NGO's Open Days 2019

Associations across Croatia opened their doors to interested citizens through more than 300 different events during the three-day 2019 NGO's Open Door Days event.

The 2019 NGO's Open Doors Days were held from May 16 to May 18, 2019, with more than 300 events across Croatia to visit. In order to bring citizens closer to their programs and activities, NGOs across Croatia organize numerous creative workshops, lectures, plays, actions, and in an innovative way present their socially beneficial projects and programs, as well as opportunities for involving citizens in volunteer programs. Special emphasis this year is on presenting the results of projects and programs of NGOs financed by public sources, in order to contribute to even greater openness and transparency of the work of NGOs in Croatia.
 
The activities of the NGOs during the NGOs Open Door Day 's could be monitored through the NGO's mobile application Info. The application is available for download on all mobile platforms and provides easy registration for associations, which can promote their activities through the app. Through the application, citizens can search the NGO's activities by location and time, but also the information contained in the Association Register and to contact the association of their interest. Search is made possible by using the interactive map of the Republic of Croatia.
 
During the NGO's Open Door Days, the Government Office for NGOs organized a conference "The Future of Civil Society: Active Contribution of Citizens to Social Change" at the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum in Zagreb, on May 16-17.
 
The aim of the conference was to problematize current forms of organizing citizens, especially young people, and to think of ways to better motivate and mobilize citizens for topics of interest to the common good. The role of public institutions and public sources of funding in the active contribution of citizens to social change was discussed, as well as the possibility of involving civil society in activities organized within the framework of the EU Council Presidency. During the conference, an awards ceremony was held as part of the Call for Proposals "Communication Support to Socially Beneficial Programs of NGO’s" organized by the Government Office for NGO’s and the Croatian Public Relations Association. The award-winning NGOs, the Croatian Early Childhood Intervention Association and OZANA, will be provided with the professional support of CTA communications and Equestris PR counselors, PR consultants in the design of media and communication plans, as well as the cost of developing promotional materials and advertising programs for NGO’s focused on promoting sustainable development.
 
Representatives of informal citizens' initiatives took part in the discussions: Jelena Veljača (Save Me Initiative), Antonio Dobrota (Island Movement), Leonard Šmigmator (Global High School Climate Protest), NGO representatives: Đordana Barbarić (MOST Association), Slavica Robić (Society for Shaping Sustainable Development-DOOR), Gordan Bosanac (Platform for International Civic Solidarity of Croatia), Martin Mrša (Youth Association “Youth in the EU”), Svjetlana Marion (Youth Info Center), academic communities: Ph.D. Božo Skoko (Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb), Ph.D. Dražen Šimleša (Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar), M.Sc. Marko Kovačić (Institute for Social Research in Zagreb), prof. Nives Mikelić Preradović (Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb) and prof. Marko Delimar (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing) and numerous representatives of the public authorities, along with the Government Office for NGO’s, representatives of ministries, the National Foundation for Civil Society Development, local authorities and the media.
 
When discussing the experiences of implementing service learning activities co-financed by the European Social Fund, service learning was recognized as a third pillar through which students had the opportunity to gain practical knowledge and opportunities with their contribution to the community. However, in order to ensure the sustainability of service learning projects, it was concluded as necessary to provide a contact person or office at the university, which would link the activities of the local community, higher education institutions and civil society organizations.
 
The Conference also highlighted the need for greater cooperation of line bodies (ministries) with civil society organizations in the preparation and implementation of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in order to achieve synergy in the presidency process.
 
A recording of the Conference is also available via the link here.
 
For the fourth year in a row, as part of the NGO's Open Door Days, the Government Office for NGO's organized the Walk through NGO's History in Zagreb. The walk aims to bring to the public a rich history of the NGO's activities in Zagreb that have significantly contributed to socio-economic growth and laid the foundations of modern civil society.
 
We invite associations that have presented their work as part of the 2019 NGO's Open Door Days to apply for the award given by the Government Office for NGO's in collaboration with the magazine Udruga.hr. Applications can be submitted by May 31, 2019.
 

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