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February 13, 2008
SUCCESSFUL ADVOCACY OUTCOMES IN PROGRAM’S FIRST YEAR AND PLANS FOR
More than 60 civil society representatives of the “Our Rights” Program from the Khabarovsky and Primorsky krais gathered for the annual Interregional Network Meeting in the suburbs of Khabarovsk on 13 February 2008. The goals of the meeting were to summarize the first year results of “Our Rights” Program activities, review tasks and plans for the near future, exchange experiences of advocacy groups, introduce new grant projects, and discuss the most effective methods and approaches to advocacy on issues of high priority in their regions. Participants came from 10 cities and towns of the Primorsky and Khabarovsky krais. Among the guests attending the meeting there were L. Demchuk, a representative of the Khabarovsky krai Government, and N. Benediktova, the USAID Cognizant Technical Officer for the project.
The Program accomplished the following results during its first year: · Enhance professionalism and develop civil society advocacy skills. To achieve this goal, over 300 civil society representatives were trained in the planning and implementation of effective advocacy activities, public monitoring of government activities, negotiation with authorities, and the establishment of coalitions, among other techniques. In total, 16 thematic training programs were conducted. · Facilitate the promotion of reforms that benefit civil society. The program provided technical and financial support to 15 advocacy projects, beginning in June 2007. From October 2007, six additional advocacy projects were initiated dealing with the following issues: public participation in the legislative and budgetary processes, public monitoring of the public procurement process, public monitoring of local deputies’ activities, eliminating administrative barriers to entrepreneurial activities, protecting orphan and citizen rights to quality housing and utility services, and environmental protection.
Since mid-February, an additional 13 advocacy projects were launched in the regions. These initiatives deal with the following issues: socially vulnerable populations (including disabled children and the families of military men killed in action), transparency in the financial credit system, improvements in the medical services system, and strengthening of the legislative base for entrepreneurship. The projects implemented under “Our Rights” Program target reforms at the regional and municipal levels. Many will be able to serve as models for advocacy initiatives in other regions and cities and some address issues that are salient at the Federal level. Forty-seven organizations and approximately 2500 people currently participate in these project activities. Many highly experienced organizations are active in these advocacy initiatives, including the Non-Commercial Partnership “Far-Eastern Center of Social Innovations,” “Far-Eastern Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” “Entrepreneurs’ Council of Artyom”, and some others. In addition, the Program specifically targets NGOs that do not have strong experience in conducting advocacy activities to develop their skills and capacity to engage in effective advocacy projects. During less than one year of advocacy campaigning, participating civil society organizations have already made significant impacts. They have achieved the following practical results:
Success stories that describe these and other advocacy outcomes will be summarized in a new Guide that will be written by the “Our Rights” Program entitled “Our Rights and How to Defend Them: The ‘Our Rights’ Program Experience.” The authors will be the project’s grantees, who will write from their practical experience in advocacy. Participants of the interregional meeting reviewed the results of their projects and listened to the plans of the newest grantees. Working in issue-based breakout sessions, participants discussed legislative and regulatory details, public interests on concrete issues, methods of working with target audiences, working with partners and the opposition, and ways of overcoming obstacles in advocacy projects. Overall, the meeting participants were cooperative, enthusiastic, and united by a common belief in their own strength. The session demonstrated that civil society organizations of the Primorsky and Khabarovsky krais have become more professional in their ways and approach their work of advocating for the rights and interests of their communities seriously and vigorously.
***** The “Our Rights” Program is implemented by Management Systems International (MSI) with the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). *****
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