The European Union (EU) is to fund a 30-month project aimed at building the capacity of more than 135 Jamaican civil society organisations (CSOs) that work in areas such as health, education and gender.
The work will be done in partnership with the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS), which will spearhead an initiative called Advocate, Innovate and Mobilise (AIM) set to be launched on Thursday.
“CVSS is committed to building the capacity of its members and the extended community. Central to our organisation’s initiatives is representing the concerns of the social sector, especially those representing the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in Jamaica,” said Nancy Pinchas, executive director of the CVSS.
Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, first counsellor and head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas, said CSOs are key actors in protecting and promoting democracy, the rule of law and human rights, which are fundamental values of the European Union.
“They are key partners in devising and implementing policies and programmes that meet people’s needs, reduce inequalities, and fulfil the central commitment of the global 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind,” he said.
The monetary value of the EU’s funding was not disclosed in statement from CVSS on Sunday.
The proposed 30-month intervention will target the CVSS’ 135 members, local CSOs, community-based organisations and volunteer groups with diverse interests such as health, education, youth and gender, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the environment.
Through AIM, CVSS will implement a series of complementary and integrated activities that involve a CSO needs assessment survey, a series of training modules (including communication strategies, institutional strengthening, monitoring evaluation and learning and advocacy), micro-grants for CSOs and quarterly forums for sharing and collaboration.
CVSS was founded in 1940 as a coordinating body for non-governmental organisations involved in social development. It is the longest serving and largest umbrella non-governmental organisations in Jamaica.
Source: The Gleaner
