"THIRD SECTOR DEVELOPMENT - A STEP INTO FUTURE"
The Project “Third sector development - a step into future” would last 12 months and would be realized by:
Association for the Development of Creativity from Aleksinac, as the Applicant
Association for Protection and Promotion of Mental Health in Children and Youth, from Niš, as the Partner
Urban In from Novi Pazar, as the Partner
Panonija from Novi Sad, as the Partner
- The aim(s) of the project:
The general aim of the project is the process of improvement of legal and financial surrounding for the third sector activities in Serbia, by initiating the state MPs to propose adequate regulations that are to be brought by Republic authorities, as well as supporting NGOs by local authorities, entrepreneurs and citizens.
Specific project aims are:
1. The development of the notion of the need to initiatiate and bring up adequate legal and financial regulations regarding better NGO work among the Republic MPs. This is to be achieved by organizing 16 meetings where MPs and NGOs representatives, local authorities and entrepeneurs will express their opinions, present the problems the civil sector faces with and find solutions to the problems in question.
2. Incresing the awareness of the citizens, local authorities and the entrepeneurs regarding the iportant role the civil sector has in respect to society democrartization and the membership of our country in EU. This is to be achieved by presenting 6 TV shows and the campaign in 16 Serbian cities. That is how the non-profit sector would be promoted and thus find ways to finance NGOs from the local sources.
3. Contribution to the Republic authorities in bringing adequate regulations regarding the legal status of the third sector and tax policies and according to European standards and the needs of the non-governmental sector itself. This is to be achieved by delivering meetings and conferences conclusions, as well as suggested modules for the draft of the law in question.
One of the main problems NGOs face in Serbia is the absence of the adequate law regulating the scope of work and finances of non-profit sector. The Republic and state laws ,which provide for registration and organization of NGOs, are too old (dating 1982 and 1990) and their regulations are contrary to other existing laws, without any tax reductions or exceptions, with approximate and different applications of other regulations, etc. For that reason, NGOs are, in terms of finances, treated as companies and their non defined status often leads to misunderstandings and problems in everyday work of the organizations. On the other hand, the state described sometimes provides space for certain manipulations and misuse that make the bad picture the third sector already has even worse, particularly in terms of financing these organizations (‘foreign merecenaries’, ‘a-handful-of-dollar traitors’, etc.). It is not much thought of the benefits and contributions NGOs provide regarding the issue of solving society problems, especially on a local level. This, of course, makes the position of NGOs even worse and brings the existence of the third sector in question.
There have been several attempts to introduce the new law, but withdrawing from the legal procedure of several drafts, accompanied by discussions about the issue of legal organization of the third sector, all show a discrepancy between NGOs’ needs and the opinions of the political structures forming the Government and obviously inadequate approach of legal authorities in the Republic institutions.
For that reason he aim of this project would be improving the legal and financial framework by influencing the MPs that indirectly take part in creation of all the regulations and creating the critical public that can initiate and contribute to quicker and more adequate reaction of the Governmental structures, as well as better support of the citizens regarding the work of NGOs. Direct discussions between MPs and NGOs’ representatives in regions would provide better conditions for the MPs to get a better picture of the position of NGOs in Serbia, their scopes of work, problems, financial difficulties, solving the difficulties, etc. In such a way, almost 50 MPs would participate in indirect communication with the third sector representatives, and the conclusions would be presented, to both Republic institutions and authorities and the public, through media. That is one of the ways to greatly contribute to the solution of many legal and financial issues NGOs face with. On the other hand, the campaign and media presentation of NGOs work would gradually change the picture of the third world among the citizens, local authorities and entrepeneurs in particular, and in such a way NGOs would gain more support in solving local problems in the whole community. Witht he more attention paid to the third sector by state institutions, the more importance and support they would gain on the local level, support by the local authorities and entrepeneurs in particular.
Finally, the results of the project coming from different regions, such as meeting conclusions, suggestions and initiatives, law drafts or the essence of the legal status in several articles, will be an important contribution to the Government in the process of solving legal and financial framework for the future activities of the third sector.
- Main project activities include:
1) meetings of MPs with the members of NGOs, local authorities and entrepeneurs,discussing legal and financial frameworks for preservation of the third sector,
2) designing web site and brocheure publishing,
3) TV shows,
4) campaign and
5) conference.
All the conclusions will be delivered to the Republic authorities and other organizations of the civil society.
It is expected that the results would contribute to passing the new law regarding NGOs and tax laws that regulate the issue of tax reductions or even free-of-tax operation of NGOs, donor entrepreneurial, international and local donors.
