Within the framework of the Second Swiss Contribution to the Republic of Croatia, the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, as the Programme Operator of the Civil Society Programme, organised a ceremonial award of nine grant agreements with a total value of EUR 2,120,952.41, marking the completion of the contracting process for projects under the Call titled “Strengthening the Contribution of Civil Society Organisations to Education for Sustainable Development”.
The approved projects aim to strengthen cooperation between civil society organisations and educational institutions, develop innovative educational content and teaching methods, and raise awareness of sustainable development, environmental protection, social equality, and responsible resource management.
Within the projects, students will be enabled to develop digital, STEM, and social skills through interactive learning methods, with an emphasis on sustainable development, mental health, and responsible use of technology. Through activities such as planting pocket forests, volunteer actions, and community-based projects, the development of competences for active participation in local communities will be encouraged, particularly in rural and less developed areas.
The projects will be implemented across Croatia and will contribute to the development of sustainable schools and communities, strengthening the capacities of teachers and civil society organisations, and increasing the involvement of young people in activities focused on environmental protection, climate change, and civic engagement.
The signatories of the agreements and other guests – representatives of relevant ministries, the Council for the Development of Civil Society, educational institutions, civil society organisations, and the media – were welcomed with introductory remarks by Her Excellency Ms Beatrice Schaer, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to the Republic of Croatia, and Helena Beus, Acting Director of the Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
Ambassador Beatrice Schaer thanked all those who contributed to the implementation of this Programme, especially the Croatian partners – the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds – and emphasized that the goal of the Programme is to strengthen the capacities of civil society organisations so they can more effectively participate in democratic processes and contribute to reducing economic and social inequalities and developing inclusive communities.
Helena Beus stressed that the signing of agreements for nine projects launches the implementation of activities that will bring changes to their local communities, and thanked the Swiss Confederation and all institutions involved in preparing the Programme.
The event was thematically organised ahead of the global Earth Day celebration, and this year’s theme “Our Power, Our Planet” refers to the role of people and communities around the world in environmental protection, which affects the cost of living, public health, infrastructure reliability, and long-term stability.
As part of the Programme, an implementation workshop was held where project beneficiaries were informed about project execution, including procedures for implementing planned activities and reporting on implementation.
The following civil society organisations signed grant agreements:
- EU Centar Association – Project @DObRo bIT
- GONG – Project Active Youth, Sustainable Policies
- Croatian Scout Association – Project CROŠNJICA
- Local Action Group Vallis Colapis – Project GreenCraft
- Centre for Peace Studies – Project POP
- Tatavaka Association – Project TRIo (3O)
- Croatian Music Youth – Project Music for Ecologically Aware Ears
- Green Istria Association – Project Seed of Change ReGeneration
- Association for Nature and Environment Protection Green Osijek – Project OKO MDD