From March 1 to March 3, introductory training was organized in Šabac for 10 civil society organizations (CSOs) whose project proposals were approved as part of the second year of the Civil Society Support Program for Public Advocacy. This program includes financial support to project partners in the implementation of advocacy initiatives, as well as strengthening their capacity for further work in this area.

During the three-day training, representatives of selected CSOs had the opportunity to get acquainted with the goals of the project, the components of the Civil Society Support Program for Public Advocacy, and to agree on further steps in the implementation of advocacy initiatives.

“Advocacy is a strategic process, not an ad hoc activity” is a sentence that could often be heard in training where lecturers and project partners discussed the importance of long-term planning for this process, as well as the importance of connecting the civil sector, citizens, decision-makers and media. Thanks to the planned activities under the Civil Society Support Program for Advocacy, project partners will have ongoing expert support in the implementation of their advocacy initiatives, and two training sessions are planned to focus on advocacy planning for improving public policies, strengthening communication skills and innovative planning initiatives.

The training was organized as part of the Active Citizens: Better Society project, implemented by Belgrade Open School in partnership with the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE) and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN Serbia), with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This three-year project was launched in November 2018 and aims to improve the practice of public advocacy in civil society, represent the interests of local communities and actively involve citizens in the work of civil society organizations.