The Civil Society Support Program for Advocacy begins with an introductory workshop for 20 partner organizations, from 15 to 18 April 2019 in Šabac. The support program is implemented under the project "Active Citizens - Better Society: Advocacy for Cooperation and Democratic Development" 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).
The project "Active Citizens - Better Society: Advocating for Cooperation and Democratic Development" aims to contribute to strengthening a democratic society in Serbia, based on a culture of citizen participation in the political process and consistent democratic practice. The Program for Supporting civil society organizations for Advocacy was launched with the aim of improving advocacy practices in Serbia and bringing civil society advocacy activities closer to citizens. The program encourages civil society organizations to take an innovative approach to designing and implementing advocacy campaigns and building their own capacity through advocacy in practice.
Advocacy is a process by which citizens can be involved in decision-making and can enhance public authorities' decisions to better pursue the public interest. Advocacy is a good method, that is, a series of steps that should enable organized citizens to make a change, influence decision makers and get the general public on their side by presenting their views on a particular social issue and persuade decision makers to take their approach to solving the problem. All advocacy is made up of well-planned, targeted and organized actions to bring about positive social and political change through influence on the public and public authorities. Each new experience of advocacy leads us to a new understanding of this complex process, in which the real struggle for public attention, the affection of stakeholders and the desirable decision of those who make decisions in society, and above all public authorities, are played out.
The introductory workshop aims to lay the groundwork for collaboration, informing project and program partners of BOS, BFPE and BIRN, as well as providing additional information and clarification on activities within the Program.
Belgrade Open School has been working for 25 years to strengthen human resources, improve public policies and strengthen the capacity of civil society to build a better society based on freedom, knowledge and innovation. Since its establishment, the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence has been committed to enhancing the knowledge and professional capacities of relevant actors for their responsible participation in political and social life. BIRN Serbia is a member of the regional Balkan Investigative Network, which is present in nine countries of the region with the aim of affirming regional cooperation and informing the public about important social, political, economic and cultural developments in the region. USAID has been operating in Serbia since 2001. USAID's support for civil society organizations enhances their sustainability, increases their ability to present citizens' concerns, and broadens their capacity to influence change.