Time to Act

Civil society organizations join forces to strengthen the voice of local actors in Jordan

This forum marked the end of a one-year project implemented by ACTED, managed by the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) and funded by the European Union (EU), aiming at empowering four CBOs in northern Jordan. The event gathered 70 organisations, including civil society organisations, national NGOs, international NGOs and donors to reflect on the next steps towards a sustainable strategy for continued support to Jordan’s civil society. Discussion was also initiated on how to ensure a better coordination among key actors, INGOs, local NGOs and authorities to respond to the consequences of the Syrian crisis and promote the sustainability of their intervention.

When opening the event, Mr Laafia, Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Jordan, stressed the importance of the role played by civil society assessing the European Union willingness to support organisations “capable to participate in the national effort towards political and economic reforms undertaken by the Jordanian government”.

“Advocacy enables individuals to become actors and not just viewers”, emphasized Mr. Abdallah, representative of the charity organization Sailors for Art during a discussion on the advocacy eco-system, which was followed by practical advocacy workshops. Participants actively took part in discussions on the diverse challenges CBOs in Jordan are facing.

Participants were also consulted on the way forward to support local and national actors in a coordinated and innovative manner. “Donors need to be more aware of the needs on the ground as voiced by local actors,” mentioned ACTED Country Director, while the manager of Our Step Association made a strong statement about the role and perception of local organisations by international actors. All participants agreed on the need to strengthen the role and coordination of local actors in the civil society and advocacy landscape in Jordan.