1. Turkeys EU Membership Observatory A Civil Society Dialogue Case Study Ahmet O. Evin Istanbul Policy Center & Sabancı University Civil Society Development in South-East Europe Brussels: 17-18 April 2008

2. Goals & Objectives Promoting a common understanding of issues of mutual concern with a view to addressing gaps in perception and received misconceptions Promoting a common understanding of issues of mutual concern with a view to addressing gaps in perception and received misconceptions Providing a platform for free and open debate of those issues on a factual basis Providing a platform for free and open debate of those issues on a factual basis Establishing informal channels of communication among decision makers, opinion leaders, and a broad range of civic actors Establishing informal channels of communication among decision makers, opinion leaders, and a broad range of civic actors Building sustainable, informal networks to enhance familiarity by means of individual interaction Building sustainable, informal networks to enhance familiarity by means of individual interaction

3. History Hamburg 11-1995 Hamburg 11-1995 Venice 3-1996 Venice 3-1996 Lyon 6-1998 Lyon 6-1998 Tegernsee 12-1998 Tegernsee 12-1998 Edinburgh 5-1999 Edinburgh 5-1999 Brussels 10-1999 Brussels 10-1999 Stockholm 6-2001 Stockholm 6-2001 Stockholm 11-2002 Stockholm 11-2002 Florence 6-2001 Florence 6-2001 Florence 4-2002 Florence 4-2002 Siena 10-2003 Siena 10-2003 Florence 5-2004 Florence 5-2004 Madrid 5-2005 Madrid 5-2005 Istanbul 5-2006 Istanbul 5-2006 Barcelona 1-2007 Barcelona 1-2007 Athens 3-2007 Athens 3-2007 Istanbul 6-2007 Istanbul 6-2007 Lisbon 11-2007 Lisbon 11-2007

4. Conclusions 1 Bureaucratic requirements increase overheads: What level of overheads makes an EU grant worthwhile for a CSO? Bureaucratic requirements increase overheads: What level of overheads makes an EU grant worthwhile for a CSO? Emphasis on achievement rather than accounting detail Emphasis on achievement rather than accounting detail Inadequate financial support detracts from implementation effectiveness Inadequate financial support detracts from implementation effectiveness Are there adequate resources to achieve the stated objectives? Are there adequate resources to achieve the stated objectives? Individualism: Tendency to reinforce national identity detracts from the overall purpose of building a European common space Individualism: Tendency to reinforce national identity detracts from the overall purpose of building a European common space All too often a reference to, e.g., a British voice All too often a reference to, e.g., a British voice Synergy misunderstood: project-level grants often aim to reinforce cooperation among similar institutions conducting same type of activities. Synergy misunderstood: project-level grants often aim to reinforce cooperation among similar institutions conducting same type of activities. Essential task for CSOs: To bring together effective individuals representing a broad cross-section of European society. Essential task for CSOs: To bring together effective individuals representing a broad cross-section of European society.

5. Conclusions 2 Current State of CSOs Difficult to generalize for the region Difficult to generalize for the region Generally reflects the essential characteristics of social structure and culture in any particular country Generally reflects the essential characteristics of social structure and culture in any particular country Fragmented: lack of cooperation in project design and implementation and inadequate networking among nationally based CSOs Fragmented: lack of cooperation in project design and implementation and inadequate networking among nationally based CSOs The majority are too small to be effective actors The majority are too small to be effective actors

6. Conclusions 3 EU may facilitate interaction among EU & non-EU based CSOs by EU may facilitate interaction among EU & non-EU based CSOs by Requiring EU networking grants to be administered by EU-based institutions with the condition to transfer a significant portion of the grants to their non-EU CSO counterparts and to monitor their non-EU counterparts performance Requiring EU networking grants to be administered by EU-based institutions with the condition to transfer a significant portion of the grants to their non-EU CSO counterparts and to monitor their non-EU counterparts performance Benefit: collegial exercise in capacity building that includes CSO management of EU funding Benefit: collegial exercise in capacity building that includes CSO management of EU funding

7. Conclusions 4 Groups with which to collaborate Essential constituency: Geo-strategic thinkers Essential constituency: Geo-strategic thinkers CSO must work collegially with governments and official circles, not in isolation from them CSO must work collegially with governments and official circles, not in isolation from them Constituencies must include : Decision- makers, opinion leaders, policy makers, business and finance circles in addition to artists and intellectuals Constituencies must include : Decision- makers, opinion leaders, policy makers, business and finance circles in addition to artists and intellectuals

8. Conclusions 5 Long-term Strategy Long-term Strategy CSO-level institution building: CSO-level institution building: Identify one or two potential resource bases in a country Identify one or two potential resource bases in a country Design a sustainable model for building them up to a planned level of capacity, and for that purpose Design a sustainable model for building them up to a planned level of capacity, and for that purpose Provide adequate front-end capital and program funds to achieve sustainability Provide adequate front-end capital and program funds to achieve sustainability Thereafter reduce funding levels according to the project feasibility Thereafter reduce funding levels according to the project feasibility Ford Foundation model as possible model to learn from? Ford Foundation model as possible model to learn from? Establish, with EU funding, an independent foundation for building CSO capacity Establish, with EU funding, an independent foundation for building CSO capacity