ABOUT US

The Balkan Institute for Regional Cooperation – BIRC is a non-governmental and non-partisan organization, completely independent in its operations, with headquarters in Tetovo.

The organization is dedicated to the promotion and practice of qualitative journalism and scientific research in achieving its goals for a society with democratic values, for transparent institutions, for a functional democracy and for a progressive state and cooperative region.

The BIRC Institute includes proven experts in the field of analytical journalism, science and civil activism from all countries of the Balkans and beyond.

VISION

The vision of the BIRC Institute is to build a modern state with a functional democracy, where every individual will be guaranteed freedom of speech, movement and other political freedoms. This vision means a society with good governance, with transparent and responsible institutions, with free and plural media, with an active and consolidated civil society and a state with uncompromising functioning of the rule of law.

The vision of the BIRC Institute is to build a free, tolerant, equal society that operates entirely on democratic principles. The vision of the BIRC Institute is to encourage permanent institutional and social dialogue in order to promote and internalize democratic values and standards in the country and in the region in general.

The vision of the BIRC Institute is to build common progressive values at the regional level, by building bridges of cooperation between all factors that accept those values.

The BIRC Institute aims to build bridges of cooperation between journalists/media, academia/experts and civil society actors from different areas and countries in the Balkans.

MISSION

For the realization of its vision, the BIRC Institute will dedicate itself to promoting and implementing the paradigm of qualitative journalism as well as scientific research in the social and public space.

The professional background of BIRC Institute experts consists of experienced journalists, research professors and activists from the civil sector. Therefore, our approach in dealing with the phenomena is the inclusion of the civil sector – academia – media triangle in order to find the most adequate answers to the problems facing society.

The BIRC Institute will apply the knowledge, experience and best practices of the types that make up qualitative journalism in the field of democracy and media development. In that direction, the BIRC Institute, with deep professional responsibility, affirms the concept of a think-tank in dealing with and finding solutions for certain institutional and social problems.

Scientific research is one of the most important pillars of the BIRC Institute’s mission, which will be used to provide verified answers to all social phenomena that will be assessed as being of general public interest.

The mission of the BIRC Institute is to create a broad environment for cooperation at the national and regional level to promote open dialogue, with all organizations and other social factors that are committed to democratic values.

Cultural knowledge, fostering intercultural dialogue, also remains an important dimension in the organization’s mission and goals.