Civil society does not have a proper impact on politicians’ decisions. Over the past years, it has also lost some instruments to protect their right. However, even before that, e.g. social organizations used to protect their rights and the rights of their recipients in courts or impacted decision-making processes rather infrequently. Meanwhile, democracy requires both strong civil society and legal guarantees.
As many as 1,700 organizations (Statistics Poland) declare their objectives related to strengthening the rule of law, human rights, and democracy. However, it is a rare situation if more then a hundred of them speak up together. Apart from lack of self-organization, the problem stems from the fact that such organizations do not know one another and do not use their joint potential. The project is an answer to this problem.
Direct recipients of the project are 1,000 organizations, which will be tested, whereas some of them will get involved in planned campaigns as well as find allies and gain experience. Organizations which are supported by a larger number of people will analyze how many recipients they can reach with their messages. 20 organizations will get involved in planning works for the entire industry and developing an agreement between various environment. Such activities will enable the organizations to get to know one another, understand their potential as well as their opportunities for communicating and supporting one another.
The activities include surveys, interviews, and focus groups on social organizations dealing with the rule of law, human rights, and democracy as well as their roots and impact on the society, and conducting two joint campaigns for a specific change.
Project partners combine experience relevant for the project success. The 61 Association – partner in the project – builds relations with politicians, thus, it may help organizations to prepare the strategy of impacting decisions taken by them.