Civic Engagement Project

The Project on Strengthening Civic Engagement for Enhancing Democratic Local Governance in Türkiye (Civic Engagement Project) is financed by the European Union within the framework of Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance-II (IPA II) Funds and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The main beneficiary of the Project is the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), and its co-beneficiary is the Ministry of Interior Directorate General for Relations with Civil Society (DGRSC). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs, as the leading institution of the IPA-II Civil Society Sector, carries out activities for effective implementation and monitoring of the project. The project will be implemented between January 2023 and September 2025. The total budget of the project is approximately 5.8 million USD, and 60% of the budget will be allocated to local projects to be implemented in partnership with civil society organizations (CSOs) and local administrations/public administrations through the Civic Engagement Small Grants Programme.

The Civic Engagement Project aims to strengthen civic engagement and volunteerism for democratic local governance in Türkiye.  The Project aims to contribute to the participation of civil society organizations in decision-making mechanisms, to develop civil society-public cooperation based on trust and mutual understanding and to support the creation of a favourable and sustainable environment for volunteerism. In addition, it is planned to carry out a draft study that will form the basis of the legal framework on volunteerism in Türkiye by strengthening the dialogue and cooperation between civil society organizations and public institutions.

Detailed Information: https://www.sivilkatilim.org.tr/en/about-the-project/