DUSHANBE, May 22, 2009 Asia-Plus — The World Bank Tajikistan Country Office yesterday announced the winners of its Civil Society Fund Program 2009.
According to the World Bank Dushanbe Office, focus and the purpose of the Civil Society Fund Program are to seed and support activities that empower and enable citizens’ groups to take initiatives that enhance their role and influence over development outcomes. These activities strengthen mechanisms for inclusion, accountability, participation and partnership with public sector, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
The main theme of this year’s Civil Society Fund Program in Tajikistan is the Civic Engagement of Youth. By choosing this theme, the World Bank in Tajikistan aims to increase its engagement with the young audiences, facilitate the role of youth in the development process and support the efforts of civil society organizations aimed at youth-oriented programs.
The special role in the development processes belongs to young people who are the future leaders and decision makers. The meaningful involvement of the young people into development debate early on will help to ensure that the society develops democratically and dynamically.
The total pool of funds allocated for the 2009 program is USD 45,000. Sixty three local public organizations submitted their project proposals this year seeking funding for their initiatives. Of them, based on the program priorities and criteria, the Selection Committee has chosen five project proposals that have been awarded grants in the range of USD 5 to 10 thousand each. The Selection Committee comprised primarily of external experts representing international grant-making agencies and World Bank staff, gave its preference to project proposals covering civic engagement of youth through training them in leadership skills, communication and life skills, raising legal awareness of young people and participation in social life, establishing social partnerships between the young people and local authorities, and expanding the use of information and communications technologies among the young people.
The following public organizations have been awarded grants in May 2009:
– Public Organization “Academy of Mass Communication” with the project on “Strengthening the Partnership of Youth NGOs with the Mass Media in Tajikistan” and the primary objective to train youth NGOs in communication and media skills, design of effective social communication campaigns through the media, develop and print “Manual for Youth NGOs on working with the Media”;
– Public Organization “Center of Information and Communication Technologies” with the project on “Creation of University Network of Information and Communication Clubs” in Tajikistan and the primary objective to create the Internet portal of universities in Tajikistan and ICT training for university teachers, researchers and students, and holding the nation-wide forum “Digital Tajikistan 2009” for young people;
– Tajik Center of Social and Legal Support of Women and Youth “Femida” with the project on “Social and Legal Support of the Youth” and the primary objective to raise legal awareness of the young people in four regions of Tajikistan to ensure the participation of youth in the political and social life;
– Public Organization “SHOTO” with the project titled “Our Action is the Development of our Society” aiming at training and outreach activities to develop leadership skills and promote civic engagement of young people in six jamoats of Isfara district of the Sughd region;
– Public Organization “Youth Initiative Center “Taraqqiyot” with the project titled “We Are Not Indifferent: Tajikistan Youth Committed to Address the Pressing Social Needs ” aiming to promote civic engagement of youth in the rayons of republican subordination through various learning events for youth and establishing social partnership between youth and public administration authorities.
The World Bank Office in Tajikistan has been allocating grants to civil society organizations under the Civil Society Funds Program (formerly known as Small Grants Program) since 2002 when the program was first launched in Tajikistan. Within eight years of program activity in Tajikistan, the local public and civil society organizations had received over USD 265,000 for sixty projects covering a broad range of activities aimed at civic engagement of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups.
“The World Bank attaches high importance to the growth of civil society as one of the most significant trends in international development and expresses confidence that these projects will help promote progressive development and increased participation of the young people to public life in Tajikistan”, said Chiara Bronchi, the World Bank Country Manager for Tajikistan.
