ALTER (Active Local Territories for Economic development of Rural Areas) is a four-year project, funded by the European Union, represented by the European Commission.
ALTER is implemented by a consortium of rural networks in Western Balkan countries and Turkey, encouraged and supported by Prepare – Partnership for Rural Europe (www.preparenetwork.org):
- Network for Rural Development of Serbia,
- Institute for Democracy and Mediation, on behalf of the Albanian Network for Rural Development (ANRD),
- Network for rural development BiH – Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- Network of Organizations for Rural Development of Kosovo,
- Rural Development Network of the Republic of Macedonia,
- Network of Rural Development in Montenegro,
- Development Foundation of Turkey,
- Croatian Rural Development Network,
- Latvian Rural Forum
PREPARE is a formal co-partner in the programme, represented by the Latvian Rural Forum.
The overarching goal of ALTER is to stimulate an enabling legal and financial environment for civil society, to empower civil society to be effective and accountable independent actors, and to improve their capacity to dialogue with Governments in order to influence policy and decision-making processes in sustainable development of rural communities and to hold them accountable for their performance towards citizens and society at large.
ALTER will accomplish its goal through strengthening the capacities of the CSO networks to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development in the Western Balkans and Turkey, and to promote their partnership with public institutions and involvement in decision-making and governance processes, for the well-being of rural communities in those countries. The actions have a primary focus on networking, capacity building and advocacy. Particular attention will be devoted to cross-cutting issues (support to vulnerable categories and marginalized groups, social entrepreneurship, encouraging innovation in rural areas, environmental conservation).
The expected results of ALTER are as follows:
- The concepts of sustainable socio-economic rural development, social inclusion of rural communities, and active involvement of CSOs in the formulation and implementation of policies are promoted;
- The capacities of CSOs in advocacy of sustainable socio-economic development; in networking and in cooperation with public authorities are enhanced;
- The managerial capacities and governance structures of CSOs and CSO Networks, and their ability to elaborate strategic long-term organizational plans, thus increasing their effectiveness, their ability to attract and handle diversified funds and their accountability to members and beneficiaries are strengthened;
- The level of CSOs’ involvement and citizens’ inclusion in all aspects of local governance, and promoted cooperation and partnership between different sectors and stakeholders in rural areas, based on the LEADER principles and concepts of Community Led Local Development is advanced;
- Development of Balkan Rural Development Network as a functional regional platform for cooperation of national networks in the Balkans;
- Networking, transnational cooperation, knowledge transfer, exchange of good practice between CSO’s and CSO Networks in the seven partner countries, and between them and EU countries are strengthened and extended.
For further information, please contact IDM at [email protected] or by tel. 04 24 00 241.