AT A GLANCE
The Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA), together with Lev Sapieha Foundation, NGO Belarusian Society of Consumers Protection (BOZP) and NGO Belarusian Organisation for Working Women (BOZTH) and the Municipality of Monfalcone, is leading a project called ReAct (Reinforcing Actions of capacity building for civil society) in Belarus since the beginning of the year 2009. The overall objective of this project is to strengthen the role of None State Actors and Local Authorities in the field of poverty reduction in the context of sustainable development, according, mainly, to the Millennium Development Goals.
Noting the difficult situation civil society is facing within the present governmental ruling, and powerlessness of local authorities, it is important to support and provide some capacity building to the local civil society in Belarus, which is very demanding of such projects.
ACTIVITIES
One of the main activities of this project, are the two training sessions, on local self-government and on civil society. The first one took place in Minsk, on 24th October 2009, titled “Local Self-government in Belarus as prerequisite for civil society development: present conditions and perspectives”, and this report shall present the different parts of the day, and summarise the various and strong debates that occurred during the presentations.
By encouraging the development of local self-governance and building the capacity of civil society organisations, ALDA reasserts its commitment to support democracy and its belief that local self-governance and a strong civil society is the key to democracy.