Press Releases
Taking Stock of Progress with Croatian NGOs
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Public Affairs Section
Zagreb, Croatia
Taking Stock of Progress with Croatian NGOs
Zagreb, June 11, 2007 - USAID Mission Director William Jeffers will address an audience of approximately 170 representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other experts (NGOs) at a conference "Civil Society in Croatia: Work in Progress," on Wednesday, June 13 at 10:00 am in Hotel International, Zagreb. He will be joined by Mr. Igor Vidacak, head of the Gov. Office for Cooperation with NGOs, Mr. Toni Vidan, President of the National Council for Civil Society Development and Jennifer Stuart, AED's Country Director.
The conference will be held from Wednesday, June 13 through Friday, June 15 in Hotel International, Miramarska St. 24, Zagreb. Its' purpose is to discuss development of civil society in Croatia, including its future and sustainability, especially focusing on advocacy and legal framework for civil society organizations, financial sustainability and organizational development. The occasion for this gathering is also the closure of the six-year CroNGO program through which more than $12 million was invested and the end of USAID's long-lasting (14 years) support to the development of civil society in Croatia.
The conference will also include a presentation of research on attitudes to volunteerism in Croatia, a debate on perceptions and misconceptions between NGO representatives and donors, and a discussion about trends in domestic and international funding.
"Civil Society in Croatia: Work in Progress" conference is organized in cooperation with the Academy for Educational Development (AED), Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs, National Foundation for Civil Society Development, Trainers Forum, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law, with sponsorship fromk the City of Zagreb.
This three-day event is part of USAID's Assistance to Croatian NGOs (CroNGO) program that increases the NGO advocacy capacity, financial viability, organizational capacity and networking. It also promotes the practice of voluntarism and visibility of the sector within Croatian society. Details on these activities are available on www.aed.hr
USAID is the primary assistance organization of the United States Government. Since 1992, the United States has provided over $407 million to Croatia (much of it through USAID programs) to strengthen democratic institutions and assist in postwar reconstruction and the return of refugees, to support de-mining and economic development, and to provide educational and training opportunities. The U.S. has also provided guidance and support to the Croatian judicial and military sectors to further Croatia's integration in Euro-Atlantic institutions.