KLGI organised the third coordination meeting with the thematic groups

🤝 The Kosovo Local Government Institute (KLGI), within the project “Civil Society as a Promoter of Public Contribution”, supported by SMART Balkans, organised the third coordination meeting with the thematic groups to discuss the progress achieved, aiming for the results achieved to serve as models for effective engagement.

Through the thematic groups, full inclusion has been ensured in the eight participating municipalities (Dragash, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Klina, Lipjan, Podujeva, Viti and Vushtrri), with the participation of directly affected citizens 🧑‍🤝‍🧑, professionals 👨‍⚕👩‍⚕ and contributors in this field.

📣 During the discussion, the coordinators shared their experiences. There was a shared assessment that the direct involvement of beneficiaries in co-creation increases public ownership of local policies.

🛠️ The direct engagement of citizens, facilitated by organisations and social activists, has been reflected on several levels and dimensions: first, it has increased the capacities of CSOs and social activists for community work; new practices of working with vulnerable groups have been built; and it has contributed to informed decision-making.

🌍 Full ownership of the project remains with the experiences of the organisations, activists and groups involved. At the same time, it has contributed to promoting the work of civil society in municipalities and to expanding opportunities for consolidating consultative mechanisms.

🌟 This meeting was organised with the support of the regional project “SMART Balkans – Civil Society for Shared Values in the Western Balkans”, led by Centar za Promociju Civilnog Društva (CPCD) in partnership with the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) and the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA).