SUPPORT TO CIVIL SOCIETY DIALOGUE – "PEOPLE TO PEOPLE ACTIONS":
CONSOLIDATING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AND PUBLIC AUTHORITIES FOR RAISING MINORITY RIGHTS IN THE REGION

CARDS Regional Action Programme 2006

OPENING CONFERENCE: 6/7 JULY 2009., BRUSSELS,

The People 2 People Programme, which is one of the three strands of the Civil Society Facility of the Directorate-General for Enlargement of the European Commission, organises the opening conference for projects selected following the call for proposals "Support to civil society dialogue – 'People to people actions': Consolidating partnerships between civil society organisations and public authorities for raising minority rights in the region" financed under the CARDS Regional Action Programme 2006 (EuropeAid/126361/C/ACT/Multi). Besides providing a space for the beneficiaries to meet and network (among themselves and with the EC), the opening conference will create the opportunity for them to meet with relevant stakeholders at European level.

This project, aiming to consolidate partnership between civil society organisations and public authorities for raising minority rights in the region, was officially approved by the European Commission in May 2009 and will last on for two years. City of Subotica, (Lead Applicant) ALDA, Wolverhampton Light House center, LDA-s Subotica, Osijek and Mostar applied for this project jointly. The projects locations are: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, LDA host cities:  Subotica, Mostar and Osijek.

The Proposal is aimed at reinforcing the role of local civil society in strengthening the local self-government in two important areas relevant for further EU integration of Serbia and the countries involved in the action: a) effective implementation of minority rights and b) citizen participation in public life at local  and c) promote and raise awareness on the impact of respective local policies, the importance of diversity-related policies, as well as the mechanisms and institutions of co-operation with other local actors involved, above all the local civil society organisations and minority communities’ organisations or councils.  This last objective is closely related with positioning of the City of Subotica as the one promoting good intercultural governance both at Serbian level and regional/European level.

The activities consist of three components.  Component 1 are promotion/visibility actions, including an interactive webpage, publication of a regular newsletter in several languages, publication of short documentary films on participating town/region etc. Component 2 is designed as the capacity building programme consisting of three thematic Schools of Local Democracy 1: in Subotica - Training seminar on Intercultural governance, for local government officials and civil society organisations, 2.  In Osijek - Youth Training seminar on intercultural understanding and tolerance; and the 3. In Mostar - International conference on good local practice on participation of minorities. Component 3 is designed as Intercultural Exchange and BE-ME Perspective, consisting of the  three day Study visits, including one day Thematic round tables in each of the Partner cities in the  region (Subotica, Osijek and Mostar respectively), which will take place during the traditional, annual ethnic minorities’ cultural events.