Strategic alliances to improve NGO results
The most effective way to address the defence of social rights and the sustainability of NGOs projects is through building national and international networks, according to the attendants to the International Seminar “Strategic alliances to improve NGO results” within Active Citizenship Programme.
02.10.2015
Securing sustainability and viability of NGOs projects needs working in network and building partnerships, despite funding is still the main problem. These are some of the conclusions of the International Seminar “Strategic alliances to improve NGO results”, organized by the NGO Platform of Social Action within the EEA Grants Active Citizenship Programme.
The President of the NGO Platform, Juan Lara, introduced the Seminar as a forum “to address the impact the Third Sector of Social Action has on a socially and politically changing world, as well as the tools for the social and economic sustainability of social projects by NGO”.
Lars Andersen, Minister Counsellor of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Spain pointed out that “the crisis of the refugees in Europe has made it clear the crucial role of civil society and the need to strengthen it”. Pilar Soler, executive director of the Spanish National Focal Point, said that “although Spain is not going to be recipient of EEA Grants in the next period, the lessons learned within the Active Citizenship Programme will allow NGOs to continue their important work defending human rights and social justice”.
One example of the importance of building networks to foster political advocacy is the project “NGO network to defend women rights and denounce violence against women”, co-financed by the EEA Grants. “The relationship between different entities and areas is essential because it gives us a global framework of the problem and of the solutions”, explained Joana Etxano, from Mugarik Gabe, project promoter.
International cooperation has also proved an effective tool in the defence of human rights and social justice. Such as E-citizen project, one of the developed in the Active Citizenship Programme. The Foundation of workers in the iron and steel industries has worked with the Norwegian Ideas Bank in order to develop a model of citizen empowerment based on local volunteers community. “The collaboration with the Norwegian partner has allowed us to discover new experiences and a different mindset, and although both Spain and Norway are very different we hope that this project was the beginning of a friendship”, added Pedro Pérez, from the project.
In times of crisis, NGO role is even more important but also more complicated due to lack of funding. For that reason, the Seminar addressed also economic viability of these projects and funding opportunities such as European programmes and other sources.
This Seminar falls within Bilateral Activities developed by the Active Citizenship Programme which aims at providing tools to the Third Sector to make it more efficient and competitive. The Programme is the result of collaboration between European Economic Area Financial Mechanism, Spanish government and the NGO Platform of Social Action and funded with 4,6 million euros.