For the long-term well-being of society, everyday citizens must become active participants in their institutions. When communities and institutions work together, their efforts contribute to the effective development of the region. We work to increase participation in decision-making and policy-making at the local and regional levels.
As community members are empowered to be more vocal and active, their institutions also need to grow their capacities. Our projects strengthen local institutions by developing strategies for addressing pressing local issues.
Over the years, our organization has successfully executed numerous projects in collaboration with other NGOs and local government entities. One notable project involved creating a climate change strategy for the Municipality of Tearce. Managed by CED in partnership with Milieukontakt Macedonia and the Municipality of Tearce, this project involved extensive community engagement, including over 50 meetings with various stakeholders. The implementation of the Green Agenda, which included replacing old street lamps with energy-efficient ones, was a significant milestone. The resulting Climate Change Strategy for Tearce, officially adopted by the municipality, outlined actions for climate change prevention and adaptation.
Building on this success, we facilitated the establishment of the Youth Council in Tearce with support from UNDP, followed by the development of a youth strategy. Through collaboration with local youth, we identified strategic directions for youth development, resulting in concrete projects and actions endorsed by the municipality.
In 2013, we also worked on enhancing the capacities of Committees for Inter-Community Relations (CICR) in municipalities, in partnership with the Institute for Communities Development – Tetovo. This involved assisting in the formation and strengthening of CICRs in Tearce, Jegunovce, and Tetovo, as well as providing guidance and conducting field research to support their effective functioning.
In 2014, we initiated a project in collaboration with the Youth Alliance from Tetovo to monitor municipal budgets in nine municipalities within the Polog planning region. This project aimed to enhance transparency in budgetary matters and was part of a broader initiative managed by the Center for Economic Analysis and Forum CSID, supported by the European Commission’s IPA program.
