Regional Civil Society Network Launches a Civic Week
Thursday, May 21
Civil Development Agency (CiDA) and the 55 members of the Regional Civil Society Network (R-CSN) has joined efforts for the take-off of the eventful Civic Week aimed at galvanizing interaction between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and citizens, the private sector, public institutions, media, and among regional and Tbilisi-based CSOs.
Over 60 public discussions, volunteer drives, presentations, town-hall meetings, free service provision initiatives, and experience-sharing discussions will take place in different parts of the country to promote increased participation of citizens in CSO activities, highlight key public concerns in the regions, invite citizens to participate in volunteer initiatives, and promote collaboration between CSOs and private sector representatives.
Regional CSOs will present their work to citizens through visiting universities and meeting students, organizing youth conferences, disseminating informational brochures, organizing photo exhibitions, participating in TV and radio talk-shows, organizing flash mobs, and inviting citizens to Open Door days.
Regional and Tbilisi-based CSOs will share expertise and innovative approaches to promote effective and creative solutions to civil society challenges and improve advocacy for public interest causes.
National business companies will meet with their regional counterparts and CSOs to discuss the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and further develop relationships between CSOs and the private sector.
Multispectral stakeholders, i.e. CSOs, media, local authorities, businesses, and citizens will co-organize and engage in Policy Forums to discuss regional and national priorities.
Regional CSOs will organize Volunteer Initiatives and Volunteer Drives to recruit and engage citizens in street actions, charity events, service delivery initiatives, and other volunteer actions in support of vulnerable groups including those in the buffer zones.
The Civic Week will end on May 27 with an official founding of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Club in Tbilisi. The Club will be founded by businesses and CSOs and aim at promoting CSR culture, encouraging sustained CSR initiatives, and strengthening partnerships between CSOs and the business community.
The Civic Week is organized by Civil Development Agency (CiDA) and the Regional Civil Society Network (R-CSN) in the framework of the East-West Management Institute’s (EWMI) Advancing CSO Capacities and Engaging Society for Sustainability (ACCESS) project, funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
