Skip to main content

Community activism

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

The attendees commented that it was symbolic that the university had participated in the process, since it normally did not get involved in this type of initiative. The professors were completely open and accessible, opening their classrooms on Sundays and assigning the instructors and researchers.
Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Especially effective was the traveling photo exhibition, “Being Indigenous in the City,” displayed in 19 cultural centers, public and private, and visited by more than 10,000 people. One thousand copies of the exhibition brochure were distributed, and the initiative was followed by the media. A second showing of the exhibition traveled to six municipalities in Chiquitianía.

Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Well-established indigenous organizations displayed some resistance to the founding of the grantee’s network, which was to serve as an umbrella group for all urban indigenous organizations.
Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

The project did not treat these situations - conflicts and differences of opinion - as an educational exercise in acceptance, tolerance, and negotiation as well as it could have; had it done so, it might have fostered synergies and prevented the pointless weakening of indigenous populations committed to fighting for the defense and recognition of their rights.
Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society Empowerment in Advocacy and Policy Development in Vietnam

The integration of different project components was undermined by the grantee’s effort to refocus a number of project activities in order to take advantage of an unexpected breakthrough with the Vietnamese government in building a CSO network. While the changes in design were understandable given the need to act quickly, the addition of new priorities to the project did leave some activities incomplete.
Project Partner
Research Center for Management and Sustainable Development
Project Description
The project’s overall objective was to increase the participation of Vietnamese civil society organizations (CSOs) in democratic policy-making. The grantee sought to achieve this through: building the capacity of CSOs to advocate for democratic participation in the policy development process; enhancing networking, cooperation and communication among CSOs and related government bodies; implementation of existing legal frameworks and policies; and actual, successful participation of CSOs in the policy-making process. The objectives of the project were directly relevant to exploring new possibilities in civil society engagement with government agencies in Viet Nam on public policy, at both local and national levels. The project helped facilitate CSOs voice in discussions and problem-solving on issues of concern to particular disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society Empowerment in Advocacy and Policy Development in Vietnam

A number of the training graduates pointed out that the financial vulnerability of CSOs in Vietnam made it difficult for them to allow staff members to devote time during working hours to preparation for training course delivery.
Project Partner
Research Center for Management and Sustainable Development
Project Description
The project’s overall objective was to increase the participation of Vietnamese civil society organizations (CSOs) in democratic policy-making. The grantee sought to achieve this through: building the capacity of CSOs to advocate for democratic participation in the policy development process; enhancing networking, cooperation and communication among CSOs and related government bodies; implementation of existing legal frameworks and policies; and actual, successful participation of CSOs in the policy-making process. The objectives of the project were directly relevant to exploring new possibilities in civil society engagement with government agencies in Viet Nam on public policy, at both local and national levels. The project helped facilitate CSOs voice in discussions and problem-solving on issues of concern to particular disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society Empowerment in Advocacy and Policy Development in Vietnam

None of the participants from the Training of Trainers felt fully equipped to train independently on advocacy and policy development, particularly since they themselves lacked hands-on experience of organizing and conducting initiatives in this sphere. All reported that there was a need for additional training and preparation.
Project Partner
Research Center for Management and Sustainable Development
Project Description
The project’s overall objective was to increase the participation of Vietnamese civil society organizations (CSOs) in democratic policy-making. The grantee sought to achieve this through: building the capacity of CSOs to advocate for democratic participation in the policy development process; enhancing networking, cooperation and communication among CSOs and related government bodies; implementation of existing legal frameworks and policies; and actual, successful participation of CSOs in the policy-making process. The objectives of the project were directly relevant to exploring new possibilities in civil society engagement with government agencies in Viet Nam on public policy, at both local and national levels. The project helped facilitate CSOs voice in discussions and problem-solving on issues of concern to particular disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Civil Society Groups to Promote Social Accountability

The setting up of a CSO Forum to bring civil society organizations together and to provide an arena for dialogue between government and civil society was widely welcomed. Unfortunately, no effort was made to formalize the organization, structure and leadership of the Forum. It existed only when the project team was present in Jayapura, Indonesia, and organized an event. Once the project finished, the Forum ceased to exist.
Project Partner
Centre for Strategic and International Studies
Project Description
The overall goal of the project was to improve governance in Papua, Indonesia. Specifically, it focused on developing and implementing a practical strategy to build a forum for civil society organizations where civil society could develop skills in social accountability and promote accountability and transparency of the provincial and city governments. Given the deep suspicion of civil society on the part of government in Papua, the intention of the project was to establish the CSO Forum as a legitimate body in the eyes of both decision-makers and the public. Training was provided to all stakeholders – including government officials and a series of dialogue sessions was also organized. However, gaps in the initial baseline analysis and stakeholder consultations, along with a decision to implement the project without a local partner, reduced the project’s relevance to the Papuan context and the needs of beneficiaries. Eight visits to Papua over a two-year period by members of the Jakarta-based project team limited opportunities for contact between the visiting team and beneficiaries, and a lack of continuity across activities restricted what the project was able to accomplish.
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society Empowerment in Advocacy and Policy Development in Vietnam

The training-of-trainers component of the project was well planned and implemented. It was delivered through a 3-day course given to ten CSO staff members, selected from those who participated in the initial advocacy training, and two others. On completion of the course, the grantee provided further guidance to the twelve trainees working in small teams of 2 or 3, to prepare and conduct their own training courses. Custom-designed training manuals were provided to assist them in their task.
Project Partner
Research Center for Management and Sustainable Development
Project Description
The project’s overall objective was to increase the participation of Vietnamese civil society organizations (CSOs) in democratic policy-making. The grantee sought to achieve this through: building the capacity of CSOs to advocate for democratic participation in the policy development process; enhancing networking, cooperation and communication among CSOs and related government bodies; implementation of existing legal frameworks and policies; and actual, successful participation of CSOs in the policy-making process. The objectives of the project were directly relevant to exploring new possibilities in civil society engagement with government agencies in Viet Nam on public policy, at both local and national levels. The project helped facilitate CSOs voice in discussions and problem-solving on issues of concern to particular disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society Empowerment in Advocacy and Policy Development in Vietnam

It is noteworthy that the 15 small grant advocacy projects all resulted in improvements or adjustments to implementation of regulations, changes in current government practice, or agreements for the CSO to take part in dialogue on the development of new policies and laws in Vietnam.
Project Partner
Research Center for Management and Sustainable Development
Project Description
The project’s overall objective was to increase the participation of Vietnamese civil society organizations (CSOs) in democratic policy-making. The grantee sought to achieve this through: building the capacity of CSOs to advocate for democratic participation in the policy development process; enhancing networking, cooperation and communication among CSOs and related government bodies; implementation of existing legal frameworks and policies; and actual, successful participation of CSOs in the policy-making process. The objectives of the project were directly relevant to exploring new possibilities in civil society engagement with government agencies in Viet Nam on public policy, at both local and national levels. The project helped facilitate CSOs voice in discussions and problem-solving on issues of concern to particular disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Country