European Union support geared towards community development and social responsibility, under EU4Accountability

Citizens, civil society organisations and local authorities in the 10 districts are fully benefiting from the results of the EU4Accountability project and already have joint plans for the development of their localities for the coming year.

In the November-December period, several other projects reached their targets and highlighted achieved results within engaged communities.

The citizens of Straseni municipality now benefit from an Information Centre equipped with office equipment, thanks to the AO “Băștinașii din Strășeni”. The creation of a specially equipped space arose from the need of the inhabitants to quickly access information and benefit from various services, to have a space for meetings and activities for young people, including refugees, to strengthen civil society skills and civic involvement.

AO “Dezvoltare prin Implicare” supported the actions of the local coalition of NGOs in Cimișlia for civil society development, set up a special space and improved collaboration and effective communication with LPAs.

The recently launched Civic HUB is a space designed and intended for CSO activities, which will coordinate the implementation of the recently developed Civil Society Development Strategy. First results include the organisation of a competition of innovative initiatives and solutions to local problems with the participation of young people from Cimișlia.

AO “PROSPECT” has contributed to transparency and monitoring of public policies in the city of Cimișlia and the village of Selemet. Now both localities have meeting rooms equipped with audio-video equipment to involve more citizens and increase the accountability of public authorities.

The AO “Centrul Multifuncțional de Educație, Informare și Cultură” in the city of Telenești organised the “School of Community Leaders”, a project dedicated exclusively to young people, which created opportunities for them to learn about good governance, participatory budgeting and advocacy, as well as how to organise public hearings. Students also identified community issues and learned how to develop projects and mobilise the community. The study visit to the Volunteer Centre in the city of Balti allowed them to exchange ideas with their peers and learn best practices for implementing social initiatives.

The localities of Chițcanii-Vechi and Negureni in Telenești district have a strategic vision of development, thanks to the “PRO BONO” Information and Resource Centre, representatives of local authorities, active citizens and representatives of educational institutions benefited from a series of trainings aimed at increasing transparency and involvement in the decision-making process. Through the active involvement of citizens, Community Development Strategies were developed for each locality. These documents aim to have an impact on socio-economic development, define priorities and mechanisms for action and ensure a transparent process of local governance.

AO “Eternitate” organised a conference in Fălești district which highlighted the crucial role of participatory budgeting in addressing the needs of the community, where financial resources are often limited. The implemented project brought significant benefits, such as active involvement of citizens in community life, strengthening social cohesion and sustainable development through innovative projects. Concrete projects have been successfully implemented, such as the installation of ballot boxes and car stations.

For the first time, the Civil Society Forum was held in Glodeni district – an event organized by AO ”Solidarii Neamului” and the member associations of the Glodeni District Participation Council, AO Băștinașilor Ciuciulea – Vatra de Dor, AO Neemia, AO ”Balatina”, AO ”Terra Gold”. The local partners aimed to strengthen the network of the associative sector in Glodeni district, in order to develop a constructive dialogue between civil society and the first and second level public authorities. The creation of a platform to explore topics of common interest and vital importance to the community was also paramount. The 50 participants in the forum addressed topics such as: the application of European policies in relation to the non-governmental sector, positive practices in the development of the voluntary sector and LPA-NGO partnerships and their role in local development.

AO ”Solidarii Neamului” from Glodeni organised a study visit to Soroca with the aim of exchanging practices on local governance issues. Good practices were shared on the implementation of investment projects, development of social services created by the association, visiting these services, successes, challenges and lessons learned during the activities.

AO ”ActiveWomen” participated in the District Participation Council in Cahul to discuss Local Partnerships for Good Governance; Equality and Diversity in Partnership Building and EU Support for Good Governance, among other topics. In addition, the Association set up information boards in Zîrnești commune.

AO ”Terra Gold” from Glodeni, organised an exchange visit that took place in Trebujeni, Orhei, where a group of students from the ,,Dimitrie Cantemir” High School from ,,Dimitrie Cantemir”, Orhei. During the visit, the students discussed their activities in the institution and their involvement in society.
Thanks to the project, the Association of the Natives Ciuciulea – Vatra de Dor, has increased access to information for people with disabilities by adding plugins on the website of the town hall to facilitate the reading of information by people with visual and hearing impairments.

AO ”Cutezatorul” organized public hearings on the draft budget of Falesti district for 2024, organized by Falesti District Council. Previously, the association organized in Taxobeni, Falesti, a seminar for representatives of LPAs and civil society on participatory budgeting and presented the experience of Falesti City Hall in organizing and conducting the participatory budgeting process, construction and launch, with the support of citizens and the project.

AO ”Bizim Geleceemiz” successfully hosted the project summary conference. As a result of the development of the project, a cooperation agreement between the NGO and the Municipality of Svetliy was signed, and the Institutional Development Strategy of BIZIM GELECEEMIZ SA for the period 2023-2027 was elaborated.

The project also launched a ‘Good Practice Guide’ on good governance and participatory budgeting at local level, developed by AO Caroma Nord, which explains and exemplifies the role of direct and indirect participants in the governance process, the essence of good governance, examples of good practices of the governance process, legal aspects necessary for the implementation of participatory budgeting process at LPA level, social accountability and the importance of community actors in local development.

EU4Accountability runs from 2022-2024, is funded by the European Union, and is implemented by a consortium of three organisations: European Association for Local Democracy, European Partnership for Democracy and People in Need Moldova, extends to 10 districts (Cahul, Comrat, Cimișlia, Falesti, Florești, Glodeni, Rîșcani, Strășeni, Ștefan Vodă, Telenești) and provides for a total budget of EUR 1.6 million.