“Establishing a local youth council in our municipality is the current challenge,” stated the representatives of the local organisations and young activists from Berovo during the visit of the Mobile Resource Centre in Berovo on 3th October 2024.
The attendees discussed the difficulties encountered in establishing а local youth council, primarily attributed to a lack of interest among the youth in the municipality. During the discussion, they pointed out that this is likely due to the small number of youth-focused organisations in the area, insufficient awareness among young people about the importance of youth participation and activism, and limited access to information when public calls are announced.
As one of the ways to address this situation, the young attendees proposed increasing peer awareness and requested support from the Civic Resource Centre (CRC) to conduct an educational workshop for the two existing high school organisations. This workshop would include not only familiarization with legal provisions but also training in formal communication, such as learning how to write requests and notifications to institutions. Following the educational workshop, they suggested organising a broader informational session for all students at the high school to explain the importance and benefits of youth participation. In this way, the students’ organisations would be equipped to independently work on raising awareness in this area, thereby increasing interest among high school students.
In addition to discussions on youth-related issues raised by attendees and the local-level obligations stemming from the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies, participants at this meeting were also informed about the opportunities provided by the CRC and the latest developments in civil society at both local and national levels. Attendees expressed particular interest in the process and procedure for applying to the open Call for Action Grants for Local Initiatives announced by the CRC. However, they also noted that they were not well-informed about other financial opportunities to support these associations. In this context, there was a discussion about the monthly overview of open calls regularly prepared and shared by the Civic Resource Centre with civil society organisations.
Regarding support for the civil society in Berovo, representatives from the municipal administration stated that although the municipality does not have a Strategy for cooperation with civil society organisations, they allocate an average of approximately 500,000 MKD annually for civil society associations (CSOs) in the municipal budget. They issue a public call for funding CSOs, with prepared formats and application criteria. Additionally, funds are also approved outside the public call based solely on submitted requests from organisations, in accordance with the available municipal budget.
At the meeting, municipal representatives shared that they have appointed a youth officer, a Commission for Equal Opportunities between Men and Women, and a designated coordinator for equal opportunities. They also noted that, in collaboration with the municipalities of Delchevo and Pehchevo, they have developed a Strategy for Equal Opportunities for Men and Women for 2023–2026 as well as a Local Action Plan for Berovo Municipality and the Roma Community for 2023–2026.
Some participants expressed their satisfaction with the organisation of such meetings. “Informative meetings of this kind are more than necessary for associations in smaller municipalities like Berovo. To promote civic activism and civil society associations, it is essential to hold these types of informative meetings and workshops more frequently,” stated Gjorgje Stanković from the Eco Green Movement in Berovo. “Of course, it is a good idea to take advantage of the opportunity to apply for your open Call for Action Grants for Local Initiatives,” he added, requesting additional information about the ongoing call.
This visit by the Mobile Resource Centre brings the Civil Resource Centre closer to local organisations in various municipalities, providing an opportunity to discuss the needs and challenges organisations face in their work.
The visit of the Mobile Resource Centre was organised as part of the project “EU Support for the Civil Society Resource Center – Phase II”, funded by the European Union and implemented by the National Civil Society Development Foundation-Civic Resource Center, Macedonian Center for International Cooperation, Media Plus, Shtip, and the Association for Democratic Initiatives – ADI, Gostivar.
