On July 9, 2025, the Mobile Resource Centre team held a meeting with representatives of civil society organisations and activists in the municipality of Valandovo. The meeting opened an important discussion on the challenges and needs of the local civil society organisations.
According to the participants, civil society organisations in Valandovo are increasingly realizing the need for basic training in preparing project applications. The lack of capacity to prepare quality project proposals limits their opportunities to receive financial support from donors and institutions, which directly affects their sustainability and development. The meeting in Valandovo confirmed the importance of continuous support for the civil society sector, through training, networking and creating conditions for financial sustainability.
At the meeting, the young civil society organisation "Iščekor - Society for All" shared its activities and achievements to date. Among the more significant results, they highlighted the establishment of a playground for children – an initiative that arose from the needs of the local community and was implemented with the involvement of volunteers and supporters. They stressed that the support from the Civic Resource Center would be of great benefit for their further development. They particularly emphasized the importance of networking with other, larger organisations, which would enable them to exchange experiences, resources and jointly present themselves to donors.
A representative from the Red Cross in Valandovo pointed out the serious financial situation they are facing. As a possible way out, he suggested the involvement of the business sector through donations and socially responsible activities, in order to strengthen local solidarity and support, as well as the need to strengthen the culture of volunteering, especially among young people, since civic organisations often rely on people – volunteers, especially when they are limited by other resources.
The meeting was also attended by a representative from the local government of the Municipality of Valandovo, who expressed the readiness of the Municipality of Valandovo to support civic initiatives, especially if the organisations timely submit action programs, proposals and initiatives by the end of the year. The local government regularly participates in supporting cultural and sports events organized by local organisations, and in cases where there is a specific initiative, it provides logistical and institutional assistance for its implementation. In addition, he informed that a Local Youth Council is currently active, whose mandate expires in September 2025. The conversation emphasized that it is a challenge to ensure the continuous inclusion of young people older than high school age, since a large part of them go to study outside of Valandovo. This raises questions about the sustainability and active participation of young people, especially in the period after completing secondary education.
The visit to the Mobile Resource Centre in Valandovo was organised within the framework of the project "EU Support for the Civic Resource Center - Phase 2", funded by the European Union, and implemented by the National Foundation for Civil Society Development Civic Resource Center, the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation, Media Plus, Shtip and the Association for Democratic Initiatives - ADI, Gostivar.
