30 December 2021
Dear Partners, Colleagues, and Friends of the Western Balkans Fund
The end of the year is approaching, and this is an excellent moment to look back at all the significant achievements and see what still needs to be accomplished!
For us at WBF, as for most of you, 2021 was a year of unprecedented challenges created by the COVID 19 pandemic. But, there is no growth without pain. This is truer than ever during a year in which we achieved new heights, culminated by the joint action started with the European Union and the new partnership agreements with the Swiss and Japanese Governments.
WBF successfully closed the Third Call projects and kept regular communication with all the grantees, discussing alternative solutions for each project according to new measures and rules that entail physical meetings, in some cases adopting necessary adjustments and identifying tailor-made solutions.
Over the course of this year, the Fund implemented a Call for Research Papers, participated in plenty of networking activities, organized a regional tour visiting twelve locations and six capitals in very difficult circumstances, and launched its 4th Call for Proposals.
527 organizations have registered this year at our new online applications system! Over 250 completed applications, with more than 750 partnerships created!
This is a remarkable result, a confirmation of the trust toward our organization and regional cooperation processes. We will continue total transparency and accountability to identify the best and most responsive regional projects/initiatives within this Call.
Once again, our region has shown great interest in increasing its cooperation by creating a partnership with organizations and enhancing trust toward our organization.
Since our establishment, we have proudly built an expanding network of 3.400 stakeholders, impacting directly the lives of more than 10.000 people in the region. We are proud because also thanks to the bridges built by the WBF, the Western Balkans are today a much more prosperous and peaceful region. But, the best is yet to come.
The New Year, dear friends, it’s a chance to welcome a fresh start to reinvigorate our enthusiasm for chasing goals and dreams!
Cheers to health, happiness, and prosperity in 2022!
