Macedonia Civil Society Flourishing with USAID Support
On June 6, 2008, the $5 million USAID Civil Society Strengthening Project (CSSP) marked the successful completion of its third year of working to make Macedonia’s civil society a more effective, influential, and permanent partner alongside government and business. CSSP has provided technical assistance and funding to 132 NGOs across Macedonia, 17 of which have been selected to be Leader NGOs to take part in a state-of-the-art capacity-building program. Other project activities have included support to the NGO sector by promoting reforms in the legal framework concerning civil society and advancing individual and corporate philanthropy.
The results to date are significant: CSSP Leader NGOs have developed 77 different partnerships with national and local government institutions, universities and the Macedonian Parliament; NGOs have led policy actions addressing issues such as consumers’ protection, domestic violence, agriculture, education and waste management; 1,220 identification documents have been provided to Roma citizens; laws on Volunteering and Donations & Sponsorships have been adopted; and local NGOs raised over $60,000 from local resources and recruited more than 300 new volunteers.
The project recently received a two-year extension to focus on building the advocacy skills and professionalism of a new group of Leader NGOs, as a means for promoting the sustainability of a vibrant civil sector in Macedonia.
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USAID has helped to develop Macedonia’s civil society by providing technical support to NGOs, such as the Youth Cultural Center in Ohrid.
Photo Credit: CSSP |
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