Civil society from both banks advocate for resilience, stronger partnerships and mobilizing local communities

On 26 October, the OSCE Mission’s Donors’ Forum united over 80 civil society organizations (CSOs) from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River to assess CSO developments, challenges and success over the past 10 years. They discussed the health sector, sustainable partnerships for economic development, the promotion of human rights, and the development of democracy and the rule of law.  Many participants noted that CSOs make communities more resilient to challenges, whether supporting refugees from Ukraine or preventing gender-based violence.  During the Donors Forum, the CSOs from both banks enhanced their connections with donors and development partners.

A representative of the Alliance of Public Health, Janna Vilhovaia, noted that the OSCE-organised Forum “allowed me to analyse the various directions of our activities during the past 10 years.  We need this retrospective to assess results and further plan. Also, this communication helps to better understand our partners from the other bank and the donor community, thus, to be more constructive in developing further joint steps”.

The Head of the OSCE Mission, Ambassador Kelly Keiderling: “Civil society is an integral component of a strong society. Especially in difficult times, coming together and talking about our perspectives, challenges, and achievements is even more important.” The OSCE Mission organised the Donors Forum for its project “Strengthening protection of human rights on both banks”. Since 2013, the Donors Forum has become an annual platform for dialogue and exchange between representatives of the donor-development community and CSOs from both banks of Dniester/Nistru River.