Advocacy School Study Visit to Chisinau Wraps Up

For two days, 12 representatives of civil society organizations from Armenia, Moldova, and Ukraine gathered in Chisinau for the study visit of the Advocacy School, organized within the regional project “Advocacy for CSOs in Times of Uncertainty.” The project is implemented with the support of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) and funded by the European Union.

On the first day, participants learned about the work of Moldova’s State Chancellery and the Ombudsman’s Office in supporting civic space, promoting inclusion, and advancing public participation. They also met with representatives of leading Moldovan civil society organizations — Promo-Lex, CRJM, and CONTACT — to discuss civic activism, advocacy, and the challenges their organizations face.

On the second day, participants presented their own work, the advocacy tools they use, and the challenges their organizations face, exchanging ideas and experience and discussing how to communicate better with communities, authorities, and the wider public. One conclusion from the discussions was that an organization’s reputation and the trust it earns are built through transparency, accountability, and consistency, while better-prepared teams, functional monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and safety and data-protection protocols are also needed.

The day also included a dialogue with Daniela Vidaicu, Executive Director of the Soros Foundation Moldova and facilitator of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, exploring opportunities for cooperation and how platforms and coalitions can connect organizations, support advocacy efforts, and strengthen the sector’s common voice.

The Advocacy School became not only a platform for exchanging knowledge and experience, but also a solid foundation for future partnerships and joint initiatives among organizations from the three countries. The study visit has ended, but as participants noted, the partnerships are just beginning: regional cooperation helps everyone learn from one another and find shared solutions for protecting civic space and democratic values.

We thank our partners for the excellent collaboration, and all participants for their openness, ideas, and active engagement.