Project Title: Poland for Global South!” – support for Polish civil society groups engagement inEU development policy dialogue on national and international level connected with public awareness campaign

Implementing Organisation: Polish Green Network

Total Budget: 47 623 euros

Total Request from the Fund: 44 993 euros

Description of the Project and Expected Results:

The Polish Green Network identified low knowledge of EU development policy and lack of cooperation and partnership among NG(D)Os as serious constraints for Polish involvement in development cooperation. The limited information in Polish on development cooperation resulted in little debate on development issues between politicians, government staff, civil society and the general public. It intended to increase knowledge levels through workshops, seminars, internships, public campaigns and  by building relationships in-country and with NG(D)Os in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It also wanted to use its website (www.globalnepolidudnie.org) as a web-platform for the exchange of ideas, information dissemination and the promotion of cooperation between the NG(D)Os.

Before applying for PF funding the PNG had already been actively working on development cooperation, supporting a project in Ghana and producing documentaries on the project in 2006. This experience was to be included in the PF project.

Results after Implementation:

In its final report the PGN reported that it had joined the Polish platform, Grupa Zagranica, joining its WG on Polish ODA, and through the network contributed to the work of Concord, contributing to its April 2007 report ‘Hold the applause. EU governments risk breaking aid promises. It had published a guide, in both Polish and English, on EU and Polish development cooperation and contributed to the first ever analysis of Polish ODA. On the 22 November 2006 it had organized a Roundtable which included representatives from Ukraïne and Tjakistan, but failed to interest either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or of Finance. It also reported that contacts with MPs were difficult particularly in view of the fact that the Polish election campaigns strongly focused on national internal policies. However, this improved after the elections and continued during PNG’s 2^nd PF project. PGN had also set up a working relationship with a Polish MEP, which is still continuing as the MEP was re-elected in 2009.

In relation to its work improving its relationships and cooperation with national and international NG(D)O community, PGN reported not only its contacts with the Polish network, contributing to the development of a national NG(D)O strategy to start talking with one voice and take joint action to influence the 2008 GAERC meetings , but also with the Czech Platform, FoRs, and with the  Slovak NGDO platform MVRO (Platforma mimovládnych rozvojových organizácií).  To improve its own capacity it had found the Belgian NGDO 11.11.11 willing to offer PNG an internship of 3 weeks.

In order to boost the knowledge of the general public the PNG organized two exhibitions, one in the railway station of Warsaw and one in that of Krakow. The media was also mobilised resulting in five separate articles on development cooperation. Its success in this project led PNG to apply for a second PF grant in call 4.