Supported by the European Union – Europe for Citizens Programme and Association of the Local Democracy Agencies

INTRODUCTION

The project aims providing capacity building to Croatian civil society organizations in order to promote their role as “active citizens” (resources) in the enlargement process and to provide them new information, knowledge and competencies in the field of active citizenship.

The main idea is to train “multipliers” to be engaged at the local and regional level in the promotion of new and innovative actions in the field of active citizenship, taking into consideration the forthcoming status of EU Member State of Croatia.

The trans-nationality of the project will be granted by the involvement of international partners, with a relevant background in the field of active European citizenship, who represent both resources and potential partners to develop trans-national activities related to the addressed topics.

PARTNERS

Association of the Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA): as leader applicant and coordinating organization

Local Democracy Agency in Sisak, Verteneglio and Osijek: as regional coordinator and implementing units in the field

Local partners of Local Democracy Agencies: as support partners in the field and as participants in the trainings

1. IKS – Association for promoting informatics, culture and coexisting (Petrinja, Croatia)
2. Civil Rights Project (Sisak, Croatia)
3. Students’ Association – AIESEC (Osijek, Croatia)
4. Association for Projects and Cooperation (Osijek, Croatia)

International partners of Local Democracy Agencies: as international participants in the trainings

    5. Going to Europe (Modena, Italy)

OBJECTIVES

• To train Croatian citizens and civil society organizations in the field of active citizenship, taking into consideration the status of pre-accessing country of Croatia
• To provide capacity building to civil society organization to act as “multipliers” at the local level in the field of active citizenship
• To promote cooperation and to favour the development of partnerships both at the European and at the local level in the field of active citizenship
• To set-up three information points on active citizenship by the LDAs
• To realize a useful handbook about “Enlargement and active citizenship”

TARGET GROUPS

Direct

• Civil Society Organizations
• Citizens

Indirect

• Local Authorities
• The whole ALDA network

DURATION

10 months; September 2008 – June 2009

ACTIVITIES

• Coordination meeting among partners
• 3 Trainings of multipliers for active citizenship, composed of two seminars lasting 4 and 3 days each
• Regional meetings of multipliers, to develop initiative in the field of active citizenship
• 3 specialized information points on active citizenship, to be opened on the 9 of May 2009
• Final methodological hand-book, to promote multiplying effects of the project in other communities.

MAIN EXPECTED RESULTS

• A relevant number of citizens, representatives of civil society organizations, trained as multipliers
• Long-lasting partnerships in the field of the active citizenship among civil society organizations, both at the local and at the European level
• A relevant number of Croatian organizations involved for the first time in the “Europe for Citizens” Programme
• A useful handbook to support Croatian civil society to be active in the field of active citizenship
• Reflection and debate on the importance to involve citizens in the life of the society and in the enlargement process in particular

• Free Information points on active citizenship