by Anna Belousova

01 July 2008

Kyiv: The workshop gathered UNDP and UNV colleagues from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Cyprus and Thailand together with their partners from Intel Microelectronics Ukraine, Association of Voluntary Service Organisations (AVSO), Ukrainian Association for Youth Cooperation “Alternative-V”, and other organizations.

The participants are planning to discuss recent regional trends and developments influencing civil society and youth volunteerism including multi-lateral partnerships. They will share their experience and views on the importance of youth inclusion and civic engagement through volunteerism and self-empowerment of local youth communities to take charge of their destiny.

In this context, the workshop’s participants are going to analyse how multi-lateral partnerships with local communities, local governments, business and civil society, as well as international development agencies, help youth communities in stimulating and sustaining the processes of local development, working towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the countries represented at the workshop.

The workshop programme combines presentations, seven specially-designed sessions, and working groups. Specifically, the session topics include: sources of funding for civil society organisations, ways to expand civil society activism and advocacy in the human development agenda and how CSOs can advocate to improve involvement of young people in public policy making.

The participants will also review opportunities, good practices and challenges in the context of youth participation in community dialogue and development activities.

On the last day, the workshop focuses on the possible establishment of a joint Community of Practice (CoP) between UNDP Civic Engagement interest group and UNV. Participants will discuss the CoP’s objectives and its overall organizational modality. The joint events will also provide opportunities to explore prospective knowledge management activities, work planning and concrete outputs.