Description
The project This is how you demand, proposed by the Resource Center for Public Participation in partnership with Media DoR Association, addresses the need to increase the power and capacity of NGOs and citizens groups that want to hold the public authorities accountable on various matters (public space, environment, health, education, etc). Getting involved with the governance is a difficult process that needs powerful civic actors. But it is as much needed as the opacity of public authorities and defiance of democratic principles is getting higher. The project will increase the advocacy capacity of 5 NGOs and citizens groups and will put on the authorities’ agendas five public problems, through advocacy actions organized by the project’s beneficiaries with CeRe’s assistance. The project will also offer networking opportunities with other groups that fight for similar problems. By the end of the project, five groups will have increased their advocacy capacity and will have developed advocacy campaigns. In the at least 15 advocacy actions to be organized, approximately 500 citizens will be involved to hold accountable five authorities.
Summary of project results
The project “This is how you demand”, developed by the Resource Centre for Public Participation (CeRe) in partnership with Media DoR, responded to the need for increasing the power and advocacy capacity of organisations and civic groups that aim to hold the public authorities accountable on various issues (sexual harassment, environmental issues, urban planning, education etc.). The project led to the empowerment of 5 civic groups and organisations in putting issues on the public agenda: 1. The Association for Education and Social Justice Human Catalyst – financial accessibility for after school programmes for children in disadvantaged communities. 2. SOS Parks of Cluj civic group - solutions for the accessibility of green spaces of the historic site near the Somes River. This space could become the largest park in the west of Cluj city. 3. Save the Park Drumul Taberei civic group - transparency of expenditures and taking into consideration citizens needs in connection with the redevelopment of the park done by local authorities with European Funds. 4. FILIA Association –combating sexual harassment of women in universities. 5. We fight for Lunguletu Alley civic group - transparency and fight against corruption in connection with the construction laws and regulations, and constructions management in District 2, Bucharest. Five advocacy campaigns were developed and run on a 14 months period. Through the advocacy activities, the 5 civic groups and organisations have gained advocacy skills and campaigning knowledge. Over 100 advocacy actions were conducted in the campaigns, with over 8,700 people involved and over 415,000 people informed. The project led to strengthening and promotion of active citizenship and public authorities’ accountability. It also improved the capacity of 5 NGOs and civic groups to successfully run advocacy campaigns and brought on the agenda 5 issues with large impact by the advocacy actions ran by the beneficiary organisations with CeRe’s support. The beneficiaries initiated the idea of a coalition with other civic groups that work on similar issues.
Summary of bilateral results