Together we make our voice heard – message of the Civil Society Organisations Fair, 2nd edition

Dozens of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from across the country participated on Saturday, 13 May, in the second edition of the CSOs Fair, held as part of the 2023 Europe Day. Representatives of the participating civil society organisations had the opportunity to inform visitors of the European Village, located in the Great National Assembly Square, about the services they provide and the achievements they have made over the years. The second edition of the Civil Society Organisations Fair was organised within the project “Partnerships for women leadership and good governance”, implemented by the “Friedrich Ebert” Foundation, Moldova and the PA “Institutum Virtutes Civilis”, with the financial support of the European Union and the “Friedrich Ebert” Foundation.

The President of the PA “Institutum Virtutes Civilis,” Liliana Palihovici, emphasised that one of the goals of the fair was to strengthen the dialogue between civil society organisations and citizens, who are the direct beneficiaries of the services and activities offered. “Every day, CSOs contribute to the reform and development of the Republic of Moldova, including the country’s European integration. However, we believe that only a small portion of these organisations manage to make their voices heard. By organizing the second edition of the CSOs Fair, we aimed to provide participating organisations with a chance to be more visible“, said Liliana Palihovici.

Most of the CSOs present at the fair mentioned that since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, they have adapted their programs to the needs of refugees. The Executive Director of the Women’s Rights Centre, Mariana Buruiana, mentioned that since February 2022, hundreds of refugee girls and women have been assisted by the organisation’s experts. Furthermore, community inclusion projects have been implemented, and safe spaces have been created in regional and village libraries where refugee women and their children can access information and spend their free time meaningfully. “Despite having to adapt to the realities of the times, we have remained loyal to our organisation’s cause: to prevent and combat domestic violence and provide the necessary support to girls and women affected by violence. During the fair, we distributed informational materials about our services, and our Centre’s specialists, who work directly with the public and the community, were present to ensure that the information provided comes from the primary source“, mentioned Mariana Buruiana.

Among the CSOs at the fair was the NGO “Health for Youth,” which created the Youth-Friendly Health Centre Neovita and developed the Youth Klinic network. Specialists offer free advisory assistance to adolescents and young people up to the age of 24. These services include gynecology, urology, psychological counselling, HIV, and family planning. Since last year, these services have also been available to young male and female refugees from Ukraine. The Head of the Neovita Centre, Galina Lesco, states that the CSOs Fair represented an opportunity for citizens to see the extent of the associative sector. “It was a chance for our potential beneficiaries to understand the diversity of services we offer. Moreover, participating in this fair provided an opportunity to align with the motto of Europe Day: Together Stronger,” highlighted Galina Lesco.

Passers-by presented at the Great National Assembly Square had the chance to familiarise themselves with the activities and projects carried out by civil society organisations, learned about volunteer programs in which they could directly get involved, and discover other ways in which they could support civil society.