Role of Civil Society and Volunteerism in Promoting the Pro-Poor & Pro-Women Agenda (The)

This 8-page chapter "Volunteering and the MDGs" is part of Albania's National Human Development Report which outlines volunteerism’s role in implementing 'pro-poor and pro-women' policies and volunteers' contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Albanian civil society has made a significant change in the last three years marked by a notable increase of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) across all sectors, as part of the National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development (NSSED). In this chapter it is noted that donors continue to prioritise service provision in their funding cycles. Furthermore, local government is described as becoming more decentralised which is leading to the gradual opening up of opportunities in the non-government sector.

In this report reference is made to the fact that non-profit organisation (NPO) support is, in many cases, a reflection of donor-defined priorities. Therefore, according to the publication, focus is not centered on creating coherent strategies and programmes based on the real needs identified in specific communities. According to the authors, "over-reliance on donor-mandated programmes is one of the biggest barriers for NPOs/NGOs to overcome in the future."

In this report, there is mention of a shift in recognising the value of join action and moving from project focused activities to specialisation in various fields. The MDGs in this context are described as presenting a good entry point for providing broader opportunities for these networks to identify, and advocate for the interests of communities and excluded groups.

According to this publication, an increase in civil society involvement in public affairs is occurring. The Citizens’ Advocacy Office (CAO), the Mjaft movement and the Albanian Youth Council are described as being the most active in setting the tone and describing critical public concerns on a wide range of issues. The "Mjaft Campaign" articulates the main concerns of Albania’s population including "the suffering health and education services; blood feuds; trafficking and organised crime; poverty and unemployment; discrimination against women and disadvantaged groups and others." The campaign is described as including media coverage which had "considerable impact on the public."

In this report it is noted that social cohesion brought about by volunteer action and self-help volunteer groups is described as "an important ingredient in the fight against poverty and hunger."