Today, the 5th phase of the educational certification capacity building program for the representatives of civil society organizations (CSO) was launched at the American University of Armenia.
19 CSO representatives of 15 CSOs from Lori, Syunik, Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Shirak and Vayots Dzor marzes as well as from Yerevan participate at this stage.
The new educational program is organized in the framework of the EU funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project, which aims at making the voice of civil society heard at public discussions in Armenia and to develop sustainable and effective skills among the civil society in Armenia, to start a dialogue with government and local self-government bodies.
Miss Syuzanna Soghomonyan, CSO-Government Dialogue Coordinator of the Project, lawyer of the Armenian lawyers’ Association presented the objectives and target areas of the project. “It is important for us to identify issues that should be implemented by non-governmental organizations and coalitions, development of public policies on them, which should also be accompanied by monitoring and sustainable dialogue with the competent authorities of the Government,” she said. Susanna Soghomonyan also mentioned that grant competitions for CSOs are envisaged within the scope of the project and added that the educational program graduate CSOs would be able to participate in these tenders as well.
The “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by a Consortium of civil society organizations, which are the Armenian Lawyers’ Association (lead organization), Agora Central Europe (NGO based in the Czech Republic), the Armenian Centre for Democratic Education-CIVITAS, the International Centre for Human Development, the SME Cooperation Association and the Union of Communities of Armenia.
