Sud-Muntenia)

2. Analyzing the work of the civic actors in those regions, as well as the challenges they face using the following methods:

• desk research;
• online questionnaire survey;
• semi-structured expert interviews;
• validation workshop.

Materials

• Research paper "From civic deserts to civic cohesion. How exploring Europe’s peripheries can inspire ways of improving civic life"
• Case studies: Explore the regional data for the four mapped regions in Central and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria’s Northwest, Hungary’s North and Northeast, Poland’s Northeast, and Romania’s South
• Video "Mapping Civic Deserts"

Partners