Berlin Civil Society Center
The International Civil Society Centre is a global platform for international civil society organisations (ICSOs) to learn from each other, exchange information and initiate collective action. The Centre was founded in 2007 under the name of Berlin Civil Society Center as a not-for-profit company (GmbH) by Peter Eigen, former Chair of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and founder of Transparency International, and the current Executive Director Burkhard Gnärig, former CEO of Save the Children International, Greenpeace Germany and terre des hommes Germany. Since then, the Centre has grown from a small start up into a globally renowned meeting platform for ICSOs. To better reflect the work of the Centre and its international focus, on 1 July 2013 the Centre changed its name to International Civil Society Centre. The Centre is owned by 15 ICSOs: ADRA International, Amnesty International, CARE International, CBM International, ChildFund Alliance, HelpAge International, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam International, Plan International, Sightsavers International, SOS Children's Villages, Transparency International, VSO International, World Vision International and WWF International.[1]
The International Civil Society Centre’s work focuses on three main areas:
Leadership Support – The Centre runs workshops and conferences for civil society practitioners to provide opportunities for exchange, peer learning, networking and collaboration. Flagship events are Vision Works, Global Perspectives and the Senior Leaders Week.
Future Trends – The Centre scans the horizon for developments which could determine the future relevance of ICSOs and their work. It identifies opportunities and threats and develops guidance for ICSOs on how to navigate change. Since 2010 the Centre has engaged in facilitating and streamlining the discussions on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Sector Services – The Centre offers coordination and support services for joint projects of ICSOs, e.g. by hosting the Secretariat of the INGO Accountability Charter. The Centre also facilitates communication and cooperation between ICSOs and government agencies, multilateral organisations and the corporate sector and creates a basis for target-focused alliances.
In July 2010 the Secretariat of the INGO Accountability Charter was moved to the Center.
Criticism
In May 2014 the Centre became subject to criticism after advertising a full time trainee position for €900 per month. The Centre subsequently decided to no longer offer traineeships. [2] The advertisement of the job and the harsh reactions it has provoked are seen as the starting point of a movement called 'Akademischer Fruhling' (academic spring) in Germany. The group demands fair wages for graduates and the end of long-term unpaid or low paid internships and trainee programmes.