DanChurchAid
Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan
First National Forum of “Act Development Central Asia"
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| Group photo of participants in National Forum. Photo: Morten Christensen |
Development director Klaus Løkkegaard, DanChurchAid, was very satisfied with the dialogue between agencies and partners at the National Forum.
"We proved successful in addressing some of the core issues about program strategy and the very direction of ACT and ACT Development and what kind of role each of us will play in it. We also managed to get a valuable dialogue in which we, on the one hand, have introduced and discussed certain concepts and, on the other hand, have been asked critical questions about them. It has helped us identify some of the issues to which we still don’t have answers and which need to be developed further", Klaus Løkkegaard said.
Agenda: Climate, cooperation and accountability
Besides making for presentation of the “Act Development Central Asia” (ACT-D CA) established in 2007, the Forum discussed the future plans of the five agencies and their long-term programmes for Central Asia.
The National Forum was the first significant opportunity for the members to present and discuss the transition with a wider audience of the local partners and other invited guests. But the most important objective was to discuss what the cooperation between the agencies and their local partners mean in practice for the work in the region.
Among the topics discussed were climate change, accountability and working with a programmatic approach in addressing challenges in Central Asia.
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| Klaus Løkkegaard (DCA) and Jan van Doggenaar (ICCO) listening to presentation at National Forum. Photo: Morten Christensen |
Lyazzat Ishmukhamedova represented the Kazakh NGO “Association of Women Moldir” and she was very satisfied with the outcome of the first National Forum of ACT-D CA.
"The National Forum offered a great opportunity to have a discussion of relevant issues among international development agencies and local NGOs. We need to build stronger relations between agencies and NGOs and the establishment of this Alliance is one step in that direction. It is not an easy task, but the discussion has answered a lot of my questions", Lyazzat Ishumkhamedova said.
Next stop: Dushanbe
A similar National Forum will take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on November 10-11 because the ACT-D CA members have agreed that their future focus will be on national programmes and approaches.
Two of the participating agencies, ICCO and DanChurchAid, also took the opportunity to officially inaugurate their shared office in Bishkek. The occasion was marked with a reception and hand over of keys to the office to the Regional Representatives, Pepijin Trapman (ICCO) and Tatiana Kotova (DCA).
In his speech at the reception, ICCO’s international program director, Jan van Doggenaar, emphasised the importance of cooperation within the ACT-D CA.
"We have just finished a two day conference and it is important that we have such conferences in order to speak together about important issues. But it is even more important that we act, because everyone – women, men, children and elderly people – deserve a decent life. So, it is my wish that this office will be a sign of the solidarity between communities of East and West and North and South", Jan van Doggenaar said.
ACT-D CA cooperates with more than twenty non-governmental organisations in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan working with vulnerable groups such as rural communities, internal migrants, neglected children and people living with HIV. The Alliance also supports initiatives aimed at fair economic development and disaster risk reduction.
ACT-D CA is an alliance of ecumenical development agencies working together in the field of development in Central Asia. The main activity of the Alliance focuses on civil society development and poverty reduction. All members implement their activities based upon humanitarian principles and human rights and work through local partner organisations. Assistance is rendered to people in need regardless of their religious, ethnic or racial belonging.
DanChurchAid is a memeber of ACT International - Action by Churches Together
Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan
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