Carpathian Civil Society Platform for a lasting impact

Carpathian Civil Society Platform for a lasting impact

Project ID #/Title: 22410009

Project title: Carpathian Civil Society Platform for a lasting impact

Background:

The most underdeveloped bordering rural areas of Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Ukraine have similar characteristics (distance from capital, poor infrastructure, diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, natural resources and similar history) and at the same time face similar challenges, such as increasing poverty, social exclusion, marginalization and stigmatization of the poor. Civil society is still weak, and civil organizations lack numerous assets (funding, strategic thinking, information, tools, support for (self) development, local embeddedness, and cooperation within the civil sector and with other sectors) required for the effective interventions to alleviate poverty and marginalization of those who are the most in need.

Although there are many positive initiatives in the non-profit social sector with measurable, tangible results, there is little knowledge about them. In addition, civil society organizations working on social field have outstanding replicable methods, but at the same time lack assets and capabilities that are essential for successful interventions, and raising the attention of the mainstream society.

CSOs working in remote rural areas in the Carpathian region, far from capital cities face more complex challenges both from organizational and professional view than the better off areas in the respective countries.

Short description of the project:

The Carpathian Civil Society Platform's member civil society organizations (CSOs) -120- from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania exchange experience and know how to build capacities in order to better serve their audience, and to be able to react to the needs emerging due to the war in Ukraine. This project supports CSOs in this respect by innovative, learning by doing methods, and experts from the nonprofit sector.

Project objectives:

The project intends to enhance capacities of those civil society organizations that work on the field of social inclusion, social development, and primarily with socially excluded groups such as Roma, refugees, IDPs and other vulnerable groups. The main aim is to build capacities, capabilities of these organizations by various means, and to strengthen their collaboration with other CSOs and public organizations, institutions to improve the quality of their programs and to scale up their social intervention initiatives. Specific objectives are to identify and exchange such models and initiatives that can be adaptable in other localities, and assist targeted CSOs to share these methods with each other at regional and inter-regional levels. Its aim is to set up and develop four informal national and an inter-regional network of CSOs working on the field of social inclusion, and currently on refugee crisis mitigation and humanitarian aid (due to the war in Ukraine). In the long run we contribute to combat poverty and social integration, inclusion of the most marginalized ones (with special attention on refugees, esp. children and refugees with Roma origin). It’s aimed to improve the influence and weight of the social inclusion (incl. refugee crisis mitigation) related civil sector by capacity development and by creating a platform for networking, exchange of experience.

Main activities:

1. Kick off meeting: the project team thoroughly discusses and plans the main activities, methods at the kick-off meeting. The project schedule is established, and a detailed M&E plan is jointly prepared.

2. Inter-regional exchange event: An inter-regional exchange event will be organized in Hungary, acting as a summer camp where participants work in international groups along different themes, collectively identify adaptable models, methods.

3. Workshops: Following the interregional event, four training sessions or professional workshops will be organized in various topics for participating civil society organizations to enhance their capacities.

4. Mini project implementation: the most committed civil society organizations can apply for small financial support to plan and execute mini-projects aimed at aiding those affected by the Ukrainian conflict or for their self-development.

5. Evaluation and closing meeting: project partners will hold a final, closing, and evaluation meeting to collectively assess the project's results.

6. Virtual HUB: an online platform for participating civil society organizations will be established to meet, exchange information, and coordinate the details of partnership.

7. Carpathian Social Innovation Award: an award for innovative, community-based rural initiatives will be promoted aimed at supporting initiatives responding to the Ukrainian conflict.

8. Best Practices Brochure: a brochure of best practices in the field of social development will be developed to promote adaptable models and interventions.

9. Dissemination activities: Four paid media appearances are planned during the project to avoid a lack of adequate publicity.

Project Partners:

• ETP Slovensko – Slovakia https://etp.sk/domov/about-us/?lang=en
• Hromadska Orhanizatsia “Karpatska Fundatsia” – Ukraine https://carpathianfoundation.org.ua/en/
• Peritum Foundation – Poland http://www.peritum.net/about.html

More information:

Please contact Boglárka Bata (Executive Director, Carpathian Foundation-Hungary) at boglarka.bata@cfoundation.org or +36-36-516-750

Acknowledgements

The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.