Left-bank NGOs discuss how to better meet local needs at OSCE Mission to Moldova-supported event

The OSCE Mission to Moldova gathered 18 civil society representatives from Transdniestria on 29 June 2017 for the second in a series of Civil Society Club meetings organized this year. The event, held in Parcani, focused on improving NGOs’ public outreach and ability to better meet local needs.

Participants discussed how their NGOs can align their activities to the needs of local people and ensure that their organizations are fit for this purpose. They agreed on the importance of taking an interactive approach to addressing issues of social concern, including by organizing expert discussions, exhibitions and group legal consultations. The event was moderated by Andrey Nikolaev, the head of the Bulgarian community in Parcani village, where his NGO has helped to develop local businesses and renovate public spaces for recreational purposes.

“At the outset, when knowledge about your organization is limited, it can be difficult to spread the word and reach beneficiaries,” said Bogdan Ignatiev, Director of the regional development centre Interaction. “This event has helped put my newly established NGO in touch with other organizations and provided an invaluable platform for the exchange of experiences and practical know-how.”  

Civil Society Club meetings serve as an informal platform for dialogue among NGOs in Transdniestria. They are part of a year-long project implemented jointly by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Tiraspol-based Apriori Legal Information Centre, which provides capacity-building assistance to civil society organizations in Moldova. Three more meetings of the Civil Society Club are planned this year.