The impact and effectiveness of civil society depends on the ability to effectively represent their interests and protect their rights. Unfortunately, advocacy campaigns today are at a relatively small number within NGOs, which is primarily due to the lack of advocacy professionals in most organizations, especially provincial ones. Sharing the experience and best practices of advocacy with the help of experienced NGOs in Ukraine is a good tool to increase the capacity of newly created and provincial NGOs in this area.
REMO Ecosphere has been working in the field of advocacy since 2002. During this time, 10 successful environmental advocacy campaigns were carried out in the Carpathian region of Ukraine. The theoretical basics of advocacy, your experience, and success stories are set out in detail in the 2007 Practical Guide to Environmental Advocacy: Theory and Practice by Examples. In 2004, an advocacy training program for NGOs and local self-government was developed, under which special training was provided by 10 representatives of eco-NGOs and 10 representatives of village councils (heads and secretaries of village councils) of the Carpathian region of Ukraine.
Objective: To broaden the experience of practical advocacy among Ukrainian NGOs and to strengthen the institutional capacity of Ukrainian NGOs in advocacy through training programs and internships in existing advocacy organizations.
Project area: NGO representatives from all over Ukraine.
Activities:
- Prepare and conduct a 3-day training course on theoretical and practical advocacy for 15 selected participants from Ukrainian NGOs in Uzhhorod.
- Conduct a 3-day internship for each participant of the training course within the framework of the current advocacy campaign at ECOSFERA (Uzhhorod) or BF Life (Kyiv).
- Develop and publish a practical guide, Advocacy as a Method of Influence.
Project partners: International Renaissance Foundation, Life Fund (Kyiv).
