Kathmandu: The Civil Society Mutual Accountability Project has concluded. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and FHI 360 celebrated the closing of the project after over six years of collaboration.
The project fostered a more legitimate, accountable, and resilient Nepali civil society that advanced the public interest, FHI 360 said in a press release.
FHI 360 implemented this activity in partnership with Equal Access International and the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, with more than 40 local partners and collaborators including civil society organizations, media, and local and federal government bodies.
“Across Nepal, our efforts helped amplify people’s voices to promote human rights, gender equality, and social inclusion principles,” noted Sepideh Keyvanshad USAID/Nepal Mission Director. “We hope the space for civic engagement continues and that local authorities remain committed to promoting policies of inclusion and participation.”
At the sub-national level, this activity supported civic engagement in 57 core municipalities across 34 districts with a focus on principles of inclusive participation and accountability. All these municipalities adopted a policy of supporting public participation in the local governance process.
“The activity supported public participation through civic engagement platforms including common assemblies at ward level and partnership forums at the municipal level,” reads the release.
“The platform also included civil society organization coalitions at the district level covering public interest in the health, education, agriculture, and disaster risk reduction sectors. Across all the platforms, the activity practiced targeted and evidence-based oversight, which strengthened the partners and collaborators’ leadership abilities.”
“We saw a strong increase in civic engagement and government-civil society collaboration in the 57 core municipalities where we worked,” says Bhagawan Shrestha, Country Director, FHI 360. “This civil society activity worked across 34 districts in 6 provinces that brought citizens closer to their government.”
This activity has helped strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations to mobilize resources and advocate for change, critical contributions to creating a civic space that benefits all of Nepal, reads the release.
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