Series of Basic Civil Society Strengthening Workshops

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Basic Civil Society Strengthening Workshops
Basic Civil Society Strengthening Workshops
Project Act Beyond Borders
Date(s) June - September 2013
Type of participants CSOs Representatives
Link(s) http://www.actbeyondborders.net/


The aim is to offer both basic and advanced courses so that there are more choices available to civil society actors and authorities in Palestine and Israel to participate. They can choose to take only one course in which to enhance their skills or complete the entire set which would significantly increase their capabilities. The workshops are conducted over a period of 5 days with a total of 18 hours of training per topic. In Palestine and Israel the courses will focus on the following topics:

Networking and Relationship Building

The aim of this course is to examine the different ways of working together for development. Networking, building coalitions, social partnerships are processes which are evolving, and assuming a bigger role in social development, and promoting human rights and democratic reform. Over a period of three days, participants will learn about the nature of the different processes, and using examples from different contexts, look at the advantages and issues from a strategic perspective.

Civil Society Project Design and Planning

This course focuses on skills in project formulation, preparation, implementation planning and evaluation. It ensures that there are effective project controls and risk management throughout the life of the project. Without these skills, good worthwhile projects may never be realised because of a lack of financial support and insufficient confidence in the project leadership and management team.

Advocacy and Campaigning for Human Rights

The aim of this course is to help participants and their organisations to be more effective advocates for change in the areas of promoting human rights and democracy. Participants will learn how to analyse the policy-making environment within which they are operating and subsequently explore a range of approaches to advocacy strategy, planning and implementation.

Communication and Outreach for CSOs

The aim of this course is to enhance communication skills. Effectively communicating with stakeholders is one of the vital components for the success of any organisation. If an organisation has the capability to communicate the right messages, to the right target groups, through the right communication channels and tools, this means that the organisation is more likely to have a solid profile and support from its constituency, funders, CSOs and other external actors.

Strategic Thinking and Planning in CSOs

The process of strategic thinking and development is a dynamic process, primarily about looking to the future. The aim of this course is to enable participants to be responsive to changing circumstances, and to make choices from a longer-term perspective, taking into account how the investment of limited resources may have the greatest impact.

Managing Staff and Volunteers in CSOs

Volunteers and paid staff are vital to the success of Israeli and Palestinian CSOs. The aim of this course is to help CSO leaders and board members develop a strategic approach to managing such a treasured resource and to develop and improve the management capabilities of CSO staff and development workers. During the course, participants will not only improve their management capabilities, but also gain an awareness of the impact of their management style, develop greater insight into their leadership role, and increase their confidence in being able to facilitate organisational change.

Fundraising for CSOs

This course is concerned with building the capacity of other civil society organisations to develop those skills that will enable them to engage appropriately as serious players with the different sectors of society in which they operate. It also focuses on identifying and securing resources by civil society organisations from within those societies in which they operate.

The comprehensive set of trainings will be effective to build capacity in Israeli and Palestinian CSOs, covering seven themes, thus equipping CSOs with highly valuable, relevant knowledge and skills that will be beneficial for a stronger civil society.

Training Toolkit