Capacity building training on public advocacy in the field of environmental protection within project Civil Society of Serbia in the Process of EU Integration: Sharing Values and Maintaining
Centre for European Integration (CEI) of the Belgrade Open School and Friedrich Ebert Foundation, in association with The EU Integration Office of the Republic of Serbia, organised capacity building training on public advocacy in the field of environmental protection in the period February 19th - 24th 2011 in Zlatibor. Training was intended for 33 civil society organisations as part of the project "Civil Society of Serbia in the Process of EU Integration: Sharing Values and Maintaining Dialogue". Project's aim was to develop sustainable dialogue between civil society organizations (CSO) from Serbia and EU, through their active participation in the implementation of environmental laws and environmental policy.
"After capacity building training on policy paper writing and working on a common policy pape, capacity building training on public advocacy, as the next logical step, enables participants to get an insight into the most effective ways in which civil society organisations can influence decision-makers at the local, regional and national level, regarding environmental issues. Goals of public advocacy are specific changes that have a positive effect on the citizens and their daily life", explained Vladimir M. Pavlović, Coordinator of the Centre for European Integration of the Belgrade Open School. Pavlović added that participants, through capacity building training on public advocacy, improved their knowledge and skills in lobbying in the field of environmental protection, planning implementation of public advocacy campaigns, the most efficient ways of acquiring financial resources for the realisation of campaigns or project activities, and collecting data for the public advocacy campaigns in the field of environmental protection.
Irene Lucius from World Wildlife Fund, Wienna, talked with participants about the EU state members experiences in public advocacy campaigning. These examples showed that campaigns implemented by the public advocacy rules and regulations are one of the best ways to support goals and solutions that directly affect citizens. Civil society organisations can strengthen policy making of importance for European integration process by applying skills and kowledge acquired through the best practice examples of the EU member states.
The project “Civil Society in Serbia in the Process of European Integration: Sharing Values and Maintaining Dialogue” was implemented with the support of the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, within the project ''Strengthening Serbia-EU Civil Society''. The project includes 33 civil society organisations from the territory of the Republic of Serbia that are dealing with the environmental issues. Each organisation will be represented with one representative. More information can be found on this link: http://net2dialogue.bos.rs