OSCE Mission to Moldova: Practical discussions on running an NGO during retreat held in Merenesti

Participants at the retreat engage in interactive activities while discussing co-operation among NGOs from both banks, Merenesti, 25 August 2017. (OSCE/Igor Schimbator) Photo details

MOLDOVA, 29-Aug-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — On 25 August 2017, the OSCE Mission to Moldova supported a retreat for 28 representatives of NGOs from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River in the village of Merenesti. The event provided a platform for practical discussions on running an NGO. Participants were selected based on their motivation to foster co-operation between NGOs from the either side of the river.

During the event, NGO representatives shared their experience of engaging in joint projects, with an emphasis on the advantages of long-term co-operation among NGOs from both banks. They discussed ways to overcome difficulties at various stages of project implementation and debated the best approaches to ensuring successful co-operation.

Alexey Balan, lawyer of the “Resonance” NGO from Bender, said: “Such informal communication helps the people from different organizations to get to know each other better, to learn about each other’s services and projects, and to develop future partnerships. It is very pleasant to see representatives of organizations from both sides of the Dniester/Nistru River. Such events have to be held much more often, because they bring people closer.”

The informal format allowed the participants to openly discuss obstacles to their co-operation and to acknowledge that a lack of sustained communication between NGOs from both banks inhibited their ability to engage in joint initiatives with a long-term impact. They endorsed permanent dialogue and co-operation between NGOs from both banks so as to strengthen mutual trust.

The retreat was organized as part of a year-long project implemented jointly by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Tiraspol-based Apriori Legal Information Centre, which provides capacity-building assistance to local civil society organizations.

Contacts
Rachel Bending
Mission Spokesperson
OSCE Mission to Moldova
Alexei Mateevici Str. 75
MD-2009 Chisinau
Moldova
Office: (+373) 22 88 78 46
Mobile: (+373) 69 14 95 10
Rachel.Bending@osce.org

SOURCE: OSCE