On 2-3 June 2025, the Civic Resource Centre (CRC) organised a networking meeting for grantees and partners of action grants for local initiatives.
The main goal of the meeting was to strengthen the capacity of the civil society organisations for advocacy, especially through their networking, launching joint advocacy initiatives and increasing the visibility of their activities on important social issues. During the meeting, representatives of 28 organisations exchanged experiences, challenges and successes in their field work, discussed their ongoing initiatives, the challenges they face and ways to effectively advocate for community priorities.
Among the initiatives presented was the initiative to revive youth forums and councils in municipalities. The discussion highlighted that although some municipalities formally have youth councils and centres, their functionality is limited. Representatives of organizations working with youth appealed for institutional support and stimulation of youth participation, including positive examples of calls for proposals for youth centers.
Magdalena Zdravevska from the Local Development Association Lokal Akt from Makedonski Brod shared her experience with the initiative to stop the construction of a lithium battery recycling plant in an ecologically clean region. “I cannot say for sure that the construction was stopped because of us, but I know that we had an impact,” she emphasized.
Zlatko Talevski, regional expert on civil society from the Pelagonia region, presented to the attendees various forms of civic participation: from submitting complaints and suggestions, through community forums, to direct contacts with local government representatives. He emphasized that the right to free access to information is one of the most important mechanisms available to every citizen. As part of the discussion, experience from the field was also shared, where representatives of civic councils encounter difficulties in exercising their powers, as well as examples of citizens' demotivation to participate in decision-making, especially when institutions do not respect their requests.
“Working in the civil society sector is challenging in itself, but operating in the smaller areas is even more challenging – primarily due to limited logistical access, insufficient resources and other obstacles. However, the Civic Resource Centre significantly alleviates this situation. It is a true example of a place where useful information is collected and shared daily with all organisations, which allows us to be informed and networked in a timely manner. In addition, the Civic Resource Centre offers mentoring support and training in various areas, which is a significant support for organisations,” said Svetlana Petkovska from the Women’s Organisation Bitola.
Anita Gagovska, regional expert from the South-West region, held a session on online advocacy tools and digital campaigns, where petition platforms, storytelling tools, as well as opportunities for using artificial intelligence in creating multimedia content were presented. Particular attention was paid to the procedure for creating sponsored posts on social media. She underlined that it is crucial for initiatives to be based on data, surveys and concrete results. Participants emphasized the importance of technical support and sharing experiences, with the GRC being cited as an available resource for mentoring support.
The second day was dedicated to practical work with the tool for promoting and supporting advocacy initiatives. Organisations had the opportunity to submit their initiatives and discuss opportunities for cooperation and mutual support. The developed advocacy initiatives were presented, which were mainly initiated through sub-grants received within the project “EU Support for the Civic Resource Center – Phase 2”.
The meeting ended with a message that real change begins with a civic initiative and that through joint work, support and clear advocacy mechanisms, the voice of the community can be heard.
The networking event was organised under the project “EU Support to the Civil Society Resource Centre – Phase 2”, funded by the European Union, and implemented by the National Civil Society Development Foundation Civic Resource Centre, the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC), Media Plus, Shtip and the Association for Democratic Initiatives – ADI, Gostivar.
