prijava
BANJA LUKA, June 14 (FENA) - Why does the government award grants to civil society organizations? This is the topic of the second national conference of the "Smart Balkans" project, which gathered representatives of civil society organizations, institutions and the academic community today in Banja Luka.
Director of the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society, Aida Daguda, which implements this project together with partner organizations, said that BiH needs better governance at all levels and in all sectors.
"We believe that the Government is not obliged to finance non-governmental organizations, but it is obliged to finance good and useful projects for the progress of local communities and a better life for the citizens of BiH," said Daguda.
She assessed that every level of government in BiH cooperates with civil society organizations, as well as that local communities allocate a lot of money for this sector. However, she noted that there are many irregularities in the distribution of money, and expressed hope that today's conference will contribute to reducing these irregularities as much as possible.
The "Smart Balkans" project was supported by the Government of Norway with a grant worth more than 17 million euros over four years. Hakon Kristensen Moe, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized that a strong civil society and democratic media are prerequisites for the development of any democratic society.
Minister of Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republika Srpska, Senka Jujić, announced that within the "Smart Balkans" project, around 450 grants will be distributed in various areas of social life, such as topics related to the fight against organized crime, support for human rights, gender equality, and the fight against domestic violence. She noted that the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society is a long-standing partner of this ministry and the RS Government.
(FENA) A. B.
