The opportunities, obstacles and impact of strengthening civil society in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) states were discussed in an international forum staged in Chisinau on June 22. The about 150 representatives of civil society of the EaP states exchanged experience and discussed examples of good practices and lessons learned in different areas within the projects financed by the EU, IPN reports.
According to the executive director of the Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) “Viitorul” Liubomir Chiriac, the goal of the event is to present the good practices and exchange experience and to also present the challenges faced by civil society. An important objective is to encourage regional cooperation of civil society of the EaP states.
“In the Republic of Moldova, the voice of civil society is heard, but the quality of dialogue between the central and local authorities is not always at the highest level. At “IDIS”, we have a good example given by the National Business Agenda platform, which has contributed to improved dialogue between the authorities and the business community during over seven years. If civil society is united and has a common voice, the strengthening chances will be much higher,” stated Liubomir Chiriac.
Project leader Stefan Malerius said the fact that civil society can play an important role in influencing the policies concerning Eastern Europe should be realized. “This is one of the key messages. Another important objective of civil society of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine is to monitor the political and economic reforms assumed by these countries. The efficient cooperation with the authorities is also important here,” he stated.
Attending the event, EU Ambassador to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola said the EU wants democratic changes in the neighborhood, but, without reforms and democratic policies, it cannot help the government, while society will not feel the impact of the European support. “The countries present here are different, but have a common wish to have a better life, without corruption, with a culture of responsibility of the authorities. The EU will continue to support this process, offering assistance, including financial, but the effort must be reciprocal, from both sides. We would prefer civil society not only to monitor the government process, but to also form part of the decision-making process,” he said.
The Civil Society Forum that will continue on June 23 is held within the EU-funded project “Civil Society. Dialog for Progress”. The project is implemented by a consortium of nine organizations, which was founded in January 2013. The consortium is led by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). In Moldova, the activities are carried out by IDIS “Viitorul”.
