Forum “Be the change: engaged citizens – sustainable communities” – an effective communication and collaboration platform for solving local problems

On 6 – 7 August, grant beneficiaries within the project “Be the Change: Engaged Citizens – Sustainable Communities”, active citizens and representatives of the Local Public Authorities from the Centre Development Region participated in a Forum where they analysed issues and identified solutions in areas such as Solid Waste Management, Energy Efficiency, as well as the involvement of citizens in the decision-making at local level. The 46 participants developed action plans for each of the 3 areas within practical workshops. Among the most significant results of the Forum was the establishment of the Alliance for Efficient Development in the Centre Development Region – ADER Centru, the name identified by participants as a result of debates.

The director of the project “Be the change: engaged citizens – sustainable communities”, Ala Revenco, noted that the establishment of the Alliance is a very important quest, because civil society needs platforms for collaboration and joint activities to advance in solving the multitude of problems they face at the local level. “Each of us is different, but our ideas and goals converge, when it comes to contributing to the development of the locality where we live and work. We all share the same goals, and together we will be more vocal,” said Ala Revenco.

The Local Grants Programme is launched under the Single Support Framework for European Union (EU) support to Moldova (2017-2020) within the European Neighbourhood Instrument through the Action “Citizens’ Empowerment in the Republic of Moldova” (2019 -2021) and implemented by the German Development Cooperation through GIZ. In the Centre Development Region, partners for the implementation of the project are the Association for Efficient and Responsible Governance AGER and AO ADR “HABITAT”.