DUSHANBE, January 9, 2009, Asia-Plus — The World Bank Office in Tajikistan has announced the Civil Society Fund Program (CSFP) for 2009.
According to the WB Dushanbe Office, the deadline for proposal submission is March 6, 2009. Main theme of the program this year is the Civic Engagement of Youth.
The growth of civil society has been one of the most significant trends in international development. Partnerships amongst governments, businesses and civil society organizations (CSOs) are increasingly seen as one of the most effective ways to raise standards of living and achieve sustainable development.
The World Bank in Tajikistan is trying to engage in a more effective dialogue with CSOs during preparation of Country Partnership Strategies and on other major development issues, including fiscal policies, economic reform, private sector development, governance, etc. It organizes regular presentations and consultations with CSOs to make its program more transparent and inclusive.
In addition, the World Bank runs annual Grant Program under the Civil Society Fund (previously known as the “Small Grants Program”), which serves as a complementary instrument to its regular operations, targeted at development of the civil society in its client countries.
The World Bank”s Civil Society Fund Program (CSFP) was created to promote dialogue and disseminate information on development, and to enhance partnerships with the civil society. The CSFP aims to empower marginalized and vulnerable groups to give them a voice in development processes.
The World Bank Office in Tajikistan has been allocating grants to civil society organizations under the Civil Society Fund Program (CSFP) since 2002, when this global program was first launched in Tajikistan. To date, the local NGOs and civil society organizations had received more than USD 220,000 in grants for a broad range of activities aimed at civic engagement of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups. In total, 55 projects have been funded.
Projects funded under the Civil Society Fund Program in Tajikistan range from those supporting farmers through dissemination of information on land use rights, piloting student self-governance in secondary schools, dissemination of legal information on labor migration to projects promoting integration of disabled children into the society, broadening access of the target groups to up-to-date global information through use of Internet technologies, and others.
