Sarajevo, 30 July 2014

From 25 June to the 31 July, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized training at Livno, Kupresa, Tomislavgrad, Glamoča, and Drvara. Government representatives from the Herzegovina Bosnia county, Tomislavgrad, Livno, Kupres, Glamoč, Bosansko Grahovo, Drvar municipalities, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGO) active in Canton 10 all participated in this training. The topic for the selected participants was improvement of communication, advocacy, and lobbying skills.

The participants in the program were exposed to an intense training that focused on areas of basic communication skills, advocacy and lobbying theory, presentation skills, identity building and conflict management, analyzing the relationship between the local government and the non-governmental sector. An analysis was conducted for the needs of the local community and through a simulation exercise a strategy was developed for a plan of action for advocacy and lobbying.

The last third set of workshops will be held in Kupres on the 31 July and 1 August. All of the representatives from the six municipalities from Canton 10 will, during the final workshop, work to build and manage their team, and to build a final action plan for advocacy and lobbying.

Participants have expressed their satisfaction with the organization and program trainings as well as the quality of the program and the lecturers. They highlighted that their expectations were totally satisfied in regards to the comprehensive nature of the program.

These activities were realized within the framework of the project titled “The application of stabilizing the community in Canton 10,” which are being implemented by UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF and IOM in partnership with the governments and municipalities within Canton 10, Red Cross, Cantonal welfare services, and local organization for civil society, financed by the UN’s Human Security Trust Fund and Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees BiH and Government of Canton 10. The aim of this project is to improve and stabilize the economy, society, and other insufficiencies which particularly influence the status of vulnerable groups in Canton 10.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the above mentioned period focused its project activities on trainings intended to empower the capacities of government employees (cantonal and local government and non-governmental partnerships, which act within Canton 10, to further develop knowledge for communication skills and public advocacy and lobbying.

The project as a whole will contribute to the strengthening of cantonal and municipal government capacities, and non-governmental organizations will be better equipped to extend social services intended to decrease individual and societal insecurities, build the capacity within the education system, and reinforce the abilities of the cantons and municipalities to prevent discrimination and violence. They will also be better skilled at improving the readiness response for critical regions in Canton 10, to answer to safety risks and threats to the community, and create equal opportunities for employment and economic sustainability in priority areas.

END

------------------

Kontakt osoba:

Edita Selimbegović, PR - International Organization for Migration – Mission in BiH

Tel: +387 (0)33 293 713 Fax: +387 (0)33 293 726 Mob: +387 (0)61 215 839 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting