Civil Society Dialogue Network
The Civil Society Dialogue Network (CSDN) is a mechanism for dialogue between civil society and EU policymakers on peace and conflict. It is co-financed by the EU and EPLO, and managed by EPLO in co-operation with the European Commission and the European External Action Service.
The CSDN was established in 2010, and the fifth phase (CSDN V) began in 2023 and will last until 2026.
Most CSDN events take the form of dialogue meetings which bring together relevant civil society actors and EU policymakers. They take place in Brussels, other locations in EU members states, and conflict-affected countries where the EU has a presence.
MEETING TYPES
CSDN events fall into the following categories:
- Policy Meetings: the most common kind of meeting, these discuss a specific area of peacebuilding policy.
- Geographic Meetings: these focus on a single conflict-affected country or region and the dynamics specific to it. There are two special sub-types of geographic meetings:
- In-country Dialogue: these physically take place in the country being discussed and are therefore able to include more local actors and their perspectives.
- Early Response: concern the EU’s conflict Early Warning System.
- Funding Instruments Meetings: cover the EU’s financial instruments which relate to peacebuilding, including consultation on the levels and mechanisms for disbursement of funding.
- Member State Meetings: take place in an EU location other than Brussels and cover themes which have specific relevance to the contribution of the member state in question to global peacebuilding.
- NGO Round-table Meetings: bring together civil society representatives to discuss their priorities, challenges and concerns, and to share knowledge and exchange ideas (without the goal of directly influencing policy).
- Training Seminars: provide training to civil society representatives to help them work more effectively with the EU in peacebuilding.
- Conferences with Academics: include academics in the exchange of ideas between policymakers and civil society representatives to discuss best practices, lessons learned etc in a given policy area.
