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A mini-movie profiling some of the program's beneficiaries |
Over the past six years the Moldova Citizen Participation Program (CPP) [6] funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IREX, achieved significant progress in empowering the citizens of Moldova to generate positive change in their communities. The program:
• facilitated the implementation of 323 community improvement projects in every corner of Moldova
• enabled more than 18,000 citizens to acquire new knowledge through participating in community meetings, trainings, and projects.
• attracted additional resources as the communities leveraged the $12 million in USAID funds for CPP to obtain more than $20 million in monetary and in-kind contributions from other donors, local public administrations, and fellow community members.
On February 18, 2011 frigid temperatures and a blanket of snow could not deter more than 300 people representing communities across Moldova from gathering in the capital, Chisinau, to celebrate the achievements of CPP.
The final conference brought together US and Moldovan government officials with CPP staff, partners, and beneficiaries. It began with a speech by US Ambassador to Moldova Asif Chaudhry, who said, "I am moved to see that so many people want to get involved in public life,” he remarked. “This program is a perfect example of people power, because there is no better way to learn than by participating in democracy.”
General Secretary of the Government of the Republic of Moldova Victor Bodiu noted that the objectives of CPP “coincide fully with the Government's vision of strengthening communities and developing the sense of citizenship and participation,” adding that “such initiatives foster the innovative spirit of our citizens, gradually changing their mindset by encouraging them to identify collectively and transparently the priority problems that can only be solved locally and develop a concept of improving a park, school or sports facility.”
CPP Director Oleg Bursuc made a presentation highlighting the quantitative results of CPP and the sustainability of the participatory development model it pioneered. He also underscored the ability of CPP to gain trust among citizens of the Transnistria region.
The conference also included heartfelt speeches from people from across Moldova who had been touched by CPP – including the former director of one of the CPP regional hubs in northern Moldova, a small business owner who had won tenders to implement CPP projects, a community mayor, and the leaders of Citizen Initiative Groups (CIGs) elected through CPP to oversee the implementation of community projects.