With UNDP and EU support, seven pilot provinces launch strategies and action plans to promote civic engagement

Ankara, 28 October 2024 – Alliances between local government and civil society are a winning combination for devising solutions to contemporary challenges such as climate change and disaster preparedness. This is the founding idea of a EUR 6 million project that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing in Türkiye with European Union funding. As a first step, seven pilot provinces – Çanakkale, Mersin, Elazığ, Gaziantep, Trabzon, Manisa and Eskişehir – have announced strategies and action plans for “civic engagement” designed to promote collaboration between local administrations and civil society.

In two of the selected pilot provinces – Elazığ and Gaziantep – that suffered devastation in the February 2023 earthquakes, post-disaster recovery was among the selected thematic areas.

“Participation of those affected by public policies is crucial to ensure that decision-making delivers workable, sustainable solutions to the common challenges we face,” said UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton. “We are pleased to be providing tools to help municipalities and civil society organizations derive the maximum benefit from collaboration.”

The action plans were developed by “civic engagement task forces” encompassing a diverse membership, including representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) and civic initiatives; local administrations; private sector business chambers and associations; universities; and mukhtars. Culminating a year of debate and discussion, these task forces have identified priority areas for administrative-civic collaboration for each pilot province:

The plans are being presented to the public in the period from 16 October-7 November 2024.

The civic engagement action plans identify specific measures to be implemented to encourage collaboration between local governments and civil society, including creating a joint digital platform on disaster resilience and response; promoting coordination and data sharing between CSOs and public institutions working on migration; and training by CSOs for vulnerable groups on rights-based advocacy, participatory democracy, city councils and civic engagement. 

These initiatives will be accompanied by training programs focused on lobbying, advocacy and participatory democracy that are designed to equip vulnerable groups and local communities to have greater influence in local decision making. Participants in the seven civic engagement task forces note that their work has already helped to improve communication and reduce mistrust between municipal administrations and civil society organizations. 

In parallel, UNDP’s civic engagement project is in the final stages of selecting 36 CSOs to receive small grants in value from US$ 10.000 to US$ 150.000 to implement projects aimed at solving urgent local problems. CSOs from all provinces in Türkiye were eligible to apply, and in all 431 applications were received. Reflecting the collaborative spirit central to the civic engagement project, CSOs were required to forge a partnership with the local municipal administration as a precondition for eligibility. The areas prioritized by applicants included: building resilience to climate change; improving local disaster readiness; expanding economic opportunities for marginalized groups; and applying innovative technologies to build ties between CSOs and local governments. The grant winners will be announced in November.

The civic engagement project also has a component dedicated to encouraging volunteering as a way for individuals to contribute their energy and enthusiasm to social causes in their local communities. A “Volunfest” organized at 18 March University in Çanakkale on 18 October 2024 brought together some 500 students and young people for an afternoon fair dedicated to volunteering opportunities. Similar gatherings are planned for other locations. At the same time, UNDP is working with experts, officials and activists to draft new legislation to provide clear channels for volunteer activities and ensure proper safeguards for volunteers.

UNDP’s national-level partners in implementing the project are the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye; the Directorate General of Civil Society Relations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; and the Directorate for European Union Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

For more information, please visit https://www.sivilkatilim.org.tr/en/homepage/.