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Annual Report 2004
Citizens in Action ProgramThe program, planned for 2003-2009, is financed from the Ford Foundation’s funds. It aims to support democratic changes and the development of civil society in Belarus and Ukraine. Program goals are executed through: building a network of NGOs in Belarus and Ukraine, which are interested in supporting local civil initiatives and building partnership among NGOs and private and public institutions; dissemination of “interest representation” as a way for common activity to solve important social problems and protect the rights of particular citizens or social groups; support of local projects concerning civic and European education, informational and research projects concerning civil society, as well as projects for cooperation at the domestic and international levels. The fundamental method of program activities is providing grants to Belarusian and Ukrainian NGOs selected in open competition or invited individually to apply for grants. In addition, the Foundation enables Belarusian and Ukrainian organizations to participate in study visits, meetings and trainings organized in Belarus and Ukraine as well as in Poland and other states. The first competition resolved in 2004 was addressed to NGOs from three Belarusian districts: Brest, Mogilev, Vitebsk and seven Ukrainian: Chernihiv, Lugansk, Rovnensk, Vinnica, Zaporozhe, Zhitomer and Donetsk. During the two-tier competition procedure, a team of assistants from Poland visited each of the organizations and helped to identify needs and opportunities for activity; we also checked the organizations’ financial management and bookkeeping. Of the 96 organizations that had filed letters of intent, 29 were invited to submit grant applications. Of those, a commission consisting of, amongst other, representatives of other donors active in Belarus and Ukraine, selected 14 partner organizations to receive grants for program activity and institutional development. As part of the grants for program activity, the partner organizations implement projects concerning education and legal information for citizens, protection and execution of individual rights, civic education of youth, establishing local centres for civic activity, transparency of government, access to information, development of philanthropy, as well as micro-grant competition for local civic initiatives. Grants for institutional development are designated for increasing the qualifications of staff, volunteers and boards of directors, enhancing organisational management and improving the functioning of the organizational office. In July, the first meeting of partner organizations took place in Warsaw. It was combined with a conference devoted to various aspects of NGO activity in Belarus, Ukraine and Poland: the legal environment of their functioning in particular states, cooperation with local government and business and building the image of the third sector. In the discussions at the conference about 100 people participated: experts and NGO leaders from all three states. In December, 28 representatives of partner organizations took part in a study visit in Poland. The aim of the visit was to present them with exemplary local civic initiatives, especially those based on strong and fruitful cooperation of various sectors, and with examples of model NGOs which thanks to their professionalism and openness have become important partners in resolving local problems. The meetings provided an opportunity to learn the opinions of various partners involved in local initiatives: NGOs, business and local government. Our partners visited 20 Polish NGOs in 18 towns across various regions of Poland. In addition, we organized two informational and training meetings in Ukraine combined with a presentation of the program: in February in Chernihiv and in October in Vinnica.
Copyright © Fundacja Batorego
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