On 24 June, the celebration of the 10 years of cooperation between ALDA and Lev Sapieha Foundation, one of the oldest civil society organizations in the country, was held in Minsk, Belarus.
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ALDA participated in the event with a delegation composed of Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General; Nino Tvaltvadze, Eastern Partnership Coordinator; and Irene Zanetti, Head of Communication.
Miroslav Kobasa, Chairman of Lev Sapieha Foundation, opened the event by highlighting that during the years of independence of Belarus, citizens realised that they have common needs and interests – first of all, the desire to make their lives better. In Belarus, only 5-7% of citizens are active; at the beginning of the project, Lev Sapieha was unsure about the response they would get from people, but the number of mini projects applications received, together with the quality of activities implemented showed that citizens are eager to improve their community, when they are empowered to.
Thanks to the cooperation with ALDA, Belarusian people realised how creative they are, and should now show their skills and ideas to the whole world. As a sign of the long-time friendship and cooperation, Kobasa gifted ALDA a wooden bull, a symbol of Belarus since it is an independent, freedom loving creature.
Mrs Valmorbida stressed how the cooperation with Lev Sapieha soon turned into friendship, because of the immediate feeling of common values and working methods – the “let’s do it!” attitude. The mini-projects re-granted became a feature of ALDA’s work, as well as a key lobbying point towards European institutions, showcasing the importance and impact of small scale funds. As a weird coincidence, she also highlighted that thanks to these 10-years cooperation, she was able to enter Belarus without a visa on this important occasion.
The event continued with a case study about citizens’ participation in the decision-making process in Georgia, held by Tiko Tkashelashvili from the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development.
Further to this, grantees of six small regranted projects presented their activities and impact. From contests for house renovating in rural communities to equipment of playgrounds for children, from reviving traditional celebrations to promoting remembrance of historical facts impacting the community, from organizing Scandinavian walks to promoting green economy and urban development: with limited resources and initial scepticism within their communities, they managed to improve citizens’ lives, thus proving their peers that common goals can be achieved by working together.
Useful resources:
Read the publication: “The implementation of civic initiatives at the local level – The experience of Belarus” (Russian)
On 24 June, the celebration of the 10 years of cooperation between ALDA and Lev Sapieha Foundation, one of the oldest civil society organizations in the country, was held in Minsk, Belarus.
***
ALDA participated in the event with a delegation composed of Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General; Nino Tvaltvadze, Eastern Partnership Coordinator; and Irene Zanetti, Head of Communication.
Miroslav Kobasa, Chairman of Lev Sapieha Foundation, opened the event by highlighting that during the years of independence of Belarus, citizens realised that they have common needs and interests – first of all, the desire to make their lives better. In Belarus, only 5-7% of citizens are active; at the beginning of the project, Lev Sapieha was unsure about the response they would get from people, but the number of mini projects applications received, together with the quality of activities implemented showed that citizens are eager to improve their community, when they are empowered to.
Thanks to the cooperation with ALDA, Belarusian people realised how creative they are, and should now show their skills and ideas to the whole world. As a sign of the long-time friendship and cooperation, Kobasa gifted ALDA a wooden bull, a symbol of Belarus since it is an independent, freedom loving creature.
Mrs Valmorbida stressed how the cooperation with Lev Sapieha soon turned into friendship, because of the immediate feeling of common values and working methods – the “let’s do it!” attitude. The mini-projects re-granted became a feature of ALDA’s work, as well as a key lobbying point towards European institutions, showcasing the importance and impact of small scale funds. As a weird coincidence, she also highlighted that thanks to these 10-years cooperation, she was able to enter Belarus without a visa on this important occasion.
The event continued with a case study about citizens’ participation in the decision-making process in Georgia, held by Tiko Tkashelashvili from the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development.
Further to this, grantees of six small regranted projects presented their activities and impact. From contests for house renovating in rural communities to equipment of playgrounds for children, from reviving traditional celebrations to promoting remembrance of historical facts impacting the community, from organizing Scandinavian walks to promoting green economy and urban development: with limited resources and initial scepticism within their communities, they managed to improve citizens’ lives, thus proving their peers that common goals can be achieved by working together.
Useful resources:
Read the publication: “The implementation of civic initiatives at the local level – The experience of Belarus” (Russian)