In 2022, we entered the third phase of our program, which we continue to run with our existing partners, the Autonomy, the Civic College and the Carpathian Foundations.
Launched in 2019, the program aims to contribute to the strengthening and development of the local civil society sector by building local and regional mini-networks. In the first phase of the program, we contacted organisations in different regions of the country through questionnaires and phone calls. We used a "snowball" method of personal visits and meetings with contacts of known organisations to further reach out to groups to map local organisations, groups and active communities - "germs" - that have not been part of the wider civil society "bloodstream". We believe that building partnerships and networking can also benefit the 'outliers' - giving them new shared experiences, perspectives, knowledge, strength and support.
Summary of the first phase of mapping is available here.
Organisations and groups that we have been in contact with during the first phase of our program.
For the organisations identified, we have continued to provide training, workshops and small-scale financial support to 6 of them, and then to 3 others, to build local cooperation. We also supported their work with advice and mentoring. In the third year of the program, we continued our joint work with 6 organisations in the counties of Zala, Komárom, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Nógrád, Heves and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, with a particular focus on improving their communication.
Evaluating the results of the program so far and monitoring the changes in the civil sector, the emergence of new groups and initiatives, we continue to focus our efforts on two narrower regions, Pest (and Komárom) county and the North-Eastern Hungary region, for the next two years.
As a first step in the current work, we are mapping the areas, looking for locally active organisations and citizens' groups. In the later phases of the programme, we will think with the groups involved, help them to transfer knowledge and support their cooperation.
In the framework of the program, the Carpathian Foundation has launched a call for civil society organisations working on local public issues in the North-Eastern Hungary region to join the joint work. In the agglomeration region of Pest county, the mapping and subsequent bringing together of active actors is being carried out using a snowball approach, building on existing contacts.
We hope that this will lead to the creation of long-term networks and the expansion of the membership and base of existing coalitions, which will contribute to making Hungarian civil society more resilient, active and visible. The program is supported by Civitates (a joint initiative of the European Foundation Network).
Further information: Bálint Komenczi, balint.k@okotars.hu