The two-day conference “Present and Future: Local Progress with Strong Civil Society Organizations”, organized by the Institute for Youth Development KULT with the support of the US government, provided a perfect opportunity to present the successes achieved through the activities of local organizations with which the Institute cooperated to strengthen their capacities.
Strong civil society organizations are crucial for the progress of the entire community, therefore it is necessary to provide them with daily support and work on their empowerment. This event provided space for discussions and analyzes of current challenges that these organizations face on a daily basis.
“I am glad that we are here today to talk, exchange opinions and continue our collective pursuit of new, significant changes in the communities of our country. The Institute for Youth Development KULT is extremely proud of all the successes achieved by local organizations with which it cooperated and which went through the process of capacity building. I hope that we will continue to work together in the future in order to strengthen organizations that create important changes in communities” , said Ajka Rovčanin, executive director of the Institute for Youth Development KULT.
“The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recognizes the vital role of civil society organizations in achieving positive changes within communities. We are proud to collaborate with the Institute to strengthen the capacity of local civil society organizations to provide important services and support to citizens. This event served as an invaluable platform for dialogue, bringing together participants from various sectors to address challenges and opportunities, share experiences, and gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Kelsey Crowley, Director of the USAID/BiH Office of Democracy. and management.
During the event, participants had the opportunity to engage in discussions and exchange experiences on important topics for the development of civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina with participants from different sectors. The goal was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of civil society in BiH, as well as opportunities for progress and steps towards creating more productive communities in our country.
The main motivation for organizing this event is local development and progress, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of mutual support and understanding the connection between the empowerment of organizations and the development of local communities.
“I think that all of us from the non-governmental sector ask ourselves what it is that we do and produce every day. We are aware that there is a huge effort that is being invested, but there is nothing tangible and that effort is not easily measurable by society. In BiH, in all segments, it is lacking that we all say together how we see this country in the future. I feel defeated when I hear that organizations view each other as competition. “Civil society often plays an important role, and if it weren’t for that, some categories of the population would be on the very margins of society ,” said panelist Dario Jovanović, Center for Civil Initiatives.
The event also included discussions with partner organizations from neighboring countries, presenting examples of successful methodologies implemented by local organizations as examples of good practice.
Such events facilitate the networking of representatives of non-governmental organizations, getting to know different actors, the exchange of opinions and experiences, and the formation of partnerships. This is crucial for potential cooperation, support and empowerment of civil society organizations, and therefore for the empowerment of the entire community.
USAID’s LocalWorks Local Capacity Development Activity program provided support for the conference “Present and Future: Local Progress with Strong Civil Society Organizations”.
Source: mladi.org
