Today, on November 26, the launch of the information campaign “Civil Society and Government – Best Cooperation Practices” was presented, which was jointly initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine (MCIP) and the project “Civil Society Sectoral Support Initiative”.
The joint campaign aims to demonstrate the success of a large number of projects of civil society organizations (CSOs) implemented together with the executive authorities, as the campaign will include contest “Civil Society and Government – Best Cooperation Practices”. This is a Story Contest where entrants have to submit stories about the best joint projects (cooperation practices) of civil society organizations (CSOs) and executive bodies. Effective practices of joint work will serve as an example and inspiration for all those involved in the development of a society of conscious and responsible citizens.
Taras Shevchenko, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Oleksandr Yarema, State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Volodymyr Sheihus, Executive Director of Initiative Center to Support Social Action “Ednannia”, Olesia Kholopik, Director of the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM) and Svitlana Kononchuk, Executive Director of the Independent Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) presente the campaign launch.
“The result of cooperation between civil society organizations and the government has been the implementation of a large number of successful reforms and projects – from the introduction of EIT (External Independent Testing) to the restoration of cultural institutions in small villages,” said Taras Shevchenko, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy. “We are launching the contest today to attract more attention and show the public the best cooperation practices”.
“Many civil society organizations are able to propose and implement projects, be agents of change, and provide community services. Therefore, cooperation with the public sector is important for the Government and we strive to be as open and transparent as possible for such cooperation,” said Oleksandr Yarema, State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. “We expect the same from civil society organizations, as the partnership provides for mutual openness and transparency. The information campaign, which will also be implemented in cooperation between the Government and civil society organizations, should promote such openness and transparency. It will raise both sectors’ and society’s awareness of cross-sectoral projects, which in turn will build trust and help develop partnerships.”
“Civil society organizations are a mechanism that allows us to achieve goals related to the development of the country and self-organization. And the state is gradually learning to trust and delegate some of its powers to organizations. In particular, those social services that the bureaucratic state system for various reasons cannot provide. Such an information campaign should show that trust and effective cooperation are possible between civil society organizations and state institutions. We are convinced that good mechanisms for intersectoral cooperation and participation of capable organizations in solving various problems in society are a reality. We want more people to learn about this reality and we call on public and charitable organizations to submit their stories!” commented Volodymyr Sheihus, Executive Director of Initiative Center to Support Social Action “Ednannia”.
“The purpose of the information campaign is to show the synergy of the public sector and executive bodies, their effective practices of communication and joint work for the development of a society of conscious and responsible citizens,” said Olesia Kholopik, CEDEM Director. “Success stories, in our opinion, will be able to show that together we are taking steps towards a strong and successful society. So, we invite civil society organizations and executive bodies to participate!”
“The contest, which is being launched, has a chance to grow into an annual national event honoring people from different backgrounds – government and non-government administration, who find opportunities for interaction and demonstrate lasting results,” said Svitlana Kononchuk, UCIPR Executive Director. “For effective cooperation with the state, non-governmental organizations should learn to build trust, convince in their potential and learn joint responsible management. We expect to see many breakthrough practices at the contest, which will confirm that success is based on mutual understanding and interaction.”
You can watch the broadcast on the official Ukrinform page on the YouTube platform.
This event was made possible with the sincere support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) within the Ukrainian Civil Society Sectoral Support Initiative project implemented by Initiative Center to Support Social Action “Ednannia” in partnership with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) and the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (CEDEM).
