NGO Days 2012

From 14-16 June 2012 a traditional annual event NGO Days took place in Zagreb. It was organized by the Government Office for cooperation with NGOs in cooperation with TACSO – Office for technical assistance to CSOs in the Republic of Croatia and the National Foundation for Civil Society Development. This year’s NGO Days started with a panel discussion on strategic priorities for civil society development support in the Republic of Croatia in the context of adopting the new National Strategy for Creating an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development.

During the introductory part the participants were addressed by Mrs. Slađana Novota, President of the Council for Civil Society Development, Mr. Paolo Berizzi, Head of the Political, Economic, Trade and Press & Information Section of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia, Mrs. Zrinka Vrabec-Mojzeš, representative of the President of the Republic of Croatia and Mrs. Milanka Opačić, Deputy Prime Minister and Social Policy and Youth Minister. The following speakers took part in the panel discussion: Igor Vidačak, Acting Head of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs, Mrs. Cvjetana Plavša-Matić, Director of the National Foundation for Civil Society Development, Mrs. Aida Bagić, TACSO Resident Advisor in Croatia, Mr. Domagoj Novokmet, Croatian Television, Mrs. Lejla Šehić-Relić, President of the National Committee for the Development of Volunteering, and Mrs. Marina Škrabalo, Platform 112.

On the second day of the conference seven parallel round-tables and discussions took place, covering the following topics: Youth Participation in Shaping Public Policy on the Local Level; Models of Effectively Advocating Positive Social Change; New Financial Opportunities for CSOs in the Republic of Croatia; Networking for Changes; Social Cohesion of Citizens and Youth in the Area of Poverty and Youth Delinquency Suppression; The Role of CSOs in Social Entrepreneurship Development in Croatia; and The Criteria for Providing NGOs with the Right of Use of the State and City Owned Property. More than 250 participants took part in the discussions which took place at NGO Days 2012.

On the third day, for the first time, there was an NGO Open Door Day in which NGOs from all over Croatia took part. The aim of this event was to give more information to citizens and the wider public about the programmes and projects which are for the common good and are implemented by NGOs in Croatia. NGOs which applied for participations opened their doors to the interested citizens on 16 June in order to inform them about their work, services and possibilities for joining them in their activities. More than 120 NGOs participated in the Open Door Day from all over Croatia.