Starting the active co-operation of NGOs’ advocacy!

Kurzeme NGO Support Centre on the 16^th of July, 2013 has launched cooperation with Civic Alliance Latvia. Cooperation is within the framework of CAL’s project – Ensuring NGO advocacy at national level. We gladly announce that CAL will perform the following activities (period 16/07/2013 – 31/12/2013):

1. in September this year, along with its partners – Zemgale NGO center and Kurzeme NGO Support Center – will hold round-table discussiosn in Jelgava and Talsi,
2. issue the weekly newsletter “Nesēdi tumsā!” by improving its content, with an emphasis on the activities of NGOs and placing the latest news on CAL accounts in social network platforms: www.facebook.com and www.draugiem.lv accounts,
3. provide free consultations (by phone, email and in person) for associations and foundations on establishment of organization, fund-raising, participation in decision-making processes, organizational development plan, NGOs and public administration practices and forms of cooperation, as well as record-keeping for associations and foundations,
4. provide suggestions on changes in laws and regulations that affect the Latvian NGO establishment and operation, in particular:

• legislative acts, and development documents for the projects affected by the activities of NGOs and development in Latvian;
• Structural Funds allocation and management (reducing the administrative barriers to the implementation of projects in different areas) to favor activities carried out by NGO sector;
• State budget allocation to the NGO sector,
• promotion of public participation in decision-making Latvian,
• strengthening cooperation between the NGO sector and the public sector.

1. participate in formal and informal meetings on the above topics.

Your organization can involve in CAL activities if:

1. you want to push your message to CAL weekly news-letter, send an e-mail to alianse@nvo.lv,
2. you need an advice, call on tel. 67846464 or e-mail:

• CAL Director Rasma Pipike to rasma@nvo.lv (for fund raising, organizational development plan, NGOs and public administration practices and forms of co-operation),
• CAL policy coordinator Inta Simanska to inta@nvo.lv (on establishment of associations and foundations and of participation in the decision-making processes),
• CAL project assistant Anita Ivane on alianse@nvo.lv (organization of record-keeping),

1. your organization has difficulties posed by laws and regulations, inform the CAL and we will consider the possibility of addressing the issue at the national level.

The project aims to ensure that CAL activities in carrying out advocacy of NGOs at the national level in Latvia. The aim is defined according to pre-defined performance objectives of the program: to ensure the continued operation of CAL activities for NGOs’ advocacy at the national level Latvian by making improvements to the system of public participation Latvian.

The target group of the project is more than 500 Latvian associations and foundations. Implementation of the project is in Riga, Latvia. Allocated sum to the project’s co-financed programs in 2013th action plan is 7.590, 29 LVL, but the program as a whole is co-funded for 37.951, 43 LVL.

The project proposal has gained the support of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009 – 2014 in the program “NGO Fund”.

The project is financially supported by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.