2.19.2009
On February 19, 2009, at 11 a.m. in Radio Café 021 (Svetozara Miletica 45) in Novi Sad, the USAID-funded Civil Society Advocacy Initiative, implemented by the Institute for Sustainable Communities, will organize a press conference to announce the Mobile Advocacy School training for civil society organizations in Vojvodina. The training will be held on February 20, 2009, in cooperation with the media partner, Radio Broadcasting Organization 021. Speakers at the press conference include Albert Cevallos, Chief of Party of the Institute for Sustainable Communities, Tanja Bjelanovic, Development and Communication Manager at the Balkan Community Initiatives Fund, and Milena Cuk, Project Coordinator at the Novi Sad Humanitarian Center.  

The one-day training on February 20th will gather 20 local and regional civil society organizations active in the area of human rights, European integration, media, minority rights, ecology etc. The goal of the training is to strengthen the citizen’s capacity in Vojvodina by introducing advocacy concepts and techniques, as well as practical know-how in network and coalition building. The training will also provide a forum for civil society organizations to further develop relations with like-minded partners and potential supporters.

The Mobile Advocacy School consists of capacity building trainings on advocacy for local and regional civil society organizations in ethnically mixed and/or economically underdeveloped communities in Serbia. The first training of this kind targeting civil society organizations in the Sandzak region was held in Novi Pazar in December 2008. The Mobile Advocacy School project will continue in 2009 with 2 more trainings to be organized in Southern and Central Serbia.

The USAID-funded Civil Society Advocacy Initiative is a five year program (2006-2011) which encourages and supports Serbian citizens to take responsibility for determining the kind of society they live in by increasing citizen participation in all aspects of public life. Through grants, training, and networking opportunities, the program assists civil society organizations to communicate their priorities more effectively and coordinate efforts with the government and the private sector to tangibly improve people's lives. Since the beginning of the program Civil Society Advocacy Initiative has trained more than 300 civic leaders and activists throughout Serbia in advocacy related issues.  

For more information please contact Jelena Bekcic, Institute for Sustainable Communities, at (011) 3830-960 or (062) 218-960. For more information about USAID programs please visit http://serbia.usaid.gov.