Monday 27 May 2013

Czech Development Actors Discussing the Role of Czech ODA and NGOs

Representatives of Czech development NGOs, Czech Development Agency, private and academic sector gathered on two interlinked events in Prague on May 14th and 15th to discuss some key topics in the current aid and international development cooperation debate. The events were organized by the Czech NGDO platform FoRS.

On May 14th, the event Czech Development Cooperation on the Crossroads: What is the contribution of development cooperation for Czech Republic in the global context? was held. Three keynote speakers: Sara Worku Zergaw (representing Ethiopian civil society), Šimon Pánek (director of the Czech NGO People in Need and member of FoRS Board) and Olivier Consolo (director of the European NGO confederation CONCORD) opened ground for further discussions related to Czech aid in the current context characterized with new challenges and issues for development actors. The debate turned around the role of Czech aid, how it is perceived by us, whether we fulfil its expected goals, how to get prepared for the upcoming changes and what is our ability to influence them. The first day was concluded by a session on gender mainstreaming in development cooperation.

During the second event, FoRS´ Development Day, FoRS members and observers discussed in more depth and shared their experience in four topics: how to better link the experience from development projects with development education and awareness raising and policy and advocacy work; how to ensure financial sustainability and/or independence; how to ensure positive impact and sustainability; and what are the possibilities for cooperation with the private sector in development. The crosscutting question was on how to communicate these issues to the media, general public and politicians.

FoRS is currently elaborating the outcomes of this event in a substantial material and is going to use it both in the process of creating its own communication strategy and to feed in the work of CONCORD on a new political narrative. Both events were held in the framework of the project RESAREAS on Cooperation Network for Research of Non-European Countries supported by the Czech Ministry of Education and the European Social Fund.

In the picture: Panel at the Czech Development Cooperation on the Crossroads event, FoRS

Information provided by Marie Zazvorkova, FoRS

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