One of the objectives of the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 is to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Lithuanian civil society organisations and the donor countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) through the development of partnerships and joint activities, as well as the exchange of knowledge and experience.
2021 04 12
We invited representatives of local organisations and communities, public interest advocates, as well as all concerned citizens to join us for a discussion on cooperation between the non-governmental sector and citizens and local authorities in Lithuania and Norway. What experiences of cooperation can we share in the Lithuanian context? What are the challenges facing civil society in Norway? What is needed to make advocacy at local level smooth? Is it even possible?
Speakers.
The discussion was moderated by Paul Godvadas, community enthusiast, partner of NGO “Kitokie projektai”.
The discussion is organised with the aim of exchanging experiences and promoting bilateral cooperation initiatives.
2021 04 29
How to achieve intercultural dialogue? This discussion took the opportunity to take a deeper look at the situations that national/ethnic minority organisations face on a daily basis. Why is it necessary to have national/ethnic minority organisations? Is national/ethnic minority culture considered part of the national narrative (history) in Norway and Lithuania? What is the role of national minorities/communities in preserving historical memory? What are their main challenges at present? Ethnic minority organisations and human rights – where is close cooperation needed?
Participants:
Ervin Kohn, Chairman of the Oslo Jewish Community (Norway), Håkon Hermanstrand, Historian, Southern Sami Museum and Cultural Centre in Snåsaje (Norway), Dovilė Rūkaitė, Project Manager, Lithuanian Jewish (Litvak) Community, Vita Kontvainė, Researcher, Lithuanian Centre for Social Science (Lithuania).
Dorota Sokolovska, President of the Polish Discussion Club, student of political science (Lithuania)
The discussion is aimed at exchanging experiences and promoting bilateral cooperation initiatives.
“Active Citizens 4 Human Rights” capacity-building meetings for representatives of organisations working on human rights.
Participants: 50 representatives of small/grassroots/local human rights NGOs with an interest in capacity building from all 15 EEA beneficiary countries (about 40) and donor countries (about 10). Representatives of 3 organisations from Lithuania are invited to join (one per organisation). Participants with less experience but motivated are welcome.
Objective: to provide an opportunity for organisations from the beneficiary countries and Norway to come together, learn and discuss issues arising in their organisations and in their work, especially those related to the specific challenges of capacity building for human rights NGOs working at local/grassroots level.
Objectives:
– To create a platform for learning and sharing experiences on capacity building of human rights NGOs at local/grassroots level;
– To strengthen cooperation and facilitate partnerships between Norwegian and beneficiary country organisations in capacity building on human rights issues;
Outcomes:
– Increased awareness of the different strategies applied by organisations in relation to capacity building;
– Strengthened cooperation between the participating organisations, with a view to possible future partnerships.
Process:
1. Selection of participants
2. 2. Monthly remote meetings (up to 4 hours, 1 per month on the Zoom platform) according to the plan below. After each meeting, “homework” is scheduled for the next meeting.
“March 2021 – “Connecting” – to familiarise oneself with the general context and important aspects of the activities.
“April 2021 – “Crisis Management” – remote meeting with experts – discussions and methodologies on how to deal with crisis situations, especially in the event of a pandemic.
May 2021 – “Followers” – remote meeting with experts – discussions and methodologies on how to attract more followers and involve people in the work of organisations .
“June 2021 – “Campaigns” – remote meeting with experts – discussions and methodologies on how to run effective human rights campaigns, especially at local level.
July – August 2021 – “Practice” – based on the experience of the meetings, participants are given “homework” to implement before the meeting in Oslo.
3. A meeting of all participants in Oslo in September/October 2021.
“Active Citizens 4 Human Rights” capacity-building meetings for representatives of organisations working on human rights.
We decided to combine two of the most sought-after themes: ‘immigration, migration and integration’ and ‘advocating for change’. Advocacy is a broad category that you have interpreted in different ways in your comments, so we will use the main theme of the event – immigration and integration – to discuss the aspects of advocacy that interested you.
